Advice Needed...

[Jst1mr]

As a long-time resident of the recently liberated State of Wisconsin (see related thread), I now find myself in need of advice as to all things CCW. Years of being denied this right have left me sadly ignorant, so please bear with me as I try to get started in this brave new world. I'm a "big" guy (6'3, 290). I have wide and varied experience with many types of handguns, including revolvers and semi autos, but have never carried concealed. (Have open-carried large revolvers and semis (N frames, Beretta 92. Springfield XD, etc.) I have a bit of an overlap (OK, a gut), and wear my belt below that, so my belt can't bear a bunch of weight without sliding down (or suspenders). Also, I belong to that old-school minority that wears shirts of most types tucked in. I have no use for overwear such as sport coats, etc. What are some good options for me, carry-wise? I would intend to carry a 1911 type, 3' barrelled piece, but could go with a snubby J frame if necessary. I have snub J and K frames, a Colt DS, etc. I was thinking something in the small of the back or somewhat towards the strong hand, but IWB or OWB? Any and all advice/personal experience to get a portly gent started would be well appreciated!

 

[cmort666]

As a long-time resident of the recently liberated State of Wisconsin (see related thread), I now find myself in need of advice as to all things CCW. Years of being denied this right have left me sadly ignorant, so please bear with me as I try to get started in this brave new world. I'm a "big" guy (6'3, 290). I have wide and varied experience with many types of handguns, including revolvers and semi autos, but have never carried concealed. (Have open-carried large revolvers and semis (N frames, Beretta 92. Springfield XD, etc.) I have a bit of an overlap (OK, a gut), and wear my belt below that, so my belt can't bear a bunch of weight without sliding down (or suspenders). Also, I belong to that old-school minority that wears shirts of most types tucked in. I have no use for overwear such as sport coats, etc. What are some good options for me, carry-wise? I would intend to carry a 1911 type, 3' barrelled piece, but could go with a snubby J frame if necessary. I have snub J and K frames, a Colt DS, etc. I was thinking something in the small of the back or somewhat towards the strong hand, but IWB or OWB? Any and all advice/personal experience to get a portly gent started would be well appreciated!

1. I too loathe untucked shirts and never wear superfluous cover garments not required by the weather. I make tuckable IWB holsters. I have them for my Glocks, M1911s and Browning Hi Power.
2. I recommend that you get yourself a copy of the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, edited by Massad Ayoob. There's a lot of good basic information in it which will both answer most of your questions and make the rest more intelligent.

 

[finaltoy]

Jst1mr and cmort666,
Thanx for bringing this thread up.
It is a subject a great many of us could benefit from.
I too am a large man (6' 280lb) and my belt does slip under.
I shall look into the suggestions.
Bill H.

 

[jlrhiner]

Welcome to the fat boys club. Aquire a set (or three) of suspenders that attach to your belt, not clip to the pants. I carry a Kimber Tactical Ultra CDP in an excellent LoboGunleather OWB holster. A polo shirt or jacket, depending on the weather, covers nicely. I upsize any shirt that i use as a cover shirt. If you are a dedicated t-shirt man, pocket carry with a wallet type or IWB are options.

I, personally, do not like just stuffing a j frame in my pocket without protecting it. I know many do.

The advantage to being 6'2" and 300+ (ahem) is I can conceal a bazooka.

 

[luangtom]

I have been fortunate to have lived and currently live in states that allowed CC. That said, I have carried a J-frame in either an IWB or pocket-holster daily for three-decades. Current carry is either a 340 M&P or a 340PD. I go with either an IWB from Ray Cory, here on the forum, or a Don Hume. For pocket-carry it is one of three. It is a DeSantis Nemesis, a Kydex from various manufacturers or a Don Hume pocket-holster.

Good luck with finding your specialty holster for yourself. There will be and are many opinions here, but go with what you feel comfortable with. I have a box of holsters that just were not right......

 

[CelticSire]

Keep in mind that carrying a concealed firearm is always going to be a balance between function, comfort, and holster design. A holster that conceals well and is comfortable is worth it's weight in gold. All of us have that box filled with holsters that either turned out to be just a little too uncomfortable to wear, or didn't conceal the weapon quite as well as we liked. The old adage that "you get what you pay for" is especially true when it comes to holsters. (Although one of my favorite and often caried holsters I found in a bargain bin for 5 dollars). If you decide to go with a belt holster, whther it be IWB or OWB, the value of a quality belt cannot be overlooked. The right belt is just as important as the right holster. I would suggest trying several different styles of holsters and methods of carrying until you find one that works for YOU. What works for your buddy may not, and probably won't, work for you. The ultimate goal is to find a carry method that conceals the weapon but allows you to carry the weapon comfortably so that it's never an issue of "I'll just leave it at home because it's too much of a pain." And rarely will one method of carry work in all situations. I carry every day, all day, and alternate between ankle carry, OWB carry, shoulder holster, and tuckable holsters depending on 1) how I'm dressed, 2) where I'm going, and 3) how I'm getting there. For example, if I'm going to spend the large majority of my time seated in a vehicle I'll opt for ankle carry because it's one of the quickest and easiest ways to access my firearm while seatbelted in a car that I've found. I hope that this helps, and while I wish that there was one solution to your question, there really is no one-size-fits-all answer.

 

[jbull380]

All good stuff, I would discourage carrying anything in the small of your back. If you get pushed back and land on that it can be bad news as in spinal injury.

 

[TACC1]

You might want to consider a G&G belly band holster, with sweat shield. I haven't tried a 1911 yet, but smaller guns work okay.
You wear it under your regular shirt, at any height that you like.
It doesn't have to be real tight to keep the butt from sticking out/away
from your body. Use it in a cross-draw manner. The only thing that
will slow your draw is getting your hand past the shirt buttons.
Some shirts come with snaps instead of buttons. Hope this helps, TACC1.

 

[Jst1mr]

Some great ideas, which gives me somewhere to start - thanks for sharing your experience...