Concealing big guns - how?

[zeke]

Theis hybrid iwb holster, 3 o'clock FBI tilt, untucked shirt over suspenders and extra mag off side. Till i started pocket carrying in winter, light weight commander with 5 in barrel, heavy shirt. 3 in officer in summer with light weight cotton shirt. The pistol grip is close against body and doesn't poke out when bending/stretching around. The dual loop hybrid holster distributes the weight, while suspenders and belt hold it up.

For easier access in winter have gone to G 23 in front pocket of carhart overalls with extra mag in offside tool pocket with velcro. And yes the front pocket is modified.

For my purposes and lack of stylish dressing, the flat 45 conceals much better than a larger revolver.

 

[diyj98]

Now that's a hoot!

After a lifetime of tucking in my shirts an untucked shirt, or tarp, feels unnatural as heck.

I'm in the same boat. I grew up wearing my shirt tucked in and worked my entire career the same way. An untucked shirt just doesn't feel right.

 

[roo_ster]

http://smith-wessonforum.com/concea...689000-change-edc.html?posted=1#post141596241

This might be a dead horse question but I simply do not know the actual answer. I put it on another thread (see above) but it's really a stand alone issue and I want to omit discussions about gunfights - just this one question:

How do you CONCEAL a large handgun?

Please, no open carry responses - legal concealment is the issue here not legal open carry.

Anyone can carry an N frame, even an L frame, or a "service sized" pistol, but concealment is paramount.

I own any number of large frame pistols and revolvers and can shoot all of them but at no time would I consider attempting to conceal carry one. J frames, snubby K frames, compact 9mms and .45s. and even some mouse guns are the stock in trade for the average citizen who carries a gun concealed. I want to know how you aficionados of N frames and service sized pistols go about your day carrying one of those hand cannons concealed.

Gracias in advance!

It is not magic, it is just careful gear selection. A good gun belt is a must. I own several, leather & not-leather, 1.5", 1.75" single & double thick depending on the need.

OWB PANCAKE
Pancakes hold the gun close into the body. Lots of these are medium-high rise and can be concealed with an untucked polo or--better--open button down shirt that has heft. Both need to be long enough, of course. I own 3x El Paso Saddlery #77 Tortilla (pancake) holsters for: 1911CDR, 1911GM, 629 4" bbl.

IWB
Preferably a Milt Sparks VM2 clone. Conceals better than the OWB pancake and holds gun in even closer. Barrel length less an issue. Can be concealed with a t-shirt with some size & heft. Again, have a couple for my 1911s.

SHOULDER
Least concealable of the three, but good for hand cannons. I have 2x for 1911s (Galco Miami Classic II, Perry Suspender/Blackhawk), 1x for my 4" 629 (Galco VHS), and 1x large gun holster with 4"-5" barrels (Bianchi X15). All work, but all shoulder holsters are a bit bulky and HOT in the summer. Can be concealed with a button down that has some heft.

 

[4MUL8R]

HK USP 45 in Galco owb under sport coat. Easy.

 

[Chief Wiggums]

In the winter mos I'll carry a full size 92FS
OWB / 4:00
sweatshirt and winter jacket
no muss - no fuss

 

[John_M52]

I think I've posted this before. We had a guy in our dept who carried his G17 in his front pocket of baggy jeans off duty. Not my personal choice.

 

[tajada]

have have carried the springfield copy of the cz, the p8, a 1911, a few other guns, and now carry a p238.

I also have a box of holsters, and settled on the crossbreed super tuck and good gun belt.

all of my guns has a crossbreed holster for when I carry it.
bar none, the most comfortable, and makes even the biggest gun disappear.

they do get heavy even with a good belt and holster. that is why I moved to the smaller gun.

if you sit all day not as big a deal, but when I had to do a bunch of walking, I had to make a change.

 

[moosedog]

A shoulder holster with a layer of clothing over it.

 

[Pointblank2U]

I rediscovered a solution, or at least an aid, from the old days. I bought some suspenders on Amazon. They were not expensive and they are the type that clip onto the loops of your jeans. Once you take the pressure off of your belt to hold up a heavy pistola by itself, things get a lot easier.

 

[The Mighty S&W]

All any of us can do is speak with regard to our own personal experiences carrying various sized firearms, and that limits all of us to only knowing what works or doesn't work with our individual body type. I am 6'02" and close to 300lbs with broad shoulders, and a barrel chest. I have found that about the only limiting factor with regard to the firearms that I can conceal is how willing I am to dress around a particular gun.

I can use an IWB holster to hide a pistol as large as my M&P M2.0 Compact well enough that I have zero concerns about it being detected when I am wearing nothing more than an untucked t shirt that is slightly long. With an OWB holster, I am forced to either increase the size (length/looseness) of my cover garment, or decrease the size of my handgun in order to keep it entirely unnoticed.

When the weather is cold, and I am able to tolerate wearing a jacket/coat, the options are seemingly endless. I tend to buy 3/4 length jackets/coats, and with a shoulder holster, even my 6 inch N frame is not a challenge to hide. With an OWB, approximately the bottom 1-2 inches of the holster can be seen peeking from beneath my jacket, but because of the holster design/materials, it looks like a pair of pliers, or other common tool hanging on my belt to the casual observer as such things are a very common sight in the area where I live.

Ultimately, your definition of what is considered a big gun is going to play a factor here, as is your body size/shape, the type of holster you're using, your manner of dress/willingness to adjust your wardrobe, what types of attire are commonly worn in the area where you will be, and just how concealed the gun needs to be in order to make you comfortable.

 

[zeke]

I rediscovered a solution, or at least an aid, from the old days. I bought some suspenders on Amazon. They were not expensive and they are the type that clip onto the loops of your jeans. Once you take the pressure off of your belt to hold up a heavy pistola by itself, things get a lot easier.

Am using ones with heavy duty clips that attach to leather belt. Combined with iwb hybrid holster, the weight gets distributed very well. Also sew on another belt loop to keep holster in place by snagging ther clip.

 

[xfarfuldog]

As mentioned above - lose weight. Lots of it. I remember one of our detectives carried a 6" Python in a shoulder holster. Also a unsanctioned government model behind his right hip. He was close to 6' and maybe 150 lbs.

 

[ladder13]

A "shoot me first" Hawaiian shirt, but they'll know you have it anyway.

 

[roo_ster]

A "shoot me first" Hawaiian shirt, but they'll know you have it anyway.

Untucked shirts are common, nowadays. Even in church.

 

[Shoebox1.1]

I've got a Kramer Thomas perfectionist holster being made for my 5 inch Ruger gp100 half lug. Will also fit my match champion. Cyl rides above the beltline and holster has a radical forward cant. I think it's going to work well. If it works out I'll get one for my 686 bbq gun too!

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

 

[Shoebox1.1]

Didn't magnum just Mexican carry a government model? Iirc that's what it was. Great show

 

[JJEH]

Wait, what guns am I looking at here?

 

[hyena]

How do I conceal a larger handgun? I leave it at home in my safe and carry a Bodyguard .380. Sometimes a J frame, and rarely a Shield .45. No desire to carry a bigger gun than those.

 

[Shoebox1.1]

I like carrying a full size firearm for one simple reason- American exceptionalism!