Tuckable IWB Designs?

cmort666

cmort666

Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2003
Messages
9,448
Reaction score
9,188
Location
Rocky River, OH, USA
About six(?) months ago, I bought a Citadel 3.5 CS 3 1/2" M1911.

The holster project that went along with it is starting to look like the F-35 program, only minus the multi-billion dollar budget.

The first one I made used the standard Tandy belt clip riveted to a piece of leather sewn to the side of the holster. Unfortunately, the rivet couldn't be peened sufficiently to make the clip stable, plus I positioned the clip so that the gun sat too deeply in my waistband.

Take two. I altered the design so that the trailing edge was parallel to the front edge of the holster so that a clip could be mounted using a Chicago screw passing through the outside wall of the holster, well away from the gun. This seemed to be much more stable. Unfortunately, the clip was too low and now too MUCH of the holster was above my waistband.

Fortunately, I tried the holster with glue only. That allowed me to tear it open and punch two more holes so that I could try the fit. It seems that the stud for the Chicago screw is now positioned correctly to allow the holster to be stable without poking me in the hip. The glue has been setting up again since last night and I will put the clip on and try it tonight.

Regardless of whether this version goes down in flames, does anyone have any alternative suggestions for [preferably] single clip mounting for a tuckable IWB?

Locally, I'm somewhat limited in the available hardware (Tandy). Does anybody have any suggestions, especially ones that would allow me to adjust the seating depth?

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
I'm a big fan of Wild Bill's Concealment's Cover Carry holsters:

They work well with a number of concealed carry arms and you can get one for the short 1911s:

E73BB378-75ED-4E62-BE2B-A66FE237DF8D-20395-00002226BEDE16AA_zpsea5f0cca.jpg

EA90EE7A-3A34-49F6-A15C-FD440A922039-20395-00002227AE0E4085_zps3fe0a09c.jpg

They are well made, comfortable and work great for tucking in a shirt. They also have great retention, even when they've got a lot of miles on them:

IMG_2884_zpsede4aafa.jpg
 
It looks like a nice holster. Is it tuckable (a must have for me)?

I'm really looking for some holster making tips specifically for tuckable IWBs.

Most of the self-made holsters you see are OWBs. The smaller numbers of IWBs are usually not tuckable.

I'm just looking for some hints from people who've actually made tuckable IWBs that have worked out for them.
 
Hey Cmort, I don't know if Tandy carries these but other places do. They have multiple holes so you can adjust the holster up or down and you can tuck the shirt behind them. I have not used these but they should work.

[ame="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Standard-Clip-1-50-Width/dp/B00IZGYZK2?SubscriptionId=AKIAIQWHH4HRPK7LRQTQ&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00IZGYZK2&linkCode=xm2&psc=1&tag=c99-bd-20&ascsubtag=32e246bcde35-4043-9896-f9cb3f0f2c01"]Amazon.com : Black Standard Clip - 1.50" Belt Width : Sports & Outdoors[/ame]

The only IWB holster I've made I used a leather loop with a snap and riveted it to the holster. I can get enough of my shirt behind the loop to tuck it in.
 
cmort666 said:
It looks like a nice holster. Is it tuckable (a must have for me)?

I'm really looking for some holster making tips specifically for tuckable IWBs.

Most of the self-made holsters you see are OWBs. The smaller numbers of IWBs are usually not tuckable.

I'm just looking for some hints from people who've actually made tuckable IWBs that have worked out for them.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's tuckable and works well with a polo or a dress shirt. The offset clip keeps the profile thin and helps keep the butt tucked in close to the body.
 
I've used the shortest Chicago screws on a couple of these. I'm not sure what you're asking: it almost sounds like you're not measuring how deep your holster will go before trying to attach the clip.
I simply put the holes in the holster where the clip section would be attached at the proper depth. It's always resulted in the holster seating where I wanted it.
 
I'd use a rivet rather than a Chicago screw.

If you look at the WBC holster above you'll note the rivet at the bottom. That sets the depth at which the short can be tucked, while the length of the tab that supports the clip sets the depth the holster rides in the waist band.

The angle at which it is riveted to the holster also controls the cat angle, and in this case the cant angle leaves the front edge of the mouth of the holster just above the edge of your belt.

By using a rivet you can fix this angle, where you leave the tab prone to rotating relative to the holster if you use a Chicago screw.
 
BB57 said:
I'd use a rivet rather than a Chicago screw.

If you look at the WBC holster above you'll note the rivet at the bottom. That sets the depth at which the short can be tucked, while the length of the tab that supports the clip sets the depth the holster rides in the waist band.

The angle at which it is riveted to the holster also controls the cat angle, and in this case the cant angle leaves the front edge of the mouth of the holster just above the edge of your belt.

By using a rivet you can fix this angle, where you leave the tab prone to rotating relative to the holster if you use a Chicago screw.
Click to expand...
I used a rivet on the first iteration of the holster and was unable to peen it sufficiently to prevent it from rotating freely. I ended up using adhesive velcro as a work around, but consider that inadequate. Possibly an issue with the cheap Tandy rivets.

This one is more or less a prototype to try some new things. On the next version, I'll probably use something to limit rotation. It'll probably be a strap or block of some sort.

I've made previous holsters with a paddle on which the clip was fixed (with a rivet, and a stitched cover), but that is VERY labor intensive, and didn't allow sufficient space between the paddle and the holster for my shirt. It was also somewhat bulky.
 
GerSan69 said:
I've used the shortest Chicago screws on a couple of these. I'm not sure what you're asking: it almost sounds like you're not measuring how deep your holster will go before trying to attach the clip.
I simply put the holes in the holster where the clip section would be attached at the proper depth. It's always resulted in the holster seating where I wanted it.
Click to expand...
This is the first time I've used Chicago screws, so I'm having to learn how to measure properly to get the right depth. If I had something adjustable (like the plastic hooks above) I could make adjustments. One alternative would be to punch a hole through both pieces of leather and use a longer Chicago screw that would allow me to remove the screw and move the post, even after the holster was glued and sewn. I may have to hit Lowes or Home Depot and see if they've got anything that's not too big.
 
I got my Galco Tuck-N-Go for the Citadel today.

I accidentally ordered the left hand version a few days ago because the picture on Amazon's order page shows a right hand holster. I missed the "Left Hand" in the description.

This weekend I'll probably check out Lowes and Home Depot to see what kind of Chicago screws they have that I can use that are long enough to go through both sides of the holster.
 
I found several lengths of Chicago screws at the Tandy in Denver. I've never seen more than one length (around 3/4", maybe 7/8") at Lowe's or H-D. Don't forget: Google is your friend!
Another thing: I've tried using rubber grommets between my clip and the holster with the longer screw to add more tuck-room, which seems to work if you don't use over 1/2" Chicago screws. It also works well for revolvers to attach the clip in that welt area.
 
GerSan69 said:
I found several lengths of Chicago screws at the Tandy in Denver. I've never seen more than one length (around 3/4", maybe 7/8") at Lowe's or H-D. Don't forget: Google is your friend!
Click to expand...
The Cleveland area store recently moved, so I'm not sure they had everything out and in its proper place when I was there last.

They're not too far from the best gunstore north of Canton, so I might head down that way (Middleburg Heights) and check out both of them.

I actually looked online at Lowes and Home Depot and they seemed to have different sizes, if not lengths.
 
  1. I got my Tuck-N-Go for the Citadel. It's a decent basic holster.
  2. Home Depot does in fact carry multiple sizes of Chicago screw... although you have to hunt for them in the store, unlike Lowes, which puts them in a special drawer. I bought a few in different lengths.
  3. I ordered some of the plastic belt hooks through Amazon. They'll probably be here by the end of the week.
  4. Since I now have (probably) the right length Chicago screws to go through two thicknesses of leather, I pulled the holster apart again, so that I could both remove the smaller screw and glue the reinforcement on to keep the holster open for reholstering. When the holster is glued back together again, I'll punch a hole through the back side of the holster to match the existing hole on the front.
Does anybody have any suggestions regarding stabilizing the head of the Chicago screw that's sitting on the back side of the holster? When it was sandwiched between the two halves of the holster, that wasn't a problem. Now, it has the potential for getting pushed out so that it protrudes. Glue? Sewed on cover? I was thinking maybe a cover sewed on one edge and with velcro on the other so that the screw can be removed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top