Does this holster make me look fat?

[Quoheleth]

I've been CCWing for the past year, mostly pocket carrying a Taurus 738 because it's light, thin and discreet. As a pastor, I like the fact that I can carry and not have people know I've got a gun on me. However, a rash of burglaries at area churches has me carrying my Ruger SR9c, as several of the burglaries have been in daylight and one or two has been confrontational. I'm more confident of my ability with the SR9c and - Jesu Juva - if the need arises where I have to use my CCW, I would rather have the Ruger than the Taurus in hand. At first I was just keeping it in my briefcase or a desk drawer (I am by myself most of the time, so no one else has access to my desk or briefcase) but then the issue is what to do with the gun when I go to the door, bathroom, etc.

Deciding that the best option is to have the gun safely on me and not having to handle it every time I leave the office, I purchased a High Noon SPlit Decision (stock photo http://www.highnoonholsters.com/Product_Line/Split_Decision/split_decision.html). It's OK - nothing outstanding - but when I belt it on my left side, @ 8:00 position, and tuck my shirt in (either polo or button-down sport shirt), and snug my belt up to hold up my pants, I appear to have suddenly sprouted a tumor. The area on my waistline where the holster rides obviously sticks out the width of the gun & holster. It's not obvious what it is but SOMETHING is there. IS THIS NORMAL? (Not a holster critique, but a carry question)

Part of this, I am sure, is my girth - I wear 48" waist pants. And, obviously, when you stick something in the waistline people will see it. Do wider holsters like the Crossbreed Supertuck or the CompTac Minotaur help spread the bulge across a wider area of the waist and help reduce the "tumor effect" or will I not really notice a difference?

If I were able to go casual - untucked shirts - I wouldn't care so much. But with my shirt tucked in, this is almost embarrassing. In the office by myself it's OK but I don't know that I would want to walk around town looking like this. It's not a question of vanity but of discretion & concealability.

Comments appreciated (except for "lose weight and it gets better" - I'm working on that.).

Q

 

[Deltaboy1984]

As a fellow Pastor I would suggest you just wear your Suit or Casual Jacket over it unbuttened.

 

[Sam1911]

Probably the best holsters for this issue are either a "pancake/scabbard" style OWB, which tend to smooth the bump by ramping up to it fore and aft, or something like a VersaMax, or Crossbreed Supertuck -- both IWB styles that spread the loops out away from the gun in front and in the rear.

Either of those blends the sharpness of the gun's countours which makes you look less lumpy.

Aside from that, hang your cellphone case on your belt just in front of it and no one will ever think anything about it.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Noooo, it isn't the holster that makes you look fat.

Seriously, IWBs are the slimmest of holsters because of belt pressure going around the outside of the holster. All other things being equal, even a pancake style OWB will make you look wider than a good IWB.

I make my holsters pancake style, and very broad. The stabilizers (for tuckables) and loops are positioned in front of and behind the gun, not directly over the gun.

With a good tuckable, you start fully dressed, shirt tucked in, belt unbuckled. Insert the holster between trousers and belt, then pull the shirt out from behind the holster and re-tuck it between holster and pants. Position the gun and tighten your belt.

Then "blouse" your shirt -- pull out a couple of inches all around and let it hang down.