First CCW- A Dry Run

[Packman]

My opinion about CC is “This type of carry is for criminals” or people who refuse to give into the permit system.

You've gotta be freaking kidding me. I don't know what state you're in, but in Florida, which is where I am, and where it matters, I don't have any other option for carrying a gun in my daily business. Not everyone is allowed to OC, and I don't want to be a criminal for carrying without a permit when I can get one pretty much for the asking.

IWB is not my preferred method of carry. I selected it, and further, appendix carry, after a buttload of research that ended up with me concluding that was the most conducive to concealment with my body type. That was the primary goal, not comfort.

I've been at this for 3 days straight now. What I'm noticing is that, much like fractal said up in post 7, it looks really apparent for me looking straight down, but I'm the only one with that view. From anyone else's viewpoint, my waist looks pretty normal with my shirt bloused out over it.

I'm glad I'm carrying the holster empty. This way, I'm figuring out ahead of time where it rubs my skin, what pants won't work, whether a shirt's too tight, etc. Good example-the boxers I was wearing today do not like the holster. It kept pushing them down. This pair is a rougher material, though. The softer cotton that I wear most days doesn't have the same problem.

Thanks for the constructive posts, to those of you who made them...

 

[ny32182]

I guess he feels like a criminal every time he puts his sportcoat on.

Carrying will never be comfortable; don't expect it to be. IWB, OWB, a brick on your waist isn't comfortable.

An empty holster is an intermediate step; I've never done it, but it should replicate part of the shape you will be dealing with. Having the gun in it will be very different however. You can conceal a pretty big gun with a forward cant IWB and an untucked shirt.

As far as whether it is concealed, you can look up the stats on how many people in your state have permits to get a rough idea of how many people might be carrying. In my state I think it is something like 1 in 100. If half of those carry, the chances are that any time you go anywhere with any significant number of people around (say Walmart, the mall, whatever) you probably saw someone that was carrying. Did you notice? No. Do you spend your time looking for bulges in people's pants? Even if you were looking and happen to see one, do you automatically assume "gun", or care in any way whatever? As someone who carries pretty frequently I can say no on all counts.

 

[MrIzhevsk]

I know how you feel OP, I actually did somewhat the same thing of wearing just my holster around the house, of course most of that time I was dry-firing away anyways .

You'd be surprised how many people don't notice you're carrying at all, its almost silly. One of my first outings while carrying I went over to my friends house while he was working on the car, I would hand him tools as he needed and make pointers, most of the time which he was sitting on a short stool with his head about level with my waist and my gun. He didn't notice anything until I was adjusting my piece through my shirt and he even had to ask "what is that under your shirt?" I was pleasantly surprised by this especially seeing as how its a full-size handgun I'm carrying these days.

 

[stuckinsocal]

I know how you feel OP, I actually did somewhat the same thing of wearing just my holster around the house, of course most of that time I was dry-firing away anyways .

You'd be surprised how many people don't notice you're carrying at all, its almost silly. One of my first outings while carrying I went over to my friends house while he was working on the car, I would hand him tools as he needed and make pointers, most of the time which he was sitting on a short stool with his head about level with my waist and my gun. He didn't notice anything until I was adjusting my piece through my shirt and he even had to ask "what is that under your shirt?" I was pleasantly surprised by this especially seeing as how its a full-size handgun I'm carrying these days.

The same is true of OC. Since I can't CC here in California, I OC sometimes. In California, if people notice someone carrying a gun, most people would call the cops. It's just part of the anti gun culture here. Assuming that to be true, people haven't noticed me OC'ing.

And to ZombieHunter: People choose different methods of carry based on what the legal restrictions are and what's comfortable for them. You OC, right? Many people say that OCers are just looking for trouble by displaying their guns. Is that why you OC? I'm guessing not. I know many people CC because they don't want to deal with the hassle of people calling the cops if the gun is noticed.
In short, as long as it's legal, OC and CC should both be equally considered viable options of carrying, and there a tons of different reasons people choose a specific method.

 

[Just One Shot]

tucked into my belt at 1 o'clock.

You might want to try the 3:30-4:00 position. This puts the gun in a more comfortable position for bending and sitting.

Also, it places the gun so it's out of view to the people you are speaking with face to face so they are even less likely to notice your bulge.

Of course, this is just my opinion and worth every cent you paid for it.

 

[ny32182]

Behind your hip not only lets you bend and sit more easily, it keeps the gun from being pointed directly at your family jewels/femoral artery during holstering or any other time.

 

[herkyguy]

3:30 - 4:00 works quite well for sitting, picking things up, etc... if I could give my top three breakthroughs in CCW, it would be the following:

1. holster makes all the difference. try different ones!!
2. forward cant of the gun can change the level of concealment quite a bit. different grips and guns (ie. revolvers vs. semi-autos) require different angles.
3. different body types require different positions of carry. just because 5:00 works for your buddy, it doesn't mean it's best for you.

lastly, you're always the one who is most conscious of what's tucked up under your shirt.

 

[psyopspec]

1. holster makes all the difference. try different ones!!

Don't forget a good gun belt. Even the best holsters I'd ever tried reached very points of tolerability until I got a good, thick, leather gun belt. At that point, carry started to become unnoticeable.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

IWB works... but your body, gun and holster all have to be in harmony.

5-10, 200 lb and tote a steel, 5 inch 1911 in a OLD Bianchi Pistol pocket every day.

I carry a SW 39 series gun (shorter and lighter) in a IWB belt slide. It bites my hip- Go figure? But stock holsters for a 39-2 are hard to find.

What works for me probably wont work for some other guy.

If you OC... invest in some gun retention training. Open carry requires a solid holster... with a thumb break as a minimum retention feature in my opinion.