BSA1
member
Mexican carry most of the time wherever is most comfortable. When I need more security (pants a little loose) I use a shoestring. Rubber bands around the grip helps sometimes also.
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So, you reach all the way across your body and lift your shirt or jacket with your weak hand?
I have long arms and it's a reach to get around to 4 o'clock to sweep up a cover shirt or coat...
Maybe consider honestly the reasons you DO carry "SOB" style. Make sure you really have to. There are some very good reasons not to.
Perhaps the least important of them is that it is (maybe the) one position where other folks really CAN tell better than you that you're carrying (printing).
Others are the risks of sweeping one's side/hips/kidneys when drawing from back around there (worse with the inverted SOBs than the more standard style), the fact that most ranges and training facilities won't let you practice with them because of risk to yourself and others, the risks of spine and other damage from falling on that hard object held against your vulnerable back, the inevitable discomfort while sitting and/or driving, the lack of access when sitting and/or driving, and, of course, the constant printing and cover garment riding up when you bend/move/sit/stand/stretch, etc.
SOB carry has several big draw-backs.
1) Injury: You are placing a bulky metal object against your spine, or kidneys. A fall onto, or blow against, that gun almost certainly will cause more pain and injury than it otherwise would have. If the fall is hard enough, it could do permanent damage. A gun on your hip (3:30-4:00 position) doesn't cause that concern.
2) Discomfort: If you sit at a desk, or drive anywhere, that gun is going to be very painful to sit on for long.
3) Printing: If you always stand straight up, you may conceal your gun well this way. The moment you sit on a bench or other backless seat, squat, bend, twist, reach for something, etc. the small of your back stretches your clothing tight in that area. You WILL print, and print worse than any other location you might carry. If you carry under a jacket or un-tucked shirt, SOB carry causes the outer garment to hang up on the gun and many folks who've tried it found that their jacket would creep up and begin to tuck itself in behind the gun as they moved around -- eventually leaving the gun completely exposed with the cover garment bunched up on top of it or even behind it.
4) Draw: Drawing from an SOB holster invites a tremendous safety violation. It is difficult to execute a draw that does not encourage/require you to sweep your own waist/hips/kidneys/pelvic girdle with the muzzle as you move the gun around in front of you. There are two types of SOB holster -- one butt-forward, one butt-back like an exaggerated OWB holster. The butt-forward version is much worse for this as you're trying to rotate the gun as well as draw it forward. Many ranges and trainers do not allow SOBs just for this reason. When you're trying to grab your gun, disengage the safety, and get on target for a fast shot, no portion of that operation should put your own body in front of the muzzle!
(Of course, no operation EVER should put part of your body in front of your own loaded gun ... but especially grabbing for a defensive sidearm in a moment of panic.)
The two options I'd suggest for a delivery/taxi driver or anyone who spends more than 50% of their day in a car would be either a vertical shoulder holster or a cross-draw belt holster. Either of those options gives up a lot to a strong-side belt holster for "normal" use, in concealment, comfort, and security and speed of draw, but they do unquestionably beat the car-seat problem.
The two biggest downsides I can see are that it is very easy to have your draw blocked or pinned completely by an adversary who manages to grapple with you or back you against a wall -- and that it is very difficult to get the kind of regular practice in that is so vital to self-defense. Most ranges will prohibit that kind of a holster as you're inherently sweeping bystanders, the line, and even yourself on the draw (without some pretty gymnastic contortions). If you can find a range with 360 degree pits/berms so you can get the practice you need on a regular basis, go for it!
If you need to carry a very large gun, the shoulder holster is a bit easier to do that with than most belt holsters.
If you're sitting down and/or driving during most of the times when you might need to be able to get the gun in a hurry, the shoulder holster again can be more advantageous than other designs, depending on several factors.
As for disadvantages, they tend to "print" worse than most folks believe, especially the horizontal versions. They tend to trade weight at the belt for weight on the shoulders, which isn't always a good thing. They also are hard to practice with easily as few ranges and NO competition venues allow their use due to the near impossibility of drawing without committing a muzzle-direction violation and/or sweeping other shooters and sometimes yourself.
On the other hand, they're really good if you're going for a vintage '70s'-'80s cop show look.
A down-side that has not been mentioned in this thread (although it has been covered in all the other shoulder holster threads recently) is that the draw-stroke from a shoulder holster (and, again from a cross-draw) is also the most easily blocked under certain circumstances.
If an attack comes up close, and/or the attacker manages to get his arms around you or a hand on your strong arm, it becomes quite difficult to draw the gun and get it pointed the right way. If you place your arm flat across your chest like you're drawing from a shoulder holster and have someone hold that arm tightly, you'll find that it is pretty easy for that person to keep your arm pinned.
Further, if an attacker was to get you in a close grapple, with his body against yours, you'd have little chance to get your firing hand between your bodies to even get to the gun.
There are techniques which can be practiced to fight through those situations with some degree of success, but none of them will be as fast or as natural as drawing a gun from a holster at your waist on the strong side -- a move that is very difficult to block.
Certainly, not everyone who carries worries that attacks will happen up close like this and most probably assume that they'll have ample time and space to draw the gun.
Just something to consider.
Unfortunately this seems to be a problem with many Galco holsters. It has been my experience that they size their belt loops to fit a wide range of belt widths so as not to have to offer different sized loops for customers.I have a Galco N3... The holster has a single belt loop which, though it's offset, allows the holster to shift more than I'd like.
Like you, that the slide extends beyond the bottom of the holster would surprise me, especially considering the link you gave to Galco's site. They show what looks like a 5" 1911 sitting in an N3, and the slide does not extend beyond the bottom of the holster. in addition, they also show a different holster listed, in the drop down menu, for a 3", 4.25", and 5" 1911's leading me to believe they make different size holsters. All of this would lead me to suspect you did receive the wrong size holster. It was possibly put in the wrong bag before shipping. If the holster is fairly new, I'd check with Galco.RetiredUSNChief wrote,
The holster is open on the barrel end, and my full sized pistol sticks out about 1/2 inch. Not a problem...unless I'm at the range and shooting my pistol a lot and forget about this when I reholster a smoking hot gun. The pictures on the Galco website did not show the pistol barrel extending past the bottom of the holster. And yes, I did get the correct holster at the LGS.
Is there a significance to the holster being IWB without a retention strap? There are some IWB holster's with retention straps, but there are not many. Usually, a retention strap is not needed for IWB carry as they are well concealed and the pressure of the belt on the holster body provides extra retention.The holster has no retention strap. While I do not consider this a problem, based on the way the holster is designed and the fact that it's an IWB holster, some people may not like this.
Like you, that the slide extends beyond the bottom of the holster would surprise me, especially considering the link you gave to Galco's site. They show what looks like a 5" 1911 sitting in an N3, and the slide does not extend beyond the bottom of the holster. in addition, they also show a different holster listed, in the drop down menu, for a 3", 4.25", and 5" 1911's leading me to believe they make different size holsters. All of this would lead me to suspect you did receive the wrong size holster. It was possibly put in the wrong bag before shipping. If the holster is fairly new, I'd check with Galco.
Is there a significance to the holster being IWB without a retention strap? There are some IWB holster's with retention straps, but there are not many. Usually, a retention strap is not needed for IWB carry as they are well concealed and the pressure of the belt on the holster body provides extra retention.
I can conceal a 1911 in cargo shorts and a tucked in polo shirt. My "deep concealment" rig is this that member Joel made this for me early in his holster-making career:
Very comfortable and VERY tuckable. Only the straps show when I've got a t-shirt or polo tucked in around the gun.
If the grip seems obvious, try darker patterns and colors. Actually, a TUCKABLE IWB is even better than untucked as the shirt naturally blouses at the waistband and conceals very, very well.
Unfortunately this seems to be a problem with many Galco holsters. It has been my experience that they size their belt loops to fit a wide range of belt widths so as not to have to offer different sized loops for customers.
The N2 is a clone of the Mitch Rosen ARG, which is a very stable holster. Referring back to the other thread (mentioned in your OP) this holster falls into the catagory which is designed to move a bit, at the front, for comfort when sitting.
The placement of the rear mounted loop is meant to pull the gun butt in. For something more stable, you can look at the ARG-DL
The Galco V-hawk in a clone of the Spark's VM II which fills the other end of the IWB spectrum is the widespread loops and leather wings spreading the weight and stabilizing the holster on the belt
Holsters and Carry Methods: pros and cons
Hey at least you would look cool!A SAA in my gunfighter holster under a leather duster would be appealing, if a bit outside of my normal style of dress.
Be hot as Hades in the summer, though.