IWB carry is getting to be a pain in the ....

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SSN Vet

SSN Vet

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kidney! :confused:

after carrying all day I feel like I have an internal bruise on my kidney. The funny thing is that after 10 months of carrying this way, it has only recently become problem.

I've experimented with positions from 3 o'clock to small of back and I have to say small of back is the most comfy.

But since I always were some kind of cover garment (fleece vest, sweater, untucked shirt, etc...) I'm thinking of "flippin'" to a pancake (pun intended).

Seems like a pancake, riding high, right on my hip would be much easier to live with. I'm kind of a long torso 6 footer with a "modest" beer belly. :eek:

Any one else out there with similar problem? any suggestions?

daily carry piece is a PT-111 pro
 
You didn't say what kind of holster and gunbelt you were using. IMHO a good holster like the Brommeland www.brommelandgunleather.com , Max Con V and a good gun belt combination would completely cure your kidney soreness. I can carry a 1911 all day with absolutely no discomfort with this rig. As a matter of fact I am barely aware that it is there. On the other hand, since this is a recent problem, you may have a medical problem with your kidneys and the gun/holster is functioning as an early warning diagnostic tool. Then again who knows what a "Sewer Pipe" Sailor might have going. That crack from a "Bird Farm" Sailor.
 
Have you tried a belly band and carrying in the small of your back? I carry that way daily and never have a problem...and seems like we're about the same dimensions...including the belly...:)
 
+1 Brommeland Max Con V.

I carry my Springfield XD45 in one for up to 12 hours at a time. I have even forgotten I still have it on when I head for the bath, only to remember when I decide to loosen the belt.

I carry my 4" 1911 in a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 that is just as comfortable. I was driving from Georgia back to Texas with it on last summer. In and out of the car for 20 hours and it was hardly noticable.

I have a similar gun to yours.....A Taurus PT-145 that I carry daily either in my front pocket or in a IWB. I like pocket carry the best but it is very comfortable in the holster as well.

My suggestion is to try a good "Custom" holster from one of the ones that frequent this and many other forums. I can recommend Milt Sparks, Brommeland, HBE, Tucker and Don Hume (though not so much a custom).

Oh the reason Im called bigmike45....6'6" and 300+lbs. A little thicker in the middle that I was 15 years ago. Good luck on your choices!!!
 
I hear alot of talk about IWB carry. My question is, how do you keep from having the appreance of a growth appearing on your side. I've heard some people say you have to buy your pants 2'' bigger in the waist.

If this is true, then in order to carry IWB one would have to buy a new wardrobe.. That could be expensive.
 
I've just made the transition from IWB to pocket carry and I should have done it sooner. I now alternate between OWB and pocket carry. I use a taurus 605 snub. Even though It's steel it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference with a good belt.
I have many IWB holsters, about the only comfortable one is the Uncle Mikes, and I can't find the sweet spot. Maybe I just need to spend $100 on one and then I will be totally satisfied.... one way or the other..... about IWB carry. :uhoh:
 
How to Carry

I'm experimenting with a thigh holster ( you read that right ) for a SigP239 that would ride on the inside of my leg so I can reach and grab it, drawing it out from beneath my kilt;) . No one questions a slight bulge there, at least if they notice it, they won't question out of politeness.:what: The single most ingenous way to still be the life of the party without drawing attention to your Steel!
:cool:
www.utilikilt.com
www.sportskilt.com
 
I disliked IWB for a long time, finally spent the money on the Rolls Royce of IWB holsters, teh VersaMax II, with a light 3" 1911.... and it still sucked. :(

Now it's OWB or pocket, or a smart-carry slung around to the side... still technically IWB I suppose, but very thin.
 
Pocket carry isn't just comfortable, it's tactically valuable and in my view the best lifelong carry mode. You'll never lose concealment in any posture or
movement. You can place your hand on your gun at any time for any reason without brandishing or initiating hostilities. You can wrestle a bit or maybe more that a bit without your gun coming into the situation.
 
I cant carry IWB due to the pain.

I go OBW.....and particularly like the Don Hume JIT holsters.

Very minimal and comfy.....my G19 disappears. They are also only $27 shipped from Gunners Alley.

donhumejit.gif
 
Try a CrossBreed Holster.

I coudn't carry IWB either until I tried one of these. Absolutely the only really comfortable IWB I've ever carried, and I've also owned a couple of Milt Sparks fine holsters. Don't get me wrong, Milt Sparks or Mitch Rosen may be the benchmark of holsters, but this one is the one for me. And at only 52.00, it's not too pricey. Tucker Gunleather makes a similar holster. I believe they call it 'The Answer'. It sells for around 100.00.


www.crossbreedholsters.com
 
Same thing here. I have never found IWB to be confortable. I have been carrying 24/7 for 20 years. I like a good high ride belt holster, pocket or ankle better. I carry all three ways depending on the situation. Primary is OTB, a good holster that rides high over the belt is the most concealable. Pocket is great for the quick trips around town. Ankle works best when attired nicely, suit or general business attire. There is no one do all mode of carry. I have a box of holsters that were bought, tried and forgotten. With enough experimentation you will find a confortable way to carry. LOL
 
I started using a Galco Waistband IWB holster for my Sig. I've used a variety of ballistic nylon and Kydex IWB type holsters and so far they all really sucked at keeping the gun where I wanted it, at the rake that I like, as high as I like. The worst offender was a DeSantis "Tuck This" that nearly turned me off of IWB entirely.
The Galco Waistband is made of seude leather that is comfortable and strong and has a thumb break strap to help retain the gun in the holster (A problem I'd had with the "slippery" nylon "Tuck This" holster, start running around and you wind up with a gun down your pants leg). The Galco turned me around on IWB and I have to say its one heck of a fine holster for my usage. Only problem is like all soft IWB's you pretty much have to remove the holster to re-holster the weapon. Unless your pants are three sizes too big already.

Just got a Don Hume JIT OWB slider for my Sig and going to try it out next. Looks promising. Not getting away from IWB but with coat season, why bother stuffing it in my pants?

But a lesson is here to be learned. No one holster is the best. I've learned that holsters are a lot like footwear. Sometimes you need steeltoe work boots. Sometimes you need dress shoes. Sometimes you need a beat up pair of sneakers. Sometimes you need flip-flops. Sometimes you need ski boots.
 
Count me in the group that has never found IWB comfortable for any period of time. No matter what the position, who made the holster or what it's made from, they're just not comfortable for long. They either dig into my hip or dig into my gut or back when sitting. I've got a box full of them and I doubt if I'll ever buy another one.

So it's pocket carry for me in the summer with cargo pants and Perry suspenders (the suspenders and a good belt totally negates the weight of the gun, it just kind of floats) and in the winter I go back to a shoulder holster. Which, IMHO, is by far the most comfortable means I've ever found to carry a decent sized gun and spare magazines. It distributes the weight evenly across your shoulders like a good backpack and it's both comfortable and accessible sitting or standing. The only bad point about it is that it requires a cover garment, which, at least for me, is not happening when it's 110 out in the shade. When it's that hot, I live for any small breeze that comes my way and won't wear anything that might block one.
 
how's that little JIT holster ride on your side?

Does it stay in close and tight? or does it flop a little?

I'm waffling on my pancake selection :p

Don Hume's new version of the agent 9 looks more like a "traditional" pancake, with the loops on either side.

The JIT looks like it has on loop directly under the "pocket" and I was wondering if this pushed the whole rig out a little.

thoughts? opinions? experiences?
 
SSN Vet,

Im 6ft 3in and 300lbs. I do use a real "gun" belt....although Im not quite sure of the maker at the moment.

Your correct about the JIT. There is a slot in the far end that your belt slides thru; then there is a loop directly behind the holster as well.

I have used one for over a year and it still holds the gun tight and tight against my body. I cant say for certain it would do the same for you, it may be depent on your build so I cant say for certain. I have used quite a few leather makers before but not any real high end stuff, this holster has really impressed me so far.

I have one for about all my guns as they are very cheap - I buy all mine thru Gunners Alleys for $27 shipped. The Makarov holster is especially nice, really makes the Mak disappear.
 
I have never found IWB carry to be comfortable and I've tried some of the best IWB holsters out there, I now only carry OWB with a good belt and quality high-riding holster, I usually wear a casual button-up shirt left un-buttoned over a tucked t-shirt and occasionally just a loose fitting T-shirt, it conceals as well as any IWB holster I've used and I don’t have to give up comfort, IWB works great for some but for others (like me) there just isn’t a comfortable way to carry IWB.
 
I carry a SIG 229 IWB in a Milt Spark's Versa Max II and I find it to be very comfortable, even after many hours.

I also carry a Glock G30 in a Versa Max II, and I find that after about an hour, it starts to bug me a little bit - it definately is not as comfortable as my SIG.

I carry a S&W 340PD IWB in a Milt Spark's Summer Special II and I can practically forget that I have it with me.

I also pocket carry my 340PD, and as long as it actually fits in my pocket, this is the way to go when I carry it.
 
how's that little JIT holster ride on your side?

Does it stay in close and tight? or does it flop a little?
Click to expand...

I have one for my Model 10 and it does flop out unless I tighten the thing down so tight I can't breathe. It might depend on the gun but I will never buy another. I prefer the slots at either end. This allows you to run the belt around the outside of the holster if need be for added support. Yes I do use a good gun belt. In fact a Don Hume.
 
I will probably catch a lot of flak for this, but the best concealed holster is no holster. Mexican carry is your friend. Don't do it unless you absolutely trust your gun handling skills and the weapon you are carrying, but it works for me, and I have been carrying that way for 30 years. The closest I ever came to an incident was when the safety came off my Star Firestar (carried cocked and locked). It scared me so much I bought a Glock 26.

I cannot stand wearing a concealed holster, it prints, you constantly have to adjust it, the gun hangs up in it, it is uncomfortable, you cannot drive with it, it stinks after a couple of months if you wear it on a daily basis, and constantly taking it on or off is not an option.

With MC I can carry under a t-shirt without printing. Even a dress shirt can be pulled out a little and folded over a small handgun like a G26. Wearing a good belt is a must, but same goes for a holster.

I have only been made once, and the person did not know what it was, and when she asked me what I had on, I responded with "It's a medical device". No more questions. Should have told her it's the kind of medical device that keeps my arse alive!
 
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