Largest handgun You've ever tried to Conceal Carry?

[corton93]

Now I know a everyone's going to say the whole "get a good holster and gun belt and you can carry anything" spill. This has not been my experience...
Now, a good holster and belt are crucial to help conceal and be comfortable while doing it, but that doesn't mean I could carry my FNX Tactical 45 with me to church on Sundays without feeling a little conspicuous.

Now im not a big guy (5'11 185ish) and don't have tons of realestate to hide a huge gun. My veteran EDC is my Kahr PM9, which I love, but lately I have been switching up the rotation. The last couple of days I have been attempting to CC my (old) Springfield XD 45 full size.. It's a no-go. I've tried my best but I just cant do it..

Just got me wondering. What is the largest gun you've ever carried concealed and been successful (or not)?

 

[SlayerOfBunnies]

In the winter, I sometimes cc a 6" Blackhawk .357. It's not concealed real well but enough to be polite.

 

[JTQ]

1911.

...Springfield XD 45 full size…It's a no go.

Full size double stack is generally about as difficult as it gets.

It's not for me, but a lot of guy are successfully carrying thick guns Appendix Inside the Waistband (AIWB). You (we) tend to have more compressibility in front, and the newer appendix designs are supposed to do a good job of tucking in the grip, which is generally the hardest thing to hide.

I often link this thread with pictures from forum member tmoore912 at post #29, since they are some of the best pictures on the net to illustrate proper wear of concealment holsters.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=567867&highlight=tmoore912

 

[Gravedigger56]

S&W M&P9c.

Thought the compact designation would do the trick but the double stack mag just made it to wide to be comfortable. Switched to a thinner Kimber Ultra CDP II which was a BIG improvement but even that still didn't ride well to me. Now that I'm older, it's the tiny micro's, either my Kimber Micro Carry or my Sig P938. Problem solved (for now).

 

[GBExpat]

In the late '70s (~6' ~160lbs) I periodically carried a Colt Combat Commander .45 in a leather pancake holster (possibly a Roy's) under my sport/suit coat at work.

 

[Thompsoncustom]

My EDC is a CZ 75 shadow and I think it conceals pretty good.

Biggest: I've carried my 6" S&W 500 a couple times more or less just to see how it would carry.

 

[Coogs.]

I am a little bit of a big guy, 6'3", 280lbs., so...........I find no issues with a full size 1911 sometimes I'll even do a 4" Redhawk .44 mag. Coogs.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Im tall and lanky (6'2", 180ish) Ive carried my paraP14 or FNP45 in the winter, with a coat. Eeeasy. Remove the coat? Forget about either of those.
With just a Tshirt, my BHP at 3 o'clock is about as big as its gonna get for me, with any degree of real "concealment".

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Weirdly...

A Mark 23.

It was a confluence of events where it was the one "at hand" and discretion trumped practicality. Our 1911s ad SIGs were something like 180 miles away.

The up side - I had a funky jacket. Barrel down inside my left sleeve. Worked fine if I kept my left arm occupied carrying an external item. In this case a bag-o-crap bought gratuitously for the purpose. Anything nice was likely to appeal to market snatchers.
The down side - It was Africa.

Might as well have been trying to smuggle a Scorpion!:banghead:

Todd.

 

[Girodin]

HK 45 with a trl 1 on it. I've found that carrying AIWB allows a pretty big gun to be concealed without that much trouble.

 

[Ed Ames]

Not sure what is big or small but double stack 5" 1911s, Ruger Alaskan, or maybe a S&W Governor. I prefer a 3-4 o'clock IWB. Kant and holster/belt structure are very important for getting the grip to tuck in instead of poking out and printing.

 

[ritepath]

I've carried my CZ75, P-09 and P220 just for the fun of it. These and most other large framed guns are just fine if you're not going to be doing much but hanging them off your side and going out to eat maybe a movie or any quick activity where you don't mind a few pounds on your side.

The lighter the better...That's why my LCP will always be kind of comfort.

 

[mdThanatos]

I switch between a Beretta 92 and a Glock 21 routinely, IWB.

 

[DeepSouth]

S&W 25-2 (N frame) with a 6.5" barrel.

Long winter coat covering it worn owb, I do it quite a bit in hunting season.
I have also pocket carried a P220, that requires big pockets.

 

[corton93]

S&W 25-2 (N frame) with a 6.5" barrel.

Long winter coat covering it worn owb, I do it quite a bit in hunting season.
I have also pocket carried a P220, that requires big pockets.

Dang.. I carried my last P220 a couple of times AIWB only. You must have some deep pockets lol

 

[flphotog]

I regularly carry a 1911 government, my other two primary carries are a CZ 75BD or a CZ P-09. No issues with any of them. I tend to stay away from smaller guns unless the situation really requires it. The P-09 is probably my primary carry at the moment.

 

[herrwalther]

I have successfully carried a 4" XD45 and 5" 1911s concealed. A good belt and holster make all the difference, as broken record as that phrase is on THR.

 

[Old Fuff]

Would you believe an original Colt 1860 Army C&B revolver with an 8" barrel?

No, it wasn't my everyday carry, but I was giving a demonstration of what could be done. It went undetected until I pulled it out.

Used to be some FBI Agents carried N-frame S&W .357 Magnum's with 3 1/2 to 5 inch barrels under a sport or suit coat.

 

[Double_J]

USP Full size on my right hip. I used a well made holster and belt with a loose fitting shirt, even my parents did not know it was there. I am 5'8" and at the time was 180 pounds so not a big guy at all, but I learned how to carry and dress.

 

[ChCx2744]

I can easily carry a full-size Glock 17/22, CZ 75 and HK USP Tactical in a leather+kydex IWB holster in summer clothes. My definition of summer clothes is cargo shorts and a short-sleeved button down.

What I've found that helps conceal is patterned shirts (Plaid, striped, Hawaiian designs, just random designs in general). Solid colors tend to print the grip more.

 

[silicosys4]

6" s&w 586 in a vertical shoulder holster

 

[VA27]

In my 30's at 6'/180lbs I carried my 4" nickle Smith 29 or a 1911 in a Safariland IWB pouch (appendix) under an untucked pocket T-shirt with no problems.

 

[Captains1911]

A G19 is the largest I carry, and care to carry.

 

[JR24]

Guess it depends on how concealed. When I lived up north I'd often fish with my Ruger Redhawk .44 mag 4" somewhat concealed under a rain-jacket. I was shocked how often folks didn't notice as I made no attempt at all to keep it concealed.

More practically I can and do carry a Glock 21 IWB under just a t-shirt or if its dressy and/or colder a light jacket (suit-coat or similar).

Somewhat harder to conceal than my standard Glock 19, but I figure if I felt like it I could carry just about anything under an untucked t-shirt with a button-down shirt over it (a preferred clothing option for me even in the heat, I sweat a lot and like to hide the pit stains )

 

[Foot Traffic]

Either a Glock 34 in a Hidden Hybrid holster made for a Glock 22. actually worked well as long as the cant was adjusted properly. Ruger Redhawk 7.5 in a COWS Crossdraw holster. Kinda took a long shirt and wasn't that well concealed, but only thing I had at the time. Also figured out that the pants I wear to work daily will comfortable fit my CZ p-09 in the front pocket, if I don't mind looking somewhat happy when I sit down!