Carry OWB in Texas?

[C-dub]

Being a 20 something and wanting to stay near stylish and not stick out like a sore thumb is a pretty tall order. Changing just a few items of clothing will be the cheapest way to find what you're looking for before going for better equipment. I just upgraded to a galco belt and I do see an improvement in the feel and weight distribution, but not that dramatic. However, I'm sure the belt will last longer than other non-gun belts.

[Skiprr]

I second the comments about a good belt. You can get away with a lesser belt in IWB because the belt is outside the holster, applying pressure inward. (Not to say that a good belt doesn't help with IWB, too.) But with OWB, the holster is outside the belt, pulling down and away on the belt. A thin belt, or a belt without the right stuff, will quickly start to sag if carrying a pistol of any mass. Rather than holding the gun's grip high and tight, it will start to tilt outward, holding the gun less securely and making it more difficult to conceal.

For OWB, I'm a fan of leather gunbelts that have a Kydex insert, a la Comp-Tac or the Beltman. And the typical one-inch width of dress belts is right out. For me, 1.5" is the right width for OWB (I'd say 1.75" or 2", but it's hard to find even jeans with belt loops that large).

My OWB preference is a high-ride, leather, pancake-style holster. I don't carry all-leather IWB anymore, having switched about four years ago to the leather-Kydex hybrid MTAC. But the OWB pancake design in all-leather applies equal pressure to the sides of the holster resulting in a smooth, contoured profile and good tension on the gun for a snug, secure hold. There are a number of quality leatherworkers who make good pancake holsters like Tucker Gunleather, TT Gunleather, Kramer Handgun Leather, Ross Leather, and many more.

As to concealment garments, it shouldn't be much different than IWB unless you're lucky enough to be tall and on the slim side. Then, as previously mentioned, you may need to buy "tall" sizes, or go up one size above what you normally would wear. For those of us who are not horizontally challenged tall sizes are generally not necessary. But that's easy enough to determine without a holster. Just see where your shirts ride standing, sitting, bending, and doing your normal stuff. Depending upon the gun you choose to carry, the gun/holster combination probably won't reach below mid-hip.

Not including upper-body garment length, here is a short checklist I put together a few years ago:

• Thin fabric tends to print more; thick fabric tends to print less.
• One layer of a specific type of fabric tends to print more; two layers of the same fabric (e.g., two basic T-shirts instead of one) tend to print less.
• Rayon, nylon, some other synthetics, and silk blends cling as they drape and tend to print more; absorbent fibers like cotton and wool tend to print less (a caveat is that some rayon/polyester blends are woven thick, for winter wear, and don't print easily).
• Damp fabric tends to print more; dry fabric tends to print less (plan for what you normally do during Texas summers, and factor in perspiration if it's a factor).
• Simple, geometric patterns like straight lines tend to print more; complex patterns tend to print less.
• Light colors tend to print more; dark colors tend to print less (the contrast between light and shadow isn't as evident).
• Fitted clothing tends to print more; loose clothing tends to print less.

Body type and structure make a difference, too. If you have relatively wide shoulders compared to the width of your hips (and width of your "love handles" if they push the grip of the gun outward), you can easily carry just about anything at three o'clock. If you are thin and relatively straight up and down, three o'clock can still work, and you also might want to experiment with appendix carry somewhere between 12:30 and 1:30. If you have relatively wide hips (or aforementioned "successful lifestyle love handles"), you might find a sweet spot farther back at around 4:00 or 4:30. That's about as far to the rear as I would ever advise anyone to carry; I'm not a fan of small-of-back. I'd go with shoulder or even crossdraw before small-of-back.

Last up may be some experimentation with where you normally have the waist of your pants ride. I've seen some "successful lifestyle" body types cinch their belts essentially as hip-huggers, below the evidence of "Dunlap's Syndrome" (where some unwanted stuff has dun' lapped over your belt). A few conversations have led me to believe the core reason for that is vanity: with ample belly fat but not much around the hips, they can get away with claiming to wear a size 36 pair of jeans when it would be at least a size 42 if the pants were worn higher, at the real waistline.

For those guys, I'd seriously suggest some trials with bigger pants worn higher. A gun carried OWB would obviously ride higher if the pants were worn higher, but moreover there wouldn't be layers of extra cushioning pushing the grip of the gun away from the body. I've seen instances where the gun had to have been riding at a 20-degree angle to the plane of the body. Harder to conceal anything if it's sticking out sideways.

Conversely, that's why I love the gang-banger wannabe pants-on-the-ground look. Not only is it really hard to run or fight if your pants are halfway off, but it's almost impossible to belt-carry a firearm unless you keep one hand on your pants at all times to hold everything in place. One seriously wonders how that became a generation's "bad-boy" look when it's just about the least practical thing you can think of if you really wanted to be bad...

[gigag04]

I carry at 3 and prefer a holster w/o any cant. Not are I I like it like that for concealment or out of habit since our duty holsters are vertical. I find thatthe arm's drape can also help hide the outline or bulge of a pistol.

[rm9792]

I use an Old World Leather pancake that holds it high and has 2 choices of cant. I have carried 3" to 6" in it just fine. I do prefer a holster that holds it high as possible to avoid the shirt lifting issue. get your 1911 bobbed and it will make a big difference.

[jordanmills]

I often carry a Glock 19 in a blackhawk serpa at 3. Only my gun-shooting friends who know I'm carrying seem to be able to point it out - but I'm a big guy, so i probably hide it better than most. And yeah, it's all about the belt and height.

[rl168]

Wow, thanks for all the responses.

Please keep them coming, I am sure there are a lot more folks in Texas thinking about carrying OWB but are hesitant.

I have a wilderness instructor belt and a gun belt from crossbreed, so I am set there. Doubt a vest will work for me because I sweat easily even with t-shirt during summer. I'll be ordering an OWB holster and give it a try. Thanks again.

[rmr1923]

The problem I have is I'm a 20-something year old. I've never seen anyone in my age group where a camera-type vest. I guess I need to keep a sharper eye out for what others in my age group wear that could offer concealment.

i know the feeling, i've still got a few years left before i hit 30 and i absolutely refuse to wear a fanny back for the purpose of carrying (or for any other reason actually)

i'm not sure what exactly your style is, but shirts with patterns make it easier to conceal a handgun, whether carried IWB or OWB. see some of the following as examples, i wear shirts similar to these and plan on buying a couple that are one size larger than i normally wear (found these on the Zumiez website for $30-$50, you can find similar shirts at Target for $20 or less):

[rmr1923]

Wow, thanks for all the responses.

Please keep them coming, I am sure there are a lot more folks in Texas thinking about carrying OWB but are hesitant.

I have a wilderness instructor belt and a gun belt from crossbreed, so I am set there. Doubt a vest will work for me because I sweat easily even with t-shirt during summer. I'll be ordering an OWB holster and give it a try. Thanks again.

do you wear 100% cotton shirts? i found that i sweat very easily if i wear shirts that have polyester or other non-cotton materials so i always wear a 100% cotton undershirt and that's stopped the sweating issue. just something for you to consider.

[thr_wedge]

The problem I have is I'm a 20-something year old. I've never seen anyone in my age group where a camera-type vest. I guess I need to keep a sharper eye out for what others in my age group wear that could offer concealment.

i know the feeling, i've still got a few years left before i hit 30 and i absolutely refuse to wear a fanny back for the purpose of carrying (or for any other reason actually)

i'm not sure what exactly your style is, but shirts with patterns make it easier to conceal a handgun, whether carried IWB or OWB. see some of the following as examples, i wear shirts similar to these and plan on buying a couple that are one size larger than i normally wear (found these on the Zumiez website for $30-$50, you can find similar shirts at Target for $20 or less):

+1 to shirts like this. Comfortable in the Texas summer, work well for OWB and IWB and still stylish (well stylish enough). I can't do OWB with a lot of my polo type shirts, they are just too short/fitted.

[CompVest]

Who says men don't discuss fashions? Perhaps it would be best if the ladies in your lives don't see this thread...

[cubbyjg]

I carry at 3 and prefer a holster w/o any cant. Not are I I like it like that for concealment or out of habit since our duty holsters are vertical. I find thatthe arm's drape can also help hide the outline or bulge of a pistol.

[Katygunnut]

Who says men don't discuss fashions? Perhaps it would be best if the ladies in your lives don't see this thread...

Actually, this might be a good way to get your ladies interested in concealed carry if they don't like guns. They may be interested in the fashion angle. I took my wife shopping with me and she helped me pick out fashionable pants and shirts that concealed well. I think she enjoyed the challenge of making sure I didn't print, but also didn't look too "frumpy".

[zero4o3]

I just recently purchased my first OWB holster, http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... g-_-343097
it paired with my nice gun belt will easicly cover both my P239 and my P226 with any tshirt that is long enough to cover the belt line, I was actually surpsied at how well it worked.

[Katygunnut]

I just recently purchased my first OWB holster, http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... g-_-343097
it paired with my nice gun belt will easicly cover both my P239 and my P226 with any tshirt that is long enough to cover the belt line, I was actually surpsied at how well it worked.

The only thing I dont like about this style of holster is that you need to loop your belt through it. I have a Serpa Blackhawk holster which is really nice because I can keep it in my car when I am somewhere that I can't carry, and then can easily slide it on when I get back in the car. It seems like these "belt through" holsters need to go on when you get dressed in the morning.

[zero4o3]

I just recently purchased my first OWB holster, http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... g-_-343097
it paired with my nice gun belt will easicly cover both my P239 and my P226 with any tshirt that is long enough to cover the belt line, I was actually surpsied at how well it worked.

The only thing I dont like about this style of holster is that you need to loop your belt through it. I have a Serpa Blackhawk holster which is really nice because I can keep it in my car when I am somewhere that I can't carry, and then can easily slide it on when I get back in the car. It seems like these "belt through" holsters need to go on when you get dressed in the morning.

it works out well for me for the simple fact that if I am wearing that holster I am normally not planning on going anywhere I cant carry. that being said I have probably 5 or 6 holsters that I mix around depending on how im dressed, none of my paddle style owb holsters seem to hold the gun as close to my body as the "belt through" holsters though, that could be poor choice of holster on my part though.