CONCEALED CARRY IWB HOLTERS

[Bigwho86]

Hi. I am new to concealed carry. Not weapons but concealed carry. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on brands and types of IWB holsters. I have heard of Crossbreed and Alien Gear. I'm sure there are others. Just want some personal experience and input. BTW, I am a large guy with Love handles so comfort is very important. Any help would be appreciated

[ELB]

Comptac is a Texas company that makes good stuff. I have used their holsters for IWB.

Dale Fricke is another good one, and he (at least in the past) will make custom holsters, mag holders, flashlight holsters too. I have worn his Archangel holster and liked it a lot.

I currently use a Raven Concealment Systems Vanguard 2, which is a pretty minimalist IWB holster, might be an acquired taste, but it is the least bulky one I have tried. Been using it for … I dunno, four years maybe?

[cmgee67]

Howdy and welcome.

The crossbreed and alien gear style are very comfortable but the big drawback for me was they take up sooo much room in your pants. They do spread out the weight of the firearm well but you will most definitely need two sizes large In your pants if you want it to be as comfortable as it can be. I have tried both brands. Alien gear has a more comfortable backing but crossbreed has better fit and finish. Great customer service with crossbreed. And okay with alien gear. I switched to and all Kydex taco style
Iwb holster with soft loops to attach to the belt. It’s not as comfortable as leather but I feel it’s more secure. And with all Kydex all you have to do once a month is run some soapy water through it and dry it off and boom your done. Kydex doesn’t break down like leather. Owb carry is going to be your most comfortable carry method but you have to deal with harder conceal-ability. Some say oh you’d never know I’m carrying owb. That may be true with a jacket but regular t shirt you will print. While that’s not a prob anymore. I try to minimize it. Honestly if I’m owb im open carry. I hate fighting with it to keep it covered. I’d recommend on your 6 holsters, vedder holsters, concealment xpress, jetactical holsters, and dm Bullard.

[Bigwho86]

So since I'm so new to this, would it be better to go outside the waistband and wear larger shirts or is it better to go inside the waistband and get bigger pants? Is it really necessary to get larger pants if I carry IWB?

[Mike S]

So since I'm so new to this, would it be better to go outside the waistband and wear larger shirts or is it better to go inside the waistband and get bigger pants? Is it really necessary to get larger pants if I carry IWB?

Generally, yes you will need to go up one pant size (in the waist) to make room for your IWB gun/holster. That would depend on how your current pants fit (tight vs loose), & width of your handgun/holster.

With a 'tuckable' AIWB holster & a Glock 23 I can wear anything from basketball shorts (with waist drawstring tied) & a tee shirt, to jeans & polo shirt, to slacks and a dress shirt & tie. I like that kind of flexibility whereas with OWB you'd (generally) need belt loops & a belt. (Just to be clear, I almost always wear a belt with my AIWB as it gives much more stability. However, when just taking the trash or dog out, or lounging around the house in shorts I don't always wear a belt. I'm by no means doing anything strenuous to risk the gun falling out.)

[mojo84]

You may find this thread helpful.

http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=24130

[auggie mathis]

I switched to onyour6designs Kydex IWB holster because I felt it was more comfortable and I had no need for a larger size pants and lastly felt it held my glock19 more secure in the holster

[flechero]

So since I'm so new to this, would it be better to go outside the waistband and wear larger shirts or is it better to go inside the waistband and get bigger pants? Is it really necessary to get larger pants if I carry IWB?

That depends entirely on how tight you pants are! I did not have to buy larger pants. My preference is IWB because I can still dress professional and discreet... so i carry IWB all the time, just so I don't have to invest in more gear for off days or other clothes for work.

The topic of comfortable carry rarely translates accurately from one person to the next... unfortunately, it's a trial and error process. For a new guy carrying, IWB can be hard to get used to... part depends on the size and thickness of gun, holster/belt combo, belt position, cant and whether or not you wear an undershirt.

What gun do you want to carry and are you R or L handed and what's your normal dress code? Best option would be to see if you can borrow or try out a holster or two just to narrow the style or direction you want to go. And you may get lucky and like a specific set up from the start. Anyway, the more info you can provide, the better the advice we can give.

[oljames3]

So since I'm so new to this, would it be better to go outside the waistband and wear larger shirts or is it better to go inside the waistband and get bigger pants? Is it really necessary to get larger pants if I carry IWB?

Welcome to carrying.

You will find that, in general, holsters are like shoes. Fit, comfort, style, price, etc., all play a unique and personal part in selecting a holster that works for you. There are, however, a few objective criteria you should consider. I encourage you to watch John Corriea's Active Self Protection video in which he describes his "Three Critical Qualities of a Decent Holster."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox7GrdjqRXk

In my experience, an outside the waistband (OWB) holster is more comfortable, easier to move on the belt while wearing, easier to draw from. Inside the waistband (IWB) seem to conceal more easily.

Unless your pants are already loose, you will probably want at least one size larger for IWB carry. Of course, the size and shape of the pistol/holster combination will affect the fit.

My 21 year old son is 5' 10", 130lbs. He easily conceals his S&W M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm 4" (double stack 15+1) in a Bravo Concealment DOS without changing pants size. My younger brother is older and heavier than my son. He had to go a size larger to comfortably carry his S&W M&P M2.0 Shield 9mm (single stack 8+1) in a Raven Concealment holster.

My wife has a Comp-Tac International OWB holster for her Walther PPS M2 LE (single stack 89, but prefers to carry her pistol in her front pocket in a Remora RFT pocket holster. My 86 year old father carries his S&W M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm 4inch in an OWB Safariland 7TS ALS retention holster with a belt clip. He usually wears a jacket when outside the house.

Previously, at 5' 10" 186lbs, I carried my Tanfoglio BTA90 in a Gaclo King-Tuk IWB hybrid holster and concealed it with a tucked-in shirt. Now I carry my S&W M&P M2.0 9mm 5inch in an OWB Safariland 7TS ALS (double stack 17+1) with Guard and QLS. I incidentally conceal as the weather dictates or when wearing a suit.

Age, body type, personal preference, etc., vary from person to person and make comparisons difficult.KR Training, where I've done most of my pistol training, has a large selection of holsters and plastic pistols such that customers can try various combinations. I was able to try a Safariland ALS holster with my M&P before I bought an ALS holster for myself. Perhaps a local trainer/reseller can help you out in trying things on.

[Charles L. Cotton]

So since I'm so new to this, would it be better to go outside the waistband and wear larger shirts or is it better to go inside the waistband and get bigger pants? Is it really necessary to get larger pants if I carry IWB?

Opinions will vary, but I think that 1) IWB holsters are far more versatile; and 2) OWB holster can be more comfortable, but not necessarily so.

For an OWB holster to be comfortable, you MUST use a good (aka sturdy) gun belt to carry the weight correctly without sagging. My recommendation to students is to get both. Wear the OWB when you are dressed such that concealment of an OWB holster is not a problem, otherwise wear the IWB. I personally use a Comp-Tac Infidel or QI IWB 95% of the time. This is true even when I'm in a suit or am wearing a jacket. I don't find IWB to be uncomfortable even when carrying a Government Model 1911.

I'm going to catch some flak over this statement, but avoid appendix-carry holsters, at least until you can try-before-you-buy. By "try," I mean borrow one from a friend and wear it for a full day. Wear it standing, walking, sitting in a car, chair, etc. Personally, I hate appendix-carry! It's horribly uncomfortable when seated, points the muzzle at your femoral artery (violating a key gun safety rule) and it's at a tactical disadvantage in terms of protecting the draw. I know, some will strongly disagree. Appendix-carry is rapidly growing in popularity, but for reasons that are largely illusory. Strong-side carry at 3:00 - 5:00 o'clock is preferred by most experienced shooters. Again, I'll draw some flak over this statement as well.

Chas.

[Lynyrd]

Hi. I am new to concealed carry. Not weapons but concealed carry. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on brands and types of IWB holsters. I have heard of Crossbreed and Alien Gear. I'm sure there are others. Just want some personal experience and input. BTW, I am a large guy with Love handles so comfort is very important. Any help would be appreciated

I have some OWB holsters that are very comfortable, but I cannot wear them at work due to policy. I wear an IWB Crossbreed Supertuck all day every day at work and I honestly cannot feel it most of the time. I also am not a small guy, and should lose a few pounds. But if the Crossbreed is designed for your specific gun it will have a leather flap that extends upwards and is shaped to keep the gun from putting pressure on your body. Over time after the holster is broken in the flap will tend to curve out and down over the exposed parts of the gun. The effect is that during movement the entire holster may press against you, but not a single point of pressure from the grip, or back end of the slide. I recommend paying the few bucks extra to get the horsehide. It is thicker and more forgiving of awkward positions. It also takes a couple of weeks of wear time for the leather to conform to your body shape, much the same way as breaking in a pair of boots.

Sure there may be other holsters just as comfortable, and like a comfortable pair of shoes one size does not fit all. My advice? Don't expect to do your research and find the one best holster for you before wearing some. Most of us that have been carrying for a while have a drawer full of holsters. If we carry several different guns we can have quite the collection of holsters. It's part of the expense of being comfortable while not being defenseless.

[ELB]

Comptac is a Texas company that makes good stuff. I have used their holsters for IWB.

Dale Fricke is another good one, and he (at least in the past) will make custom holsters, mag holders, flashlight holsters too. I have worn his Archangel holster and liked it a lot.

I currently use a Raven Concealment Systems Vanguard 2, which is a pretty minimalist IWB holster, might be an acquired taste, but it is the least bulky one I have tried. Been using it for … I dunno, four years maybe?

I forgot to say that all the IWB holsters I listed above were worn appendix carry. I have trained quite a bit with appendix carry and have found it superior to 3 or 4 o'clock carry in pretty much every aspect. When I say "trained" I don't mean just the draw (for which it is quick and surreptitious), but keeping it concealed, not getting it caught or banged on chairs and doors, being tackled to the ground, rolling around in the dirt fighting, protecting the handgun from being snatched, drawing with either hand from standing, prone/supine/on my side (with someone on top of me), sitting at a table, seat-belted in a car, the works. I will opine that if someone is close enough to foul your draw, regardless of where your holster is you probably have a problem that needs to be solved by some other means than drawing a handgun, and you need to deal with that first.

I highly recommend you contact the Central Texas Combatives Training Group. You can find them on Facebook. Go to one of their training sessions, generally a weekend and generally free, and you can get some excellent training a practice in various aspects of self-defense. You will learn quickly what types of holsters work, and have a practical basis for choosing the one the works for you.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Five shooters, three of whom appendix-carry routinely and the other two carry strong side. Five shooters drew and fired three one-shot drills from various starting positions both appendix-carry and strong side carry. The results:

• 1. Four of the five drew and fired one round faster with appendix-carry than with strong side;
  2. The average speed advantage was .15 second (15/100s of one second) and this is with the hands in a starting position favorable for appendix-carry;
  3. While all five shooters drew and fired from a seated position, they were not drawing from behind a table, steering wheel, or any other common obstruction;
  4. All five shooters, including the three that appendix-carry all the time, said appendix-carry while seated is uncomfortable.

When drawing from appendix-carry close to an attacker, it is much easier for your assailant to block your draw. There are techniques for protecting the draw when drawing from the strong side that simply are not available for appendix-carry.

If you consider appendix-carry, ask yourself or those who use appendix-carry "what are the advantages and disadvantages compared to strong side carry." Also, beware of people who claim to be using appendix-carry when they are actually using centerline-carry as with Thunderwear. That's a different method that has some but not all of the risks of appendix-carry. (I have Thunderwear and have used it on very rare occasions.)

When appendix-carry started gaining in popularity, I bought a couple of holsters designed for that method and I practiced extensively. I wore them under normal conditions daily; tried different ride heights and positions. In the end, it was not for me and I was faster at 3:00 o'clock.

Chas.