Concealed carry -- for big guys =)

[Guest aaron_wil]

I will be applying for my permit soon and I wonder if any other big guys like me have some advice for carrying concealed. I'm a rather well rounded guy and I find that inside waist/belly/back is mostly not an option for me. I am considering a shoulder holster, as I wear vests and outer shirts most of the time as it is.

Comments?

[Guest super99gm]

Have you thought about something like the LCP in a pocket holster. I have carried a small revolver in a pocket holster also.

[Guest Bronker]

6'6" and 350 lbs here!

I've tried them all. IWB, OWB, Smartcarry, pocket, ankle, paddle, etc.

Best for me by far has been two options:

1. OWB in a paddle holster, covered by an untucked polo shirt, T-Shirt, or a scrub shirt. Glock 19 every day in a cheapo Fobus paddle like this:

This is my favorite.

2. Don Hume single clip IWB like this:

On extreme rare occasions that I'm forced to wear a shirt tucked in...very, very rare (I don't even own a tie)...I pocket carry a Ruger SP101 .357

Just what I do. Your mileage may vary, but this kind of setup has proved to work best for me.

Take care, and welcome to the forum

[dats82]

If you do not have to tuck your shirt, you do not have a problem. Just get a good belt holster or a paddle holster and fill it with whatever you like. It is amazing what you can hide under an untucked shirt.

[tntnixon]

You big guys have it made. I'm 5'11" 160LBS and don't have enough fat to keep my pistol from rubbing on my sciatic nerve. Sometimes I'd just like to OC, but don't. It'd be much more comfortable with a strap on my leg, but that's the price you pay for CC.

Anyway, back to the original topic. Whether you're large or small, the key is finding something that balances comfort and conceal-ability (not an easy feat). Don't go out and just buy a holster because someone else suggested it. Most of us have a drawer full of holsters that didn't work, and they're not cheap. Go and try as many different holsters as possible, at as many shops as possible (mail order gets you a very expensive lesson) with a minimum amount of clothing and keep in mind that you will have this thing on for hours at a time. A good holster is worth as much diligence as your weapon choice.

[Jasongar8]

If you are going to wear a gun on your belt you need to buy a gun belt. They are thicker than a dress belt and built to support the weight of your gun.

[farrar]

I will be applying for my permit soon and I wonder if any other big guys like me have some advice for carrying concealed. I'm a rather well rounded guy and I find that inside waist/belly/back is mostly not an option for me. I am considering a shoulder holster, as I wear vests and outer shirts most of the time as it is.

Comments?

I am 5'11" and 350lbs and wear a IWB with a Beretta PX4 Subcompact with no problems

[Fallguy]

While not my first choice on a method of carry I pocket carry. Being a big guy there is enough room in my pocket for my Glock 32.

I have a shoulder holster and have found it hard to adjust it to where it is an easy draw. The holster seems to want to move toward my back and makes it hard for my hand to come across (and around) enough to draw it. Not saying I can't do it, just not as easy as I'd like it to be.

I have used a OWB holster with an untucked shirt as well. If I have a large enough shirt it does conceal pretty well.

[tnhawk]

IWB works well for me with a G27 or Kimber Ultra CDP, but not easily for a full size 1911. OWB with a denim shirt or jacket has worked well for my 1911.

[JeffL]

I'm 6' 250lbs. I use a Kramer Leather IWB holster for my Glock 23. A good stiff belt really helps when it comes to comfort. My choice is a Wilderness Instructor belt, 1.5". I also have a double thickness horsehide belt for when I'm wearing slacks. I can't carry at work, but it works well for after.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Regardless of the carry method, a slim gun seems to make it a whole lot easier. A difference just 0.1 or 0.2 inches in thickness makes a lot more difference than I would have expected.

Kahr makes some slim guns that work OK.

Been pocket-carrying lately. Big guy pants usually have big pockets, which can help. Don't keep anything in the pocket except the gun. Use a pocket holster that completely covers the trigger.

[tntnixon]

With all the talk of pocket carry, it makes me think about one of my dilemmas. That being the loss of my pockets. When I pocket carry my J-frame I lose one pocket and then have to get everything else in my other pocket, which kinda sucks. Also, for pocket carry guys, do you carry extra magazines or speed strips? I always have but lately I've been thinking it may not be a good idea because by getting my hand in my other pocket to get the rest of my stuff, I'm probably exposing it to a lot of lead which may find its way into my body. Any thoughts on this?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I quit buying anything except cargo pants and cargo shorts. The ones with velcro closures. The snap-closure or button-closure cargo pockets are annoying and useless IMO.

I carry wallet in the left cargo pocket. Checkbook there too. Keys, pocket knife and such in the left front pocket. Pistol in right front pocket. Rarely anything the back pockets or right cargo pocket. Cellphone on belt.

Have seen some wide pocket holsters made for cargo pockets, but I've experimented home-carrying in a cargo-pocket, and the weight of even a light gun swings the baggy pants leg around too much for my taste (when walking). Also, that seems too low to be a good location to draw from. Cargo pocket carry would be nice otherwise, because a full-size pistol would fit in there just great.

Haven't been carrying a spare mag. Lately been thinking maybe the ideal spare mag would be a Kahr PM9. Tote 8 rounds in the P9 in right pocket, and the "spare mag" would be a PM9 in the back pocket or whatever. I'm thumb-fingered and won't ever be fast with mag changes. It might be as fast or faster to grab another gun, than to change a mag. Piling low probability on low probability. Low probability the primary gun would ever see use, and even lower probability that more than 8 rounds would be necessary.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Lester Weevils

[leroy]

....I will be applying for my permit soon and I wonder if any other big guys like me have some advice for carrying concealed. I'm a rather well rounded guy and I find that inside waist/belly/back is mostly not an option for me. I am considering a shoulder holster, as I wear vests and outer shirts most of the time as it is. Comments? ....

Aaron:___________

Got the same problem myself. I dont like shoulder holsters, they can get uncomfortable.

That being said; I carry a glock 33 in an Allen Miller kydex pocket holster (.... link here: Welcome to Aholster ...) in the hip pocket (...or front pocket...) of my dungarees (...shorts or long pants...). When i wear khakis or dress pants, i carry a sig 238 in a D. M Bullard roughout leather front pocket holster. They both work very well. By the way, im a gimped up 5ft 8in --300 lb round man who wears his clothes a bit loose.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,

Leroy

[JayC]

I'm a big boy... IWB is just uncomfortable, and I don't do it anymore unless I'm forced to... I've got to OWB for a compact or full size pistol (Glock 19 mostly). I'd suggest a Kydex style holster with a paddle or belt adapter (I prefer the belt adapter personally)... I'd make another suggestion find one that has a fixed 'cant' to the holster it will make concealing easier IMHO, and once you get use to it drawing faster. I'd suggest staying away from cheaper holsters which can 'rotate' to any cant you want.

[Guest aaron_wil]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I will definitely look at all the options before I commit to anything but I probably may end up purchasing a smaller pistol. I currently have a ruger 357 security six w/ 4" barrel.

[tntnixon]

Well I've learned something if nobody else did. Big guys think that IWB carry is uncomfortable because of their size. Skinny guys, like myself, think IWB carry is uncomfortable because of their size. That tells me one thing: IWB is just plain uncomfortable, but we do it anyways.

[Fallguy]

The main reasons I don't carry IWB or even OWB is ....one I mainly tuck my shirts, but secondly because of being a big guy my body pushes the butt of the gun away from my body to the point it can be noticable even under a not tucked in shirt.

[Guest truthsayer]

A good stiff belt really helps when it comes to comfort.

mmmm... Buffalo Trace

[Chucktshoes]

Well I've learned something if nobody else did. Big guys think that IWB carry is uncomfortable because of their size. Skinny guys, like myself, think IWB carry is uncomfortable because of their size. That tells me one thing: IWB is just plain uncomfortable, but we do it anyways.

I'm a skinny guy and I have acclimated so well to IWB that I actually find it more comfortable than OWB. Maybe I am just built weird.

[gregintenn]

I've tried about everything except an ankle holster. I don't even like socks, so I'm convinced that couldn't be comfortable. I haven't found the perfect solution yet. Maybe it varies from person to person, but I don't think it exists. I most frequently pocket carry a j frame 38, and recently have come to prefer the slimness of a Ruger LCP. If my clothing permits, I prefer OWB. As others have stated, a good double layer gun belt makes all the difference.

[Guest buttonhook]

I carry a walther PPS (thin gun) in a crossbreed supertuck at about 4:00-4:30 I wear my extra mag holder I made on the other side in the same area. I can tuck my shirt in or leave it out. Its so comfortable I've fallen asleep with it on as long as I wear a t-shirt under it and tucked in and an overshirt anyway I want. BTW I can hide the gun better with my overshirt shirt tucked in than I can with it out because I can blouse it and the pistol completely disappears. BTW I'm 5'-10" 250# to 285# depending on the season.

Edited August 24, 2010 by buttonhook

[Cherokee Slim]

6'6" and 350 lbs here!

I've tried them all. IWB, OWB, Smartcarry, pocket, ankle, paddle, etc.

Best for me by far has been two options:

1. OWB in a paddle holster, covered by an untucked polo shirt, T-Shirt, or a scrub shirt. Glock 19 every day in a cheapo Fobus paddle like this:

This is my favorite.

2. Don Hume single clip IWB like this:

On extreme rare occasions that I'm forced to wear a shirt tucked in...very, very rare (I don't even own a tie)...I pocket carry a Ruger SP101 .357

Just what I do. Your mileage may vary, but this kind of setup has proved to work best for me.

Take care, and welcome to the forum

I carry exactly the same way. I'm about the same size. Shoulder holsters & crossdraws don't work for bigger size men. The Crossbreed series also doesn't work well for me, I keep bending the clips out. The only holster difference is that my Don Hume's have straps instead of clips. I'm also coming to like the Desantis Covert Option IWB>

Cherokee (not so) Slim

[Guest cheez]

I am 5'8" and weigh 330 pounds. I carry three different ways depending on the situation or my mood. Glock 23 in a Crossbreed Supertuck Deluxe IWB with shirt untucked. S & W 642 in right front pocket of loose pants. Glock 23 in a Blackhawk Serpa in the winter under my coat. My favorite though is the Crossbreed IWB. DOn't let anybody tell you a big guy can't carry IWB comfortably. It can be done with the right holster. Now I will not elaborate on the amount of money I wasted in the quest for a comfy IWB but I will say it approaches 4 figures.

[Il Duce]

i find iwb to be comfortable as well