Concealing firearms effectively.

[High Level Rad Waste]

I just shoulder carry now. I'm always wearing a hoodie, windbreaker, flannel, suit, something that lets me have an open jacket. It's incredibly comfortable and an easy draw when sitting. Realistically if I ever need to use it, it's going to be a carjacker.

 

[The_Red_Man]

Do not buy hybrid holsters (the ones that sandwich your gun between a flat piece of leather and molded kydex.

Do not buy UrbanCarry (look it up).

I've owned both and they're both memes.

Fat John from Active Self Defense made a good video a long time ago that I think still holds true when selecting a holster:

1. Does the holster cover the trigger well COMPLETELY? Nothing should be able to get in there, the holster should basically cover from the front of the trigger guard to the grip. I've seen a few holsters where it doesn't go completely back and shit could get in there and possibly jam up or even actuate the trigger.
2. Does it allow for a reliable grip and consistent draw? You shouldn't have to jiggle the gun into a position where you can fully grasp it and draw, or draw with your fingertips and get a grip as you're trying to make complete sight picture.
3. Does it retain the gun effectively and securely? You should be able to hold the holster upside down with a fully loaded magazine in your gun and shake it all a bit, without the gun falling out easily, but not too much where you're really tugging at it to draw. This can be adjusted on most kydex holsters, unless you get one with active retention (button, hammer loop, etc).

Also I would recommend appendix carry for many reasons. For one, you can draw from any position, seated or standing. It's also, IMO, one of the most secure. Strong side or small of back made me always paranoid that A) people would easily see it and B) if they see it, they could grab it before I realize.

For AIWB holsters, always opt for the wedge and belt hook. I recommend going up a pants size or two, as well. Your testicles (if you have them) will thank you.

 

[TomClancy'sSpinningCorpse]

Shoulder holsters are comfy and aesthetic as fuck. They’re slow to draw and not good for physical confrontations.

Cool for larping as a detective and working all day at a desk as a real detective. Shit for everything else.

Miami holsters are still the best way to CC during the colder months

 

[big pauper]

I pocket carry, because I know I will probably never need to use my gun, but I don't want when I need to use it be the day I decided it was too uncomforable to carry it. This does come with the disadvantage of not being able to carry a full size, but a trade I am willing to make. In the rare occurence of a car jacking where I live, I would probably have enough spacial awareness to see it coming and have time to draw.

I did experiment with small of back carry, but it was uncomfortable to drive with, and has the same drawback when seated.

pocket carrying a vest gun is the absolutely most based way to carry and i'm sick of people saying its retarded because the guns are weak. i'd carry a fucking kolibri if i could

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

pocket carrying a vest gun is the absolutely most based way to carry and i'm sick of people saying its retarded because the guns are weak. i'd carry a fucking kolibri if i could

Pocket guns are terrible to shoot and drawing from a pocket is pretty terrible as well.

 

[big pauper]

Pocket guns are terrible to shoot and drawing from a pocket is pretty terrible as well.

the entire notion of having to quick draw to eliminate threats like you're a cop is laughable and borderline schizophrenic in how little it actually has to do with practical reality. The marketing that holster and firearm companies do to sell their products to police, military, and security forces has no bearing on practical reality and that's just what pot bellied gun store boomers repeat because it sells product.

they will always tell you to spend the dosh on a brand new, duty grade pistol and AIB holster. Otherwise you'll get yourself brutally murdered by a pack of urban youths with glock switches! you simply won't be effective on the modern urban battlefield! You can't possibly get away with buying a derringer or a pocket gun! You'll get yourself killed! If it's not the best possible thing you can buy then its worthless and you'll die!

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

the entire notion of having to quick draw to eliminate threats like you're a cop is laughable and borderline schizophrenic in how little it actually has to do with practical reality. The marketing that holster and firearm companies do to sell their products to police, military, and security forces has no bearing on practical reality and that's just what pot bellied gun store boomers repeat because it sells product.

they will always tell you to spend the dosh on a brand new, duty grade pistol and AIB holster. Otherwise you'll get yourself brutally murdered by a pack of urban youths with glock switches! you simply won't be effective on the modern urban battlefield! You can't possibly get away with buying a derringer or a pocket gun! You'll get yourself killed! If it's not the best possible thing you can buy then it’s worthless and you'll die!

Pocket guns still suck. Why would I want to own or shoot one literally ever.

I actually shoot my guns, I don’t treat them like magical talismans that ward off evil.

 

[California King]

Just gonna throw out that as someone who wears 3:00 to 5:00, taking the hind clip off my Tenicor and slipping it an inch or two further back, then canting it so the grip almost faces straight up has made a huge difference when I'm wearing my uniform (super thin and formfitting polo). I don't fuck with the claw.

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

Just gonna throw out that as someone who wears 3:00 to 5:00, taking the hind clip off my Tenicor and slipping it an inch or two further back, then canting it so the grip almost faces straight up has made a huge difference when I'm wearing my uniform (super thin and formfitting polo). I don't fuck with the claw.

Lots of cant is pretty much necessary for that carry position. The claw feature is more for appendix carry.

 

[big pauper]

Pocket guns still suck. Why would I want to own or shoot one literally ever.

I actually shoot my guns, I don’t treat them like magical talismans that ward off evil.

I do too but I don't carry my full sized nigger blaster around because carrying a six inch revolver around is generally considered to be ostentatious

 

[California King]

Lots of cant is pretty much necessary for that carry position. The claw feature is more for appendix carry.

Fair. I keep having people to tell me a claw and a pillow are necessary no matter position, and I'm new to the gun threads so I thought I'd try to add my $0.02. I grew up around guns, moved around blue states for about 20 years, and am just coming back to my hillbilly roots.

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

I do too but I don't carry my full sized nigger blaster around because carrying a six inch revolver around is generally considered to be ostentatious

I carry my G45 COA. Haven’t shot another pistol since I switched to it from a VP9 with a SRO earlier this year. I have about 3,000 rounds of 9mm between both of those so far this year. I have no interest in shooting anything else.

 

[big pauper]

I carry my G45 COA. Haven’t shot another pistol since I switched to it from a VP9 with a SRO earlier this year. I have about 3,000 rounds of 9mm between both of those so far this year. I have no interest in shooting anything else.

I have a baby Browning I put in my coat pocket sometimes and every time I shoot it the little bullet casings amuse me. Haha. Look at em go!

 

[Matzo Nazi]

Been carrying a G43x appendix in a Tulster holster for years now, it's nice and low profile and lets me wear most of my shirts without peeking out. I like the slim form factor of the gun but the lack of capacity does bother me a bit, although I think that not printing is a larger concern for me as I've carried in non permissive environments. Never used a pillow but I have pinched my dick a couple times so maybe that would be a beneficial upgrade. Tulster also gave me a free replacement when the first one I had cracked after 4 years wear and tare so they're one of the few I recommend.

 

[Skitarii]

I put that shit in the glove box and don't think twice about it cause the cops in my country are too lazy to ever search me

 

[Town Drunk]

Pocket guns still suck. Why would I want to own or shoot one literally ever.

I actually shoot my guns, I don’t treat them like magical talismans that ward off evil.

I'm sure my 12 rounds of +p 9mm are just as effective from my pocket gun as from a from a full size when I need to shoot an asshole 10 feet away. May be less comfortable at the range, but I doubt I'll notice it when my fight or flight is going. As far as lesser calibers like I assume you are referencing, remember the navy used 32 caliber for over a hundred years. Not like human's have evolved to be more bullet proof over the last 400 years.

 

[YouDoNotHaveTheRight]

Anyone tried the vanish holster?

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

Never used a pillow but I have pinched my dick a couple times so maybe that would be a beneficial upgrade.

A “pillow” or wedge can be very beneficial to comfort and concealment. For me it makes the full sized grip disappear.

I'm sure my 12 rounds of +p 9mm are just as effective from my pocket gun as from a from a full size when I need to shoot an asshole 10 feet away. May be less comfortable at the range, but I doubt I'll notice it when my fight or flight is going. As far as lesser calibers like I assume you are referencing, remember the navy used 32 caliber for over a hundred years. Not like human's have evolved to be more bullet proof over the last 400 years.

I’m not worried about the difference in ballistics or even capacity. I can shoot a full sized gun better than a smaller one. My carry gun is the only pistol I shoot, so I am carrying the gun I am most effective with. Time is a valuable resource to me, and I choose not to use it training on different guns. If I had more time I would simply shoot more ammo as my time budget is what limits my range time.

 

[dick brain]

I am by no means an expert but I've been carrying a variety of handguns in a variety of positions for a few years and I have some insights to share:

There is a psychological advantage to appendix carrying. I tend to wear tight fitting clothes because I work with heavy machinery and I don't want to end up on a liveleak video, but in spite of that I have had numerous occasions where people outright told me they didn't realize I was carrying, mostly for the simple reason that (normal) men don't look at each others crotches. It's a psychological blindspot. As for women, I think they just don't think about guns and assume you have a bunch of junk in your pockets. If you care about concealment but want to carry a full sized handgun and you're not a big fat fuck it's the way to go. Conversely, carrying strongside fucks up your silhouette, which is one of the first things people notice about you.

Shoulder holsters are fucking awesome if you know you're going to be seated for a long time, e.g. driving or working a desk or something, but I wouldn't recommend outside of that context. It's fairly obvious unless you've got a pretty heavy concealment garment just because there's really nothing else it could be in that position, people are going to assume "gun" right away. It also just feels less secure, and that's going to affect how you move with it, which can be a tell, but more importantly it's just really annoying. Maybe a skill issue, idk, but that has been my experience anyway.

In the winter I keep a snubnose 38 in my jacket pocket specifically because it can be fired from concealment; if I flip it upside down, i.e. grip up and muzzle pointed behind me, it's a LOT less conspicuous. If things start to look sketchy I just pull the grip up and back to reorient it into a proper position. It's hard to explain and probably sounds retarded but it works well enough for that particular use case.

 

[TardiX]

Just in case it's relevant to anyone, StyleMeTactical has some good tips for conceal carry as a woman.

I know a lot of people don't care for off body carry but there are some good purses out there too. It can be incredibly difficult to conceal with women's clothing and style choices sometimes and for me, off body carry is better than not having it.

SheEquipsHerself on YouTube has some good recommendations for complicafemale styling and concealing (crop tops, leggings, dresses, etc)