Problems Concealing

[cbunt1]

First off, cbunt1, thank you very much for your input! Now let's get down to business.
. . . I have a Glock 19 and a Glock 23, but they both have rubber pachymar grips on them.

. . . I supposed I'll try taking the grip off of the gun and see if that helps much. With a polymer frame, and I have fairly large hands, the pachymar grip is almost a necessity for me when shooting though.

. . . What i love about the Old Faithful Holster is that I can very easily change the cant and the tightness of the screws. I'll switch it up. What do you recommend the cant be for a 4-5 o clock hold? There are 3 holes on the front and back end of the holster. I will for sure put the front hole on the lowest setting so that it'll have a forward cant. As for the rear hole, should I love that in the middle setting or put it on the highest setting where the gun is in an extreme forward cant?

. . . it's probably the belt that everyone is talking about.

What do you think about this belt? I know it's very inexpensive. But I've heard great reviews on it.
http://www.hanksclothing.com/amish_belts_brown_buy.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm actually going to try academy or gander mountain to see if they have any belts. I don't want to order online, only because their sizes could differ. I prefer to try the belt on rather than to order online. I tried doing the whole "wear your old belt, measure from the beginning of the belt to the hole used mostly, and add 1-2 sizes up, and that'll be the belt to order". I tried that with 3 different old belts that i have, and I got 3 different sizes for each belt... So... To be on the safe side, I'll try some on at those outdoor sports stores; does anyone know if they hold good belts there?

Thanks again for your help!

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back here...and of course, many have chimed in as well with more-or-less exactly what I'd offer...great minds thinking alike!

Double-stack Glock...it can be done (I've done it, as have countless others) -- just takes a little practice and the right gear. If the additonal grip size is a necessity, try either a bit of cornstarch or baby powder on the rubber grip (makes it a little less "tacky" without giving up the gripping advantages of the rubber).

You could also seriously look at the work that Grip Reductions does...Dale's specialty started out with reducing Glock grips for shooters with smaller hands...but he does it all...just about any configuration you can imagine on a polymer frame. He can put in a palmswell or simply make the grip fatter for you. He also has a variety of textures that will improve "grippability" without clinging to the underside of a shirt.

As to your cant question, at 4:00, I'd personally put the front clip in the lowest setting, and the back at the middle. For 5:00 I'd try the full radical-tilt (top and bottom). Some holster rigs/belts/positions don't work all that well at these extremes, and others do...make sure you're not giving up your one-handed reholstering capability.

To echo others, I suspect you'll eventually settle in at around 3:30...just past the break of the wide-part of the hip, and not far enough back to press on your back/kidney when seated (and bump into everything you lean against!)

Yes, I hate to sound like a hung record, but the belt (as many others have mentioned) makes a world of difference. The Amish belt you mentioned looks decent, and is probably just fine for an IWB rig...BUT, you might take a look at the army-navy store as well. Top Brass in Houston (I think they have a Dallas store too) carries 5.11 leather belts and the nylon "instructor" belts at a reasonable price, and since they're in stock, you can try them on and see what you need...Another place to try is local police-supply outlets.

You don't mention where you are, but Dallas has what used to be Wald's Police Supply on Elm steet downtown, and Houston has a pretty decent police supply shop on Washington...they all carry more "duty" type gear than undercover/concealed carry gear, but having a hands-on look at some of the gear that LEO uses will give you a better understanding of what's out there and the differences between true gear for "I carry a gun every day" vs. "I strap on a range rig a couple of times a year."

You're getting there...it's a process, and a lifestyle change!

[xb12s]

Lots of good opinions -- I'll summarize briefly without quoting

Try 3:30 to 4 oclock with more cant

Hanks Amish belt is okay for lightweight pistol (Kahr), but it is not kydex reinforced and mine has sagged after a year. Not enough vertical stiffness. My two layer leather belts, wilderness instructor 5 stitch, and kydex reinforced belts are all better than the Hanks IMO.

Wear the belt up higher on your "true waist". This feels unnatural to me, but it works. I have switched to jeans and pants that sit at the waist rather than below the waist.

double layered look works well if you can look casual. Note however on most of the pictures above that the shirts are TOO SHORT in all of the Big Bang Theory shots and most of the others. If you are as picky as I am you'll work to find shirts that are not too short to function while reaching overhead and not too long to look ridiculous.

starch works great with dress shirts

don't worry so much about what people see once you do the stuff above.

[SpringerFan]

Same height, weight, and build as me. I carry an xdsc in a comp-tac spartan holster. 3:30-4:00 with max cant. As others have mentioned, the Amish belts are great leather belts, and the Wilderness makes excellent synthetic belts.

[Jim88]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think it really counts as printing unless you can definitely make out that it's a gun under your shirt. As someone else said, it could be anything from a phone to an insulin pump.

[Teamless]

I don't think it really counts as printing

and printing is not illegal,

That being said, I think the goal is still not to print to the point of "Hey what is that under your shirt bulging out" question comes up.

[XinTX]

I have a holster similar to the one you're using. I did away with the Hogue rubber grips because they caused my shirt to stick so every time I sat or had to bend down, I had to readjust the shirt to free it. I'd like to get more cant, but when I adjust the clips any further they get way too close to rubbing against the pistol. So I'm still holster hunting.

But whenever I can, I wear a Hawaiian shirt over a tee. That tends to hide it well. But layers aren't a great idea in the South TX outdoors in summer.

[dafobbishon3]

I apologize I haven't written here in a while, I've been busy with work all week.

Thanks a lot you guys and gals! I tried the 5 o clock, it's definitely more concealable. At least with my body type, I raised the clips higher, and also with a forward cant. The Hawaiian shirts you all talked about is a great idea. In Texas, those short sleeve button ups are a great cover for the gun and stylish and great for the heat. I just wish wearing at 5 o clock would be comfortable for sitting in cars and driving . I finally got my belt in thanks to the person who showed me Daltech Force Dual Layer Bullhide gun belts. Like I said, I usually wear a 34-36. and they said to add 4 inch to pant size so I got a 38, but even with a 38 size belt, it barely fits, it's on the last hole. I might have to send it back for a larger belt, or I guess I can try and do a lot of cardio until my license comes in. And also, my application is finally getting reviewed! Now i'm just waiting on background check under review!
I'll try and see if I can lose an inch or two in the next few days so I can wear the belt more comfortably, then I'll post up a review for the Old Faithful Holster and Daltech Force Gun Belt. Thanks again, all of you for your helpful input!

[RPB]

I have a holster similar to the one you're using. I did away with the Hogue rubber grips because they caused my shirt to stick so every time I sat or had to bend down, I had to readjust the shirt to free it. I'd like to get more cant, but when I adjust the clips any further they get way too close to rubbing against the pistol. So I'm still holster hunting.

But whenever I can, I wear a Hawaiian shirt over a tee. That tends to hide it well. But layers aren't a great idea in the South TX outdoors in summer.

"rubber grips"
The ONLY time I was *made* was due to rubber grips on a 5-shot revolver when the grips clung to the shirt

"shirt over a tee" is smart
layering conceals a lot

[Dave2]

I just wish wearing at 5 o clock would be comfortable for sitting in cars and driving

If your car has adjustable lumbar support, that might be able to turn it down enough to make it comfortable (or at least less uncomfortable).

[C-dub]

BTW,
The open front guayabera over a Tee-shirt look works for females too
http://blogs.courant.com/helen_ubinas/meandguaya.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Off topic, but my mom has that same Elvis picture in the background.

[WildBill]

BTW,
The open front guayabera over a Tee-shirt look works for females too
http://blogs.courant.com/helen_ubinas/meandguaya.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Off topic, but my mom has that same Elvis picture in the background.

I would say that observation says more about you than your mom.

[C-dub]

BTW,
The open front guayabera over a Tee-shirt look works for females too
http://blogs.courant.com/helen_ubinas/meandguaya.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Off topic, but my mom has that same Elvis picture in the background.

I would say that observation says more about you than your mom.

Velvet Evils paintings tend to stick out a bit. The man was a great entertainer with an amazing voice. I did get to see him in one of his last concerts. My daughter also likes him. She has several of his songs on her iPod.

[HenryAKirk]

I carry a full sized double stack 9mm IWB and I was having the same problem. I switched to a 2:30 or 3:00 position and pulled my pants up almost to my navel. It was kind of awkward at first but after a few days it felt more natural. I also added suspenders under my top shirt to supplement my gun belt because I was wearing it so tight it was a little uncomfortable. I am a big fat guy so the tight belt was not the best for me my jeans kept falling to my hips and i was having the same problems where my pistol grip bulged and printed through my shirts. Another big help was to adjust the angle of the dangle of my holster I wear my gun leaned way forward and now it has become almost invisible.

[dafobbishon3]

I have a holster similar to the one you're using. I did away with the Hogue rubber grips because they caused my shirt to stick so every time I sat or had to bend down, I had to readjust the shirt to free it. I'd like to get more cant, but when I adjust the clips any further they get way too close to rubbing against the pistol. So I'm still holster hunting.

But whenever I can, I wear a Hawaiian shirt over a tee. That tends to hide it well. But layers aren't a great idea in the South TX outdoors in summer.

"rubber grips"
The ONLY time I was *made* was due to rubber grips on a 5-shot revolver when the grips clung to the shirt

"shirt over a tee" is smart
layering conceals a lot

Yeah, my pachymar rubber grips were pretty thick and i hated how they "shift" when shooting, so i took those off, it conceals much better, but i also ordered Talon Grips, the rubberized ones. So hopefully those will work best. I've heard nothing but good things about them, and hickok45 uses them (skateboard tape version)

[dafobbishon3]

I carry a full sized double stack 9mm IWB and I was having the same problem. I switched to a 2:30 or 3:00 position and pulled my pants up almost to my navel. It was kind of awkward at first but after a few days it felt more natural. I also added suspenders under my top shirt to supplement my gun belt because I was wearing it so tight it was a little uncomfortable. I am a big fat guy so the tight belt was not the best for me my jeans kept falling to my hips and i was having the same problems where my pistol grip bulged and printed through my shirts. Another big help was to adjust the angle of the dangle of my holster I wear my gun leaned way forward and now it has become almost invisible.

I would think the 3 o clock be most comfortable for walking, sitting, etc. But when I wear it at the 3, it looks like i have a gun tumor