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EEllis wrote:One thing I think people overlook, concisely anyway, is fitting the gun in along the lines of your own body.

gringo pistolero wrote:What's that old saying?

Strap it on. Cover it up. Don't fiddle with it.

Pawpaw wrote:Kholster

It's an incredibly comfortable IWB holster. It will hold your weapon tight against your body, but the leather backer keeps the gun itself off of your skin.

Best of all, it only costs $40.00.

karder wrote:Concealing a full-size gun is really not difficult. I usually carry a FN FiveseveN with no difficulty. I generally carry in about the 4 o'clock position.

1) A good quality inside the waistband holster is essential in my opinion. I use crossbreed, but there are other good choices. The reason I like IWB holsters for full-size carry is that the barrel won't peak out from your shirt while bending or reaching. They also keep the gun close to the body, which is essential.

2) get a good belt to go with that holster

3) I always wear a t-shirt with a button up shirt over. The t-shirt keeps the gun away from my skin and the 2nd shirt provides the cover. It is not necessarily imperative to wear a second shirt, it is just the way I do it. A full-size gun is going to print more than a small one and may be a little tough to keep completely discreet with just a t-shirt.

You will have to find out what works for you, but you can absolutely carry a full-size concealed gun rather easily. Those small XDs and Shields do make it easy to carry in shorts and a t-shirt though, so you will want to add something smaller to your collection at some point.

Good luck!

EEllis wrote:One thing I think people overlook, concisely anyway, is fitting the gun in along the lines of your own body. When I carry my XD if I put it in the right place IWB on my right side the butt and grip lay just in the transition from my ribs to my waist and disappears even under a t-shirt unless I'm very active. Other people may have different luck but it's about getting the right combination, or several, for the different ways and conditions in which you carry.

flechero wrote:

Not enough people posted their height and weight to give you a good enough idea if their advice is worth following.

Height and weight don't take build into account and build is much more of a factor... but none of the 3 can indicate personal comfort.

Over the last 18 months I lost 60 lbs... I'm 6' 1" went from 260 to a pretty solid 200 lbs.... with a little movement, fore or aft, I can still use all the gun and holster combinations as before. I'm even more convinced that there is no correlation between size and comfort. If you move a holster as little as 1/2 inch along the belt it can change a painful holster into one that you forget you have on. Or pants that ride a hair higher or lower can make a big difference. Holster cant can be just as important as height and placement. I prefer more than the standard 15 degree cant, it just works better for me.

In 10+ years of carry, the best things I have learned (clothing wise) are real gun belts are mandatory, what brand of pants ride at heights that are comfortable on me and what brand shirts are cut to drape nicely without too much length. Go ahead and take your CCW to Dillards and spend a couple hours trying on different brands and types of clothes you wear to see what's most comfy. It's a whip right now but will pay off daily later.

As for shirts... darker colors and shirts with patterns or stripes are always better as those attributes hide a printing weapon much better. Also material can make a big difference- I like sturdier material. The super soft feeling materials seem to hug and cling more.

ATDM wrote:

flechero wrote:

Not enough people posted their height and weight to give you a good enough idea if their advice is worth following.

Height and weight don't take build into account and build is much more of a factor... but none of the 3 can indicate personal comfort.

Over the last 18 months I lost 60 lbs... I'm 6' 1" went from 260 to a pretty solid 200 lbs.... with a little movement, fore or aft, I can still use all the gun and holster combinations as before. I'm even more convinced that there is no correlation between size and comfort. If you move a holster as little as 1/2 inch along the belt it can change a painful holster into one that you forget you have on. Or pants that ride a hair higher or lower can make a big difference. Holster cant can be just as important as height and placement. I prefer more than the standard 15 degree cant, it just works better for me.

In 10+ years of carry, the best things I have learned (clothing wise) are real gun belts are mandatory, what brand of pants ride at heights that are comfortable on me and what brand shirts are cut to drape nicely without too much length. Go ahead and take your CCW to Dillards and spend a couple hours trying on different brands and types of clothes you wear to see what's most comfy. It's a whip right now but will pay off daily later.

As for shirts... darker colors and shirts with patterns or stripes are always better as those attributes hide a printing weapon much better. Also material can make a big difference- I like sturdier material. The super soft feeling materials seem to hug and cling more.

Thanks. I got a lot of advice about good belts, but with no specifics. Can anyone recommend a good brand? Are there specific gun belts I need to look for, or any solid belt will do?

Thanks.