[Guest]

It's kinda difficult to ask as I'm having trouble figuring out how to word it. Whenever I get my CCW, I need to know... basically... what to wear in order to properly conceal. So I'm gonna ask you guys. If I know what you wear, I'll have a better idea of what to put on when I walk out. What do you wear when you go out? Jacket? Windbreaker? Aloha-shirt? I'm asking because I'm a T-Shirt and jeans kinda guy. Living in Corpus Christi, Texas (where it, easily, gets about 110 degrees out in the summer-time)... I'd look odd and burn up in a casual sport-jacket. So... what do you wear? Thanks,
Wiseguy.

 

[WorldPax]

T-shirt and jeans should be fine as long as the shirts untucked. I love the fact that I can just Mexican carry my M9 with the safety on. Don't know if it's my body shape or what, but the gun doesn't move around, and doesn't seem in any danger of falling out.

 

[IDPASteyr]

I'm in the Houston area so I also have to deal with the heat. I have found that an untucked knit shirt works just fine. To keep the gun from sticking to the skin, I have started wearing a "Heat Gear" tshirt under the knit shirt. Works just fine.

 

[Shooter]

Here in Florida, in heat season I wear a cycling vest windbreaker.... It's very light, conceals very well and has an elastic around the bottom of the jacket so it won't ride up and reveal your conceal........but also elastic enough to easily pull away from your gun if needed.......comes in many colors too.......check your local cycling shop........or online at http://www.nashbar.com

 

[Guest]

Wow, thanks for all the helpful and quick responses, guys! Guess I'll be just fine with an untucked T-shirt. Glad to know there's a few options out there that won't make me look like a goofball.

 

[madecov]

Knit T sirt untucked with a heat gear T shirt .
Jeans and a good belt/holster.
The belt is just as important as the holster if not more so

I decent belt will make a poor holster work ok, it will allow a great holster to work fantastic.

 

[Guest]

Also in FL, where for about a couple weeks a year I can wear a leather jacket and not have to worry about printing :roll:

I only have one or tow t-shirts I can carry in. Otherwise I just put on a button up shirt unbuttoned over my t-shirt.

Love handles (at least large ones)sure don't help with concealment as they will tend to push the but of the grip out

 

[hihoslva]

So much depends on your body shape, size, and style of dress.

I'm not a big guy, and on the occasions that I do wear an IWB holster, I still feel a little obvious. Though the last time I carried concealed, I was with a bunch of friends and turns out NO ONE knew it. Made me feel better.

If dressing in layers is impossible or impractical, I like a loose shirt. In the summer here in AZ, I frequently wear light, short-sleeve button-down shirts. Left untucked, they do a great job of concealment for me. If I feel I need more cover, I'll wear a loose t-shirt and the button down - both untucked, both covering my CCW.

The comment about a proper belt is on the money. I do not have a good gun belt right now, and can totally feel how inadequate my "regular" jeans belt is. Soon I will spend the money for a proper, thick, stiff gun belt.

I use a CompTac CTAC holster for my M9/S9 (almost always the S9 for carry) and can highly recommend it. Great holster.

 

[ministerofdeath]

Yeah, if I lived in a hot temperature climate I would probably carry a subcompact model pistol like the S-series, XD Compact, or P2000. I have carried my M40 concealed during the summer and I always feels like I'm advertising that I have a pistol. However, in the winter I feel like I could conceal a DE .50 on me with no problems.

 

[bigtaco]

i've noticed that color has a huge impact too. printing is much more prevelant with white shirts than black. but even some color goes a long way.

i drive and bend over a lot and notice that at a three o'clock position, with a good cant, the gun NEVER prints. i'm also not sitting on it in the truck. plus, i can get to it pretty quick. (i practice in my garage, in case i ever do an idpa stage that starts in a vehicle.)

i also noticed that while driving, the side of my shirt with the gun would get more wrinkled than the other side, and that the wrinkles actually took the shape of the grip, so now i pull my shirt up a little when i drive to keep wrinkling consistent.

+1 for a good belt and plus 2 for the ctac. i love wearing a light shirt under it all to keep everything from sticking to me.

over a year and people i see everyday have no idea.

 

[Guest]

Awesome. Thanks, all. Here's another question. Where do most of you carry your weapons? Right or left hip? Ankle? Back? I'd probably carry mine on my back, but I don't know... what do y'all think?

 

[Guest]

Back is dangerous. A slip and fall and you land spine on a hard metal object is dangerous. Let alone in any kind of melee, it's also slow.

Cross draw is a tad slower than strong side, but not too appreciably. Hard to find holsters in cross draw. Not allowed in IDPA, IPSC, or etc as it means sweeping the muzzle. Some find it more comfy and/or print less but that HIGHLY varies by body type and rig.

Strong side hip is the norm. Forward cant prints less, straight drop is faster.

Shoulder is a tad slower than even cross draw, but of course requires a jacket of somekind.

Pocket carry w/ a proper holster for a sub compact or snub-nosed revovler is hard to argue w/. Even a S is too bulky for this though unless wearing cargo pants.

Purses are easy and if a proper carry purse w/ sewn in holster is reasonably fast w/ practice. (No i do not carry a purse but my wife does).

Fanny packs just make you look like a british tourist, especially w/ the matching sunburn, but that may be only in FL.



check out the carry section on GT or http://www.packing.org

 

[ScottW]

Right now my Makarov is my only CCW pistol, mainly because it's my only pistol for which I have a really nice (HBE) IWB holster. I will say for my general style of dress, IWB works the best for me. It rides strong side, somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30 position, and the holster has a slight forward cant, 15* I believe. The Mak is a single stack 9x18, and fairly thin which helps with concealment. It works well with an untucked button-down shirt or knit polo shirt (something kinda loose-fitting but not baggy) and either jeans or khaki type shorts. I did buy a pair of jeans specifically to wear for CCW. Usually I wear a 36" waist so I bought a pair with a 38" waist to accomodate the IWB holster. Although my holster worked okay with my 36" jeans, it is MUCH more comfy with the extra room. Sometimes I wear a Hawaiian style shirt, but this can scream "I'm packing!" to anybody with a clue, so lately I've been a big fan of the light weight short sleeve shirts from Van Heusen. They are fairly stylish IMHO, breathe okay in warm weather (Seattle doesn't get HOT) and can often be had for $12-15. I lived in Houston for a while but didn't carry down there. It's fricken HOT, to the point that I would probably stoop down to a .380 or .32 carried in the pocket of some cargo shorts!

I'm eventually going to get a Blade-Tech, CTAC, or even HBE Com3 IWB holster for my M9. I'm going to assume WorldPax's phrase "Mexican carry" refers to holsterless carrying, IWB in your jeans(?) My M9 fits vey well like that, so I'm thinking I could carry the M9 with a good thin-ish Kydex holster. We'll see...

I also agree with others' comments that a good belt is ciritical! That's the weak point of my carry setup right now. Been lookin at the Galco COP belts that my local gun shop has in stock...

 

[bigtaco]

i know that local gun shops don't like to hear it but galco cop belts go for less than $40 all day long online.

try one on first though. i normally wear a 34" so i ordered a 36". but this belt will not stretch or flex. i thought about getting the 38", but did some situps instead!!!

it is scuffing a little where my holster rubs it, but it's a concealed carry belt, so the belt is covered up when i'm wearing it anyway.

 

[ScottW]

Did you have a specific online source in mind? In a brief search the best I could find was $43.xx. Local shop wants $55.95.

 

[bigtaco]

botac tactical seems to be pretty inexpensive on a lot of things. but 43.xx is what they want for it too.

i guess that's the going rate these days. so it would boil down to shipping.

 

[Thunderbear]

botac tactical seems to be pretty inexpensive on a lot of things. but 43.xx is what they want for it too.

i guess that's the going rate these days. so it would boil down to shipping.

Botach sucks donkey balls.. stay away.

http://www.impactguns.com/store/GAL-CSB7-.html

http://www.copsplus.com/prodnum1941.php

Both @ 43.16. Thank you Froogle..

 

[bigtaco]

i haven't had need or want for anything from botac yet but have heard good things about them so far.

what was your experience that was so bad? just want to know before i have a bad experience.

 

[Thunderbear]

i haven't had need or want for anything from botac yet but have heard good things about them so far.

what was your experience that was so bad? just want to know before i have a bad experience.

Waiting nine days before finally becoming annoyed enough to call and find out wtf was going on.. then they said they would ship that day.

Nothing I ordered came in a box/bag or other packaging, just a jumble of parts with an invoice.

Not worth the hassle.

 

[bigtaco]

interestingly enough that's exactly what i expect when i order from the cheapy internet site. i can get great service if i buy it at the local store but that kind of service is exactly what you are paying for.

i'm much more surprised when i get great service from a site like that.

it's the old proverb, "good fast and cheap. pick two ."

good stuff cheap usually isn't fast. but you still got it. right?