Carry holster attachment preference..................

[Boreman]

In the search for your ideal carry holster, I am interested in what style of attachment you prefer? Clip on of some type or belt loop type. What pros and cons helped make your decision? I am on the fence about what type because I have both and wonder what might more useful in the long run based on other forum members experience's.

[Shasta]

I use an inside-the-waistband hybrid holster sold on Ebay for $35 that is a well made copy of the CrossBreed holster. It features a horsehide back with a molded Kydex front attached with screws. It offers maximum concealment, attaches firmly to the belt with metal clips, and the gun is easily drawn or re-holstered.
I started with one of those spendy all leather pancake holsters, but it would collapse if the gun was drawn and I had to practically get undressed to re-holster the gun!
I always dress casually, wearing an untucked shirt. Being overweight, I also wear suspenders under my shirt along with my belt, and they help keep the holster from sagging down. Here is a picture of my two holsters, one for a Ruger SP101 .357 revolver, and the other for a Star Firestar in .45 ACP. Note I am a lefty so these are left hand holsters:



SHASTA

[COSteve]

Deleted

[Grizz]

http://www.highnoonholsters.com/Product ... softy.html

I have carried in this for a couple of years. I carry XD SC9, XD 45C, G22 and LCP in the same holster.

Yup, the LCP buries in the holster and the entire thing is below the top of the belt. Deep cover.

I like the clip, I can move it from about 2:00 to 3:30 depending on what I am carrying, and where. In the car I move it to the side and in the store I move it to the pocket. I can conceal both springers but the Block is blocky with the big glocky grip. It is my house gun at night and usually stays home.

I tried the crossbreed and didn't like it, gave it to one of my children.

[AJMD429]

Here is a picture of my two holsters, one for a Ruger SP101 .357 revolver, and the other for a Star Firestar in .45 ACP.

I have a Firestar and other than it being so HEAVY, I really like the design. The Para Ordnance P-12 is the same size though, and holds 12 shots, so 'bumped' the Firestar from CCW-status for me, if and when I feel the need to carry a mid-size semiauto for CCW.

Anyway, I have an Bianchi "AccuMold" nylon(ish) holster I like best, it is a rigid design (not as rigid as the Kydex) and allows easy re-holstering. I usually wear the same pants for one week of work-days (four 16-hour days) so the holster's 'permanent' vs. 'clip-on' status is not an issue, as I un-holster the gun at home and hang the pants up with holster still on the belt. Like Shasta, I usually wear an un-tucked shirt over it. I use a different CCW gun for days off since I'm likely to be outside a-chorin' and will either have my Firestar in an old leather 'compact 1911' holster I modified to (sort of) fit it, or will have a Ruger single-action of some sort in a typical single-action holster where the leather folds over the belt and snaps back to the holster.

When I worked nights as a pharmacist, I wore a horizontal-carry shoulder holster for condition-one carry of a 1911, since trouble could come knocking without warning. However 'quick draw' is not something I prioritize, but rather just want a firearm around and not in some drawer or left in a vehicle unattended. If I go up to a automated-teller or something at night, the firearm would be in my hand and not in the holster, anyway.

Before that, as a pharmacy student, at first the only two handguns I owned were a Ruger Mk-II in 22 LR, and a Ruger Super Blackhawk 7-1/2" 44 Magnum. Naturally, I wasn't going to depend on the lowly 22 LR, so Mr. Blackhawk became my companion, in a Bianchi X-15 shoulder 'rig'. Thank God for the heavy white coats we were required to wear... I dreaded what would happen if I ever had to use the gun, as I would have been portrayed as a Dirty-Harry-wannabe, in addition to getting kicked out of school for having a gun at a preceptor-site. I was actually in a store during a hold-up with the Super Blackhawk, but it stayed put. Shortly thereafter I acquired a Charter Arms Bulldog, with a more traditional IWB holster. Then when a pharmacist faculty member was killed in an armed robbery (which prompted 'tougher gun laws' in the city ), I upgraded to a 1911 single-stack (was in another store hold-up with that one, and un-holstered, but did not engage), but when Para Ordnance came out with their 'conversion frames' a few years later, I immediately latched on to one. I still would hesitate if I had to go deal with a major problem using a handgun, choosing between a Para Ordnance P-14 and a Ruger Redhawk.

I've tried other CCW holsters besides the horizontal-carry 1911 shoulder holster, vertical carry Super Blackhawk holster, and the Bianchi AccuMold, including the Fobus (gun falls out too easily if active) and lots of 'clip-on' ones in suede (comfortable but wears through before long), regular leather (adds just enough thickness to be annoying), nylon (tacky and cheap looking but lasts and doesn't squeak), and flimsy plastic foam 'fake leather' (way worse than suede). I don't generally want to clip on and off a holster, so prefer the loop-through design(s). I really like one I have for 1911's by Fist Holster company.

Lastly, even though I used to do it when working as a pharmacist, I no longer can bring myself to use a horizontal carry shoulder holster, or one of the 'horizontal' small-of-back holsters - THEY POINT THE GUN AT OTHER PEOPLE. I just don't like that, even though it 'should be perfectly safe'. At this point if a gun is worn on my person, I want the muzzle to be aimed down. When I worked night-shift in pharmacies, I was generally alone except for a cashier up front, so it was not much of an issue.

[MrMurphy]

I've used a Comp-Tac C-Tac for years with the standard clips. Fixed belt loops are fine as well for me.


Raven Concealment Systems uses fixed loops for most of their stuff, and they are what I am migrating over to with my various off-duty pieces.

[Griff]

Milt Sparks IWB with sewn loop vs. snaps. 30 years old and still good.

[Blaine]

Pocket sleeve for inside left vest pocket....

[AJMD429]

Milt Sparks IWB with sewn loop vs. snaps. 30 years old and still good.

I like that one...! Discrete vs. the tell-tale metal clips.

[7.62 Precision]

Both loops and clips are fine, as long as the design is good. The clips especially need to be a good designe to prevent the holster from being drawn from the belt. I prefer loops moved off of the center of the holster, mainly because I am skinny and the thickness of loops or clip on top of the pistol make it more visible.

I use two different holsters depending on the circumstances, but both hold the pistol in the same place, so the draw is consistent. For wear under a tucked shirt or a fitted suit jacket, or any time concealment needs to be very good, I use this holster:


It is a simple design, but is our most popular concealment holster. It conceals better and is more comfortable than any other holster I know of. It rides very flat and the shape spreads the shape of the pistol out in a way that leaves no obvious bulge in the waistline, even when large pistols are worn.

http://frontline-holsters.com/leather-h ... b-holster/

For just normal wear, I use the YAMAM holster. It is an excellent holster and is used by the Israeli YAMAM counter-terror/HRT unit. It does not conceal as well as the above Deep Concealment holster for me because the loops are on top of the pistol.


Loops with snaps will allow the holster to be attached or detached from the belt without removing the belt.

If you are using a clip holster, be sure the design of the clip is very good. A lot of clips are not well made and will allow the pistol to be drawn from the holster. Look at the photos of the Micro IWB holster and the Ready 'n' Safe holster below - the clip has interlocking tabs at the bottom (the punched out area) that makes it impossible to accidentally draw the holster from the belt:

The clip is also very wide for better stability on the belt. A clip will tend to cause visible wear to appear on the belt sooner than most loops, which may or may not be a concern for you.

The biggest problem with clip-style holsters is that people think that if they have a clip they can wear it without a belt, or with sweatpants, or a speedo . . .
If you are going to carry, you have to dress for it. The belt is as important as the holster - not just any belt will work - it must be a belt designed for wearing a holster, preferably a leather belt.

So a belt loop or a clip will work just fine as long as the design and quality are good, a proper holster belt is worn, and appropriate clothing to support and conceal the pistol is worn. As long as those criteria are met, it is just a matter of personal preference.

[AJMD429]

The biggest problem with clip-style holsters is that people think that if they have a clip they can wear it without a belt, or with sweatpants, or a speedo . . . .

Man I wish you hadn't said that. . . a speedo. . . let us all PRAY that Pitchy doesn't read this post; I already had to have therapy to get that last image he posted erased from my mind.

[Griff]

For just normal wear, I use the YAMAM holster. It is an excellent holster and is used by the Israeli YAMAM counter-terror/HRT unit. It does not conceal as well as the above Deep Concealment holster for me because the loops are on top of the pistol.

Loops with snaps will allow the holster to be attached or detached from the belt without removing the belt.
or a speedo . . . .

The Milt Sparks, as you're probably aware has a metal band that keeps the mouth of the holster's shape. Their std "Summertime Special" has snaps on the loop, I just had them take 'em off mine and sew it shut, as I knew I'd be wearing it all day and sometimes far into the night! It does add a bit of complexity when one answers the call of nature. But it didn't take long to perfect a technique that diidn't have the gun cracking the tile!

Is the above one you make?

[Marlin32]

I have several, and use different for different guns, dress etc.
I have several of the Holster T-shirts, from 511. Love them. Some people don't like the tight fitting shirts, don't mind them, and it is performance wear, so can wear as undershirt even in summer. Good concealment even with the Springfield XD sub compact. Has pockets on both sides, fill the other with mags or speed strips depending on the firearm. Have ordered the Tru-spec shirt that is similar, should come tomorrow. Have a mesh tank top that I ordered from Glock Store, same concept, it works as well.

Have a belly band I wear when walking or cycling if not using the t-shirts.

I have a pancake style fobus for the springfield in cooler temps when can dress easily to hide it. Have a couple of IWB clips for th colt pocket positive and an Uncle Mikes clip IWB for a Beretta 32acp. Also have a Galco IWB j-hook for the colt, works okay when I can wear a shirt over it (it is tuckable also)

[7.62 Precision]

The biggest problem with clip-style holsters is that people think that if they have a clip they can wear it without a belt, or with sweatpants, or a speedo . . . .

Man I wish you hadn't said that. . . a speedo. . . let us all PRAY that Pitchy doesn't read this post; I already had to have therapy to get that last image he posted erased from my mind.

Oh NO!!!! I hadn't thought of that. The see-through skirt is already going to give me nightmares tonight . . .

I still have this image from my college days . . . . driving down the street with a friend and what do I see but a skinny old guy in his 70's jogging down the street in nothing but a tuft of white hair above each ear, tennis shoes, and a pink speedo. Being from remote areas of Alaska, I was totally unprepared for such a sight, and had some very un-PC comments about exactly what kind of weirdo would be seen in public in such attire, or lack thereof. With each comment my friend's head dropped a little more in obvious embarrassment. I stopped and said, "What? Do you know him?"

His sheepish reply, "Uhhh . . . . that's my pastor."

I'll see you in therapy . . .

[7.62 Precision]

For just normal wear, I use the YAMAM holster. It is an excellent holster and is used by the Israeli YAMAM counter-terror/HRT unit. It does not conceal as well as the above Deep Concealment holster for me because the loops are on top of the pistol.

Loops with snaps will allow the holster to be attached or detached from the belt without removing the belt.
or a speedo . . . .

The Milt Sparks, as you're probably aware has a metal band that keeps the mouth of the holster's shape. Their std "Summertime Special" has snaps on the loop, I just had them take 'em off mine and sew it shut, as I knew I'd be wearing it all day and sometimes far into the night! It does add a bit of complexity when one answers the call of nature. But it didn't take long to perfect a technique that diidn't have the gun cracking the tile!

Is the above one you make?

It is one we distribute. It is a Front Line design that was developed for the Yamam anti-terror/HRT unit (in Israel, IWB concealment holsters are used a lot, even as duty holsters). Yamam has been using it for many years. We distribute Front Line holsters in the US.

[Paladin]

Unless I am wearing a suit or heavy gun my daily carry, Glock 32, I carry in what my CT instructor in 1982 called a Mexican String holster. A small length of paracord with 6 square knots in it. It is very secure (jumped out of airplanes with it and no problems) very low profile and I make them as I need them as each pistol profile requires a different knot spacing.

[7.62 Precision]

Unless I am wearing a suit or heavy gun my daily carry, Glock 32, I carry in what my CT instructor in 1982 called a Mexican String holster. A small length of paracord with 6 square knots in it. It is very secure (jumped out of airplanes with it and no problems) very low profile and I make them as I need them as each pistol profile requires a different knot spacing.

I would have to advise against this method, especially with a Glock. 1911 would be a bit safer, or even a double action with safety.

A lot can depend on how you are dressed, and I'm sure that you have a lot more experience with it than someone who might just now start to carry that way.

[Pete44ru]

.

[Lastmohecken]

Unless I am wearing a suit or heavy gun my daily carry, Glock 32, I carry in what my CT instructor in 1982 called a Mexican String holster. A small length of paracord with 6 square knots in it. It is very secure (jumped out of airplanes with it and no problems) very low profile and I make them as I need them as each pistol profile requires a different knot spacing.

I would have to advise against this method, especially with a Glock. 1911 would be a bit safer, or even a double action with safety.

A lot can depend on how you are dressed, and I'm sure that you have a lot more experience with it than someone who might just now start to carry that way.

Mexican String Holster! Wow! So simple and cheap to boot. I have carried without anything and still do on one 1911, I have with the tiny GI sights and find it pretty comfortable, but the string just might be a good idea on that one. However, I would not want to carry a gun with the string holster if it had a 90 degree face on the front sight, because I could see it getting hung up during the draw.

[Grizz]

Paladin,

I'm wondering about the six square knots. Do you have a foto you can post? I'm curious to see how the knots are arranged.

[7.62 Precision]

One method. Some do it with just 2 knots, others with 4. A lot of people carry like this, but that does not make it a good idea, any more than small-of-back carry is a good idea, or small-of-back or strong-side, butt forward (strong-side or small-of-back in a left handed holster for a right-handed shooter).

There have been a lot of poor carry methods popularized with cool names, or by cool actors, or because some instructors with colourful pasts think it gives them rapport with the students to teach them along with colourful stories. Also, a lot of people get frustrated trying to find a good way to carry and just go with a bad way. When it comes to holsters, the majority of our CS time is spent educating shooters (often who have carried for many years) and dispelling myths.

Mexican Carry String Holster pros:
Cheap (Few really cheap holsters are any good.)
Thin (There are lots of real holsters that add so little thickness that it makes no difference, and some do a much better job of hiding the shape.)
Requires you to wear a belt (Why does everyone want to carry beltless today?)
Keeps the pistol from falling out your pant leg

Cons:
Does not prevent the pistol from falling out the top of your pants
Does not keep the pistol from moving around
Does not keep the presentation angle consistent
Does not protect the trigger (There are many cases of people having negligent discharges while carrying holsterless or with a thin, floppy holster due to something pressing the trigger.)
Does not protect your skin (Pistols can have sharp edges, but really, a week or two and you won't feel it anymore.)
Does not protect the pistol
Can twist up on the pistol and impede the draw. (Unlikely to prevent a draw, but could cause the draw to be fumbled and slower.)

With the holster options we have today, there is no reason to carry without a holster.

There used to be a CCW instructor in our area who taught all of his students to get rid of their holsters and carry Mexican. I have worked with a lot of people who were dealing with problems from carrying that way, and a lot of people running around with chambered Glocks loose in their pants.

One guy I know went to a church to fill in for a pastor that was traveling. Right in the middle of an animated sermon, his holsterless Glock made a grand entrance and clattered across the platform.

Edited because the forum did not like my small-of-back abbreviation . . .

[Pete44ru]

.

Besides the leather loop string holster I pictured earlier, I've found Thunderwear to be very comfortable, safe, and extremely hard to detect (as in: Are you happy to see me, or is that a sausage in your pants ? )



FWIW, I've CCW'd everything from a Colt DS to a 1911 in mine (the bbls point "down", just in front of the genital area).

And, NO, the pants needn't be undone to draw (the pics are advert examples, with the handguns partially withdrawn).
The pant's waist/belt if simply pulled forward/away from the belly with one hand while the other draws the handgun.


.

[Udy]

You gotta start some where I guess, but I think our advise is not going to do you much good. Your going to end up with sack full of holsters before you find the one or few you really like. I don't see much way around it. That said here is my choices for my main carry pieces.

The kimber rides in a Bianchi horsehide iwb I find this very comfortable riding about 4:00 strongside.
The smith is in some cheap Lawrance super thin iwb flap holster. It wont reholster without getting undressed. But I like it for a small carry rig. Very secure when in place, and again like to carry about 4:00 oclock.

[Charles]

I have a least a bushel basket full of gun leather and some of it is very high dollar. I am a big guy with am ample waist and belly and have never found any IWB that was comfortable for all day long carry. People keep telling me, that is possible if you know how. They then tell me how, I try it and it does not work for me. So please don't tell me that again as I have already spent enough money on somebody else's notions.

I live in a very hot and humid climate down on the Texas/Mexico border and I am retired so I can dress any darn way I please. I wear a pocket T-shirt with a belt holster. Over that I wear a larger light weight button up shirt that is left unbuttoned. I don't find this to be hot and nobody has yet to spot the gun.

Currently I carry a Glock 19 in a kydex hoster I picked up on Ebay for $25.00. Some guy is making them in his garage. This rig rides high, tight and the handgun is quick to remove and reholster without looking. It is very secure as there is a molded in lock and the pistol snaps into place as it goes in. I have high dollar leather pancake rigs that work no better and cost a lot more. I can also carry my Glock 17 in this rig should I so choose and I do on occasion.

This approach works very well for me and much better than anything else I have tried. I carry any time I leave the house and often reholster the pistol when I answer the door. I leave in a small community and it is populate by very rich Mexicans fleeing the Cartels and Cartel leadership keep their families here for safety and commute to work in Mexico about 15 minutes away. This makes for a unique security situation. The good thing about this place is there are only three ways in and out and each one has a security camera that watches everybody going in and going out. This is hooked up via satellite to the police station which is only two blocks from my house. This makes the thugs think twice before coming in here.

The OP asked for other people experience and here you have mine.

[7.62 Precision]

I have a least a bushel basket full of gun leather and some of it is very high dollar. I am a big guy with am ample waist and belly and have never found any IWB that was comfortable for all day long carry. People keep telling me, that is possible if you know how. They then tell me how, I try it and it does not work for me. So please don't tell me that again as I have already spent enough money on somebody else's notions.

The Deep Concealment tuckable holster I posted a photo above is the most comfortable holster I have worn, and I have worn a lot - it goes with the job. It is our most popular holster, and the most common comments we get about it are, first, how comfortable it is, and second, how well it conceals. Very occasionally, we find a person who finds it uncomfortable - totally opposite of everyone's experience.

The fact is that people come in different shapes and sizes. Do you know I have to wear Levis or Carhart pants? Any other jeans are uncomfortable for me. I can't buy a suit at most shops. My suits have to be either tailored, or purchased at one of the few places that will mix and match pants and jackets. They have a size index that matches shoulder width to waist size. I had to wear suits every day in college and while working at a particular job once, and I had to wear pants that were huge on me in order to get jackets that would fit my shoulder.

What I am trying to say is that you have to find a method that works for you, and is safe and effective, and go with it.

Don't let others tell you how you have to do it. Be sure to listen to people who know, and weigh their advice, be sure to pay attention if someone tells you that something is not safe or not effective (Serpa or a under-a-dress thigh holster, anyone?), but make your own decision.

One of the things we deal with all of the time is people who get a good holster from us, like it a lot, then get pressured by their friends, gun store clerks, instructors, expensive advertising, etc. into getting something else, never any better, just different. Some people have a stack of holsters they don't use because they had to work at finding something they liked. Many have stacks of holsters because they switch holsters every time someone gives them a hard time about their choice. Right now I am dealing with a guy who says he took one of our holsters to the gunstore to pick up his pistol and the gunstore owner laughed at him 'till he cried. He wants to return the holster.

Most shooters understand very little about holsters and carrying a pistol. This includes people who have carried for years. Most of our CS time is spent educating people.
Most gunstore owners/salesmen know very little about holsters, and few carry a good selection. There are practical reasons for this, but the result is that most carry poor holsters and give poor advice to sell those holsters.
Many firearms instructors do not have the experience to give the best advice, or think there is only one way to do it. When I first started carrying concealed, the guy who taught the course I took insisted that a Balckhawk Serpa was the only holster to use. He sold one to everyone in the class. I spent a year of frustration trying to find a way to conceal a pistol in the stupid thing, but for a skinny guy like me it required a bulky coat and still left a noticeable bulge. Of course, he was a high-speed instructor-type (and he was a very good instructor, by the way) who wore tactical clothing and and open carried all the time. He was a very respected instructor, and those of us in his classes took his holster advice at face value.

On the other hand, carefully consider advice from those who are very knowledgeable about holsters. All the time we send out holsters that I know people will be unhappy with because despite my advice, they order tactical or duty holsters for concealment that I told them would be very difficult or almost impossible to conceal. I would rathe make half the money and sell them an inexpensive concealment holster that works for the purpose.

[Charles]

I have a least a bushel basket full of gun leather and some of it is very high dollar. I am a big guy with am ample waist and belly and have never found any IWB that was comfortable for all day long carry. People keep telling me, that is possible if you know how. They then tell me how, I try it and it does not work for me. So please don't tell me that again as I have already spent enough money on somebody else's notions.

The Deep Concealment tuckable holster I posted a photo above is the most comfortable holster I have worn, and I have worn a lot - it goes with the job. It is our most popular holster, and the most common comments we get about it are, first, how comfortable it is, and second, how well it conceals. Very occasionally, we find a person who finds it uncomfortable - totally opposite of everyone's experience.

The fact is that people come in different shapes and sizes. Do you know I have to wear Levis or Carhart pants? Any other jeans are uncomfortable for me. I can't buy a suit at most shops. My suits have to be either tailored, or purchased at one of the few places that will mix and match pants and jackets. They have a size index that matches shoulder width to waist size. I had to wear suits every day in college and while working at a particular job once, and I had to wear pants that were huge on me in order to get jackets that would fit my shoulder.

What I am trying to say is that you have to find a method that works for you, and is safe and effective, and go with it.

Don't let others tell you how you have to do it. Be sure to listen to people who know, and weigh their advice, be sure to pay attention if someone tells you that something is not safe or not effective (Serpa or a under-a-dress thigh holster, anyone?), but make your own decision.

One of the things we deal with all of the time is people who get a good holster from us, like it a lot, then get pressured by their friends, gun store clerks, instructors, expensive advertising, etc. into getting something else, never any better, just different. Some people have a stack of holsters they don't use because they had to work at finding something they liked. Many have stacks of holsters because they switch holsters every time someone gives them a hard time about their choice. Right now I am dealing with a guy who says he took one of our holsters to the gunstore to pick up his pistol and the gunstore owner laughed at him 'till he cried. He wants to return the holster.

Most shooters understand very little about holsters and carrying a pistol. This includes people who have carried for years. Most of our CS time is spent educating people.
Most gunstore owners/salesmen know very little about holsters, and few carry a good selection. There are practical reasons for this, but the result is that most carry poor holsters and give poor advice to sell those holsters.
Many firearms instructors do not have the experience to give the best advice, or think there is only one way to do it. When I first started carrying concealed, the guy who taught the course I took insisted that a Balckhawk Serpa was the only holster to use. He sold one to everyone in the class. I spent a year of frustration trying to find a way to conceal a pistol in the stupid thing, but for a skinny guy like me it required a bulky coat and still left a noticeable bulge. Of course, he was a high-speed instructor-type (and he was a very good instructor, by the way) who wore tactical clothing and and open carried all the time. He was a very respected instructor, and those of us in his classes took his holster advice at face value.

On the other hand, carefully consider advice from those who are very knowledgeable about holsters. All the time we send out holsters that I know people will be unhappy with because despite my advice, they order tactical or duty holsters for concealment that I told them would be very difficult or almost impossible to conceal. I would rathe make half the money and sell them an inexpensive concealment holster that works for the purpose.

I pay zero attention to clerks in gun store about anything. I did pay attention to the folks who are the teachers and trainers and/or makers of concealment holsters. Those are the folks who keep telling me, I just don't know how to do it, and you need this or that type of holster. I am the point in life, where I pay very little attention to anybody that makes a buck off this matter. It is my skin and I will make my own decisions on how to keep it intact.

[7.62 Precision]

I did pay attention to the folks who are the teachers and trainers and/or makers of concealment holsters. Those are the folks who keep telling me, I just don't know how to do it, and you need this or that type of holster.

Well, I try not to tell people that they don't know how to do it. Even If it is pretty clear they do not, I try to guide them to a good decision instead of telling them what to do. With holsters, there are some bad ways to carry and some bad holsters, but there are a lot of good ones. Anyone who tells you you need a certain holster or type of holster needs to back off and let you decide what is right for you.

The holster you have is great and there is nothing wrong with using it or one like it.

I can ask a few questions and find out very quickly how to help someone with a holster they say does not work for them, and it is not always because they don't know how to do it. Sometimes they need a different holster.

[Paladin]

Paladin,

I'm wondering about the six square knots. Do you have a photo you can post? I'm curious to see how the knots are arranged.

Sorry for the delay, My friend (after the school) was MSG Henry Tillman one of the first in Delta who taught me this and 7.62 is right it is not a beginner trick. But after hundreds of $ in holsters really started doing this when I was working undercover and didn't want printed.

[AJMD429]

That got me thinkin'. . . what if you just had a piece of thick denim or even suede leather, and sewed it to the inside of a pair of jeans to make a built-in holster...???

It would of course only fit a particular size gun and each person would want it in a slightly different place or position, but it would always be there, totally discrete, and easy to do in a few minutes with needle and thread or sewing machine. I made one inside a pair of boots like that once, using suede.

[Model 52B]

A good holster is one of the "safety" devices in use when you carry a pistol as it will protect the trigger from contact.

On a SA pistol carried in Condition One, or a striker fired pistol like a Glock where all the safeties are tied to the trigger, there is no way on God's little green earth that I would use something like a Versa Carry or a Mexican string holster as it leaves the trigger exposed and sets you up to shoot yourself in the leg if the trigger snags on anything (jacket cord, bunched up piece of shirt, etc.) going into the waist belt.

Personally I prefer a good IWB holster with the option of tucking your shirt inside the waist band as well. This is a Wild Bill's Concealment Covert Carry that I've used on a daily basis for about 4 years now. It's got some sweat staining on the inside, but it otherwise still in great shape. It's well made with a stiffener between double thickness leather ensuring the mouth stays open enabling you to easily re-holster the weapon. The clip design allows the shirt to be tucked between the holster and the pants and the offset of the clip reduces the thickness and helps pull the butt of the pistol in more:




Another un-tuckable IWB option is this Backwoods IWB holster. The metal clip is secure and low profile and allows the holster to be easily removed and replaced in places where concealed carry is not allowed. This is, IMHO, a lot more practical than holsters with snaps and belt loops.

[COSteve]

Done

[JerryB]

Look at CME holster from down southeast Texas. I have been carrying the short barreled .44 in one since my grandson bought the gun for me. I wear it every day most of the day. A T shirt will cover the rig completely. My rig is the Tuleta holster, it carries real high and close. I like it much better than my 85 dollar Mernickle , for 50 bucks it sure is the best rig I have worn.

[Old Ironsights]

1st choice, a well designed, thin, tuckable IWB.
2nd choice, a Level II retention paddle holster.