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Best way to conceal carry

Bloodknight

Master Class
Founding Member
Although It is legal.I don't open carry.It scares people & I don't want to be a target.Plus a few other reasons.In the winter it's easy.Summer,not so easy.I carry a 9mm Ruger SR9c.Ive tried a bunch of options,but still open to suggestions.Smaller firearm is not an option. T-shirt weather will soon be upon us. inside waistband feels really uncomfortable & I need bigger waist size.
 
Get used to IWB. I upped from a 34 waist pant, to a 36. I got a slightly-stretchy leather belt from Columbia clothing. I carry an XDs 3.3" 9mm and I can conceal easily in shorts and a tee shirt during nice weather.

You get used to the feel after about a week of EDC. First week, I was super self-conscious. Now...I feel like something is missing if I go out without it.
 
Just understand that you may have to make some wardrobe changes. If owb is where you want to carry, get a couple of shirts that are loose fitting and have a pattern that breaks up the outline if you print.

I carry appendix and I had to get a couple of t-shirts that were longer and looser to wear in the summer.
 
If my wardrobe doesn't allow IWB or OWB, I tend to pocket carry my Ruger LCP. But if a smaller gun is NOT an option, I don't see much choice beyond those two options (IWB or OWB).

I carry my XDM Compact either OWB with a Crossbreed Snapslide, or IWB with a Crossbreed Supertuck holster. It is very similar in size to your SR9c, so those holsters could be an option for you. If I am able to go with an untucked shirt, I wear the Snapslide, as OWB will always be the most comfortable. However, I will say that I dropped 5-6 pounds in the past few weeks, and can JUST make IWB work without buying bigger pants or a bigger belt. With the IWB holster, I can even have a dress shirt tucked in and not print, so I think with an untucked t-shirt you would probably be good if you went IWB.
 
I use an OWB DeSantis holster, I carry the Shield, since I live in Ohio, winter time is easy here for ccw, summer is different, I usually just wear a t-shirt a size larger then I usually buy, and get one with some kind of designs on them to help to break up the footprint of my gun.
 
Get used to IWB. I upped from a 34 waist pant, to a 36. I got a slightly-stretchy leather belt from Columbia clothing. I carry an XDs 3.3" 9mm and I can conceal easily in shorts and a tee shirt during nice weather.

You get used to the feel after about a week of EDC. First week, I was super self-conscious. Now...I feel like something is missing if I go out without it.
Yes,I tried a bigger waist,but the rest of pants fit like bozo the clown.I do like a crossdraw with my right hand to my left side.because of shoulder issues.Thanks !
 
Just understand that you may have to make some wardrobe changes. If owb is where you want to carry, get a couple of shirts that are loose fitting and have a pattern that breaks up the outline if you print.

I carry appendix and I had to get a couple of t-shirts that were longer and looser to wear in the summer.
I like the appendix carry,still trying to get use to the feel.Safety on & 1 in the chamber ?
 
I like the appendix carry,still trying to get use to the feel.Safety on & 1 in the chamber ?

As I think a lot of concealed carry stories teach us, in the heat of the moment, seconds count, and you may or may not remember to rack that slide and chamber a round when under pressure. Or you may only have one hand free, and not be able to easily rack it. Carrying one in the chamber is almost paramount in my opinion, and in that of just about every article I've read over the years. If you are in a holster that covers the trigger, and practice proper trigger safety during the draw, having one in the chamber is very safe with modern firearms.

Now, if you are carrying an old single action from the late 1800's, those were not even drop safe, so the only safe way to carry was with 5 rounds, and the hammer over an empty chamber. Every modern pistol or revolver implements trigger disconnects, transfer bars, etc, making it safe. I'm not so sure about my double action S&W M&P revolver, since it was made in 1905, but I don't carry it around with me, just shoot at the range, and used to keep it loaded in a night stand before I had better options.

I personally carry a Ruger LCP almost all the time in a pocket holster, with one in the chamber. I've been doing it for 10 years. The holster covers the trigger, and that particular pistol has no safety other than a long double action trigger draw. Drawing it from my pocket my index finger is on the trigger guard naturally, and not inside the trigger. The same would be true for any appendix carry holster.

Your Ruger SR9c has a manual safety, plus a trigger safety. It is not going off unless you pull the trigger on the chambered round. Personally, I would not use the safety, but my daughter does with her LC380, just a personal preference. She deals with a lot of small kids, and wanted the added protection of a manual safety when she chose a pistol. Actually, she wanted the S&W EZ380, but the budget dictated the LC380.
 
IWB an about 85% of the time using a Crossbreed or MTR Leather. I wear Wrangler performance jeans or 5.11 tactical since both of stretch waistbands. You can also try your favorite jean in relaxed fit which will usually allow either of the brands I mentioned to fit.

Relaxed fit is what I wear. I wasn't aware of the stretch waistbands in jeans aside from the old maternity jeans my wife had decades ago, haha. That said, if you are younger, and like to wear these tighter fitting tapered legged jeans like my son and a lot of his hipster 20-something buddies, wearing IWB would be impossible. Their pants outline their cell phones in their pockets, no way you would fit a pistol in there. Of course, none of them seem to ever tuck in a shirt either, so maybe that would help.
 
As I think a lot of concealed carry stories teach us, in the heat of the moment, seconds count, and you may or may not remember to rack that slide and chamber a round when under pressure. Or you may only have one hand free, and not be able to easily rack it. Carrying one in the chamber is almost paramount in my opinion, and in that of just about every article I've read over the years. If you are in a holster that covers the trigger, and practice proper trigger safety during the draw, having one in the chamber is very safe with modern firearms.

Now, if you are carrying an old single action from the late 1800's, those were not even drop safe, so the only safe way to carry was with 5 rounds, and the hammer over an empty chamber. Every modern pistol or revolver implements trigger disconnects, transfer bars, etc, making it safe. I'm not so sure about my double action S&W M&P revolver, since it was made in 1905, but I don't carry it around with me, just shoot at the range, and used to keep it loaded in a night stand before I had better options.

I personally carry a Ruger LCP almost all the time in a pocket holster, with one in the chamber. I've been doing it for 10 years. The holster covers the trigger, and that particular pistol has no safety other than a long double action trigger draw. Drawing it from my pocket my index finger is on the trigger guard naturally, and not inside the trigger. The same would be true for any appendix carry holster.

Your Ruger SR9c has a manual safety, plus a trigger safety. It is not going off unless you pull the trigger on the chambered round. Personally, I would not use the safety, but my daughter does with her LC380, just a personal preference. She deals with a lot of small kids, and wanted the added protection of a manual safety when she chose a pistol. Actually, she wanted the S&W EZ380, but the budget dictated the LC380.
Completely understand. Just a personal preference.
 
I carry IWB after carrying OWB to start off when first starting to carry. I had a discount for Crossbreed and picked up a few for my different carry options. I agree, it took a week or so to get comfortable, but I'm totally use to it now and that's how I'm carrying. I had enough "Tuck the shirt in" when I worked (kind of like ties), and now wear my shirts (tees, flannels, dress, etc), untucked. I still have some Levis before I started boycotting them due to their anti 2A sediments. The stretch waistband allowed me to keep the same waist size, which is a plus. A good strong gun belt is a must (to eliminate that telltale "look at me, I'm carrying" pulling up of the pants due to the weight). I bought mine from Crossbreed as well.
As for open carry, although my State allows it, I would never open carry and think half the State's law enforcement doesn't know the law resulting in arrest and firearm confiscation. Then good luck getting it back any time soon.
 
A good strong gun belt is a must (to eliminate that telltale "look at me, I'm carrying" pulling up of the pants due to the weight). I bought mine from Crossbreed as well.
As for open carry, although my State allows it, I would never open carry and think half the State's law enforcement doesn't know the law resulting in arrest and firearm confiscation. Then good luck getting it back any time soon.

The importance of a good belt cannot be understated! I'll have to try a Crossbreed belt the next time I buy one and they have them on sale. Right now I have an Amish made Hank's belt, and its a really thick heavy duty, but not reinforced like the Crossbreed belt.

I agree with you on open carry. Aside from law enforcement, just too many folk would freak out, or just assume you are an off duty LEO, even though it is also legal here in Alabama.
 
Completely understand. Just a personal preference.
And interestingly, it's the method the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) carry their sidearms (Condition 3).
 
My XDs is always ready to fire, one in the chamber. I also have an instant-on laser so I don't have to toggle an "on" button there either. The entire Texas church event a few weeks ago was six seconds, start to finish - I remove ANY delay I can. I literally draw, the laser lights on its own, I put the dot where I need it, pull the trigger, and make a hole. Cover, odd body positioning, bad stance...doesn't make a lick of difference for me with this setup and that's how I like it. Quick and dirty gets the job done; training keeps the "dirty" to a minimum whenever possible.

I wear slacks, so a larger waist size didn't balloon the thigh section any. And I sit too much for appendix.
 
It really all depends.

There's a nearly infinitely variable matrix of everything from support gear (belt [even suspenders]/holster [and this can even be as specific as hardware, such as DDC clips that allow a lower profile or UItliClips which allows direct-clip to the waistband, to items like the various tuck "wings" (like the RCS Claw) that cantliever grip of the handgun more towards the body of the wearer]) to gear setup (i.e. clocking, cant, depth-of-ride, angling [via "wedges," be it self-added, official accessory, or directly molded-in, such as the Tenicor), to clothing, to the actual physical build of that unique shooter.

In terms of clothing, it's not just how loosely or otherwise oversized any one of us may choose to wear our shirts or pants. The material as well as how it is cut/constructed will conspire to create drastic changes in the final outcome, too. For example, eans with even slight amount of elasticity such as Duluth Ballroom Flex will accommodate hardware differently, than those without, and even seemingly rather mundane considerations such as the placement of belt-loops and the thickness of the material can all greatly affect how one sets up their gear and gear hardware (the belt thickness interface is a biggie, here). Subtle differences such as waist height and how the pants sit on one's hips can also play havoc, particularly if one crosses different clothing genres/styles depending on their life-needs (i.e. jeans to dress-pants, or even "yoga pants" and sweatpants).

Physical build can also cause dramatic differences to play out. A physically fit man or woman with larger chest measurements will typically cause shirts that are not tailored to lay close to the body to "tent" at their waist, and this will obviously play out in an important way where it comes to waistline carry of gear. While too young to legally conceal-carry at 14 years of age, I demonstrated to my daughter - an athletically built rower with a small chest (while my wife is rather generously endowed, my daughter is half Asian, after all!) - just what she could get away with if she decided to conceal carry as an adult, and she was shocked that she was able to *_easily_* conceal my 4.5-inch XDm9, a duty-size weapon, with the X300U WML, in a PHLster Floodlight, AIWB, under but a very, very whispy tank-top.

Towards this end, subtle individual variations in our physical builds - regardless of whether we are athletic, svelte or portly, none of us carry our bones, fat, and muscles in precisely the same way another does, even if the two persons examined happen to both fit one description. This, combined with variability in height and size, also will play out in tremendous differences in the effectiveness of differences of gear and differences in setup. I'm 6' even, a porky 250 lbs. on a medium frame (https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/type-of-holster-you-use-for-edc.172/page-2#post-5955 - there's pictures of me with Chris Costa and Robert Vogel in this thread, so you can get a feel for my size/build, and this post has pictures of me with Chris Cerino - https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/is-your-shooting-stance-wrong.146/#post-3819). I actually have a very hard time with the PHLSter Floodlight, concealing it in IWB strong-side at my preferred 2:30 clocking. At a class dedicated towards concealed carry last summer, a fellow classmate, about my height but athletically built and trim-waisted (no belly, but no 6-pack, either), easily completely concealed a Roland Special Glock 19, under a rather trim-fitting T-shirt.

The best way to conceal carry is to not be afraid to experiment with different gear and different setup until you find something that works for you and how you want to live (i.e. "dressing around the gun" is an ideal that, for some of us, is actually not feasible due to either workplace regulations or social implications). Vet your gear with either a good training class/instructor or by objectively timing your shot-to-first-hit (and shoot to a scoreable metric, at that) - video, such as that of Coachs Eye's HD/240 fps slow-motion, would be even better. Enlist the help of both your carrying and non-carrying friends to critique your level of true concealment, both static as well as when you're in-motion.
 
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