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[How-To] Concealed Carry a Full-Size Gun

Interesting and good read on carting a full size gun for CCW, some good points


Thanks Anni, good awareness article on carrying full size handguns.
Is funny, just thought about that same thing last night and ordered new holster for a 1911G
 
I would love to be able to carry a full sized handgun. However my XL love handles won't let me. :(

A shoulder holster may work then? There's a few different varieties of those shoulder holsters too.
A cover garment can help a lot. Even in warmer weather can wear a light unbuttoned shirt over a T shirt as cover garment. May be surprised at how cool a person can stay dressed like that when the cover shirt gathers a breeze. In cooler weather a shirt jacket or coat can help as cover garment. CC vests with built in holsters can be another alternative to shoulder holsters. There's some nice CC vests out there too in many different lightweight and heavier fabrics.
 
I didn't always have the money for fancy $100 + holsters that help with concealment. One of the cheaper tactics I used was buying "Tall" shirts from the Old Navy website. You don't see it often in stores, but Old Navy offers most of their stuff in "Tall" sizes on the website for no extra charge. The shirts, jackets, and vests are 2-3 inches longer than normal sizes, which really helped me conceal and limits printing. I carried a Glock 19 as my EDC for years (until the Sig P365 was released) and tall shirts really helped hide the bulky gun.
 
That little lady in the denim jacket with that big pistol stuck in the front of her pants will never pass inspection.
She's sporting quite a package there. Guys will be thinking, 'somethin ain't right here..'
:LOL:
 
The JM4 Tactical holsters are great for carrying larger frame pistols. I'm able to COMFORTABLY carry my CZ P10C, My Taurus G3, or my Glock 22 IWB and not be fighting them all day. The holster rides low which allows it move with you when you sit, drive, or other situations which would ordinarily drive me crazy trying to adjust my firearm. I'm a very big guy and the JM4 holsters really make a difference if you want to carry IWB concealed. They're definitely on to something as far as the holsters moving with you.
 

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I suppose guys with bigger mid sections may have an issue but I regularly carry a VP9 in a Muddy River Tactical OWB or a 4” XD mod 2 .45 in a Clinger OWB with just a flannel or a light jacket over it.
When I started to understand good concealment my EDC guns where my
XDMod 2’s in 9, 40 and 45 in a leather Galco OWB. They all had the extended magazine’s but the Galco held the guns close to my body with almost no printing. I rarely carried any of my full size handgun’s but when I did it was when I wore multiple layers of clothes during cooler/cold weather. I sold my 9mm and 45 Mod2 XD’s and exclusively carried my Mod2 40, now I have my XDM Elite compact 10mm I haven’t shot it yet as I’m waiting for my extended mags but when I’m comfortable with it into my EDC rotation it will go.
 
A few decades back when I was thinner and had way more hair, my edc was a 1911.
I was also not long out of the Army, had three kids and not much money.
My IWB rig was…a bit of para cord with a belt loop tied in each end, just long enough to hold the 1911 snugly between me and my waist band..and it was very effective at keeping it from moving up, down, front or back.

It concealed well, and properly set, did not interfere with my draw.

With any cover garment, even a light, slightly loose T shirt, it was a very effective and safe concealment rig.

Full disclosure: I am not a small man, I’m 6-2. YMMV. May or may not work for other bodies.
 
I get why "citizens" would want to carry a full-size gun for EDC, but if the odds are that you're going to meet up with a bad guy (or bad guys) up close and personal, I don't see the advantage of carrying "large," especially with mid-size semi-autos having respectable magazine capacities nowadays.

As for appendix carry, no thanks--I just can't see how comfortable it would be if you were to do any bending. That, and the environment isn't too friendly: hot, moist, lint and dander...it can't be good for a pistol.

Just an FYI: The article has ads for Kore gun belts. I can attest to their strength and stiffness (I own a few), but when you're a flabby old geezer like me, when you bend over to do any work or pick up stuff, the top of it tends to "bite" into the skin.
 
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