In-Waistband Holster Location?

jyl · jyl's Garage

Where do you wear an in-waist-band holster? Strong side behind the hip (may print, makes hugged greetings iffy, uncomfortable in a bucket seat)? Strong side ahead of the hip (digs into your gut when you bend over, barrel is pointing at your reproductive organs)? Weak side? Middle of back?

I'm carrying a 38 snub if it matters.

HardDrive · 09-01-2011, 08:18 PM

I carry in an ankle holster. I accept the downsides from a tactical perspective. But then again, I'm from Detroit, and make a point of not living my life anywhere that I need instant access to a weapon. Oddly, hiking shorts with huge cargo pockets, or equally utilitarian hiking pants with huge pockets seem to offer the best option for carrying a .38. People expect you to have lumps there, and thus it looks natural.

Even at my fatest, I'm pretty skinny. Any handgun on my waist looks like an grape on a toothpick.

BlueSkyJaunte · 09-01-2011, 08:24 PM

"Appendix" carry in a custom-made holster, and my shirt tails are always out.

I don't hug very many people other than my wife and kids. Besides, if I give my wife a "full frontal" hug she usually suspects my intentions are less than honorable (she's right).

Eric Coffey · 09-01-2011, 10:55 PM

For me it's IWB, strong side, small-of-back with "extreme" forward cant (custom holster). If you are going to carry IWB, you should always carry with a "palm in" draw, never a "palm out" draw. You don't want to sweep your own body when drawing from that position.

BernieP · BernieP's Garage

I usually carry "Appendix", in front of the hip, strong side. In the car I switch to a cross draw position, more comfortable.

Bernie P

id10t · 09-02-2011, 04:07 AM

Small of back or on hip...

Check out versacarry.com - played with one of these "holsters" the other day, very impressive.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

I carry IWB on my weak side because i like to cross-draw...

masraum · 09-02-2011, 05:36 AM

I carry either strong side on hip (usually called 3 o'clock) or strong side just behind the hip (about 4:30). I have my holster set up for a decent amount of cant (angled). There's not really much printing in either position. Yes, from certain angles you might see that there's something under there, and a gun guy would probably know it was a gun, but the print isn't defined enough to really see that it's a gun.

small of the back carry is usually frowned upon because it's harder to reach, and more importantly, if something happens and you end up on the ground on your back, especially if you fall, it could damage your back.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

You're all paranoid wing nuts.

Anyway, I carry in the small of my back, sometimes shift it to 5 o'clock, because I rarely wear a belt and my shorts tend to loosen after I walk for a bit. I've been using Galco Stow-n-Go's. But I have a Bianchi 100 coming that fits the three guns I usually rotate between carry duty. I like the strong metal clip on the Bianchi and am a little worrid about the plastic one on the Galco coming off my pants with the gun if I draw in a hurry.

BlueSkyJaunte · 09-02-2011, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

small of the back carry is usually frowned upon because it's harder to reach, and more importantly, if something happens and you end up on the ground on your back, especially if you fall, it could damage your back.

+1, and you can't see if you're printing or not. For some reason that just scares me.

masraum · 09-02-2011, 07:05 AM

I carry and XDM 3.8 compact in a crossbreed supertuck. It's very comfy and not a problem in the miata.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I almost never have a gun on my person while driving. Way too hard to reach it if you need it. In the 993 it sits on the passenger seat or driver's door pocket. The wife's 328i's door pockets aren't big enough, so it goes in the center console. Since AZ is very good about open carry, it's no big deal to slip the holster into place once I exit the car. On the bike it's in the tankbag until I park.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Versacarry - hmm. No coverage of the trigger, safety, mag release, etc. No protection from sweat. Nothing to stop sights and hammers from digging and snagging. I don't know about that.

BlueSkyJaunte · 09-02-2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyl

Versacarry - hmm. No coverage of the trigger, safety, mag release, etc. No protection from sweat. Nothing to stop sights and hammers from digging and snagging. I don't know about that.

Too right, that thing looks like an epic disaster waiting to happen. As an added bonus it plugs the barrel, so if your gun DOES go off, you get a nice grenade in your pants instead of just getting shot.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Sweat. I know all about that. If you're worried about sweat, go stainless.

IWB, I like small of the back. I know the danger about falling on my back, but it is less likely than other things.

My Keltec has a belt clip that allows it to be pocket carried, opposite side, and it ends up looking like a clip on knife. I usually carry it back pocket in a flat case. It prints "wallet" when carried with a spare magazine.

For your snubbie, I'd go small of the back and have a car holster when in the vehicle.

masraum · 09-02-2011, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

so if your gun DOES go off, you get a nice grenade in your pants

Wait, what are you talking about? Yeah, that's why I don't go to strip joints. Eeeww.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I never have a carry gun outside its holster. Trigger is ALWAYS covered. Sweat isn't an issue, especially when most of mine are finished in NP3 or I got them so cheap, I just don't care. Polymer frames don't rust. None of my carry guns have sharp edges except maybe the rear night sights on one of my SIG's. The rest are dehorned or tapered. Never been an issue.

masraum · 09-02-2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I never have a carry gun outside its holster. Trigger is ALWAYS covered. Sweat isn't an issue, especially when most of mine are finished in NP3 or I got them so cheap, I just don't care. Polymer frames don't rust. None of my carry guns have sharp edges except maybe the rear night sights on one of my SIG's. The rest are dehorned or tapered. Never been an issue.

My main carry gun doesn't have night sites, and does have square corners on the rear site. One of the things that I'd be looking at if/when I go to night sites is a rounded rear site. If I carry at 3ish o'clock, I occasionally get myself in the funny bone.

ZLP · ZLP's Garage

Galco Belly Band off duty. I am not a big fan of IWB.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I just got a set of Tru-Glo fiber optic low-profile sights for $21 at Scottsdale Gun Club's members only sale. They're going on my SIG P220 Carry, though I rarely carry it. Finally get to use my SIG sight pusher tool.