Full Size Concealed Carry

[harleymac1]

I want to upgrade from my Shield to either a M&P9c or M&P full size. I want to shoot some competition and the full size is very appealing for accuracy purposes with the longer barrel / sight picture. Does anyone here carry a full size handgun and how difficult is it to carry? I would definitely be carrying IWB in the summer and would consider OWB covered up in the winter. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lovemachine]

With a good belt and a quality holster, it's very easy to carry a full size gun.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

With a good belt and a quality holster, it's very easy to carry a full size gun.

^^^This^^^

It makes all the difference in the world. I say keep the Shield and get a M&P Pro for comps.

 

[Tactically Fat]

LM nailed the most important part.

A QUALITY belt and holster are paramount.

You can get by with a "lesser" holster if your belt is QUALITY. Invest in a good belt purpose-designed for hanging a gun/holster and a mag carrier off of it. Note: You'll not find this at Walmart, Sears, KMart, Target, Meijer, etc. Look into the SuperBio Belt from Daltech force for a budget friendly one. Or a 5.11 Casual belt for a touch more coin. I have a 5.11 that I wear occasionally and it's swell. However, my main belt is a bull hide belt from The Beltman. Not really budget friendly as far as initial cost goes - but it's saved me from buying 3-4-5 $20 department store belts....which have equaled the cost.

Holster: Get good ones. I'm partial to thermoplastic ones made from either Kydex or Boltaron. I have wares from both Raven Concealment Systems and from Henry Holsters. For MY dollar, Raven has pretty much out-priced themselves. Henry Holsters are a Bloomington, IN area company, a heck of a good dude, and makes FANTASTIC kit. There are also about 1,000,000 other holster makers in the world.

To conceal a gun: you have to dress around the gun. Want to wear IWB with a tucked-in shirt? That's a whole other ballgame than carrying OWB and pulling a hoodie down over the holster. For IWB, I suggest a "hybrid" style holster. A Kydex holster mounted on a leather backer for comfort. Lots of folks make these in various styles. You must have pants big enough and a belt big enough, however. Pants big enough to carry a FS gun + hybrid holster will probably be too big to wear without that rig so attached. Keep that in mind. It may honestly require buying a few pair of britches that are only used to carry IWB. I don't carry much IWB because I'm fluffy and I don't want to spend the coin on buying several more pairs of shorts and pants. But that's just me.

 

[SSGSAD]

I want to upgrade from my Shield to either a M&P9c or M&P full size. I want to shoot some competition and the full size is very appealing for accuracy purposes with the longer barrel / sight picture. Does anyone here carry a full size handgun and how difficult is it to carry? I would definitely be carrying IWB in the summer and would consider OWB covered up in the winter. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

YES, another thread on this very subject ..... all 3 of my S&W, are full size..... Mod., 19 .357, mod., 59 9mm, and a 645, .45 acp ..... carry away ....

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...y-full-size-normally.html?highlight=full+size

 

[lovemachine]

LM nailed the most important part.

A QUALITY belt and holster are paramount.

You can get by with a "lesser" holster if your belt is QUALITY. Invest in a good belt purpose-designed for hanging a gun/holster and a mag carrier off of it. Note: You'll not find this at Walmart, Sears, KMart, Target, Meijer, etc. Look into the SuperBio Belt from Daltech force for a budget friendly one. Or a 5.11 Casual belt for a touch more coin. I have a 5.11 that I wear occasionally and it's swell. However, my main belt is a bull hide belt from The Beltman. Not really budget friendly as far as initial cost goes - but it's saved me from buying 3-4-5 $20 department store belts....which have equaled the cost.

Holster: Get good ones. I'm partial to thermoplastic ones made from either Kydex or Boltaron. I have wares from both Raven Concealment Systems and from Henry Holsters. For MY dollar, Raven has pretty much out-priced themselves. Henry Holsters are a Bloomington, IN area company, a heck of a good dude, and makes FANTASTIC kit. There are also about 1,000,000 other holster makers in the world.

To conceal a gun: you have to dress around the gun. Want to wear IWB with a tucked-in shirt? That's a whole other ballgame than carrying OWB and pulling a hoodie down over the holster. For IWB, I suggest a "hybrid" style holster. A Kydex holster mounted on a leather backer for comfort. Lots of folks make these in various styles. You must have pants big enough and a belt big enough, however. Pants big enough to carry a FS gun + hybrid holster will probably be too big to wear without that rig so attached. Keep that in mind. It may honestly require buying a few pair of britches that are only used to carry IWB. I don't carry much IWB because I'm fluffy and I don't want to spend the coin on buying several more pairs of shorts and pants. But that's just me.

For me, I have found that since switching to appendix carry, I no longer have to wear a larger size pants.

 

[Tomahawkman]

Currently carrying a glock 19 IWB but come winter that will most likely be changed to a sig 226 in 9mm. Just need to acquire a non light bearing holster and a good belt. I've been lacking in the belt department..

 

[lovemachine]

Currently carrying a glock 19 IWB but come winter that will most likely be changed to a sig 226 in 9mm. Just need to acquire a non light bearing holster and a good belt. I've been lacking in the belt department..

Why are you switching to a sig in the winter? Why not continue to carry the G19? A G19 is an awesome carry gun.

 

[harleymac1]

I currently wear a 5.11 Tactical Trainer belt daily and an Alien Gear IWB Cloak Tuck 2.0 holster. I will continue to do the same with either the compact 9 or the full size. I find that my current gear is more than adequate in the support area and it is comfortable as well. There is not much difference if any in width between the 9c and full size so I guess either way I go is good. Thanks for all the info.

 

[seedubs1]

I'm 5'10" and 135 lbs. It's a bit tough for me to CC a full size in the summer with my full size PPQ. But I get away with it. It's just tough because my frame is so slim. There's just not much profile on my body for the width the handle of the gun takes up.

But what I've found is that people are oblivious and just don't notice what your waist line looks like. When I look at myself in the mirror, it's pretty obvious to me that I am printing. To other "gun people" it's obvious as well because they look for it. But I've never had anybody else say a single thing to me.....ever.

And I'm mostly switched over to OWB at this point. It's SO much more comfortable. A good belt and a good OWB kydex holster that's made to pull the gun to your body for CCW doesn't print any worse for me than IWB. I just wear a shirt that's long enough to cover the bottom of the holster. Hell, even if a couple inches stick out beyond the bottom of my shirt, still nobody notices anything.

After you get over thinking about it and carry for a while, it's unreal how little effort you have to put in to conceal enough that nobody notices.

 

[KLB]

I'm 5'10" and 135 lbs. It's a bit tough for me to CC a full size in the summer with my full size PPQ. But I get away with it. It's just tough because my frame is so slim. There's just not much profile on my body for the width the handle of the gun takes up.

But what I've found is that people are oblivious and just don't notice what your waist line looks like. When I look at myself in the mirror, it's pretty obvious to me that I am printing. To other "gun people" it's obvious as well because they look for it. But I've never had anybody else say a single thing to me.....ever.

And I'm mostly switched over to OWB at this point. It's SO much more comfortable. A good belt and a good OWB kydex holster that's made to pull the gun to your body for CCW doesn't print any worse for me than IWB. I just wear a shirt that's long enough to cover the bottom of the holster. Hell, even if a couple inches stick out beyond the bottom of my shirt, still nobody notices anything.

After you get over thinking about it and carry for a while, it's unreal how little effort you have to put in to conceal enough that nobody notices.

Start leaving it uncovered and you will find that most people still don't notice that it is there.

 

[seedubs1]

I've done that as well. Walked around with my wife all day, and she didn't even notice for the first ~5 hours. Not a single other person even noticed. But I do prefer to have a shirt over it, so I carry that way most frequently.

People just don't look at every day Joe looking guys

Start leaving it uncovered and you will find that most people still don't notice that it is there.

 

[Tomahawkman]

Why are you switching to a sig in the winter? Why not continue to carry the G19? A G19 is an awesome carry gun.

I agree the glock 19 is an outstanding carry gun. I will never sell it. However I love my sig but I cant pull of CCing it in the summer, but when sweat shirt weather hits its no problem. I Enjoy shooting and carrying my glock but while I only own one sig and am by far not an expert on them I like them more than glocks and am willing to carry the extra weight. If I had the money I would have a 228 that I would carry instead of the 19 or the 226 and hopefully one day I will.

Pretty much its just about the fact that I like the feel of an all metal gun and sigs are just put together so well. I blame my MCJROTC instuctor from highschool for this.. the guy wont stop talking about them and is the one who talked me into buying one.

 

[Tactically Fat]

For me, I have found that since switching to appendix carry, I no longer have to wear a larger size pants.

That's because you obviously don't have much in the way "down there".

 

[jgreiner]

Simply rugged makes some great holsters, and you can get one that does both IWB and OWB.

 

[nakinate]

That's because you obviously don't have much in the way "down there".

Or maybe it is so long that a gun doesn't reach far enough to be a bother.

 

[rhino]

My slender, sinewy frame makes it difficult for me to conceal a full size gun as well.

 

[seedubs1]

We have opposite problems

My slender, sinewy frame makes it difficult for me to conceal a full size gun as well.

 

[chezuki]

My slender, sinewy frame makes it difficult for me to conceal a full size gun as well.

My doughy midsection absorbs my full sized pistols not unlike a memory foam pillow.

 

[lovemachine]

That's because you obviously don't have much in the way "down there".

You are either talking about my belly, or my machine of love. Not sure....

Or maybe it is so long that a gun doesn't reach far enough to be a bother.

Lolz