If you carry concealed on a regular basis, you need to dress for success.
By Greg Rodriguez
Full Article
By Greg Rodriguez
Full Article
Ultimate Concealment
- Thread starter Lisa
- Start date
Good article. All too many folks spend 500+ on a nice pistol, yet fail to spend enough $$$ to properly conceal it. A decent amount of money needs to be set aside for a good quality holster (not the ballistic nylon junk), a strong, stiff belt, and equally as important, the right clothes. When the hot and humid July and August months come around my neck of the woods, I can still wear comfortable, yet formal enough, clothes, and still conceal a Glock 19 or 23 without any problems. Typically, I'll use a pair of cargo shorts (lots of extra pockets to hold extra magazines), along with a tucked in t-shirt, and a lightweight, untucked, unbuttoned short sleeved dress shirt on top. When I use my Desantis Mini Slide holster, in combination with a strong, sturdy leather gun belt I bought almost a dozen years ago, the gun all but disappears under the clothes. If the wind is blowing, I can tuck in the front part of the strong side, to prevent the shirt from opening up, while still taking normal steps.
tellner
Senior Master
It's a decent overview for the novice. The blindspots and omissions bother me. Here is a few of them in no particular order:
First of all, if you can't carry it conveniently or if you feel that you look like a dork because of the clothing and grooming choices that are forced on you will wear something else. If you can't carry on your normal activities with the gun you will leave it at home. In either case it will be sitting in the safe instead of at hand when you need it. If it's at home it's no darned good at all. Find a way to carry that you can live with.
Shoulder holsters in particular and crossdraw in general are out of fashion and don't deserve to be. The better designed shoulder holsters allow excellent retention and concealment and easy draws. I carried a Glock 21 in a semi-custom vertical draw shoulder holster for years. It never printed and never dropped the gun.
There is a number of attractive vests and jackets from 5.11 Tactical and Roma Leather to Scott eVest (the fashionable gadget fiend's only stop for clothes) that allow excellent concealment of subcompact and compact pistols and revolvers. Some of them have areas between the outer shell and lining which are designed to hold holsters. Others have external breast pockets which zip or close with Velcro. I've used several and never had a problem with printing.
Small of the back carry is unpopular. I've heard all the standard stuff about how a fall could fracture your spine from a bad fall, but I've never heard of an actual case where it happened. My own experiments along those lines don't seem to have borne it out with standard holsters. Later I slapped together a couple for increased comfort and safety, and had no trouble at all taking moderate falls. If you can take ukemi you can fall safely with a S.O.B. holster. Besides, hip carry could result in ruptured bursa if you fall wrong. I smell excuse rather than a good reason.
The author didn't mean to ignore women's concerns, but he missed a couple important things. Women's hips are put together differently than men's. So are their shoulders and arms. A lot of women, especially those with wider hips or shorter waists, have real trouble with standard hip, behind the hip and IWB carry. My wife describes the draw from those as "scratching my armpit with the hammer". On the other hand they tend to have a much easier time with cross body draws of all sorts. And there is a fair number of purses which are not ugly and allow an easy draw and good retention. Guns and shooting accessories have been largely a man's world. Women will have to look a little harder to find things that are good fits.
Another thought: If you're going to carry, then a reload, a flashlight and a knife are good ideas. You might also want to consider something to stop bleeding. It doesn't have to be quicKlot. Besides, that's being replaced with specially impregnated bandages which are still hard for regular people to get. Compressed gauze works very well. Getting back to women's concerns, think about this. Most women between their tweens and their late forties carry around things that are sterile, easy to deploy, cheap and specially designed to soak up blood. Something to think about.
First of all, if you can't carry it conveniently or if you feel that you look like a dork because of the clothing and grooming choices that are forced on you will wear something else. If you can't carry on your normal activities with the gun you will leave it at home. In either case it will be sitting in the safe instead of at hand when you need it. If it's at home it's no darned good at all. Find a way to carry that you can live with.
Shoulder holsters in particular and crossdraw in general are out of fashion and don't deserve to be. The better designed shoulder holsters allow excellent retention and concealment and easy draws. I carried a Glock 21 in a semi-custom vertical draw shoulder holster for years. It never printed and never dropped the gun.
There is a number of attractive vests and jackets from 5.11 Tactical and Roma Leather to Scott eVest (the fashionable gadget fiend's only stop for clothes) that allow excellent concealment of subcompact and compact pistols and revolvers. Some of them have areas between the outer shell and lining which are designed to hold holsters. Others have external breast pockets which zip or close with Velcro. I've used several and never had a problem with printing.
Small of the back carry is unpopular. I've heard all the standard stuff about how a fall could fracture your spine from a bad fall, but I've never heard of an actual case where it happened. My own experiments along those lines don't seem to have borne it out with standard holsters. Later I slapped together a couple for increased comfort and safety, and had no trouble at all taking moderate falls. If you can take ukemi you can fall safely with a S.O.B. holster. Besides, hip carry could result in ruptured bursa if you fall wrong. I smell excuse rather than a good reason.
The author didn't mean to ignore women's concerns, but he missed a couple important things. Women's hips are put together differently than men's. So are their shoulders and arms. A lot of women, especially those with wider hips or shorter waists, have real trouble with standard hip, behind the hip and IWB carry. My wife describes the draw from those as "scratching my armpit with the hammer". On the other hand they tend to have a much easier time with cross body draws of all sorts. And there is a fair number of purses which are not ugly and allow an easy draw and good retention. Guns and shooting accessories have been largely a man's world. Women will have to look a little harder to find things that are good fits.
Another thought: If you're going to carry, then a reload, a flashlight and a knife are good ideas. You might also want to consider something to stop bleeding. It doesn't have to be quicKlot. Besides, that's being replaced with specially impregnated bandages which are still hard for regular people to get. Compressed gauze works very well. Getting back to women's concerns, think about this. Most women between their tweens and their late forties carry around things that are sterile, easy to deploy, cheap and specially designed to soak up blood. Something to think about.
Deaf Smith
Master of Arts
Lisa,
I use a Glock 27 and 642 Centennial for my carry guns. Kyndex IWB for the Glock, Courdura IWB for the Centennial. I wear t-shirts out and the Glock conceals well in the kidney position. Same for the Centennial in the appendix position.
I even use the same setup in IDPA, just swapping a Glock 26 for the 27 (9mm is mucho cheeper than .40) and a 640 .357 for the .38 (BUG match gun.)
This allows lots of practice and training with carry gear. And what is more, by wearing t-shirts, I don't look like I'm carrying a gun. Any gun.
And that is very important. One needs to look like they are not armed until they need to bring the weapon to bear... and then it's to late for the BG to adjust to the new development.
Don't look like you are armed guys. No photo vest, no extra shirt on, no coat on hot day. Look very normal yet well armed. And skip the karate logos or gun logos on anything you wear.
Deaf
I use a Glock 27 and 642 Centennial for my carry guns. Kyndex IWB for the Glock, Courdura IWB for the Centennial. I wear t-shirts out and the Glock conceals well in the kidney position. Same for the Centennial in the appendix position.
I even use the same setup in IDPA, just swapping a Glock 26 for the 27 (9mm is mucho cheeper than .40) and a 640 .357 for the .38 (BUG match gun.)
This allows lots of practice and training with carry gear. And what is more, by wearing t-shirts, I don't look like I'm carrying a gun. Any gun.
And that is very important. One needs to look like they are not armed until they need to bring the weapon to bear... and then it's to late for the BG to adjust to the new development.
Don't look like you are armed guys. No photo vest, no extra shirt on, no coat on hot day. Look very normal yet well armed. And skip the karate logos or gun logos on anything you wear.
Deaf
Something else to consider...
The fanny pack holster, or the "concealment vest", and many other things might as well scream "GUY WITH A CONCEALED GUN." Think about how you normally look; carrying a gun shouldn't look any different. I normally wear jeans and polo/golf shirts or t-shirts. I carry a gun in jeans, polo/golf shirts, etc.
And, a nifty little trick I learned for when you are wearing a light coat, suit or sports coat or the like... put stuff in the front pockets. Not a lot; your keys are enough. It'll make it much easier to swing it out of the way if you need to draw.
Finally -- PRACTICE DRAWING from concealment, in various postures. In reality, you're not likely to be standing square or bladed, waiting with your hands poised to move your shirt and pull your gun out in a real situation. You're going to be hiding behind some cover or concealment, or moving quickly looking for the same... You'll be sitting, or lying prone, crouched funny, or ducking... You get the picture. Something that works great in one position may be impossible in another.
Well... I fibbed. I see the article did briefly discuss the fanny packs, etc. I'm not a fan of women or men carrying in a bag or purse. It's just too easy to get separated from the item with the gun in it -- which could put that gun in the wrong hands, whether that's a crook or just a curious kid. My opinion is that, however you're going to carry -- keep it on your person, or secured completely. Not left in a bag as a rule. (I do leave my gun in my gym bag while I teach martial arts. It's gotta go somewhere, and it's better under my observation that way than if I locked it in a car.)
The fanny pack holster, or the "concealment vest", and many other things might as well scream "GUY WITH A CONCEALED GUN." Think about how you normally look; carrying a gun shouldn't look any different. I normally wear jeans and polo/golf shirts or t-shirts. I carry a gun in jeans, polo/golf shirts, etc.
And, a nifty little trick I learned for when you are wearing a light coat, suit or sports coat or the like... put stuff in the front pockets. Not a lot; your keys are enough. It'll make it much easier to swing it out of the way if you need to draw.
Finally -- PRACTICE DRAWING from concealment, in various postures. In reality, you're not likely to be standing square or bladed, waiting with your hands poised to move your shirt and pull your gun out in a real situation. You're going to be hiding behind some cover or concealment, or moving quickly looking for the same... You'll be sitting, or lying prone, crouched funny, or ducking... You get the picture. Something that works great in one position may be impossible in another.
Well... I fibbed. I see the article did briefly discuss the fanny packs, etc. I'm not a fan of women or men carrying in a bag or purse. It's just too easy to get separated from the item with the gun in it -- which could put that gun in the wrong hands, whether that's a crook or just a curious kid. My opinion is that, however you're going to carry -- keep it on your person, or secured completely. Not left in a bag as a rule. (I do leave my gun in my gym bag while I teach martial arts. It's gotta go somewhere, and it's better under my observation that way than if I locked it in a car.)
Don't feel bad. You're not alone... I wouldn't be allowed CCW either. Or even a CWP for that matter. :miffer:
I'd like to second what jks9199 said:
Try taking notes on all the weird and awkward positions and situations you end up in throughout a day or a week and then practice drawing from and in all of them. If you haven't done this before there's probably more of them than you realize.
I am also not a fan carrying in purses for a couple of reasons. How many women do you know who can find something in their purse in under 30 seconds? and if an attacker says "gimme your purse" what do you do?
If you start reaching into your purse they'll know something is funny right away and if they have a gun are a knife already pointed at you you wont have time to draw. If they don't have a weapon then it may be hard to justify shooting them over a purse. You can't give them the purse and if you don't you may end up making the situation more dangerous than it needed to be.
My preferred option would be to drop the purse (which I can't do if there's a gun in it) and get as much distance as I can. If they take the purse and leave then its over. If they don't then I know they want something more and it will be easier to shoot them if I need to (because I have more distance/time) and easier justify it later.
Something else to think about...
Does your carry method allow you to have a hand on your weapon without looking like you do? If it does then you just cut down your draw time and it allows you to be more prepared before a things get ugly while still being in a position to deescalate or leave the situation if the opportunity presents itself.
and no I don't carry a purse.
"It's not a purse. It's European."
and I would add "and in various situations" because whats happening and who is around you can also effect how you will need or be able to access your weapon.
Try taking notes on all the weird and awkward positions and situations you end up in throughout a day or a week and then practice drawing from and in all of them. If you haven't done this before there's probably more of them than you realize.
I am also not a fan carrying in purses for a couple of reasons. How many women do you know who can find something in their purse in under 30 seconds? and if an attacker says "gimme your purse" what do you do?
If you start reaching into your purse they'll know something is funny right away and if they have a gun are a knife already pointed at you you wont have time to draw. If they don't have a weapon then it may be hard to justify shooting them over a purse. You can't give them the purse and if you don't you may end up making the situation more dangerous than it needed to be.
My preferred option would be to drop the purse (which I can't do if there's a gun in it) and get as much distance as I can. If they take the purse and leave then its over. If they don't then I know they want something more and it will be easier to shoot them if I need to (because I have more distance/time) and easier justify it later.
Something else to think about...
Does your carry method allow you to have a hand on your weapon without looking like you do? If it does then you just cut down your draw time and it allows you to be more prepared before a things get ugly while still being in a position to deescalate or leave the situation if the opportunity presents itself.
and no I don't carry a purse.
"It's not a purse. It's European."
KenpoTex
Senior Master
I think many people's problems with concealment are due to just a few reasons.
As Grenadier mentioned, a problem with many people is that they fail to spend the money on a quality carry setup (good holster and belt combo). They are also unwilling to make even slight compromises with regard to their style (untucked shirt vs. tucked or whatever). And finally, they whine about how "uncomfortable" it is to carry a real gun.
As a result, you always hear crap like "I can't carry anything bigger than a kel-tec or a j-frame." Now I understand if you work in an environment that precludes casual dress or if you're operating in a "non-permissive environment," however, when you're not at work, there is no reason that 99.9% of CCW holders can not conceal a compact or service-size gun with just a little effort.
I carry a Glock, spare mag, flashlight, and a couple of knives (at least) every day under nothing more than a t-shirt or hawaiian/camp/guayaberra shirt in the summer, or a sweat-shirt in the winter. It's not that hard.
Just as an example, here's a series of pics I did for a similar discussion on another forum a while back. I don't carry all of this stuff all the time but I carried it for a few days without any problems (in the interest of science
).
hmm...don't see anything
and, what the t-shirt is hiding:
From the belt-buckle going clockwise:
Snubnose revolver equipped with Barami hip-grips
CRKT Companion
Spyderco Endura in R. rear-pocket
Glock 19 in Milt Sparks Summer Special II IWB holster
Spare G19 mag
Cell-phone
Surefire E2D in L. rear-pocket
Spyderco Endura in L. hip-pocket
Goldsworthy Shadowdancer carried just left of the belt-buckle.
As Grenadier mentioned, a problem with many people is that they fail to spend the money on a quality carry setup (good holster and belt combo). They are also unwilling to make even slight compromises with regard to their style (untucked shirt vs. tucked or whatever). And finally, they whine about how "uncomfortable" it is to carry a real gun.
As a result, you always hear crap like "I can't carry anything bigger than a kel-tec or a j-frame." Now I understand if you work in an environment that precludes casual dress or if you're operating in a "non-permissive environment," however, when you're not at work, there is no reason that 99.9% of CCW holders can not conceal a compact or service-size gun with just a little effort.
I carry a Glock, spare mag, flashlight, and a couple of knives (at least) every day under nothing more than a t-shirt or hawaiian/camp/guayaberra shirt in the summer, or a sweat-shirt in the winter. It's not that hard.
Just as an example, here's a series of pics I did for a similar discussion on another forum a while back. I don't carry all of this stuff all the time but I carried it for a few days without any problems (in the interest of science
).hmm...don't see anything
and, what the t-shirt is hiding:
From the belt-buckle going clockwise:
Snubnose revolver equipped with Barami hip-grips
CRKT Companion
Spyderco Endura in R. rear-pocket
Glock 19 in Milt Sparks Summer Special II IWB holster
Spare G19 mag
Cell-phone
Surefire E2D in L. rear-pocket
Spyderco Endura in L. hip-pocket
Goldsworthy Shadowdancer carried just left of the belt-buckle.
I think many people's problems with concealment are due to just a few reasons.
As Grenadier mentioned, a problem with many people is that they fail to spend the money on a quality carry setup (good holster and belt combo). They are also unwilling to make even slight compromises with regard to their style (untucked shirt vs. tucked or whatever). And finally, they whine about how "uncomfortable" it is to carry a real gun.
As a result, you always hear crap like "I can't carry anything bigger than a kel-tec or a j-frame." Now I understand if you work in an environment that precludes casual dress or if you're operating in a "non-permissive environment," however, when you're not at work, there is no reason that 99.9% of CCW holders can not conceal a compact or service-size gun with just a little effort.
I carry a Glock, spare mag, flashlight, and a couple of knives (at least) every day under nothing more than a t-shirt or hawaiian/camp/guayaberra shirt in the summer, or a sweat-shirt in the winter. It's not that hard.
Just as an example, here's a series of pics I did for a similar discussion on another forum a while back. I don't carry all of this stuff all the time but I carried it for a few days without any problems (in the interest of science
hmm...don't see anything
and, what the t-shirt is hiding:
From the belt-buckle going clockwise:
Snubnose revolver equipped with Barami hip-grips
CRKT Companion
Spyderco Endura in R. rear-pocket
Glock 19 in Milt Sparks Summer Special II IWB holster
Spare G19 mag
Cell-phone
Surefire E2D in L. rear-pocket
Spyderco Endura in L. hip-pocket
Goldsworthy Shadowdancer carried just left of the belt-buckle.
Nice pic's KenpoTex. Simple, effective and to the point.
kwaichang
Purple Belt
Another excellent option, IMO, is to simply carry a book.
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/book-safe.shtml
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Safe-by-spybase-com/dp/B0002SFELU
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/book-safe.shtml
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Safe-by-spybase-com/dp/B0002SFELU
One quick note on pictures (and habits...); this is not a shot at Kenpotex's very good show of what can be covered with a little effort, just a general observation:
It's relatively easy to conceal anything standing still, and when you control the point of view. After all, stage magicians hide all sorts of stuff... It's harder as you move, sit and do other things. Take that into account... and think about what you do that may be a giveaway, too.
It's relatively easy to conceal anything standing still, and when you control the point of view. After all, stage magicians hide all sorts of stuff... It's harder as you move, sit and do other things. Take that into account... and think about what you do that may be a giveaway, too.
allenjp
Brown Belt
CWP? wha??? not sure what that is... oh, wait, "Concealed Weapons Permit"? guess it's no that hard to figure out, actually it makes more sense than "Carry Concealed Weapons".
Kempotex:
Holy Moly! How the holy heck do you remember which one to go for first? or which one is where? Have you ever drawn your Glock only to discover that you were pointing a flashlight at someone? lol Good Grief!
you are an inspiration to self defenders everywhere
kwaichang
Purple Belt
There was a guy, eons ago, who "hid weapons" for the FBI, etc. The article showed him with 42 guns on his person. Standing up, you'd never know he had even one gun.
IMO, the average person wouldn't be served by carrying all that stuff. Indeed it would contribute to a finding of aggrivated assault, if one were invovled in anything at all simply by the amount of weaponry on the person.
KenpoTex
Senior Master
As I said, I did it a while back just to prove a point. I carried all that crap for a few days (in the car, out running errands, etc.) without a problem and even some of my friends/training-partners that know I carry couldn't detect anything different.
On a side note:
I'm another who is not a fan of "off body" carry (purse, dayplanner, briefcase, etc.) for some of the reasons already mentioned. My biggest hangup with it is that it's harder to maintain control of the weapon as you might set the item down, or have it snatched. At that point, you do not have your gun, the BG does. Also, it's not a consistent platform as its position relative to your body changes. For example, if you're knocked to the ground (or whatever), even if you maintain your grip on your purse or briefcase, it's not in the same place it was.
There's also the fact that it's going to require both hands to draw the weapon unlike an "on body" mode of carry that will typically only require one hand. This becomes pretty important when/if you're fighting an adversary at "bad breath range" and you have to fend with your off-hand.
On a side note:
I'm another who is not a fan of "off body" carry (purse, dayplanner, briefcase, etc.) for some of the reasons already mentioned. My biggest hangup with it is that it's harder to maintain control of the weapon as you might set the item down, or have it snatched. At that point, you do not have your gun, the BG does. Also, it's not a consistent platform as its position relative to your body changes. For example, if you're knocked to the ground (or whatever), even if you maintain your grip on your purse or briefcase, it's not in the same place it was.
There's also the fact that it's going to require both hands to draw the weapon unlike an "on body" mode of carry that will typically only require one hand. This becomes pretty important when/if you're fighting an adversary at "bad breath range" and you have to fend with your off-hand.
