Plus-size concealed carry

[pitbullmamaliz]

Hello all! All of the youtube videos I've seen done from women have been tiny little things. Well, I'm not so tiny. I'm 5'9" and about a size 18, very hourglass/pear shaped. I'm really eyeing the Crossbreed SuperTuck but I'm not sure how it will work on a chubby chick.

Are any of you ladies fuller-figured and have a concealed holster that you love? Any of you guys have a bigger girlfriend/wife/sister and can make a recommendation? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to admit your size on a public forum.

Thanks for any help!

[Zen]

Could you find a way to carry if your life (or that of your loved ones) depended on it? Someday it just may. When I started I was sure everyone could tell I was carrying. Unless it is very obvious, nobody notices. Here's hoping you work it out.

[Jake]

While not my favorite recommendation, but there are a lot of purses designed for concealed carry.
I feel more comfortable suggestion "on body" methods.

Something is better than nothing.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Zen, I will definitely be carrying - I'm just trying to find the comfiest on-body way to do so.
Jake, I'm soooo not a purse-girl. Way too much of a tomboy. I want on-body, preferably IWB. I just wasn't sure if anybody had found that a particular brand of IWB was better for us chubby chicks.

[pirateguy191]

Taken from another thread. http://tease.thedailywh.at/2011/05/13/b ... /#comments

[Jake]

The user of that device is clearly NOT a novice as the ad say.
The give away?

Her finger indexing.

Back on topic, what type/size of firearm are you trying to conceal?

[charben]

Back on topic, what type/size of firearm are you trying to conceal?

A plus size one! Duh!

[MuzzleReport]

I can't speak to the female aspect. I'm a fairly round guy though and the crossbreed works great for me.

[pleasantguywhopacks]

TDI Fanny pack..

[TSiWRX]

Good for you, lady, for honestly stepping up!

As if it's not hard enough for y'all already, women like faliaphotography and limatunes on YouTube, while offering a tremendous resource, sadly only address a specific sub-population. What works for them definitely wouldn't work for my wife, even though my wife is not "plus-size." [Clarification: my wife doesn't carry, but the wife of a fellow member of the DefensiveCarry.com Forum has a very similar overall build/shape to her body, so I can make that comparison with at least a decent level of certainty.]

Unfortunately, since my wife doesn't carry, I can't speak with much authority to female-anatomy-friendly holsters...and even less so when it comes to "plus-size" women.

However, what I can share is my experience in being a not-exactly-shaped-like-Bruce-Lee man: I'm 6-ft. even and about 245 lbs. Combine that with the fact that I'm not the muscle-bound "World's Strongest Man" type, and you'll get an equation that, to the right, shows a rather pronounced beer-belly and love-handles.

With "hybrid" half-leather/half-Kydex-hardshell holsters like the CrossBreed SuperTuck (CBST), the Comp-Tac Minotaur MTAC, Kholster, TheisHolster, Old-Faithful Holsters, Tucker's "The Answer," JMC's "Alpha," Galco's "King Tuck," and Garrett Industries' "What the Tuck?" - all of these have one potential problem with larger folk like us....our fat-roll at the abdominal area tends to push down on the sweat-shield portion, somewhat closing it over the mouth of the holster. This means that when you're holstering, you're going to have to find a way to push that flap out of the way (most beginners are tempted to "dig in" with the muzzle, which is unsafe at best). It's also speculated that our extra fat rolls may contribute a bit more to the "stretching" of the leather that, in the long run, cause some users of this type of "hybrid" holsters to note what is essentially a "collapse" of the mouth portion of the holster: that the leather stretches and loses its shape.

On the flip side of that, though, is the fact that the extended sweat-shield does offer big-boys/big-girls like us a bit more comfort during all-day-carry. It'll mean that when our fat goes "over the edge," it's going over leather, not the sharp corners of the firearm. For-example, my 99% carry-holster is a PureKustom Black Ops Pro. It's sweat-guard is also extended - in the same way that a CBST without the "Combat Cut" happens to be. As anyone who has taken a serious concealed-carry training course can tell you, that kind of configuration means that you'll have to really shove your hand "into" the holster to get a good combat-grip on the holstered pistol, at the draw - and that this is the reason why many prefer the "Combat Cut" on the CBST or modify their own holsters to achieve that effect. But you know what? I sit around all day with my holster. I drive with it on. I'm actually much more worried about comfort than the "what ifs" of my draw-stroke, because if the rig isn't comfortable, that increases my chances of not wearing it, and that drops my survivability much farther down than having a less-than-optimal draw. So what do I do? I keep the sweat-shield as-is, and train to the effect of having to dig my thumb down there: three blisters later, there's a nice callous there on my thumb now (and a note to those who say: "why not just cut the shield?" - not only is extended-wear comfort a concern, but I've actually taken out gouges of skin from that area, when I drill using holsters which do not have the shield there: it's really six-of-one/half-dozen of the other: neither is ideal, but in training, I know how to deal with either fall-out).

FWIW, I've actually been surprised by full-Kydex-hardshell holsters, of-late.

The Raven Phantom that my friend sold me with my XDm9 really isn't very comfortable as an IWB - but I think that this may be due to its shape/design and how it interacts with my rather well-padded body. Surprisingly, I recently acquired a Garrett "Silent Thunder Slim II" for my Kahr PM9, and that holster is extremely, extremely comfortable. If having a holster that doesn't collapse when you draw is of the utmost importance to you (i.e. whether you intend for this holster to be a "training/class" holster or if your occupation demands such capabilities [law-enforcement, with the need to holster so as to control the suspect, etc.]), making the sacrifice of a little comfort for this capability, in getting a full-Kydex-hardshell, might be worth the compromise. Blade-Tech actually has a full-Kydex-hardshell that, in the exact reverse of the offerings that made Garrett so famous, uses a leather outer to cover a hard inner.

The best way to go about this would be to try the stuff, first-hand. But the big problem with this, "the holster game," is that it can get real expensive, real fast. I'm kinda a gear-geek, so I have quite a number of holsters, and I don't mind the money I've spent on them. But for most people, this kind of obsession is rather ridiculous.

I've offered this to others here before - a look-see (and wear, if you want, I've got no problem with that) of my holsters...but of the last couple of months or so, I'm no longer a regular of Stonewall's range as I usually otherwise am, simply because I've been much busier at work and because I'm taking training courses otherwise, too. But if for some reason you just happen to be signed up with Three Tango's "Defensive Pistol" class for this Saturday, let me know, and I'll bring out my various holsters so that you can have a good look-see.


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BTW: if you're dead-set on the CBST, look at larger distributors/retailers like Midway USA. They typically carry a stock of the more popular defensive pistols' holsters, so you may not even have to wait.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Yeah, the boob-holster is a NOT SO MUCH for me! I've got the cleavage for it, and perhaps ripping my shirt up to grab a gun would make a bad guy pause, but it would be somewhat embarassing practicing at the range with that.

I have a Glock 27. I currently use a Serpa holster for my duty G23, and it will hold the G27 as well, but I would like something somewhat more conceal-friendly than the Serpa. But I love the Kydex. I can't stand holsters that flop closed so I have to try to finagle my gun back in without muzzling my hand.

PGWP, I don't know if I could bring myself to wear a fanny pack. As a chubby chick, the last thing I need is to add something else frumpy onto the front of my body! LOL It may come in handy sometimes, but I'd really prefer to have it on my body.

TSiWRX, thanks for the great breakdown. I'm fortunate (?) in that most of the weight is in my hips and front of my tummy, not sides. Can't believe I just said "fortunate" there, LOL. But I think that may be my saving grace when it comes to IWB holsters.

I really like the looks of the leather/Kydex hybrids. Like I said, I'm eyeing the CBST, as well as the Kholster. I know the Minotaur M-Tac is also a fan favorite here. I know Kholster and Crossbreed allow you to send them back if you don't like them, so I'm thinking of trying the Kholster first, just 'cause it's cheaper and instantly available. Neither of the gun stores I went to yesterday had a decent selection of IWB holsters - all they had was the little leather one that collapses if you look at it wrong and costs way too much money.

Where can I find more info about this Defensive Pistol class?

[TSiWRX]

Yeah, the boob-holster is a NOT SO MUCH for me! I've got the cleavage for it, and perhaps ripping my shirt up to grab a gun would make a bad guy pause, but it would be somewhat embarassing practicing at the range with that.

At a recent "holster techniques" class, I was wearing my everyday (anyone who's met me will know, I'm practically always in a black $5 Old-Navy T-shirt and matching $20 Old-Navy jeans) T-shirt, and flashing the older lady next to me, every time I drew.

I have a Glock 27. I currently use a Serpa holster for my duty G23, and it will hold the G27 as well, but I would like something somewhat more conceal-friendly than the Serpa. But I love the Kydex. I can't stand holsters that flop closed so I have to try to finagle my gun back in without muzzling my hand.

If the extra retention (i.e. the SERPA's capture/release button) isn't a big deal for you and you like Kydex, I'd recommend that you look at some of the more concealed-carry oriented full-hardshell OWBs. I use a Raven Phantom for most class-work, and it fits the bill as a proper concealment-oriented OWB, pulling the holster and gun "high and tight." The problem with the Ravens is that unless you can find what you want on the secondary market, it's a -LONG- wait for one. Luckily, there's plenty of other outfits (Atomic Dog, Peters Custom Holsters, Cane and Derby, etc.) that offer equally high-quality goods, with shorter lead-times. Also, there are locals who make such holsters as their "side/retirement"-business, and will offer you a personal fitting/adjustment session, taking about an hour or so to complete the build, and for often only a fraction of the price of the more well-known Internet makers.

I'm fortunate (?) in that most of the weight is in my hips and front of my tummy, not sides. Can't believe I just said "fortunate" there, LOL. But I think that may be my saving grace when it comes to IWB holsters.

No, no, I get what you mean, completely. I lament the fact that I have so much frontal overhang....I can't do appendix/inguinal carry if I plan on sitting/driving at all - it's really too bad, as I can make a full-sized pistol disappear there.

I wonder, if you rotate the IWB to, say, 3-o'clock and beyond, if you won't have any of the flap-closure problem to worry about, at all.....

The only thing you've got to worry about would be, particularly in the summer, if you've got a thinner shirt on and if you carry at the 4'o-clock position or beyond, that you don't print excessively (I wouldn't worry too much about a little printing, most people aren't going to be that aware of what others are doing/wearing) when you bend/turn/reach. The most easily accessible "public" example of this would be that woman on the Magpul Art of the Dynamic Handgun video, where they demonstrate it with her outfit.

I really like the looks of the leather/Kydex hybrids. Like I said, I'm eyeing the CBST, as well as the Kholster. I know the Minotaur M-Tac is also a fan favorite here.

http://vagunforum.net/carrying/crossbre ... tml#p38003" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

^ To-date, I still think that's the most comprehensive comparison of the MTAC and the CBST. I read it both before as well as after my CBST and my MTAC (yeah, I've got both, for the same gun, too - I told ya I was a gear-addict!) arrived, and I still find it to be very, very accurate.

I know Kholster and Crossbreed allow you to send them back if you don't like them, so I'm thinking of trying the Kholster first, just 'cause it's cheaper and instantly available.

Most people who want to try this kind of stuff out indeed do go with the Kholster, TheisHolster, or the Old-Faithful variants, first: and honestly, many who go the route of these three actually are more than happy enough with their holster that they stay with it.

I also listed up-above a few other choices, among which the Galco King Tuck, and the offerings from both Tucker and Garrett have received much praise from their respective owners.

Neither of the gun stores I went to yesterday had a decent selection of IWB holsters - all they had was the little leather one that collapses if you look at it wrong and costs way too much money.

I know that Top Gun Supply out in Chardon carries Richie's leather, and that's a high-tier leather holster (both IWB and OWB). But honestly, if you're going to spend that much, I'd look at dan dan the XD40 man's offerings ( http://www.zlogonje.com/blog1.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ), which are both priced more reasonably as well as is local , there's also a thread running under the Zlogonje name in the commercial sales part of the Forums here, and you can see his awesome stuff there.

Where can I find more info about this Defensive Pistol class?

Three Tango Firearms Academy:

http://www.threetango.com/-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; the "Defensive Pistol I" (http://www.threetango.com/courses/beginner.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) class is the one that I'm taking this weekend (the "Register" link is still up, so I suppose there's still space? If you're interested, though, I'd recommend that you give Bill Holcomb, the owner, a call, just to make sure, at this late date). If you search for "three tango" here, you'll find a couple of reviews. That, combined with a recommendation from Ron Lauinger (LMI), was what made me want to go.

[pitbullmamaliz]

If the extra retention (i.e. the SERPA's capture/release button) isn't a big deal for you and you like Kydex, I'd recommend that you look at some of the more concealed-carry oriented full-hardshell OWBs.

It's not at all a big deal for me for personal carry. My job just required me to have at least a level 1 retention.

I wonder, if you rotate the IWB to, say, 3-o'clock and beyond, if you won't have any of the flap-closure problem to worry about, at all.....

I was actually contemplating this. Normally for work I carry right at the 3 o'clock position. However, the past few days I've been wearing it a little further back to see what it's like and I actually really like it. I'm figuring once my CHL arrives and I get a holster, I'll carry probably around the 4 o'clock position. Probably won't be as comfortable for driving, but I'll tackle that hurdle when I come to it. I'm more concerned about comfort/concealability when out and about in public, not necessarily sitting in my car.

The only thing you've got to worry about would be, particularly in the summer, if you've got a thinner shirt on and if you carry at the 4'o-clock position or beyond, that you don't print excessively (I wouldn't worry too much about a little printing, most people aren't going to be that aware of what others are doing/wearing) when you bend/turn/reach.

I normally stick to somewhat baggy t-shirts, but I will definitely have to be mindful of printing. I think I'm going to spend a lot of time making weird body movements in front of my mirror when I get a holster, LOL. And thank you for the names of IWB's to check out. I have several tabs open right now and my crappy work computer hates me as I flip back and forth comparing them.

That class sounds like it would be good. It's all stuff that we cover at my firearms training at work, but it's always good to have extra practice. I'll have to bookmark their page to watch for future trainings. No moola to shell out right now!

[TSiWRX]

It's not at all a big deal for me for personal carry. My job just required me to have at least a level 1 retention.

^ That's what I figured, too. In that case, definitely give some of the quality full-hardshell OWBs a look. Since they pull the holster so high and tight against your body, concealment is typically very, very good, even with just a T.

I was actually contemplating this. Normally for work I carry right at the 3 o'clock position. However, the past few days I've been wearing it a little further back to see what it's like and I actually really like it. I'm figuring once my CHL arrives and I get a holster, I'll carry probably around the 4 o'clock position. Probably won't be as comfortable for driving, but I'll tackle that hurdle when I come to it. I'm more concerned about comfort/concealability when out and about in public, not necessarily sitting in my car.

Different people find different level of comfort with different carry positions - I've got friends who don't mind a 4:30 to even 5-o'clock carry and they practically drive or sit all day. Go figure.

I normally stick to somewhat baggy t-shirts, but I will definitely have to be mindful of printing. I think I'm going to spend a lot of time making weird body movements in front of my mirror when I get a holster, LOL. And thank you for the names of IWB's to check out. I have several tabs open right now and my crappy work computer hates me as I flip back and forth comparing them.

Glad to be of-assistance. And yep, it's the weird body movements that'll get ya.

Now, with so many people carrying so many things at their waist, unless you've really got a "Han Solo in Carbonite" outline of a firearm sticking out of your clothes, no-one really even takes notice anymore. But yep, it's those weird stretches, twists, etc., that'll raise concern.

That class sounds like it would be good. It's all stuff that we cover at my firearms training at work, but it's always good to have extra practice. I'll have to bookmark their page to watch for future trainings. No moola to shell out right now!

^ I hear ya! Every time I go to a class, I practically double my spendings in terms of having to find childcare. And ammo ain't cheap, either!

[pitbullmamaliz]

Ammo isn't a concern for me - through a co-worker who is a firearms training officer, I have amassed numerous cases.