Burk Cornelius
Regular guy
I am not going to purport to know everything (or even close to it) about concealed carry but, like most of you, I try everything and use what works best for me. Most of you who carry IWB know what works for you but we want this place to be a resource for those who are trying to learn more like me and many others.
Position: I am a righty so my opinions will reflect that form of carry but they should apply to a lefty as well. If you are carrying a full size or a compact (medium sized gun) I have found 3 o’clock â€" 4 o’clock works best for me. Appendix may be acceptable for a smaller weapon but I find a larger weapon difficult to wear efficiently in appendix position. It is obviously easier to access while seated but also difficult to actually BE seated. I won’t talk about pocket carry because it has been discussed elsewhere. One thing that should dictate the position you carry is a belt loop. Whatever type of holster you carry, try to straddle a belt loop on your pants. It will make whatever platform you use more stable. Try carrying in all of the positions and see what feels the best for your build.
Clothing:
Pants: I don’t think you necessarily HAVE go out and buy pants a size larger than you currently wear to effectively carry IWB. Like others have pointed out, there is a natural “space†between your body and your pants depending on how you are built. Stand up and place your hand (palm in) between your pants and your body right above your back pocket. Most have a loose space there already that a good sized gun will fit in. Have you ever heard someone say “you don’t have a butt� Well that might be good news. If you don’t have a butt, then there is probably a nice space there for your weapon. Something some of you might not like to hear is that if you do find the need to go up a size in your pants, you might have needed to do that anyway. :O
Shirts: In the winter, a coat or other outerwear does a good job of covering a weapon, even OWB. Where some have trouble is in the summer. I don’t normally use a tuckable holster so I will let someone else comment on them. I have found that a shirt that is properly sized for you will hang long enough to cover just about any IWB holster and gun. This is where I think IWB has an advantage because the barrel of the gun is down your pants instead of down your leg. Anyway back to shirts; I have found that “camp†shirts (bowling type shirts) are long enough to do a good job. Obviously, you will need to be more conscious of the wind blowing your shirt around without a jacket or other outerwear. Others have good luck with polo type shirts. An untucked button shirt with tails works very well because they, well, have tails and are longer. T-Shirts are always good if you are going casual. Again, if the t-shirt doesn’t cover effectively, you may have needed to go up to the next size anyway. There are a lot of posts about “printing†so I won’t go into that here. Personally I don’t think it is as big of a deal as some make of it. I also find that an undershirt of some kind tucked in will make the experience much more comfortable and it will protect your gun if you don't have a sweat guard.
Belts: Here is an area that I have learned the most about. You need a laterally stiff belt. Grip your belt between your thumb and middle finger and squeeze as hard as you can. If you can collapse the belt it might not be the best choice. You don’t have to buy a “gun belt†to have a good “gun beltâ€. Just find one that is laterally stiff and it should work well for you. Filson makes a very nice double thick belt. You also have a lot of choices at higher end western stores that don’t always look “westernâ€. They are typically very stiff by nature. I like 1-1/2†wide belts because they offer more lateral stability. Wider is better but sometimes pants won’t accept a 1-3/4†belt. I usually buy a belt that is a little longer than I used to use just so there are plenty of holes since you are going around a gun as well as your waist.
Holsters: Yeah right! Like I’m going to get into that.
These are just some random thoughts that some might find useful. Please add your own observations and maybe we can have a nice reference for others who are researching IWB carry.
Position: I am a righty so my opinions will reflect that form of carry but they should apply to a lefty as well. If you are carrying a full size or a compact (medium sized gun) I have found 3 o’clock â€" 4 o’clock works best for me. Appendix may be acceptable for a smaller weapon but I find a larger weapon difficult to wear efficiently in appendix position. It is obviously easier to access while seated but also difficult to actually BE seated. I won’t talk about pocket carry because it has been discussed elsewhere. One thing that should dictate the position you carry is a belt loop. Whatever type of holster you carry, try to straddle a belt loop on your pants. It will make whatever platform you use more stable. Try carrying in all of the positions and see what feels the best for your build.
Clothing:
Pants: I don’t think you necessarily HAVE go out and buy pants a size larger than you currently wear to effectively carry IWB. Like others have pointed out, there is a natural “space†between your body and your pants depending on how you are built. Stand up and place your hand (palm in) between your pants and your body right above your back pocket. Most have a loose space there already that a good sized gun will fit in. Have you ever heard someone say “you don’t have a butt� Well that might be good news. If you don’t have a butt, then there is probably a nice space there for your weapon. Something some of you might not like to hear is that if you do find the need to go up a size in your pants, you might have needed to do that anyway. :O
Shirts: In the winter, a coat or other outerwear does a good job of covering a weapon, even OWB. Where some have trouble is in the summer. I don’t normally use a tuckable holster so I will let someone else comment on them. I have found that a shirt that is properly sized for you will hang long enough to cover just about any IWB holster and gun. This is where I think IWB has an advantage because the barrel of the gun is down your pants instead of down your leg. Anyway back to shirts; I have found that “camp†shirts (bowling type shirts) are long enough to do a good job. Obviously, you will need to be more conscious of the wind blowing your shirt around without a jacket or other outerwear. Others have good luck with polo type shirts. An untucked button shirt with tails works very well because they, well, have tails and are longer. T-Shirts are always good if you are going casual. Again, if the t-shirt doesn’t cover effectively, you may have needed to go up to the next size anyway. There are a lot of posts about “printing†so I won’t go into that here. Personally I don’t think it is as big of a deal as some make of it. I also find that an undershirt of some kind tucked in will make the experience much more comfortable and it will protect your gun if you don't have a sweat guard.
Belts: Here is an area that I have learned the most about. You need a laterally stiff belt. Grip your belt between your thumb and middle finger and squeeze as hard as you can. If you can collapse the belt it might not be the best choice. You don’t have to buy a “gun belt†to have a good “gun beltâ€. Just find one that is laterally stiff and it should work well for you. Filson makes a very nice double thick belt. You also have a lot of choices at higher end western stores that don’t always look “westernâ€. They are typically very stiff by nature. I like 1-1/2†wide belts because they offer more lateral stability. Wider is better but sometimes pants won’t accept a 1-3/4†belt. I usually buy a belt that is a little longer than I used to use just so there are plenty of holes since you are going around a gun as well as your waist.
Holsters: Yeah right! Like I’m going to get into that.
These are just some random thoughts that some might find useful. Please add your own observations and maybe we can have a nice reference for others who are researching IWB carry.
