Drawing from a tuckable IWB holster

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Originally Posted by Iram

Basically this is where I'm carrying. I suppose it's probably closer to 4:00-5:00 than 6:00.

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Looks about right to me.

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The gun is a S&W 908. There doesn't seem to be a lot of holster options for this, so I'm thinking about treating myself to an M&P 9c. The fact that the holster doesn't do easy 1-handed reholstering doesn't help when it comes to practicing...spend far more time re-holstering than holstering.

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If your EDC doesn't behave, then trade in the holster. A good holster will stay open and re-holster without any problems. The sad fact is that unless you're carrying a G**** or 1911 you will not have as many off-the-shelf holster choices. GOOD NEWS is that most of the custom makers will make you one for whatever EDC you carry. At about the same price as the of-the-shelf ones.

For example: http://www.bulmangunleather.com/iwb.html makes the PDL which is an IWB holster and available for the 908. You can make it tuckable by buying a set of kydex belt loops from CompTac (http://www.comp-tac.com/product_info.php?products_id=81) and drilling a couple of holes to mount the belt loops. (Or just ask politely for Bulman to do it for you to make it tuckable.)

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http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5126/img2225i.th.jpghttp://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5578/img2221z.th.jpg
(I'd like to say that's not my best side, but my face actually looks worse)

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Yeah, yeah we all love to look at your backside. Anybody know where the beer and wimmen went? :wave:

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I've been tucking in my shirt since I was in 3rd grade, carrying a cellphone/PDA on my belt since I was 16, and carrying a multitool since I was 19. After all these hears, wearing an untucked shirt just feels unnatural.

I am slightly flaring my shirt out so that I've got some extra room to prevent printing (normally I don't do this when not carrying). Any idea if keeping the shirt tighter works better.

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A tighter shirt doesn't work. You'll print all the time. Blousing your shirt is the proper technique and you look like you're doing it correctly. Drawing from a tuckable holster is NEVER going to be "fast." So you need to work on your S/A so that an ultra fast speed draw isn't going to be required. With great S/A, IF the SHTF you will already have your hand on your weapon.

Eventually you will give up the "OMG I think I'm printing!!!" fears.

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Originally Posted by roalho

A holster with two attachment points, fore and aft of the gun, will help hold the grip tighter in towards your body, and most likely open those carry location options. It's a geometry thing. A single attachment point will inherently allow the gun to pivot more, in both axes, and the grip will rotate to wherever it naturally wants to be, which is usually sticking out like a broken rib. Two attachment points, and that sucker is locked in tight against your person.
The trade-off is holster size. The ones with 2 attachment points are generally wider.

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Very, very true; and that's why I gave up on IWB tuckables that have but a single attachment point, since the weapon moves all over the darn place without two attachment points (I also prefer the two metal friction clip type myself). It was a godsend when I discovered the relatively new Kholster style (or a Crossbread, etc) -- and the Kydex also keeps the holster open for re-holstering.

My advice Iram, is to dump your current holster and get a Crossbread or Kholster -- it's like night-and-day compared to your older type of rig (but, as you say, your gun mold is probably not available. I know the pain -- I have a Python I'd like to carry, and very few companies make tuckables (that are affordable) for that either! :theyareontome:)

-Bill

I dont have a 908 but its cousin the 3913 and I also have a High noon holster I carry it in from time to time. The holster is for my Glock 26 but it works none the less. Ok you have a compact single stack pistol and youth on yourside ( I figure if you have had a PDA/phone on your hip since 16 you are younger than I ). Have you thought of appendix carry. I carry mine quite often in the 1:00 posistion and find it easier to drawn from this way. I free shirt with whichever hand is handy and use other to grab pistol. Just a thought try appendix.

To be honest, I don't see how adding a second loop would do a lot for stability. I realize it's a second attachment point and should help (that whole "two points define a line" thing), but I went out and ran about a mile and a half with my current holster, and the thing didn't move at all. I'm not sure how much more practical stability you can get.

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Originally Posted by camsdaddy

I dont have a 908 but its cousin the 3913 and I also have a High noon holster I carry it in from time to time. The holster is for my Glock 26 but it works none the less. Ok you have a compact single stack pistol and youth on yourside ( I figure if you have had a PDA/phone on your hip since 16 you are younger than I ). Have you thought of appendix carry. I carry mine quite often in the 1:00 posistion and find it easier to drawn from this way. I free shirt with whichever hand is handy and use other to grab pistol. Just a thought try appendix.

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I can't do appendix or pocket carry. I tried, but I just don't like where that leaves the gun pointing. Sit down when pocket carrying, and the gun is pointed at the guy across the table from you. Sit down with an appendix carry and it seems to be pointed at my leg or other important body parts. If there is a ND, I'd rather loose a cheek than any of the alternatives.

Considering the membership at the local ranges is generally white guys aged 55+, yeah, I'm probably about half your age. :tongue:

Ok not positive about the 908 and too lazy to google. My 3913 is DA/SA. I must say this is a personal preference thing and if you dont feel its safe by all means dont do it. Take your pistol unload it place it in the holster. First try firing the pistol while holstered then try putting it in your pants and tucking and then try to fire the pistol again. I think the intial trigger pull is going to be such that you will find there is no way to fire your pistol while holstered. Also the safety being manipulated while accidently pulling the trigger is even further rare. Again if you are not comfortable dont but give it a try with gun unloaded and see what you think.

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Originally Posted by Iram

I can't do appendix or pocket carry. I tried, but I just don't like where that leaves the gun pointing. Sit down when pocket carrying, and the gun is pointed at the guy across the table from you. Sit down with an appendix carry and it seems to be pointed at my leg or other important body parts. If there is a ND, I'd rather loose a cheek than any of the alternatives.

Considering the membership at the local ranges is generally white guys aged 55+, yeah, I'm probably about half your age. :tongue:

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Iram, you damn young wippersnapper. I have a mind to tan your hide, you uppity young-un. :twak:

I 100% agree about the pointing/sweeping of the handgun's barrel while in its holster: I don't care what kind of semi/revolver I am carrying, I just don't trust it not to go off for some Murphy-esque reason. That's one of the many reasons why I gave up on horizontal-carry shoulder holsters: It kept sweeping my wife, pedestrians, and anyone else within half a mile of me. Made me darn nervous!

You have one great single-clip holster there; I just personally never met one that didn't wiggle all around, even with my 15oz snubby.

-Bill

One other thing I realized this morning...

I have a Brigade Gun Leather M-11 IWB holster which is available for the 908. It's a fantastic holster but (from the maker) is not tuckable. I made mine tuckable by putting on the CompTac belt clips. It's not perfect because the front clip is angled where it clips onto my belt and I have to heat the clip with a heatgun to angle it properly at the top of the clip.

A solution would be to order a holster and ask that the bottom of the holster flaps be flared wider to allow the low mounting of the kydex clips. I'm sure that just about any mfg would be willing to do this on a special order basis.

The M-12 is probably a better platform for the modification than the M-11 because the M-12 doesn't have the relief notch in the front flap. Either is available for the 908.

Well, after playing around with it a lot last night, it seems like the easiest way to draw is going to be pulling my shirt out of the way with my right hand, and then grabbing the gun with my right hand. My left arm just doesn't reach far enough around the front of me to grab the shirt and get it out of the way.

If anyone hears of a better way, please let me know.