This is a discussion on Summer Carry Gun within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Ok, so I live in Alaska and for 9 months out of the year I wear enough to easily conceal my XD .40 (IWB). Summer ...
Ok, so I live in Alaska and for 9 months out of the year I wear enough to easily conceal my XD .40 (IWB). Summer is a few short months off, and believe it or not we actually can wear shorts and t-shirts. I actually wear shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.
I'm looking to get another weapon which I can carry during the summer which is smaller and easily concealable. I've looked at a S & W revolver, but I tend to prefer my auto to my revolver (I have a Dan Wesson .357 which is not much smaller than my XD).
So, I'd like to get opinions on what small auto you'd choose while wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt that is easily concealable and why you would choose that particular weapon.
I have talked my (much) better-half into letting me get a new gun before summer starts, so I thought I'd do the research now.
Just in case you're wondering, it now gets dark sometime aroudn 9:30 and you can still see at 10:00 PM. When the summer solstice hits here the sun won't actually go down until around 1:00 am and will rise about 3:00 am. We don't really have 'spring' here, but it is affectionately known as 'break-up'. I still have 12 inches of ice in my yard..... Gotta love Alaska!!
So, I'd like to get opinions on what small auto you'd choose while wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt that is easily concealable and why you would choose that particular weapon.
Since it has to be an auto I'd go with a 5" 1911 with a good IWB Holster and Belt. Off the top of my head I can recommend Milt Sparks, Mitch Rosen, Matt Del Fatti and Greg Kramer for a good Holster and Belt.
I always carry my Kahr P9. Eight rounds of 9mm and extremely thin and easy to carry. I am not very large so the Kahr being so thin makes it easy to conceal.
Untucked Hawaiian shirts over a tucked-in t-shirt is my uniform of the day about 90% of the year here. I have no problem carrying any of my thin, smooth 1911's in a Sparks VM2 with a spare mag offside in a Brommeland pouch. No reason to give up that .45 punch just because it's warm out!
It sounds like any of the better made single stack guns would be in your ballpark. Do you want to stay with the .40 caliber for ammo consistency (rather than buy a new caliber)?
For my own taste, the 1911 is hard to beat. They're thin, reliable and available in 9mm (SA, Kimber), .40 (Kimber and I think Dan Wesson), 10mm (Kimber, Dan Wesson) and the good ol' .45acp.
Other than 1911s there's the single stack Kahr line up in which ever caliber you prefer. The Sig P239 is a nice option in 9mm, .40 or .357 Sig. There's lots of choices out there, just narrow down a few gotta have features: Caliber, safety configuration, ammo capacity, leather availability, etc. and then see what guns meet those criteria.
Jack
I carry the same guns in the summer as I do in the winter (G17 and G19). A good IWB should allow it to conceal fine under hawaiian/camp/guaybera shirts (which is mostly what I wear in the summer).
While I know this may not be for everyone, I actually carried my XD9sc in the pocket of my shorts and a loose shirt all last summer without any problems.
Just cinched the drawstring snug and was good to go.
While you can tell there's something in your pocket, you really can't tell it's a gun, and I can tell you that No One gave it a second look.
I will stipulate that they were just normal cotton twill walmart shorts with elastic waistband and drawstring with fairly deep pockets. They were not thin material or gym shorts.
"The gun is the great equalizer... For it is the gun, that allows the meek to repel the monsters; Whom are bigger, stronger and without conscience, prey on those who without one, would surely perish."
Bark'n -
I almost hate to ask - was your XD9sc in a holster of some kind, or just in your pocket? I have a brand new XD40sc and a Crossbreed Supertuck. I'm very pleased with it so far, but I'm also wondering about that rig with shorts in the approaching summer months...?
I'm carrying my HK USP40c in a Comp-tac M-TAC & wearing cargo shorts and a collared button up shirt as we speak. Very comfy & very concealed.
My other option is a Crossbreed Supertuck with my Sig P250. This combo will conceal under the right T-shirt. The construction of the Supertuck seems to pull the grip of the pistol in to my side a little more aiding in the concealability under a T-shirt. It too is a very comfortable holster!
Since you have a perfect cover garment in the Hawaiian shirt worn outside your pants, I'd get a small, single stack 9mm with a fairly short barrel. I believe that any of the steel Kahrs would be good - the K9 or the smaller MK9. I'd pick these because they are thin, reliable, and the stainless steel finish resists the effects of perspiration or rain quite well. They conceal very easily, and their weight (24-25 ounces empty) handles recoil well.
I've been very pleased with my MK9, which I wear IWB in a Comp Tac kydex holster, which also resists moisture well.
"Give this to, uh, Clemenza. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks."
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