Trouble using belt holster, any suggestions???

I would try a different cut shirt. I'm a little fella 5'6 145 lbs and I carry an all steel government size 1911 .45acp IWB with minor issue's with a t-shirt or polo shirt. Depending on the brand or cut of the shirt. Some fit's like a big medium and some like a small medium shirt. If the shirt fit you kinda snug, it's going to print pretty bad.

Try the Appendix position for a little better concealment and access as well. I've gained some weight in the last couple of years due to a much less active and more stressful job and have found AIWB hides a gun well for me. I don't carry less than a G23 and frequently carry a thick Sig and AIWB hides all well.

Brian, I bought a holster for my LCP when I retired and love it. Check out Uncle George's holsters out of Austin Texas. I found his video on Youtube. Not sure if he makes a holster for LC9's but I love mine. It resembles a wallet and is very very concealable. I have never had any luck with SOB holsters and they are not good for your lower back. SOB's are nearly impossible to draw when seated in a car also.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brianalisa

Ouch! You didn't try hard enough!:redface:
That would explain some of the problems with carrying at approx. 4' O-clock but not the SOB. I haven't been able to make that conceal either and that doesn't have anything to do with the weight issue.
Thanks for all the feedback guys! Trying some new ideas!

---

Sorry, I tried. I'm 5'8" and 190ish. I have no problem carrying a P229 or a P239 SOB wearing jeans and a x-large T-shirt.

Not to be a smartaleck but you realize your waistline goes all the way around. Belt carry in any of the o'clocks is going to be tuff for you,but good luck. Prove me wrong (encouragement).

I use galco pancake. It prints but I have found nobody notices. They're all oblivious. WI is an OC state. I honestly think people are oblivious to us, printing is going to happen. I love Crossbreed mini tuck when I want to be discreet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ram Rod

What you can and can't imagine for for somebody else is mute. You carry for yourself. Everyone else? Not important. Belt holster......you sure this is the way you need to carry? I will reiterate my sermon on concealed carry......it should change your life and everything you do if you want to carry all of the time. Many times it's not an easy ordeal. Many times it's not accepted, but still necessary. No matter what your height, weight, width, girth or shape, there is a way to do everything you want to do with concealing a handgun, and doing it well. Clothing is one of the important aspects........do you or will you wear cargo pants? Do you really need a firm support system for your pistol? Pocket carry? Appendix carry? Options? Your physique is never a drawback in any way. There will be pros and cons, but there will never be "cant's". Any can't won't do because that translates into a not willing to do. There's you, your equipment, and your ideals. The open minded never cease to come up with options. Your terms are "belt holster". Any time you define your terms, you limit yourself. Maybe start thinking outside the box and "belt holsters" and better means will show themselves? I wish some of you folks would come spend a week with me in an informal environment. Many folks pay good money to go to a formal training institute to use a weapon, but those schools don't teach the best way to conceal. IMO......those formal schools miss the point...the basics. Your mind is the best weapon available......why not use it to your advantage from the start? Limit yourself, and you'll be limited in what you can do. Maybe one day I'll start my own school...............for those who don't think anything's possible. I have a dream............

---

Thanks for all the feedback guys-very good and most appreciated! As there were many I wanted to copy as they were very good, Ram Rod seemed to put his heart into the answer even more! Thanks Ram Rod (and to all the others that provided feedback!) It is nice to know that I am not the only one having difficulty!
OneAz2risk, thanks for the suggestion for the LCP but you are a couple years too late for that suggestion as I have been carrying the LCP for a back up to the LC9 for over 2 years (it is such a good gun which is why I ended up buying the LC9 and using it as my primary/I now have two!). Thank you for the suggestion-I will check out George's holsters. I have some excellent holsters for the LC9 if anybody wants to send me a kite, I will give them over a year's worth of research in 10 minutes!
IWB is currently my alternative to pocket-carry and I like it as it is held tighter and allows a quicker draw.

A few have suggested larger, looser fitting shirts. Make sure they have some kind of pattern to them. That really helps break up the gun outline. A good belt helps lots, too. It holds the gun better. I like mine so well, that I wear it even when I can't carry.

I recommend you check the Remora Holster. No type of fasteners are needed, just friction. Don't make fun until you check them. I think they are great and are one of my top three holsters ever and I have been on a holster safari for many years. I am through hunting for the perfect holster for me.

Safe shooting,
Vv

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matthew03

Try the Appendix position for a little better concealment and access as well. I've gained some weight in the last couple of years due to a much less active and more stressful job and have found AIWB hides a gun well for me. I don't carry less than a G23 and frequently carry a thick Sig and AIWB hides all well.

---

Me too. One thing I noticed is when I use my HighNoon SOB holster, slid around to the 2'O-clock position, with my extra weight, it conceals well and it provides an easy draw. Unfortunately, this is another holster that sticks out too much in the SOB postion.

OP,

Have you tried any of the pocket holsters with the LC9? If so, what was your experience?

I know the LC9 is borderline for pocket carry but I just ordered a Model 3 from holster pro and I'm going it a try since I often wear pants with bigger pockets.

I have not tried IWB yet. (Don't have a holster for it.) But I feel I would probably have some of the issues you have been experiencing with my extra "girth". :-)

In my experience, body shape, clothing selection and gun/holster selection drives everything. We all need to pick a combination that works together. If changing one element doesn't cure the issue, try fiddling with one of the other elements.

Whether a svelte and athletic V-shape or not, the issues are still basically the same. You need to ensure that the holster/gun combination allows for it to be relatively close and "form-fitting," angled enough and/or tight enough to your body that it disguises the protruding butt of the gun, low/high enough that it tucks it in sufficiently, and positioned at a spot along the waist that it doesn't unduly protrude.

If, say, 4'oclock position doesn't work with that particular gun/holster, try somewhat forward or rearward of that position. You might well find it "tucks in" far better at a spot where your body allows it to.

Of course, you've got IWB/OWB/IB, different styles (scabbard, paddle, etc), and the different positions I/others have suggested. With a given gun, you might well find that one holster choice won't conceal nearly as well as another option. BTDT, myself.

I have found clothing choice to be crucial. The pants need to allow enough space and movement yet be of sufficient weight to mask the firearm. As well, shirts need to be either loose enough or straight-hanging enough to mask the firearm. And the position/holster needs to ensure the protruding gun butt is tucked as tightly into the body as your clothing and movements require. Generally speaking, whenever I acquire a completely different pant/shirt, I ensure it'll work with my gun/holster combo.

In my experience, at least with my gun/holster choices, the stiffness and quality of the belt has been critical to holding the gun in place. At least 1.5in and about as thick as you can stomach. Some belt makers offer options such as stiffeners, double-thickness. Also consider a belt with a contour/curved cut to it, if yours are straight-cut. It might improve the fit a little.

Good luck on tracking down the best combination. It can be trial and error.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brianalisa

hey guys, I recently bought a very nice slide guard holster from High Noon and carry two LC9s in them (and the holster is fitted specifically for the LC9. The holster is great but it prints even with my t-shirts. I am approx. 5'8" and 250 pounds and can't figure out why it is printing so much. I am retired law enforcement and remember carrying my P239 Sig in a cheap belt carry and it never seemed to print.
Any suggestions??
I also have a nice SOB holster and though it has a deep cant and runs along my belt, it also sticks out too far on my back to conceal unless I am wearing at least a light jacket. As I do have a bit of a gut, I can slide it around to approx. 2 O'clock and it fits rather well and still allows a quick draw if needed.
Again, any suggestions??
I am sure this is common sense, though I haven't worn these type of holsters in several years and maybe I am missing something! Is everybody else have the same issue? I am just carrying the LC9s- I can't imagine somebody carrying a mid or full-size gun and trying to conceal it.
Thanks for any suggestions!!

---

Ok, the question, maybe i'm just dense, but you say two LC9's. Are you trying to carry two at once, or just that you have two that you rotate through?

Anyway, that aside. Some of the comments in this thread are from people that probably never have been fat, and therefore just say uninformed "you can't conceal when fat, so lose weight" type comments.

As someone basically the same body type, I can tell you that you can certainly conceal an LC9 in the right rig, but you will probably have to go with a two clip/loop IWB. A PM9 in a good IWB at 3:30-4:00 or so just dissapears when I'm wearing polos or untucked button down shirts. Now, I rarely wear a T-shirt as my outer garment when carrying, so that might be a factor. You might have to get some t-shirts that are heavier material or even made for carry with a stiff seem and even some ballooning at the waist line (I know they have polos like that, probably T's).

My favorite PM9 holster is an IWB K&D convertible thunderbird, or something like that, but K&D seems to have gone to making nothing but pocket holsters. So, I would suggest a crossbreed crosstuck, but don't get the single clip model, get the double click model. I experimented with quite a few high quality, custom/semi-custom single clip rigs for my PM9 and they all printed. The quality double clip holsters pull the gun in much tighter and prevent printing.

Now, as to fat guys will print, I now almost exclusively carry an M&P compact in a TT Leather IWB rig and I have to work hard to get it to print, things like leaning forward and to the left. Stuff like that. If I put it closer to 4:30-5:00, it is much more likely to print when leaning forward, but when it's closer to the hip, so maybe 3:30-4:00, it's not a problem.

Now, i will say that shirt material, and even color makes a difference. Darker shirts (reds, dark blues, blacks, etc.), end especially plaids or patterns, that tend to have more natural shadows are the best for avoiding printing, because even if there is a slight printing, it is hard to distinguish from the shadow or shirt print.

So, my advice to you is to get an IWB DOUBLE clip/loop holster, like the Comptac MTAC Minotaur or the Crossbreed mini-tuck, and as others have advised, make sure you get a quality double layer gun belt, not just a thick wal-mart style belt. Check out the Beltman or Texas leatherworks (leatherworks ships almost immediately, the Beltman has a long wait).

With a quality belt and a minituck or similar holster, and some care given to the shirts you choose, you will have no problem.

Check out Fusion Pac on YouTube & their web site also. a great alternative to a IWB holster instead of any belly bands etc.