Advice For Newbie

[Fishinado]

Hi There,

I'm new here, and very impressed with the wealth of information. I own a jewelry store, and recently decided to carry concealed. I haven't quite decided on a primary weapon ( I own a few), either Kahr P9, G26, 27, 36, Springfield EMP . I would like to go with a OWB rig. My issue is that I wear high-end suits and sport coats, and haven't found a gun belt that is nice enough to go with a Hugo Boss suit, so I feel my choices are limited. I bought a Wild Bill's Fushion, that is a paddle style that seems to work for me, but I see very few people use that system, and wonder if it is a good choice. I would appreciate some advice on a weapon/holster set up.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Roadrunner]

Welcome! I'll vouch for the quality of Gary Brommeland's belts, one wouldn't look a bit out of place on even the nicest suit. The Belt Man's stuff also looks very nice, but I've yet to get one myself. As for the holster... well, check out this thread for a good place to start looking. Gary makes a nice holster as do many, many others listed there. The hard part is the wait for those nice custom rigs.

[QKShooter]

Ditto: that the Brommeland belts are super nice.
Also forum member BruceGibson is making some super nice belts.

[DirtDawg]

Beltman lizzard belts in 1.25"

Nice enough for a Armani, cheap enough for an Al-phoney!

[Woody]

The Beltman's sure look nice.

[sass20485]

Beltman makes very nice stuff. Paddle holsters tend to not ride as close to the body, at least for me, as a quality OWB holster.

[zero]

+1 on beltman. Couldn't be happier with mine.

[KYmxracer52]

Would a shoulder holster work better for you?

[cockedlocked01]

Several holster makers (Especially on this forum) make some nice belts. But I'd imagine your best bet is to look at the Beltman's site, since that's pretty much all he does; belts.

As to the holster, a paddle allows you quick & easy on/off capability. I'm assuming you don't have a CCW, so that might come in handy. However, an IWB with snap-loops will work, too. As has been said, a paddle holster tends to not hold the gun as close to your body as a typical OWB with slots. There are some OWB holsters with snaps too, though.

Good luck.

[Fishinado]

Thank you gentlemen! Living in LA, the land of fruits and nuts, I can't have a CCW permit, so the easy on and off of the paddle was appealing. I carried my G27 in a Blade Tec today, worked fine although the gun does wobble a bit, probably because of the thin belt I was wearing. A LE friend suggested a Spark's Axiom, but that's a 6 month wait. I ordered a Galco Side Snap Scabbard today that has the same concept with the snaps over the belt, also seems like it will be an easy on and off concept. The shark and elephant belts from Beltman could work, I'll give that a try. Any more suggestions would be appreciated!

[zero]

A good belt does wonders for wobbles etc. Good luck.

[TerryD]

A good belt does wonders for wobbles etc. Good luck.

Going from a dress belt to a quality 1.5" belt made for carrying a pistol will make a HUGE difference. At least it did for me.

Also tightening up the belt a little more than you usually do can make a big difference. But, going to the holster you ordered is very secure. I have the Side Snap Scabbard, and the Galco Concealable Paddle holster. The Side Snap is much more secure than the paddle.

If you don't want to wait, you can probably find a Galco dealer close to you, there must be a dozen in my neck of the woods, and check out they're belts. Trying it on in the store, you will notice the difference.

Let us know how it works out once you get it.