OK now that I have your attention , here we go . I don't get the whole "smart carry " thing ??? Hundreds of you use these holsters or claim you do but I tried one on and it's not comfortable at all . Plus does anyone know of anyone that had an AD while drawing from this "smart carry" ????? It just seems to me it's a big risk in a tense life threatning situation to draw from the front of your pants ......the gun is gonna jab you no matter how you sit or stand ....anyhow I don't get it .
When in draw string shorts and boxer briefs I just grab everything on the right side and lift it together, and urinate..... #2 that's a different story
yes, I have
I stuff a sock into each compartment and use it as protection when we do Simunitions training in our shoot house
I ordered mine back in 2006 I believe, and its still working well today. I mainly use it when working out/running.
Charlie, it is good to have you on the forum. As a police officer, I use your product to remain armed when my clothing dictates the method of carry. Thank you.
I have been carrying in SmartCarry holsters for a total of 19 years (from 1994, the year I invented the holster to date & have worn out 3 and am on my 4th currently) and this is not only my opinion, but we've had many of our customers say the same thing. For 15 of those years I carried an Ithaca M1911A-1 w/ a loaded weight of 52.25 oz. w/ no comfort (or other problems) whatsoever. Please tell me what you found to be uncomfortable and I'll see if I can give you a remedy. Also, I carry my 1911 (or Springfield XD45 w/ a 4" barrel) cocked and locked. When drawing the weapon your finger does not get inside the trigger guard until the handgun clears your waistband and is pointed at whatever is in front of you. And the strapping that secures the holster should be around your hips, at the point where your hipbones protrude at your sides, and not around you waist. Hope this helps and looking for your reply.
Charlie it's great to have you on the forum. I've used your product since 2003 and it works great. Matter of fact it works so well and is so durable I still have the same one.
When I ordered I called and spoke to you personally on the phone and I sure wish more business provided the same level of service that you do.
Got mine a few weeks ago and love it. I do need deep concealment and it fits the bill perfectly. I carry my 442 and a speed strip in it with no issues. Very pleased, will be buying another if this one wears out. It is not for every setting, but for some there are none better.
I've probably used the smart carry holster close to 1000 times. It is pretty comfortable. It was wearing out my expensive dress clothes around the top of the rear site and underneath the belt buckle... Which is why I have stopped wearing it for the most part.
It does take some getting used to having a loaded weapon in that area. Unload your weapon. I'll say it again, unload your weapon and attempt to pull the trigger through the fabric. That helped me trust it. Can't do it.
You do need to take extreme care reholstering for sure.
My Velcro strap wore out a lot faster than I would a liked by I wholeheartedly recommend this product unless you wear thinner material dress pants (wool suits).
I really like my smart carry. I carry my Glock 26 in it every day at work. I really don't like that I'm not quite as quick with it as my IWB holster (galco king tuk) but my work situation is such that if someone were to see my gun, i'm as good as fired. Usually these deep concealment holsters are the lesser of two evils. Like it was said earlier, a gun in the truck or at home is worthless. People who decide on these holsters for high percentage concealment are typically forced in to it (for me, I only wear it at work. when not at work, it's IWB all day baby) I would MUCH rather have a gun on my person than somewhere else where it won't even have a chance to do what it was designed to do, namely, possibly save my life one day.
As far as the poking and uncomfortable nature of the holster that some people have mentioned, I COMPLETELY AGREE. At first this thing was terrible. It pinched my balls so bad I couldn't even stand walking around with it around my house! However, my conviction to be armed 100 percent of the time is very strong. This is very common among us sheep dogs. The fact of the matter is, you're going to have to give up SOME comfort level at least SOMETIMES if you're going to carry a gun on your person. It's just the way it is and I feel it's the sacrifice of carrying a gun. It took me a little while to get used to IWB and it took me about three weeks of carrying in the smart carry every day to get used to it but I finally found the sweet spot where I hardly feel it, and can go the whole day of wearing it without a lot of re-adjusting. Good luck in your search, and like it's been said before, it's not for everyone. What works good for some may not work for you.
Just like any other holsters it take time to get used to. Are you wearing it to high to low? I have carried one for several years and when you need a holster that keeps anyone from knowing you are CC this one is hard to beat. In the summer in the south when all you are wearing is shorts and a tee shirt. Also you have to practice drawing from it just like you do from any other holster. I like mine and just like any other deep concealment holster it is going to be a little slower.
I researched three similar holsters. Smart carry, Tactipac Fusionpac and The 3Speed Holster. Price and construction quality, I liked the 3Speed better. However I use it as an AIWB. Being somewhat big in the middle...it's kind of hard digging a Ruger out of my crotch (though one time I was at a restaurant and about 15 Houston PD's sat at a table across from us...I felt I needed to push firearm into a deeper conceal)
Not to mention, for us well endowed men, I just don't see it working. Hey big breasted women have to consider carry and clothing options. It's not bragging.
If you are well endowed enough that it interferes with a Smartcarry I honestly think you are covered in the weapon department. When I use a Smartcarry I carry it off center and north of anything else. While there are shirts that those women can not wear I would assume there are those who a Smartcarry just will not work for
Smartcarry of my Sig P290 works very well for me, even in jeans. What isn't working is the Sig laser on it as the battery is usually dead. This laser design has button switches on both sides and the Smartcarry allows them to be toggled on during wear. Nothing like walking around town after dinner and noticing a friendly red glow from the front of my pants.
The 3speed holster looks interesting but right now I find the smart carry very comfortable. You do have to wear it low but if worn that way even my compact 45 is an all day carry.
Smart Carry I use for deep concealment, particularly when wearing warm ups. I never wear it for the purposes of fast or quick draw. It just means I got my gun on me that's all it does for me and I access it when I can. For those who deep conceal and can do rapid draw, my hat is off to you. I'd be dead twice if I had to rely on it for a quick draw from deep concealment.
My current EDC is the Magnum Research MR9 with a 4.5" barrel. I'm kind of limited on the holsters I can use with this pistol and after much consideration I purchased my first Smartcarry a year or so ago. I have not found a more comfortable holster on the market for concealing any of my pistols for my situation. For work I wear slacks, button downed, tucked shirt and tie. If I'm found to be carrying I'll promptly be shown the door so I need deep concealment.
It does take some getting used to and I implore anyone to not only practice drawing and holstering with the Smartcarry, but with any holster you may have. I do not holster without taking my pants down, lol, but if I'm taking it out I'm prepared to use it and won't need to holster it.
Tried one for about 2 weeks and it was hot and uncomfortable. I gave to one of shooting friends. He wasn't anymore impressed with it than I was. BUT, we both carry gov and or Commander length 1911's, that may play into it. Go with what makes you happy and works for your situation.
Thread is a little dated, but I found this when I searched Smartcarry and it helped me to decide to give it a try.
Day five today and I am very impressed. I wear it low. It’s a size XS pouch on a long belt (big belly 46” waist pants). Fits all three carry pieces (Shield 9mm, SIG P290RS, Springfield XDs 3.3 .45).
Some folks like the holster shifted a bit to the side, but I prefer it centered (especially because of the shape since I wear it low). I do not feel it is too hot, and our temps here have been mid-90’s last week.
It’s easy to draw, just not fast. Yet. Re-holstering scares me a bit when I shove a pistol into my waistband, so I am extra careful. But while I carry it I have zero worries the gun will discharge.
It is very discreet with the pistols from my permit, but when I tried a HK P2000SK, the top edge of the rear of the slide printed. I doubt it would be an issue for those who don’t have a belly pushing it forward.
I can’t comment on the durability yet, but unless it falls apart next week I think I would buy a replacement when it wears out. I am considering getting another for larger guns, but I can only carry those around the house so it doesn’t seem like a smart investment.
I have lucked out with holsters. Although the Smartcarry is the most comfortable of all, I still like my Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0 and Shapeshifter for comfort and quicker draw. It and the Vedder Light Tuck holsters sometimes pull my shorts or pants down a bit from the weight of the loaded pistol. I also like that if I drop my pants in the bathroom stall, the Smartcarry doesn’t need to be removed or unholstered.
All in all, a great holster that works very well for me.
I still love it. Yes it looks a little crappy after wearing it every day for 300+ days, but it still works and remains as comfortable as ever.
Last week , temperatures were into triple digits, but I just don’t feel any less comfortable wearing the Smart Carry than I would without it. I wear 32 Degrees t-shirts as undershirts (yes, even on 100+ temp days), so the holster is never in contact with my skin.
I did buy two larger holsters for Compact and Full-Size guns. I feel like if I chose to carry a larger gun all day, I could do it discretely in a Smart Carry holster. I just don’t have those big guns on my CCW.
Concealment is so much better than any belt holster. I haven’t worn my Vedders or Alien Gears, even though I remember those as being very good for what they are.
From my experience with the SmartCarry and what I have seen over the years is that the place it will wear trough is at the muzzle where yours is showing signs. What I did was to fold up a small piece of cloth and put it in the bottom of the holster so the muzzle rests on it. It stopped that wear completely on mine by eliminating that sharp edge. It looks like it wouldn't hurt to have your grip slightly higher. I used a cloth similar to what you clean eye glasses with.
I have worn a Thunder wear holster for 20 plus years with my Keltec P-11, 9mm, and occasionally a Ruger SP 101. I was always good with the Thunderwear. I just purchased the Smart Carry since I could get it in Lefthanded style. So far so good. Here is my take on those who wonder why folks would need such a deep concealment holster. Here in the Southern Desert of the Republic of Kalifornia, you wear light clothing. Also if a gun prints or is exposed all heck can break loose. People will FREAK. I absolutely love the fact that no one knows that weapon is there! Also no one will ever know that weapon is there, until it's needed. Very few people look at men's crotches, even here
I have worn my smart carry for about 3 years and have the fabric and a leather sc. I also use a small piece of fabric to lessen fabric fray. I also use liquid fray stop that can be found at Walmart in their sewing section.
I'm working on my review of my new acquisition, a 3Speed. I don't like the idea of that wobbly wide open pocket. I want and need a secure grip on my pistol while I'm doing maintenance. Like everything, from caliber to capacity to xxxx, if it fits your needs and you like it, great, as long as you don't have "only 5 FTF in 100 rounds" type deal.
My tiny wife, Jean, likes her Smartcarry.
Her gimmick is that she wears loose pants with elastic in the waistband.
She just pulls the waistband away from her body, and her strong-side hand dives in to grab her Kel-Tec P-3AT.
Jean, too, bunches up a piece of cloth under her pistol's muzzle. (It was my idea.) That lifts the pistol up high enough in the Smartcarry pouch that she can easily and quickly establish a full firing grip on the gun before ever beginning a presentation.
Re-holstering is quick and easy too, thanks to her elastic-topped pants.
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