badgerw

I moved to a different job site recently. The dress code at the new place is "Business Casual." Shirt tails must be tucked in.

My normal dress is slacks and an untucked camp shirt. I normally carry a Kimber 3" 1911 in a Tucker Gunleather "The Answer" leather/Kydex hybrid IWB at about 3:30.

Initially I tried the "Answer" as a tuckable. I didn't like it. The gun left a weird bulge in my side. It didn't scream "GUN" but it didn't look right, either.

I decided to try a belly band. So I ordered a Galco Underwraps.

The Underwraps is about 4" wide and made of elastic. The elastic band fastens with Velcro. It has two leather holster pouches sewn to the inside.

If you fasten the Velcro at the center of your back, one of the holster pouches is at 4 o'clock and the other at about 9:30. The one at 4 is sewn so that a holstered pistol is oriented butt-forward (sorta FBI cant). The other holster is angled so that in cross-draw, the gun butt is angled towards your centerline for a comfortable draw.

Concealment is good. The Kimber seems to ride well a bit farther back than in the "Answer." The grip is a bit higher, with the trigger guard just above my belt. No noticeable bulges anywhere and my shirt drapes nicely over the gun butt. As you would imagine, draw is slow.

I also tried rotating the band so the "crossdraw" holster is at about 2 o'clock. My S&W 642 rides nicely in Appendix Carry that way. I haven't tried carrying the Kimber and the S&W simultaneously, as doing so strains the waistband of my trousers.

I tried carrying my Colt Mustang Pocketlite in the "crossdraw" holster, but it isn't secure. The leather pouch has too much room to securely retain the gun. I found this out while getting out of my car. The Mustang had shifted around while I was driving. When I stood up from the car, the Mustang flopped out into my tucked-in shirt.

One thing that helps concealability is keeping my trouser belt fairly tight. That keeps the gun tucked against my body. The downside is that the gun presses against you with almost no cushioning. I imagine my right hip will get used to it, but it's not nearly as comfortable as the "Answer." Don't think I'll be able to nap with this one on.

Another plus of the belly band comes in using a public toilet. No need to juggle the gun or hide the holster. Just drop your trousers and go.

I can't speak for other brands, but this Galco product seems to do its job well. At $45 + shipping, it's not too expensive if it doesn't work out. It's not the magic holster, but it might meet your needs.

Bill

Team American

Thanks for the write-up, Bill!...
I've debated giving one of these a try, also.

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frankmako

they seem to work better with a smaller gun,, like a kel-tec p3at and/or s&w j frame. but the j-frame is not as good as the p3at when you got it in the band.

gunmetal

I think this would be a good place for some photos to help explain how this works.