thebigdl86

Ahh, smartcarry...phooey!lol. Just not my cup of tea. Whats wrong with a good old leather IWB?

__________________
"Anyone worth shooting, is probably worth shooting several times."

Gibber

Grady, are you saying to take top of underwear, turn it down over the top of the SC strap? Does the underwear material naturally cling to the strap or, are you sandwiching the underwear in between the two strap pieces? I think I have this right but want to check.

PointnClick

BigDL sez...

No belt required, total deep concealment, superior comfort, no 16 week wait, machine washable, no dropping your gun on a men's room floor, fabric is kinder to finishes than leather or kydex, secure pocket for passports, credit cards, and cash, and if you are printing, the ladies give you the eye...

I'm sure I could come up with more...

__________________
"Who is to say that I am not an instrument of karma? Indeed, who is to say that I am not the very hand of God himself, dispatched by the Almighty to smite the Philistines and hypocrites, to lay low the dishonest and corrupt, and to bust the jawbone of some jackass that so desperately deserves it?"

Bonehead55

I do not want to put a piece of tape on my guns.

Cycler

I'm thinking of "pulling the trigger" so to speak on picking one of these up. Looking at the website, is this a one size fit's all sort of thing?

I have a full size 9mm now but will probably get a subcompact something or other in the future. Will one smart cary work for everything?

PointnClick

If memory serves, they size them according to your waist size and your pistol size... the large will carry a full size Sig or 1911, medium for your j-frames and mid-size 9's, and small for your KelTec...

I have the large one, and it holds my full size Sig P220, and mid-size Taurus 745 fits OK too...

__________________
"Who is to say that I am not an instrument of karma? Indeed, who is to say that I am not the very hand of God himself, dispatched by the Almighty to smite the Philistines and hypocrites, to lay low the dishonest and corrupt, and to bust the jawbone of some jackass that so desperately deserves it?"

grady

Sort of. First I mismatch the two straps in the rear. I place the inner strap higher, about 3/4" or so, with the velcro hooks of the inner strap facing outward, away from my body. Then I put it on.

Then I bring the underwear up inside the SC, and turn the underwear band (rear only) down and affix it to the exposed velcro hooks of the inner strap. They hook on and don't move.

When I am done for the day or want to take the SC off, I don't undo the straps. I just peel the underwear band off of it, and slip the SC off like a pair of shorts. The only time I undo the straps after I have them set is periodically when I need to tighten the SC a bit, due to the straps stretching some. That only happens every 3 months or so.

And when I wash it, I put the SC in one of those net bags so the velcro doesn't cling to other clothes. If I don't have a net bag, I redo the straps to where no velcro shows, and then restrap it before putting it on.

Oh, one more thing: this method works best with underwear that isn't tight to start with since you lose 3/4" or so. Looser is better.


Another tidbit that gave me a lot of flexibility was to order a second SmartCarry. Now after I exercise or mow the lawn, or it's time to wash it, I already have another one ready to go. They can take awhile to air-dry inside the pouches, and I don't want to nuke it for a long time in the dryer because that will lessen the life of the stretchy straps.

Of course the initial cost is double, but each SC will last twice as long by having two, so it's no extra cost in the long run. I actually save the second shipping cost by ordering two at once.

It's a real plus for me to always have a washed SC ready to go. It keeps me from having to choose a second-best carry method due to a damp SC, or having to leave my guns next to damp material.

I also like the "security" model with its extra pouch in back. One can hide a lot of stuff in there. When I retire for the evening and head to bed, I put my keys and phone in the pouch if my current attire has no pockets.

No, I'm not a salesman for SmartCarry. But it works well for some people, and I'm one of them.

Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

PointnClick

Awesome post, Grady... I suppose we do come across as SC evangelists... LOL

I have never tried the "underwear-hook" you describe... but if I am out and about, in and out of the car several times, the undies and the holster do need an "adjustment" after a while... I'm gonna try this.

And what a great idea of having two! I've been kinda scheduling my wash for a day when I know I'm not going anywhere... I wash it in the eve and let it dry till the following afternoon. But having two is so obvious... I gotta get another one ordered.

BTW... what's your normal carry pistol? A revolver, right?

__________________
"Who is to say that I am not an instrument of karma? Indeed, who is to say that I am not the very hand of God himself, dispatched by the Almighty to smite the Philistines and hypocrites, to lay low the dishonest and corrupt, and to bust the jawbone of some jackass that so desperately deserves it?"

grady

I always carry an XD-45 compact and an SP-101. I have dual-holster SC's in which I carry both guns at the same time.

A note about holster size:
When I ordered my current SC's, I hadn't decided on an XD service (4") or tactical (5"). Charlie from SmartCarry recommended a medium holster for the 4" and a large holster for the 5". Just to be safe, I ordered the large. Turns out it fits my 4" great. In fact, I think the large holster causes the gun to hug my body a bit better than the medium. I had a medium at the time, so I was able to compare them.

The large holster also holds my SP-101 well, and on occasion a .38 snubby. I see no need for holster adjustment, but some have put material in the bottom of the holster if their gun sinks too low for a comfortable draw. I think the website may show a safety pin as one way to make a holster pouch smaller (or maybe that was a pic from one of the members here, but I can't remember who), but I never did like the idea of having a safety pin in that area. Too much risk for me of a safety pin accidental discharge.

Yes, the dual-holster SC is wider than the standard SC, and it won't work for everyone. It does help to wear looser or baggy pants. If I wasn't so committed to carrying two firearms, or if my BUG was smaller, the standard SC would be just fine.

grady

You can always make a holster smaller by putting material in the bottom, or with a safety pin, but you can't make a holster larger. Unless you're confident a smaller holster will work, I'd recommend a larger. Charlie has a money-back return policy, so if you decide you don't like what you ordered, you are only out the price of shipping.