trinydex
07-31-16, 19:32
I recently made one of these out of an old appendix holster I had laying around (jm custom kydex).
there is at least one brand out there marketing these as an option that conceals with zero printing, and more secure to boot, because the gun is not easily accessible. the draw is facilitated by bumping the muzzle with the support hand through the pocket or by bumping through the front of the pants in a Michael-Jackson-like move.
several things to address.
this is not a zero print option. it is a zero print above the waist option. this carry method makes you look like you have a Glock sized broner in your pants. maybe that's ok, because you can accuse passers-by of being meat gazers after they determine you're a wannabe Filipino assasin. joking aside, this isn't a deal breaker.
the front sight will wear a hole in your leg if you do any amount of foot travel. I taped my leg for a 7 mile hike with extreme elevation gain in some parts, large steps. the tape was fine. there was discomfort at the end from the sight and the tape, both pulling at my leg skin.
the grip. I concealed a Glock 17 with a Glock 19 grip chop and full grip reduction, with stipple to conceal the work. this will either wear a hole in your underwear or your belly skin. I would say tuck a shirt, but that defeats the purpose of this sneaky method of carry. if you tuck a shirt then anyone can see the gun from the side, it is only concealed from the front if a shirt is tucked behind the gun. going below waistband is supposed to enable you to wear shmedium shirts as the lifting of the shirt does not reveal gun grip. so pull up the thicker flannel undies to prevent grip texture wearing on your belly skin. I would say a Glock gen 4 texture would be too much. go with gen 3 texture or less.
holster cant. with lots of movement this holster will move. single attachment point means it'll angle on the belt and the gun will shift. worst case the holster dips the grip below belt line. this can happen if you take a large step up or you jump, remember even if the holster doesn't move in relation to your body, the belt will and your belt line will as you move. if the grip dips below the belt, now you really look like you have 2 boners and you are left to awkwardly adjust your gun junk. this can be done subtly. not a deal breaker.
what's not subtle is that this is still appendix carry. you will have a fupa bulge. if you are wearing a shmedium shirt, this bulge will be very hard to explain. it will protrude further than your shirt naturally falls on your stomach. maybe a thinner and softer belt will help, but there's no way around it. this fupa is larger than typical appendix without a light, and is probably comparable to appendix carry with a light. the grip adds a lot of in waistband thickness. do not wear a cobra buckle in front as that will just stick out even further making it look like you have an in the waistband fanny pack. I buckled my cobra on the side, much lower profile.
the draw. this is the deal breaker. unless wearing an outer shirt that will be tucked behind the grip or wearing a midriff shirt, the draw cannot be done quickly without giving some sort of preindicating signal like dipping thumb under shirt. if you pop the gun up without such a preparation movement, the gun will be under the shirt. if anyone has ever tried to draw their gun and accidentally failed to lift the cover garment high enough and the shirt gets in between hand and gun, it all gets tangled and slows everything down and adds quite a bit of danger.
so if the whole purpose is that this is sneaky and fast, then giving away your draw by prepping your thumb cedes the advantage to the enemy. if you have to tuck the shirt behind the gun, then this method isn't very sneaky, it's not something to use if you're trying hard to not look like a gun carrier. maybe tucking the shirt behind the gun can be suited for overt dignitary protection in plain clothes, when the dignitary is in plain clothes. I'm sure it works fine for short duration snatch operations, which is apparently where it came from. but for plain clothes surveillance, the concealment isn't good with the shirt behind the gun. if the shirt is used as a cover garment then the draw is not fast or smooth.
last note, driving or sitting for long periods of time is slightly more bearable than appendix carry. the front sight rubbing the inner thigh is what causes the most discomfort. but with this method of carry the gun is allowed to ride down the leg and won't exert pressure on pelvic crease or other such areas. there was no body break in for this. I did not have any pressure aches like first week of kidney carry or appendix carry.
conclusion is that this is either uncomfortable, sneaky and slow. or it is fast and uncomfortable and not sneaky.
there is at least one brand out there marketing these as an option that conceals with zero printing, and more secure to boot, because the gun is not easily accessible. the draw is facilitated by bumping the muzzle with the support hand through the pocket or by bumping through the front of the pants in a Michael-Jackson-like move.
several things to address.
this is not a zero print option. it is a zero print above the waist option. this carry method makes you look like you have a Glock sized broner in your pants. maybe that's ok, because you can accuse passers-by of being meat gazers after they determine you're a wannabe Filipino assasin. joking aside, this isn't a deal breaker.
the front sight will wear a hole in your leg if you do any amount of foot travel. I taped my leg for a 7 mile hike with extreme elevation gain in some parts, large steps. the tape was fine. there was discomfort at the end from the sight and the tape, both pulling at my leg skin.
the grip. I concealed a Glock 17 with a Glock 19 grip chop and full grip reduction, with stipple to conceal the work. this will either wear a hole in your underwear or your belly skin. I would say tuck a shirt, but that defeats the purpose of this sneaky method of carry. if you tuck a shirt then anyone can see the gun from the side, it is only concealed from the front if a shirt is tucked behind the gun. going below waistband is supposed to enable you to wear shmedium shirts as the lifting of the shirt does not reveal gun grip. so pull up the thicker flannel undies to prevent grip texture wearing on your belly skin. I would say a Glock gen 4 texture would be too much. go with gen 3 texture or less.
holster cant. with lots of movement this holster will move. single attachment point means it'll angle on the belt and the gun will shift. worst case the holster dips the grip below belt line. this can happen if you take a large step up or you jump, remember even if the holster doesn't move in relation to your body, the belt will and your belt line will as you move. if the grip dips below the belt, now you really look like you have 2 boners and you are left to awkwardly adjust your gun junk. this can be done subtly. not a deal breaker.
what's not subtle is that this is still appendix carry. you will have a fupa bulge. if you are wearing a shmedium shirt, this bulge will be very hard to explain. it will protrude further than your shirt naturally falls on your stomach. maybe a thinner and softer belt will help, but there's no way around it. this fupa is larger than typical appendix without a light, and is probably comparable to appendix carry with a light. the grip adds a lot of in waistband thickness. do not wear a cobra buckle in front as that will just stick out even further making it look like you have an in the waistband fanny pack. I buckled my cobra on the side, much lower profile.
the draw. this is the deal breaker. unless wearing an outer shirt that will be tucked behind the grip or wearing a midriff shirt, the draw cannot be done quickly without giving some sort of preindicating signal like dipping thumb under shirt. if you pop the gun up without such a preparation movement, the gun will be under the shirt. if anyone has ever tried to draw their gun and accidentally failed to lift the cover garment high enough and the shirt gets in between hand and gun, it all gets tangled and slows everything down and adds quite a bit of danger.
so if the whole purpose is that this is sneaky and fast, then giving away your draw by prepping your thumb cedes the advantage to the enemy. if you have to tuck the shirt behind the gun, then this method isn't very sneaky, it's not something to use if you're trying hard to not look like a gun carrier. maybe tucking the shirt behind the gun can be suited for overt dignitary protection in plain clothes, when the dignitary is in plain clothes. I'm sure it works fine for short duration snatch operations, which is apparently where it came from. but for plain clothes surveillance, the concealment isn't good with the shirt behind the gun. if the shirt is used as a cover garment then the draw is not fast or smooth.
last note, driving or sitting for long periods of time is slightly more bearable than appendix carry. the front sight rubbing the inner thigh is what causes the most discomfort. but with this method of carry the gun is allowed to ride down the leg and won't exert pressure on pelvic crease or other such areas. there was no body break in for this. I did not have any pressure aches like first week of kidney carry or appendix carry.
conclusion is that this is either uncomfortable, sneaky and slow. or it is fast and uncomfortable and not sneaky.