CC Clothing Advice Sought

[theblackknight]

Try putting your gun next to your junk. In the extremly remote situation you somehow print, it will be awesome.

[EricTheRed]

I like my 5.11 covert shirt very much. Looks good (according to the women who have seen me in it- they think I'm dressing up for them) and it's cut wide and long. I normally wear a xxl, but it's an xl and works fine. It's a touch spendy but not too bad considering.

The sonoran shirts look nice but spendy (about $30ish more than the 5.11) and not in a pattern I really like or I'd probably try one. FWIW one of my bosses likes the anti plumbers butt shirts from Duluth trading company that are cut long in back. I have a few on the way. They're super cheap tohttp://www.duluthtrading.com/store/m...1220-C91329-L2o.

[WhiskyNiner]

Try putting your gun next to your junk. In the extremly remote situation you somehow print, it will be [I]awesome.

Ha! Already got that covered...

[T2C]

If you carry while wearing a sport jacket, be mindful of the wear a handgun can put on a liner. When I worked plain clothes assignments I shredded the lining in a few of my jackets.

[WhiskyNiner]

Eric, those are a bit pricey. No doubt they work well, though.

A question would be are you using these as an overshirt for t-shirts and some/most/all buttons unbuttoned?

I know it's all theory now, and could be talked to death. I thank you for your relating your experience. I'll just have to get out there, carry, and see what works for me. But, knowing where to start can be a problem.

The selections from Duluth Trading are nice. The prices aren't too bad, and I suspect they would wear well. Now that I know some approximate pricing I see that they are similar to Cabela's prices. Since we have one nearby it might be good to go back and take a closer look in person. I'm thinking the local farm store would be good place to look for options.

You've all been very helpful. I thank you. Any further experiences would be gratefully accepted.

[oldtexan]

here are some thoughts from my experience carrying concealed. I'm 5'10" and about 210.

First of all on printing: I agree that most people won't notice, but a few will. Check the laws in your jurisdiction. If the gun must remain concealed in your jurisdiction, then keeping it truly concealed could save you an awful lot of trouble.

You can reduce the printing by being careful about how you move. For example, if you carry in a small of the back position (I don't recommend it), then bending over forward is something to avoid. In general if you have to pick something up from the ground, try to keep your torso erect and bend your knees instead of bending from the waist.

Some colors, patterns, materials, and fits of clothing conceal the gun better than others. Darker colors conceal better than lighter colors. Patterns, especially bold random patterns, work better than solids. Woven fabrics with body work better than knits. Loose fitting clothes conceal better than tight clothes. I wear Hawaiian shirts much of the time. They are loose, generally in dark colors, with random patterns, and the fabric doesn't cling.

Different folks will arrive at different optimum solutions for type and location of carry holster. I started out with shoulder holsters in the late 70s with a S&W 6" N-frame. I wore suits a lot back then. In order to avoid printing with a shoulder holster, you'll need a pretty heavy overgarment. To get to the gun quickly with a shoulder holster, you'll need an open front garment or you'll need to train a lot on getting the gun out. Another downside is that with a shoulder holster you'll have to move the gun laterally across your chest to get it into action. This means if the bad guy has gotten too close (this is what they like to do) you could be in a fight for the gun before being able to use it. I've heard some trainers won't allow shoulder holsters in their classes because of the issue of muzzling others during the drawstroke.

I now carry a Glock 19 in a Raven Concealment Phantom kydex holster configured as an IWB on a Galco 1.75" leather belt at the 3 o'clock position. I wear a cotton t-shirt under the rig to protect my skin. Using a heavy strong belt and a stable rigid holster means that the gun stays put and is pulled tight into my side making it harder for others to notice. Carrying at 3 o'clock allows me to conceal the gun with my right arm. I used to carry at about 4:30 but I didn't like the fact that if my gun was printing I would never know. It's also more comfortable for me carrying at 3 than at 4:30.

I know that I went through several types of holsters and locations to carry over a period of years before I settled on what I'm doing now. Don't be surprised if it takes a while to find the right solution for you. Taking training classes with your carry rig is a good way to find out quickly how well it works for you. Good luck.

[EricTheRed]

Whiskey niner:

I have worn the 5.11 shirt both stand alone and with another shirt underneath it. Usually it's an underarmour worn tucked in but not always, sometimes just a random t shirt. If thats the case I usually only have the bottom 4 or so buttons done, but my jobs are pretty casual. Yeah, it's a little spendy, but honestly they are not any more than any other nice/semi nice button down casual shirt I would wear.

It really has been an experimentation process for me as well to figure out what works. I prefer to carry IWB at about 3:30. I've had my GF watch me both at home and at work to see if she could tell. The feedback has been good, as in most cases she cannot tell, and if she can she says she wouldn't notice if she wasn't trying and even then it's not 100% what exactly the printing is. If she can see printing or if the clip from the holster or more is exposed I modify what I am wearing or how I move. FWIW those times have only been when I was wearing a random t-shirt and was either bending way over or reaching way above my head. YMMV, good luck.

[markm]

I've gone to that Kydex pull cord trigger guard cover/mini holster and stuff the gun in my frontal/apendix/pee pee area.

I've put a belt holster one like once in the last year.

[jmoore]

I haven't gone through the classes yet, but will this spring. These are questions for which I have found few answers and are what concern me the most.

.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation. 6'5" and 290, and living in Illinois. I can suggest that once you decide on a set-up, based on feedback from the list - go ahead and wear it sans gun for a few weeks. See if it works. I've been doing that for about six weeks now, and I don't even notice the CrossBreed Supertuck. Evenings and weekends I wear my glock 26 around the house and yard, too. Have gotten so comfortable with it that I have to be careful not to go "off property" while wearing:)

Side note - Illinois legislators are trying their damnedest to screw us over - 27 different amendments proposed as to where you will or won't be able to carry. Once all is said and done - yes, we will technically be a carry state, but not in actuality:(

john

[darr3239]

Mark that sounds interesting. Do you have a link for exactly what you are talking about?