Having issues with holster bulging

[Porter75]

I've searched the site and haven't found a post about holsters bulging. I have a Bersa Thunder 380 and Taurus TCP738 and want to carry AIWB and need a tuckable holster due to my job. No matter where I put a holster there's no mistaking that something is there. Horrible bulge and the belt buckle it is pushed up at AIWB. I see people toting bigger guns and you can't see them so I shouldn't have a problem. What are my options?

[Wise_A]

Welcome! That's just a concealment issue. I don't think anybody would start a whole post about it, but if they would it would be in Holsters, Accessories, and EDC Gear.

Could be a couple different things--it's really hard to tell without seeing the holster and how it actually rides. For starters, you may not have an AIWB body. Simple fact of life, that carry style does not work for everybody. Second off, tuckable AIWB is an even bigger pain in the ass. To the point that I'm sure people do it, I've just never actually known anyone personally that carried it that way and pulled it off. Seeing it in pictures on the internet doesn't show anything--the trouble in concealment isn't covering a gun up for one picture, it's in moving around like that all day.

Next bit--belts. Everybody overlooks belts. What kind are you using? You're going to want a dedicated gun belt. Some of them can even be quite dressy and low-profile, but you need a belt designed to hang a gun off of, and you need it to fit the belt loops on your pants--a 1" belt in 1.5" loops does not work. If your holster is pushing your belt buckle out, that's a sign you either need to move the gun closer to your hip, or rotate the belt buckle a little offside. That works when you're going untucked, but looks goofy if you're trying to tuck.

As to the holster, dunno what kind you're using, and know fuck-all about one that would do what you want because I've never tried it. If you asked me how to accomplish socially-acceptable-in-regular-jobs CCW, I would tell you to either wear a jacket or go with pocket carry. You're already carrying a .380, why not take advantage of that?

[snow white]

Ill echo what was just said. What holster/ belt are you using? Have you looked into the phlster enigma? That very well might be the answer you are looking for.

Quality belt and holster are absolutely paramount when it comes to proper concielment. Look at mastermind for AIWB spsific belts. Depending on how dressed up you need to be they may or may not work for you.

[farscott]

As stated, not everyone's body is well suited for AIWB. Mine is one of them. What works for me is a tuckable IWB holster at about 2:00 with the shirt tucked in over the pistol. Draw is not fast but I can make a Glock 26 disappear in it. I use a Milt Sparks Nexus with the self-closing magnetic loops replaced with the Kydex clips that originally came with the Watch Six and VM-2. Holster slides onto pants, belt goes over holster loops, pants go on, gun goes into holster, shirt is tucked into pants, and belt secured. I can wear a suit coat or not, and the gun cannot be seen.

Nothing is perfect with this type of carry. Due to the nature of the clips, attaching the holster to the pants and removing it causes the clips to flex. The clips eventually fail. I get about a year out of a set. I have considered using velcro to attach the holster to the pants but have not gone beyond the experimental stage. Wondering how it works with dry cleaning.

A couple of things: A good belt is critical. So is a good holster. What that is is more than workmanship although holster workmanship is a big deal. Good holster makers have long lead times for a reason. Most of us have boxes of holsters that work well for someone else, but not for us. I sure do. Be prepared to experiment some here.

[RoyGBiv]

What holster are you using? (I like JMCK Wing Claw 2.5 but there are other very good choices)
What belt are you wearing?
What is your body shape at the waistline?
And.... having a muscular chest and or broad shoulders helps you hide stuff underneath it, but having a jelly roll is not always AIWB friendly. Concealment was much more difficult before I lost weight and got back in shape, even with good gear. But, I've seen guys carry AIWB below a big belly, because the way they wore their pants enabled it.

Everyone is a little different. Some experimentation may be required.

[Hambo]

Good holster makers have long lead times for a reason.

Starting with a good holster maker cuts down on trial and error. I post this every time the topic comes up: I listen to what holster makers tell me, because part of the price is their experience and the feedback they get. That said, I think the OP is going to have problems finding quality holsters for those two pistols.

[YVK]

There is enough good advice above on figuring out the problem so I'll get on a small tangent. A personal opinion, as well as an opinion of a number of AIWB practitioners: a tuckable AIWB holster is a safety risk. Bunching up your garments by the holster's mouth is not a great idea with any holster but especially with junk carry. I have at least one, maybe two AIWB rigs that afford that capability. I played with it and unloaded guns, and decided that no way in hell I'll be doing this for realz. YMMV.

[RevolverRob]

I do not like tuckable holsters of virtually any stripe, because they all bulge. The reason is because the mounting mechanism usually is twice as wide to both mate to the pants/belt and tuck the shirt into place.

My preference in an office environment is pocket carry

If the Taurus is reliable, a good pocket holster is what I would look for. Either, back pocket carry in a wallet-type holster or front pocket carry. If you wear dress slacks (as opposed to khakis), look at acquiring a Raven Pocket Shield and mounting your pocket holster to it. Then cut the shield to fit into your slacks' pocket. It blouses the pocket out a bit and makes the pistol virtually invisible, even if you bend over or cross your legs, or otherwise pull the fabric tight against your leg the shield helps blouse the fabric out. Simultaneously, it keeps the gun upright and in place.

The Pocket Shield and khakis or jeans are a 100% no-go, even cut down the shield is simply too big to reliably fit into the pockets.

I haven't tried one yet, but after seeing Clusterfrack's AHolster it's been on my short list - https://aholster.com/product/pocket-aholster/

[camsdaddy]

I will echo a good pocket holster may be the trick. Pocket carry has its pluses and minuses but not printing in an NPE is one of them.
Another idea would be something like a smart carry. I used one for years mostly carrying a Glock 26.
You may need to step up a size in pants.
The gun is relatively small. This will seem counter productive but a larger gun may be easier to conceal. I have found carrying my 26 in a JMkydex 2.5 made for a 19 helps. I fought the idea for a long time as it didnt make sense.

[Porter75]

I really appreciate everyone's input. As you can see, I’m new to the forum and CC. I ordered a belt from Foxx Holsters (1.5”) and holsters from Concealed Express. Both holsters are AIWB and the Bersa is tuckable.

Holsters for these guns are definitely limited for how I need to wear them. I wear jeans and some days I'm up and down a ladder working on security cameras and constantly around a lot of people all day. I expect printing to happen, so appendix won't be the ideal place on those days and my tool belt will help conceal. Regarding the belt, the buckle needs to be in front on certain days, so I could wear a more tactical belt than dressy when working on cameras.

I have a Glock 23, but rather have a smaller size and keep the 40 caliber as I have a small frame. In that respect, I’ll have to buy a another gun, holster(s), and new belt. Geez...this gets expensive.

[RevolverRob]

Geez...this gets expensive.

Just you wait buddy. Pretty soon, we'll have you decked out in all the finery.

When it comes to appendix carry - counterintuitively 'bigger is better' for concealment purposes. There is a fine line between having enough gun below the waistband into the inguinal crease that the muzzle portion of the holster can lever the gun in more tightly and that a wing/claw/junk pad can help twist the grip up and around; and having a small enough grip that you can conceal it. I've found that longer barreled guns conceal easier in AIWB holsters.

You might also need to change your pants or pants sizing and/or the stiffness of your belt and/or the tightness of your belt. The recommendation of, "Size your pants up a size for IWB carry." does not apply to AIWB. In addition the recommendation of, "Buy the stiffest belt you can buy." may also not apply (mileage varies).

Jeans, men's jeans in particular, are cut roomier in front of the hips than in the back (that might be for uhh...'obvious' reasons). As a result you may find that sizing down your jeans means you can wear your gun more easily and more comfortably with less bulging. The reason being that wearing loose pants/jeans means you're cinching the belt tighter, causing the holster to twist (particularly near the belt buckle). Which compounds your problems. You can experiment simply by putting the gun on and cinching your belt tighter and looser and watch how the holster twists in relation to this.

Belt stiffness can often be reduced with AIWB carry, because the gun is supported by the hip/crotch (literally) and less on the waistband. Reducing belt stiffness allows you to have more flexibility such that the holster moves with your body as opposed to staying rigidly in place.

Since you have a mid-size Glock already, I suggest you run, not walk, over and pick up either a JM Custom Kydex or a Dark Star Gear holster for it. And then try on every pair of pants and shorts you have until you figure out what size of pants works best along with adjusting and readjusting the tension of your belt.

___

Personally, I've found only two IWB positions work for me as a person. AIWB and 3:30 just past the peak of my hip. And in both cases, they really work best for me with longer barreled guns (because I have a flat ass, I need more barrel length to lever the gun butt in for better concealment).

[RoyGBiv]

I didn't see any wings on any of the CE holsters.... It's amazing how much improvement in concealment you get from the wing and a small pad to push the bottom of the holster away from your body (thus the top of the gun towards your body). Even a very well made holster will be much more easily concealed by adding these bits...

example here: https://www.jmcustomkydex.com/p/AIWB-WC2-5.html

[Clusterfrack]

Great advice so far. The only thing I have to add is: you can get maximum concealment by carrying the gun very low at the belt line. There’s a tradeoff with draw speed of course, but in a nonpermissive environment, a deep carry holster can be the best option. (I would carry at 3:30 with this type of holster because it’s easier to conceal a slow draw).

Tony at JM Custom can discuss options for you.

Also: the Bersa Thunder has the most felt recoil of any .380 I’ve shot. Very difficult trigger too. I’d way rather carry a .40 cal Glock.

[Caballoflaco]

I really appreciate everyone's input. As you can see, I’m new to the forum and CC. I ordered a belt from Foxx Holsters (1.5”) and holsters from Concealed Express. Both holsters are AIWB and the Bersa is tuckable.

Holsters for these guns are definitely limited for how I need to wear them. I wear jeans and some days I'm up and down a ladder working on security cameras and constantly around a lot of people all day. I expect printing to happen, so appendix won't be the ideal place on those days and my tool belt will help conceal. Regarding the belt, the buckle needs to be in front on certain days, so I could wear a more tactical belt than dressy when working on cameras.

I have a Glock 23, but rather have a smaller size and keep the 40 caliber as I have a small frame. In that respect, I’ll have to buy a another gun, holster(s), and new belt. Geez...this gets expensive.

If you’re going to have to plan your concealment based on what you might be doing that day that seems sub-optimal since shit happens and problems need to be solved no matter what kind of day you dressed for in the morning. Having to mess with your gun or find a time and place to ditch a holster or change carry methods only increases the chance someone might find out you’re carrying.

Also, a “tuckable holster” that has clips or loops on, over or under your belt is only concealed from someone who is passing you in the dark on a street or in a dimly lit restaurant. Anyone who is around you for any amount of time will eventually notice them.

[RevolverRob]

Not a gun, but relevant given AIWB carry. This morning I got out of bed to walk the dog. Per usual, I stashed my LCP in my coat pocket and then grabbed a blade - in this case a Shivworks El NiÑo. I have the sheath setup for appendix carry, with a Discreet Carry Concepts clip. As I put it on, I realized it wasn't sitting right. I ignored and walked the dog. When I was standing in the elevator, I could see that despite being a small knife it was bulging.

When I got back in, I started looking at the sheath and realized somewhere along the line I had fitted a different DCC clip, that results in the knife wearing about 1/3" higher in height. A swap back to a lower ride clip and the bulging issue disappeared. The sheath was too high and hitting my thigh instead of tucking low into my inguinal crease and concealing properly.

Long story short - to help with bulging you may need to adjust your holster height, where you mount it, belt tension, belt stiffness, and/or all of the above.

Here is a comparison of the clips. This difference is minuscule but the difference in concealment and comfort is enormous.

66647

66648

[Blades]

. Geez...this gets expensive.

Think of it as a long term investment. It may be expensive today but once you realize it saves you buying all kinds of "cheaper" gear that does not work you'll save money over the years.

[BillSWPA]

Is carrying at work ok with your employer? If not, then this is not the place to do your initial learning. Get some experience carrying outside the workplace first.

At work, you are spending 40-60 hours/week with the same people. They will notice things that someone you see for 1-2 hours on one occasion will not notice. The ladies in the workplace will notice much more than men realize, and if anything is out of place, they will gossip about it as they try to figure out why it is out of place. The risk of getting caught requires a much higher level of discretion than general carry.

Do you have a way to discreetly lock up the gun if you need to enter a place where the gun is illegal, and to discreetly get it back on your person when you return?

Where will you be standing or sitting and around who? What will be at eye level? When might you have to bend at the waist at the wrong time and reveal a bulge?

I will let those who carry AIWB advise on that mode of carry. I have tried over a half dozen tuckable IWB holsters, and none of them were remotely discreet. As soon as you tuck in the shirt, you destroy the bagginess that is needed to hide the gun. I wear a lot of sweaters and sweater vests in cool or cold weather, and a lot of untucked polo shirts in warm weather. When I want to tuck in my shirt and have nothing over that shirt, I switch to front pocket carry.

My favorite pocket holster is made by Aholster. The design does an excellent job of minimizing printing, holding the gun securely, and remaining in the pocket while you draw. I wrap the hook by the rear sight in molefoam to prevent poking a hole through my pocket.

My next choice is a DeSantis Superfly. The anti-print panel goes a long way towards breaking up the outline of the gun.

[Porter75]

A perfect example of why I want to carry at work is we have a homeless shelter and last Friday night a guy pulled a butcher’s knife and a pair of scissors on the supervisor and tried to kill him.

I don’t believe my employer won't have a problem with me carrying. I’m around the same people pretty much all day and have a separate office. Sometimes I’m in an office while they are sitting and I’m standing at the door.
My shirts have to be tucked in unless I’m wearing a sweater. We have security cameras and I'm work on those so I'm on a ladder from time to time. So reaching up will definitely be a problem. That’s when I’ll have to lock it up in my car and it sucks.

Tuckable holsters aren’t discreet at all, but that’s the only way I’ll be able to carry most of the time. Since I don’t know when I’ll be on a ladder pocket holsters won’t be ideal as I wear jeans everyday. I believe it’s going to be a real challenge to hide my Glock 23, Taurus 380 or my Bersa.

[RevolverRob]

The best solution for your situation is pocket carry with your smaller TCP, in my opinion.

I would not be concerned with it printing while you are on a ladder. You are also unlikely to draw it and turn around and fire while standing on a ladder, so that isn't a concern (in my opinion). You can easily stand with your hands tucked slightly in your pocket with hand on the gun for an extremely fast draw in situations where it might be required, particularly with the open-top type pockets of jeans.

If possible, I would look to see if you can trade the TCP or Bersa for a Ruger LCP. The primary reason being the broad availability of holsters for the LCP.