Thanks for the tips guys.
I must amend my post, I used the 642 in a leather aiwb as my college carry handgun, and it was wonderful. Pure perfection for a deep carry gun. I wore white t shirts some days and it even concealed then, and forgot I evem had it.
I do have a box full of random holsters. I will research some of the suggestions here, thanks.
And pull my damn pants up...
SLG I admit I often miss your sarcasm and wit but maybe I am not understanding.
Your saying AIWB is not as body specific and personal as other modes of carry?
If so I disagree with you as I find it to be more specific. Others have also mentioned that they also find AIWB to be personal as well. Just goes to show that it is all "personal" anyways. So people don't find it any more specific and others do.
To the OP I agree with the advise to try a holster from one of the makers on this board with the different adjustment features and try what works for you, then you can know what works for you and branch out and experiment with different holsters.
I'm not being sarcastic, I genuinely don't understand how people think AIWB is MORE body/holster/gun specific than any other mode of carry. I have worked with more than a few people on this...Originally Posted by EVP
I find ALL holsters to be very specific and personal. There are lots of great IWB holsters out there, but only a very few work for me. The ones that work for me, for 1911's, often don't work as well for Sigs or Glocks. I know that's true of most people as well.
I think part of the misunderstanding with AIWB is that purpose built aiwb holsters are still a new thing. There is a glut of crappy aiwb designs out there, made by people with little skill or understanding or experience in these matters.
If things continue the way they are going, we will have tons of AIWB designs in the next 10 years. As it is, there are only a few really good aiwb holsters available, and they are simply not going to work for everyone. If we removed all IWB holster options and left you with a Sparks Summer special and some Desantis or Galco offerings, most of you couldn't find an IWB that would be great for you either. We have 40 years of IWB development that gives you a wide range of choices to fit your specific gun/body/clothing/performance needs.
All I'm saying is that AIWB is incorrectly looked at as being somehow different, when it actually isn't. I also think some people market aiwb as being more personal, both as a disclaimer in case the customer doesn't like it (this is not limited to holster makers, but also people giving well intentioned advice) as well as a passive way of straddling the fence. The fence being, "aiwb is unsafe" vs. "aiwb is as safe or safer than other methods."
I've said it a million times, I prefer hammer guns to striker guns, and think they are inherently superior. When the whole rest of the world still agreed with me about that, aiwb was not looked at as dangerous or fringe in anyway. The biggest police dept's in the world had thousands and thousands of aiwb users. Some of the best contemporary gunfighters also used aiwb, and with some pretty big guns.
Now, with SFA being so popular, it has also become popular to bash aiwb as a method of carry. Falling back on "it's personal" seems to be a way some people deal with that. Kind of like the article I linked to from Aaron Bugara, though I doubt he was thinking about this topic when he wrote it:-)
I routinely see people with IWB and owb holsters who can't conceal them, can't perform at a high level with them, and complain they are uncomfortable. LEO's and civies and Mil alike.
Just like aiwb.
Last edited by SLG; 01-14-2017 at 08:12 PM.
Now, clearly, as you add size (of the gun) and accessories (WML's, etc) fewer people will be able to carry aiwb with them. Also true of iwb and owb. Some people just think that is too much or not doable. Others are able to do it. In comfort even.
I carry a full size 1911 in a JRC CDA 2 and it has been the best holster I have ever used as far as quality and comfort. The ability to adjust it to your preference is what I believe makes all the difference! Just my personal experience as always YMMV and all that stuff.
Rick
Brave men defend themselves, braver men defend loved ones, Warriors defend strangers fools wait! The bravest man I know John 3:17!
The late ToddG spoke highly of the 5-Shot SME: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ase-of-the-SME!
Is the SME available? His website says that he is backlogged and will begin taking orders again in 2014...
I think I misunderstood your original point, so we're in agreement.
The reason AIWB tends to be more person specific is a combination of how we use them and how subtle changes effect concealibility.
With an IWB nobody expects to conceal a 17 behind the hip in a t shirt. Nobody expects a sub one second draw. With AIWB, we do.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
I probably wasn't as clear in writing as I was in my head. Common problem for me when I try to write less. Maybe Tom can switch the forum software over to a video chat room.
Kidding.
