Reconsidering AIWB... Suggestions?

[madmike262]

I like AIWB,I carry either a 1911 LW Ruger Commander or a S&W shield both in 45acp.I use Vedder holsters for both.

[CalAlumnus]

Yep, an undershirt is the way to go. It makes all manner of IWB holsters significantly more comfortable.

[03RN]

Yeah, the clips are tight but once you get the technique they aren't a problem.


Try an undershirt or wife beater. It's a small concession I had to make when switching to aiwb.

I also use a g17 length holster for my g19.

[gtae07]

Hmm. Undershirt it is, then.

Any suggestions on one appropriate for hot, humid weather on a guy who sweats a lot, that won't stat to stink like rotten cheese after only a few uses?

[Prdator]

Sounds like Tony got you in to a Great holster!!

Not to self advertise. but.. Id recommend my AIWB skills class as I cover as many aspects of AIWB that I can in 8 hours!! Or my Advanced AIWB skills two day class.

I hope to have the website updated this week with a few other classes. Check that out on our website Keepersconcealment.com or on FB Keepers Concealment.

Best of luck to you on the AIWB path!!

[Duces Tecum]

Hmm. Undershirt it is, then.

Any suggestions on one appropriate for hot, humid weather on a guy who sweats a lot, that won't stat to stink like rotten cheese after only a few uses?

Fill the sink with water. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar. Return in 30 minutes. Smell gone. Launder as necessary.

My wife does that with my undershirts. I have no idea why she thinks it's necessary.

[scw2]

Hmm. Undershirt it is, then.

Any suggestions on one appropriate for hot, humid weather on a guy who sweats a lot, that won't stat to stink like rotten cheese after only a few uses?

I like wearing moisture-wicking undershirts for when I'm using AIWB. I use the light weight versions for the summer time, and heavier ones for winter. I've seen other people wear rash guards as well.

I also prefer to get it tighter fitting to prevent loose fabric from interfering with establishing a grip. It's less of an issue if you're just carrying since you can tuck the undershirt in before putting on your holster, but becomes more of an issue if you're practicing.

I'd follow the above advice for getting rid of the smell.

[Darth_Uno]

Hmm. Undershirt it is, then.

Any suggestions on one appropriate for hot, humid weather on a guy who sweats a lot, that won't stat to stink like rotten cheese after only a few uses?

I don’t wear an undershirt in muggy Midwest summers, I just make sure to use a holster with a sweat guard. You should also probably not buy used holsters from me, but why anyone would buy used AIWB holsters carried by someone’s junk is still a mystery to me.

Not really gun related outside of this thread, but those polyester dri-fit shirts suck. Idk why but they just suck up BO. Cotton isn’t nearly as bad.


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[DocGKR]

Merino wool works well.

[gtae07]

Not really gun related outside of this thread, but those polyester dri-fit shirts suck. Idk why but they just suck up BO. Cotton isn’t nearly as bad.

Dry-fit stuff seems to start smelling faster/after fewer wears (I’m talking about that persistent smell, where it seems fine fresh out of the laundry but once you put it on and start sweating it starts to smell bad almost immediately), but it seems to me that cotton stuff smells worse once it starts. Cotton also seems to just retain moisture and be a wet soggy blanket that never dries out. So it’s a choice between smelling, or looking like a soggy rat.

I used to have good luck using Star-San (a food-grade sanitizer popular with homebrewers) to de-stinkify my fire department uniform but I think my bottle of it has lost its potency over time. I probably ought to buy some more. The specialized “technical fabric” detergents and non-bleach “laundry sanitizers” don’t seem to be terribly effective.



But back directly to the topic: Now that I’m not at work all day, I finally had a chance today to go out back and practice some filmed, timed draw-and-fire with the new holster. I used my airsoft G19 becuase it keeps me honest about how my aim was after the draw.

The good: my time to fire is already down .25-.35 seconds from last week’s times carrying at 3:30 (or maintaining time but with a much better sight picture), and this is just my first time drawing from AIWB. I’m sure with more practice I’ll be able to get those times down further. I also found a more comfortable position for the holster, and after wearing it for a bit I found myself getting used to it pretty quickly. No printing issues unless I leaned back like I was going to do the limbo. I’ll probably be placing another order for a G43/48 version soon.

The bad: My undershirt was gradually getting pulled into the bottom of the trigger guard area with repeated draw and reholster; my outer shirt even got caught up once. A couple of times I had to back out and fix the shirt. I also need to do a lot of slow reps of the draw to work out unnecessary motion and get a faster shirt-clearing method.

The ugly: I have a training scar or two to deal with. Watching myself, I see decent reholstering mechanics (muzzle line well clear of anatomy, thumb over the SCD, watching it into the holster) but I need to slow down—I think the combination of doing repetitive draws and knnowing it’s just airsoft is causing me to go too fast. I know checing the fit upstairs with a real (unloaded) gun I went very slow, but still, I need to work on it.
Second, I still draw, fire, and then suck back into a compressed ready after one shot. And finally, on the slow-mo video I see my finger drifting into the trigger guard way too early (like the muzzle still 70deg below level).

I think what I need is some kind of random draw callout—either “draw” where I press out but with finger indexed along the frame, or “engage X” where X tells me the number of shots to fire, and then STAY OUT instead of sucking back in. I need to work on drawing but not reflexively firing off a shot.

Overall I’m very pleased so far. More practice to come over the week. When we head out for the day I’ll be trying it “for real”.