Strong side holster length

[parishioner]

In your experience does the principle of having a longer holster for AIWB translate for strong side IWB carry with a cant?

The only strong side IWB I've ever had was kramer #3 for a G19 probably 10 years ago that I utilized briefly and I don't really remember how it carried.

I'm looking at getting a strong side kydex holster for a 3" gun and wondering if I should get a 4" holster to match my current appendix setup.

[RevolverRob]

My experience is...it depends

Depends primarily on your butt, or lack thereof, along with the position you intend to carry the gun at.

I have no ass to speak of. And I've found longer holsters do help to a degree, when positioned behind the point of the hip (muzzle basically resting on the buttocks) (e.g., 4-4:30 for a right handed shooter). If I had an ass, this would probably hit and create a hotspot.

But positioning the gun farther forward on the hip at ~3-3:30 means a longer holster will dig into my hip and create a hotspot or force the holster to move when I am walking, resulting in printing and discomfort.

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So if you have no ass and are going behind the hip - longer holster = okay. If you have an ass or are going on the point of the hip = shorter holster.

[Tony Mayer]

In your experience does the principle of having a longer holster for AIWB translate for strong side IWB carry with a cant?

The only strong side IWB I've ever had was kramer #3 for a G19 probably 10 years ago that I utilized briefly and I don't really remember how it carried.

I'm looking at getting a strong side kydex holster for a 3" gun and wondering if I should get a 4" holster to match my current appendix setup.

It depends on your build, but the same principles that make a longer holster work better for appendix carry also apply to strongside IWB. if you have "love handles" then the longer will be better, I find the 17 length the best, anything shorter and my "love handle" pushes the grip out and the muzzle into my side and is not comfy. I wouldn't go below a 4" length for anything though.

[orionz06]

Usually yes. Especially for pouches and G26 length guns. It's virtually never the weight, just the length above the belt vs below, and the force the belt has on the corner that rides right under the bottom of the belt.

[Trukinjp13]

This is my findings as well. My LTT centurion rides better than my shield. The shorter holster digs right into my side. Vs having the longer length that gets down past my hip.

Holster maker also is a huge diff. Jmck can make a damn comfortable holster vs some of the mass produced crap. Figure out your can’t length and what not. That’s made a huge diff.


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[1slow]

I had good results using full size holsters for shorter pistols, 1911 for commander, GL21 for GL30.

[Gun Mutt]

Not sure what this'll add to the conversation, but I'm having a rare, third cuppa and feeling loquacious.

When I first switched back to IWB after 15yrs of AIWB, I used my JM IWB #3 with my G19.4, soon updating to a G26.5 in the same holster. I wondered if 26 length holster, especially with fore & aft belt attachments, would work even better, so when a P-F'er offered a sweet deal on a JM IWB #2, I snapped it up. It doesn't look like much of a difference between the two rigs, but boy do they carry and print (or not) differently.

My edc is the #3 w/DCC Monoblock. My work attire is predominantly an untucked 5.11 polo and something about the way they shape the gusset under the arm really drapes well over the IWB position. With the #2, no matter what shirt I choose, it prints so badly on me that I might as well just wear it around my neck like a sandwich board.

[Rex G]

This is probably dependent upon the individual, and the weapon, but, yes, in my case, when I regularly carried IWB, behind the right hip, a holster body that was too short would jab me, in a particular spot, whereas a longer holster body would bridge over that spot, for comfort, in that spot. For reference, I was fit and lean, with no love handles to be a factor the equation, at that time. The guns were mostly revolvers, but I seem to remember a parallel experience with Milt Sparks Heritage holsters, in Commander and Government sizes.

I got away from behind-the-hip IWB because the weapon, itself, tended to jab me in the ribs, so I do not have recent behind-the-hip IWB experience, with what is becoming a grand-dad body.

[BobM]

This is probably dependent upon the individual, and the weapon, but, yes, in my case, when I regularly carried IWB, behind the right hip, a holster body that was too short would jab me, in a particular spot, whereas a longer holster body would bridge over that spot, for comfort, in that spot. For reference, I was fit and lean, with no love handles to be a factor the equation, at that time. The guns were mostly revolvers, but I seem to remember a parallel experience with Milt Sparks Heritage holsters, in Commander and Government sizes.

I got away from behind-the-hip IWB because the weapon, itself, tended to jab me in the ribs, so I do not have recent behind-the-hip IWB experience, with what is becoming a grand-dad body.

I had more of an issue with this with LH IWBs. When I was younger I’d often carry my primary pistol strong side and a second pistol, I eventually acquired Sparks Executive Companions for my SP101, 3913, and M&P compact. The wider footprint seemed to alleviate the discomfort.