Holster & concealment orthodoxies that you find questionable

[mmc45414]

The classic that comes to mind, although I've heard it less often in recent years, is that shorter guns are somehow more comfortable AIWB. ... I can't quite wrap my head around what they're chasing with these models when the G19 form factor has been the public's darling for decades now.

I agree, and will add that this is also a factor at 3-4:00 IWB. Basically the way I am shaped, and do not consider myself to be exactly fat, maybe ~10 pounds over, that the belt is the pivot point in the seesaw, and the barrel has to be long enough that my butt can push back against my gut, or else the grip wants to get pushed out to the side.

One oft-repeated observation that I've found untrue in my experience is that snubby revolvers "just work" AIWB ... *My* experience so far is that the profile of a snubby acts basically as an inversion of a holster wedge or pillow- the gun is very narrow up front, and widens at the cylinder which is generally in line with your belt. The wedge shape and pressure make the muzzle want to cant inward, tilting the grip outward. With small enough grips this could still be a non-issue in terms of concealment, but I find it pretty uncomfortable using kydex and it does result in more printing for me. I find a well-placed pillow wedge is effective as a remedy, but that's still adding bulk to the package and bringing the overall footprint more closely in line with the size of a G26 or G19, albeit with a much more concealable grip above the belt.

IMO a small revolver can get away riding lower to the belt line than is typically considered optimal for AIWB, and with "large" J-frame grips can still be presented pretty well. This also helps with pants with no belt. Also there is another indent in my anatomy, between the hip and the pooch, that the cylinder just drops right into like I was made for it.

[Sanch]

I’ve always loved the idea of the enigma but in practice, I could NEVER get the leg strap to be comfortable. I wasted around ten hours over a couple months trying different variations of length from the enigma and tightness around my thigh. I tried different aftermarket leg straps.

The enigma was life changing because I wear elastic waist pants/shorts most of the time. But 20 minutes into wearing it, the thigh strap was either cutting off circulation in my leg or it was flopping down.

So I said screw it and I removed the leg strap. Been carrying this way for a year. No problems. Gun comes out just fine without a thigh strap to keep downward pressure. Maybe there’s also supposed to be some in-fight retention benefit to the leg strap but that’s the least of my problems if I’m doing concrete jits.

The likelihood of me doing sidewalk grappling is much lower than the likelihood of me saying fuck it completely and not carrying a gun at all when I’m in sweatpants because this shitty leg strap design doesn’t work. Maybe if they didn’t lock their user group behind Facebook (which I refuse to use and think anyone who uses it should feel bad) I’d have seen some other people’s suggestions but a year in with no leg strap, I’m very happy.

[JAH 3rd]

Thanks for your insight! Gonna give that a whirl. I am under the impression that you have to buy pants with a larger waist size to accommodate IWB carry.....is that so? And did you use any of the muzzle pads, angular or tear drop on your holster?

[Rex G]

Orthodox Belief: Revolvers are more difficult to conceal, due to the width.

Actual: Revolvers are only wide, at the cylinder, and, in some cases, the grips/stocks. The rest of the revolver is relatively slim. The slimness of that barrel can make a BIG difference in IWB/AIWB comfort, for at least some users.

[Rex G]

I’ve always loved the idea of the enigma but in practice, I could NEVER get the leg strap to be comfortable. I wasted around ten hours over a couple months trying different variations of length from the enigma and tightness around my thigh. I tried different aftermarket leg straps.

The enigma was life changing because I wear elastic waist pants/shorts most of the time. But 20 minutes into wearing it, the thigh strap was either cutting off circulation in my leg or it was flopping down.

So I said screw it and I removed the leg strap. Been carrying this way for a year. No problems. Gun comes out just fine without a thigh strap to keep downward pressure. Maybe there’s also supposed to be some in-fight retention benefit to the leg strap but that’s the least of my problems if I’m doing concrete jits.

The likelihood of me doing sidewalk grappling is much lower than the likelihood of me saying fuck it completely and not carrying a gun at all when I’m in sweatpants because this shitty leg strap design doesn’t work. Maybe if they didn’t lock their user group behind Facebook (which I refuse to use and think anyone who uses it should feel bad) I’d have seen some other people’s suggestions but a year in with no leg strap, I’m very happy.

I do not use the Enigma’s leg strap, either. It serves no purpose, in keeping the rig locked into its intended place, during the draw, and, if I have to shift the rig, for comfort, the leg strap can complicate that.

If I were to wear the enigma loosely enough for the leg strap to become important, I believe that I would need to rig another strap, to pass diagonally over one shoulder, to keep the rig from slipping downward.

[dontshakepandas]

I’ve always loved the idea of the enigma but in practice, I could NEVER get the leg strap to be comfortable. I wasted around ten hours over a couple months trying different variations of length from the enigma and tightness around my thigh. I tried different aftermarket leg straps.

The enigma was life changing because I wear elastic waist pants/shorts most of the time. But 20 minutes into wearing it, the thigh strap was either cutting off circulation in my leg or it was flopping down.

So I said screw it and I removed the leg strap. Been carrying this way for a year. No problems. Gun comes out just fine without a thigh strap to keep downward pressure. Maybe there’s also supposed to be some in-fight retention benefit to the leg strap but that’s the least of my problems if I’m doing concrete jits.

The likelihood of me doing sidewalk grappling is much lower than the likelihood of me saying fuck it completely and not carrying a gun at all when I’m in sweatpants because this shitty leg strap design doesn’t work. Maybe if they didn’t lock their user group behind Facebook (which I refuse to use and think anyone who uses it should feel bad) I’d have seen some other people’s suggestions but a year in with no leg strap, I’m very happy.

I think the leg strap is really only needed during training where you'll be drawing and holstering multiple times which will eventually get things to shift.

That said, the included leg leash is absolute garbage in my opinion. I've switched to an Enigmod for anything other than a snubby which I don't use a leash at all.

https://regoconcepts.com/products/enigmod-leg-leash

[Noah]

Yeah, the Enigma leash is a backup parachute like the seat of your pants if your belt were to pull right over your hips and be coming up with the gun. User preference.

[JHC]

For some, there is this idea that effective concealment requires a ridiculously rigid belt. I've found it's a spectrum that's highly dependent on your carry method and holster.

That's the big one that jumps out at me. More valid for full size 1911s and N frames carried on the belt around 3:00. Not that big of a deal for many/most poly framed compacts IME.

[JHC]

I'm pretty slim and fit and have not found shorter pistols carried AIWB in shorter holsters to match, to be a problem as typically described vs a longer pistol. G19 sized is a pretty good balance but G26s in short holsters work fine IME.

And I've tried 5" 1911s, G17s, G34s and a G17L AIWB. The latter two being no way Jose. The first two dicey but possible.

Generally I've found the smaller the form factor inside the pants, the more comfortable it is.

[Sig_Fiend]

Thanks for your insight! Gonna give that a whirl. I am under the impression that you have to buy pants with a larger waist size to accommodate IWB carry.....is that so? And did you use any of the muzzle pads, angular or tear drop on your holster?

If it was me, I'd go up 1 size in pants to accommodate. I've experimented with various holster pads as well as built in "extra tuck" features with the holster body. I don't currently use any of those. For me, I've found most of those features to be too irritating, specifically since I carry at 3:00. When carried in that sort of position, IMO, the bigger issue is getting the grip rotated inward and the claw easily takes care of that.