skinny concealment - such a thing?

[krautfed]

All skinny jokes aside, I'm 6'0" 160lbs <10% body fat (soccer player). I wear 32x32 pants and medium shirts tucked in. When I say tucked in, I mean normally there isn't much "baggyness" to the shirt. Example: You can see the top of my pants, above the belt, and there is no overhang of the shirt. I'm not willing to change my dress style.

Before I give up and go for a pocket size gun, are there any options out there for skinny folk? Also note that I live in the South, so no coat/jacket to conceal. I do not wear shirts untucked very often, and when they are, they are usually slim fitting and short (not even reaching the pockets).

Can the concealment gods help me?

[gkelley3]

I'm far from skinny, and I live in Florida, so I rarely wear a coat, however in the summer time I usually wear cargo shorts and a belt with a t-shirt tucked in. I wear either an IWB holster or a pancake on the belt to the rear of my right hip, and I wear just a light button up shirt, unbuttoned (similar to a Hawaiian short). It covers my weapon, and it isn't too hot.

Some other options you have other than a pocket gun will be to wear a larger shirt, pulled out or long pants with an ankle holster.

Maybe someone else can give you some additional suggestions.

[krautfed]

Thanks. I really don't wear light button ups (that would solve it I guess). I really need to just head to a gun store and try on a large selection while wearing my everyday clothing. I currently have XD9 4" as a range gun but I like it so much I could definitely go for 3" for carry.


I like the looks of the Smart Carry here: http://www.smartcarry.com/scccm.pdf

^ but to be honest, I wouldn't carry with a round in the chamber.

[KarolinaKid]

I have an under the shoulder band that I can wear under anything - even a tucked in T- shirt. Some refer to these holsters as a "belly band", but the one I have rides across the chest above the belly and works very well.

[Lazarus]

Get a slimmer, single stack gun. Then order a Crossbreed Supertuck holster. Try it out. One of the great things about Mark is, if you aren't satisfied you can return the holster, although you may want to double check on any restrictions.

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by krautfed

Thanks. I really don't wear light button ups (that would solve it I guess). I really need to just head to a gun store and try on a large selection while wearing my everyday clothing. I currently have XD9 4" as a range gun but I like it so much I could definitely go for 3" for carry.


I like the looks of the Smart Carry here: http://www.smartcarry.com/scccm.pdf

^ but to be honest, I wouldn't carry with a round in the chamber.

You're better off not carrying than carrying a gun with an empty chamber. Don't take that out of context. This goes with it: You're better spending your time and money in hand-to-hand combat/defensive training because you're rarely going to get the time and space to rack the slide.

Carrying a gun isn't something you just add to your life without any changes. Just like you most likely will have to adjust the way you live your life a little bit (attitude, dealing with road rage, avoiding trouble rather than going into it, keeping your mouth shut and letting people take shots at your ego, etc. etc. etc.), you're going to need to adjust at least a little bit of your type of dress.

I'm 6' 145 - 155. I was about 175-180 when I bought my XD45 compact. I dropped weight over the spring summer last year so most of my pants/shorts have a little bit of space (I don't wear tight pants at all, nor do they hang off my butt if I don't have a belt) for an IWB carry option.

Tucking your shirt in and wearing it tight is going to make it more challenging to carry anything other than in your pocket. I frequently wear collared dress shirts untucked with the sleeves rolled over once and that works fine. In the summer, a polo works, but definitely not tucked it.

You just need to prioritize what's most important to you:

1.) not changing your dress at all and carrying a pocket/mouse gun
2.) altering a little bit here and there to carry something "full" powered/capacity.

It's up to you and no one can make that decision for you. You also have to be comfortable and confident in what you carry. I highly advise you to practice carrying whatever it is you decide to carry and learn to carry with one in the chamber. Even in the smart carry, if a round is going to go off for some reason, they're all pointed in the same direction whether in the chamber or in the magazine. Remember, guns don't just go off by themselves. If you're thinking about something like a Kel-tec P3AT, you can get a belt clip for it and you won't need a holster. But again, if you plan on clipping it to something with your shirt tucked in, it's going to be difficult to get to it quickly.

The only challenge with going to a gun shop in what you want your normal clothing to be is this: they should have the firearm you want, but they more than likely won't have the holster that works best for you, your body frame, and your style of dress. You'll probably need to order something and try it out. Or, find a friend who carries the same gun and has some holsters you can try out.

Good luck.

[billbrasky]

Originally Posted by krautfed

All skinny jokes aside, I'm 6'0" 160lbs <10% body fat (soccer player). I wear 32x32 pants and medium shirts tucked in. When I say tucked in, I mean normally there isn't much "baggyness" to the shirt. Example: You can see the top of my pants, above the belt, and there is no overhang of the shirt. I'm not willing to change my dress style.

Before I give up and go for a pocket size gun, are there any options out there for skinny folk? Also note that I live in the South, so no coat/jacket to conceal. I do not wear shirts untucked very often, and when they are, they are usually slim fitting and short (not even reaching the pockets).

Can the concealment gods help me?

well ankle holster if you wear jeans that arent gay emo band tight at the ankels.

With your body type you have to make some sort of fashion concession and add something to your mix like button up shirts, light jackets, looser t shirts polos etc.

There is just no good way to be skinny and wear tight closes and HIDE a gun and holster.

Maybe take a picture so we can see how tight these cloths you wear are, and if there is any room for a gun, on paper it sure doesnt sound like there is.

Maybe get a small pocket gun like a walther ppk that is slim and small ish. get a pocket holster. maybe look into a sig p232

[maddram]

I just got my Smartcarry in the mail the other day for my Keltec pf9 and my future XDSC I would not be scared at all to carry 1 chambered....just take your time and be careful when holstering. Its a very comfortable and you forget its there. Like other have said though, if you want to conceal carry you've got to change up your clothing style to avoid printing

[headhunter]

Get one of the "belly band" rigs that was suggested. I also live in the south, am fairly skinny myself, and can carry in the torso rig with no problem. Having said that, I normally carry on my hip with a light jacket or untucked shirt. Why? Its a faster, cleaner, more natural draw for me. Some of the other guys on here are correct; you may have to modify your clothing style. Safety and security take precedence over style/fashion.

[m9fan]

Originally Posted by krautfed

All skinny jokes aside, I'm 6'0" 160lbs <10% body fat (soccer player). I wear 32x32 pants and medium shirts tucked in. When I say tucked in, I mean normally there isn't much "baggyness" to the shirt. Example: You can see the top of my pants, above the belt, and there is no overhang of the shirt. I'm not willing to change my dress style.

Before I give up and go for a pocket size gun, are there any options out there for skinny folk? Also note that I live in the South, so no coat/jacket to conceal. I do not wear shirts untucked very often, and when they are, they are usually slim fitting and short (not even reaching the pockets).

Can the concealment gods help me?

Like you, I am tall & thin (6'2", 170 lbs.), live in the south (Houston, TX), and, prior to getting my concealed handgun license, wore 32x36 jeans. However, since my current ccw of choice is a Beretta M9 (military version of the 92FS) I've had to modify a couple of things.

First, because concealing such a large-framed auto via an OWB paddle holster was a real challenge for me, I switched to an IWB holster (Comp-Tac Minotaur MTAC for my Beretta - the same of which is on order for my new XD-45). Second, given that the M9 and my holster were now going to be positioned inside my waistband, I also had to purchase jeans that were a little looser - for me this meant 33x36.

So, with the help of a good IWB holster, slightly-looser jeans (or shorts in the summer time), a good belt, and a tucked-in t-shirt underneath a loose-hanging polo or button-down shirt, I can now comfortably carry AND conceal my ccw weapon. (By the way, I carry the M9 on my strong side at 4:00).

Side View:


Rear View:


Concealed View:



Just my .02...