How do you carry and especially how do you carry with something in a belt or belly band and use the bathroom in public?

I have a S&W 642 revolver that's small enough for actual pocket carry.  I do okay with it because it isn't heavy enough to cause me issues when my pants are down.  My other carry gun is a 1911 compact range officer so it's a heavier gun and too big for pocket carry.  I have a tank top that's compression fit that I carry it in most of the time.  Only real issue with that is getting to the gun in a hurry.  I'd have to do the flash bang thing.  

I'd like to carry at 4 o'clock but any holster I've tried even with a stout belt causes me issues when my pants are down.  Gun hits the floor (I try to not have that happen but 1911 is heavy).  If I take it off or out of the holster, I have to put it somewhere.  That's not always possible.  And the last thing I need is some kid seeing it and start screaming.  

Yes, I know I could buy a smaller, lighter gun but I'd prefer not to.  

I'm a bigger girl so no appendix carry for me, it's just too uncomfortable sitting down.

Hi Sunedee -

I'm a curvy gal myself and I alway carry appendix. I read in the Cornered Cat book (by Kathy Jackson) that for curvier women, appendix is often the most concealable position. It works well for me. I carry a Shield in a kydex holster from the Well Armed Woman website. It's available for S&W revolvers, too.

How you deal with the belt issue. Pull your pants down just to below your knees. Sit down while holding onto belt/holstered pistol. Spread your legs so belt is held taut. Pistol stays up that way! When you're done, pull your pants up while holding onto your holster/pistol. This works very well for me.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Pretty much the same for me except I use the Betty holster.

OK. I'm giving up on my G26, going to a G43 9mm.... I appendix carry with a WAW kydex holster, fairly happily (unless I'm bending over tying my shoes, ugh), but the hubby doesn't like the gun pointing towards important parts if it would discharge while i'm drawing (let's say in a hostile situation)....
I've tried carrying at 4:00, but it annoys my hipbone and sitting in a vehicle is extremely uncomfortable.
i'm slightly heavier than "athletically fit," so i don't have too many curves and have a hard time not printing in the summer unless i appendix carry.
I'm hoping the slimmer 43 will help, but still think anything besides appendix carry is going to annoy me.  I am short-bodies, so carrying in the bosom area probly isnt going to work....

suggestions, gals???

Best result I've had is a flashbang snapped to the front of my bra, and babydoll tops since they kind of flow over the gun bump.

Outfit with concealed XD40 sub-compact (with extended magazine)


I got rid of the gun, it was pretty terrible. I bought it from a friend without trying one first and it's awfully snappy, and very fat/hard to conceal.

My weight was a big factor (pun intended) though. The chunkier you are, the lumpier you are, the harder it is to conceal carry. At least for me. I'm slimmer now and looking for a slimmer carry gun to accompany it.

Tell your hubby you will carry as YOU want to. The thing with the TWAW holster is that with it having a single clip, you should be putting holstered pistol on your belt, not putting holster on and THEN pistol into holster. The only time my Shield comes out of the TWAW Kydex holster is when I unholster to shoot it or for cleaning. Other than that, it can be in the holster for a week or move without ever coming out.

ETA: just read your post again. I've done multiple defensive pistol classes with the TWAW holster. I also come out hot from the holster during practice at the gun club I belong to (they allow this for people with appropriate training). I have not shot myself yet. Nor will I. Practice your draw at home with an unloaded pistol. Is hubby needlessly worrying or is there something incorrect about your draw that would be corrected with some training?

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I've tried carrying multiple positions, and appendix makes me happy.  My 26 is rarely unholstered, i put it on and take it off while in the holster. drew it to shoot a skunk a few weeks ago, and was sitting in the truck when i reholstered, hubby saw, and i think he went through worst case scenarios in his head.  I'm very, VERY careful when re-holstering, as i'd really rather not bleed out due to my own stupidity. He is protective, and we just lost 2 friends (not gun related), so i think he's feeling a little mortal. He's handled firearms far longer than I have, but we both shoot USPSA, and I've never had a ND. I should practice drawing at home more, in front of him, to ease his mind. I'm fairly correct, I think, but perhaps a defensive pistol class would help both of us (me with my techniques, him with peace of mind).
In my mind, if i carry at 4 or behind my back (more comfy than 4, but not practical), and i'm ON MY BACK there's not a chance in hell i'm going to be able to get my pistol. Or if there's someone that comes up behind me... i'd much rather have it in front of me... He's got me practicing jiu-jitsu with him, and i'm pretty sure i can inflict enough pain to get access to my gun in front of me... i don't know.
I just know that if it's really uncomfortable i'm not going to wear it, and i think going without is more dangerous than appendix carry.

I only carry appendix with my Shield. Nothing else works for me with it. It was too big for the bra bolsters (I tried). LCP in a bra holster as it's dinky.

I'm very careful when reholstering during live fire practice. In fact, I have to move my boob out of the way. ;) I don't care who sees me do it, whether at the range or in a class. It's part of safely holstering a loaded pistol for me. I've not tried reholstering an unloaded pistol while sitting down. It would be easier and safer to pull holster off belt, and holster pistol, and then put holstered pistol on your belt.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

because i'm short bodied and annoyed by my boobs anyway, bra holsters of any type are a no-go, and anything smaller than a G43 feels like it's going to jump out of my hand. don't know why, but that's just the way it is.
As far as reholstering while sitting, i should have cleared my weapon, removed my holster, holstered, and put the unit back on... seemed like an awful lot of work at the time, though... i'll do it next time, however.

Sounds like you know where you need to improve. I agree that a defensive pistol course would be great for the both of you. Practice and repetition will really drill proper draw and reholstering in. I've done a little work with pistol retention carrying open on my hip and that's an eye opening experience. We used simunitions pistols so I didn't get to try it appendix or on my back.

Whichever is more comfortable for you is what you should do. Just practice as much as possible with an unloaded pistol. When you feel confident with draw and reholstering technique switch to 1 shot drills and pyramid drills with a target. If you can find someone doing force on force in your area that will be a great help.

Guy here, but I thought I'd pass along a good friend's experience that might be helpful for women who wear business attire a lot. A lady friend concealed carries regularly with business attire (attorney), and she's a Sig fan and currently carries an M11-A1, so not really small but not overly bulky either. She's 5'8" and definitely on the curvier and bustier side (by natural form, she's in shape and not over or underweight), so it might not work as well for someone who's smaller/straighter/heavier, but she's currently got the Dene Adams corset holster and I believe she's used or might still use the UnderTech Undercover half tank. I'd have to ask her; I know she used it with her old subcompact, but not sure if she's given it a go with the larger M11 yet. Currently using the corset holster mainly under the dress shirt/blouse though with good results.

Basically she can print if she moves the wrong way, mainly twisting sharply away from the side she's wearing the pistol on, but for the most part you would never know it's there unless you were really looking for it. I only noticed and barely so because she told me and I was specifically looking for a weapon around her waist area while she moved around a bit to demonstrate. And this was with light colors; I'd imagine it'd conceal even better with darks. She says she's been wearing it to work for a few months now and not one comment from anyone, whether the suit jacket's on or off. As she put it, a couple of the paralegals are hardcore liberals, so she's sure they'd have said something if they'd noticed (although I'm a little dubious on the idea of a paralegal who likes their job jumping on an associate for anything, but I'll defer to her). So definitely a good consideration for someone wanting to wear a pistol that's a bit on the bigger side but still have it disappear quite well under the shirt.

She's got the inside the pants pistol pouch from Thunderwear as well that she used to use with her subcompact, but says she no longer uses it because she either has "a baggy crotch like some old guy" when she wears it lower, or when she wears it higher and sits, the bigger, longer Sig jabs into her stomach. So that would probably be off the recommendation list for a larger pistol.

The only thing she mentioned as a complaint thus far is in the heat down here, she can get pretty hot/sweaty under the corset holster if she's outside too much, but I don't think there's any way around getting hot in the Texas summer sun anyway short of wearing a liquid-cooled astronaut undergarment.

She also mentioned she wants to give the Can Can Concealment Hip Huggers a try, inspired by my successfully finding a way to conceal my big-assed Beretta M9 in summer this year with nothing more than a well-placed Ghost USA holster under a T-shirt . I told her I thought that's a good idea, so we'll see how that goes if she buys it. IMO if I can pull off a full frame M9 in the small of my back as a 5'10" guy, she should be easily able to do an M11/P228 in more or less the same spot as a 5'8" gal.

I have a Can Can Concealment hip hugger holster, and I love it.  I carry my G43 appendix.  When I use the restroom, I pull the holster up and hold the gun in place.  When ready, I just pull it back down.

I mostly can't. I hate to admit it, but it's true. I'm a working Physical Therapist, weigh 110 pounds give or take, and have a child under 1 year, so purses are out. PT involves holding and handling people's bodies and a lot of that contact is up close, I also have to demonstrate seated and reclining floor exercises on padded mats, so I can't have a pistol between my hip and the floor, or really, most parts of me, and the floor.

There's no place on my body where I could conceal a firearm while using my body to leverage larger patients, lay on all sides on mats, and expect to never have them bump into it. My husband bought me my own Glock 19 for the range and office desk-drawer safe, and a Glock 42 for carry, but I've never been able to wear it on-body yet. Still working on a foolproof method for the Glock 42, but it's a physical job with only a layer of professional sportswear between me and patients. Until then, locked in the desk safe with electronic combo, will have to do for the office.

Many of us can't carry at work. Do you carry outside of work?

Ever thought of the new Beretta Pico? I picked one up recently for the rare occasion where I absolutely cannot carry a full frame or even a compact, and it delivers. Always hated the pocket pistol niche, but this one's won me over. Even thinner than a Ruger LCP, comfortable in the hand, relatively light recoil, LaserMax laser built into the frame, and the damn thing is so thin and light it can even disappear into a sock if need-be.

Only problem is most of the great hollowpoints like the Winchester T-series (my favorite) and the Federal HST that perform exceptionally well in 9mm Para and above turn out to be severe underpenetrators in 9mm Short. Did a ton of research and the old design Hydrashoks manage to penetrate to FBI-recommended depths in 9mm Short though, so I got a box of those to go with it.

When I'm off work, I tend to be either holding or within arm's reach of the baby - and my husband carries regularly and we tend to spend our off work time together. I might crack the code on off-work carry once I'm not wearing a baby carrier that wraps a big padded belt around my waist. It wouldn't be easy to access a Glock 42 under it. I do have my Glock 19 in a locking electronic keypad safe, so if I'm at home, it's available. I do need to practice getting it out in a timely fashion, with the blue plastic training gun.

Hah, had to make this a separate post, over the character limit for new accounts?

I haven't tried the Pico, but the LCP I owned before the Glock 42 was very difficult for me to hold on to tight enough to prevent short-cycling. I just don't have the hand and forearm strength to keep it from limp-wrist malfunctioning once a mag. (Husband had no issues with the same pistol, over more rounds fired - it's just me.) I don't think going an inch smaller will make the difference, it's more just not having a place to attach it on my work clothes, and also insufficient cover garment.

The Hogue Hand All grip makes all the difference on my LCP. More to grip onto and dampens the recoil some. I actually love to shoot my LCP now.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I carry my 9mm shield 95% of the time with my belt man belt and stealth gear onyx IWB holster. I carry at 5 o'clock. When I am not wearing jeans I use undertech concealment shorts which represents the other 5% of the time.

I've never had a problem with bathrooms in public, just twist my pants slightly so the gun isn't facing my leg and just go with it. My jeans and belt combo can hold the weight of the shield in my experience.

Excuse me ladies for interrupting your forum here but I'm a guy seeking some guidance for his wife on carrying on-body. She has a Sig P938 she runs with in a PT-One and occasionally throws it in her glovebox with Sig OWB kydex; recent events while out/about has led her to decide to carry much more often and on her body. I have a Crossbreak Mini-Tuk IWB setup for her 938 which is a pretty minimalist but she lacks a supportive belt and I'm not sure her style of jeans will work. I see The Belt Man has more stylish options than before, any other options you ladies suggest?

I find that even a cheap belt from Walmart has worked well for me in with carry in the waistband as long as it's a smaller gun and not a full size. It wears the belt out maybe a little faster than a good gun belt but the belts being cheaper allows me to have multiple belts that are different styles. It also allows me to have different thickness of belts that fit standard belt loops or pants that have oversized or undersized belt loops. Oh forgot to state I carry a bg380 and a shield9 with IWB bladetech holsters.

I've been wanting to try those IWB holsters with the magnetic flap clip, not sure where to get them, for stuff like yoga pants or bottoms that can't take belts.

Carrying is vary much a personal thing as to how to carry as I'm sure you are vary familiar with. I know it may not help but giving her mutlple ideas and then trial and error. Maybe someone else might have a better idea than me.

I talked to a very nice lady at White Hat Holsters, she claimed that "several" woman customers had used their Micro-tuk holster with the standard spring clips without a belt and had full use. Even yoga style pants, take that as you will.

Likely, I'm going to go with a WH micro as it's one of the few that supports the 938 with attached Streamlifht TLR-6. I need to look for a pocketbook holster option now