Posted: 12/10/2004 1:34:34 PM EDT
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So I just moved to FL from RI and can finally get a CCP. I forsee a problem though. I usually wear cargo pants/shorts and dont need a belt. Most IWB holsters I have seen clip around a belt for stability. I would like to get a shulder holster but its usually too hot to wear enough clothes to conceal one. What are my options for belt free carrying? ETA: I would be carrying a Sig P220. |
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Question: Does going belt-free outweigh the responsibilities of a CCW? I'd say pick up a Wilderness Instructors Belt. It will go fine with cargo pants. It will give plenty of support to whatever IWB holster you go with. Cargo pockets could easily tote an aluminum framed .45 such as pro or ultra sized Kimber, or a Sig, that wouldn't pull one side of your pants down with lots of weight. Just be sure to anchor a pocket holster very well if you carry in the cargo pocket. |
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+1 on the belt. It will make your carry experience MUCH more pleasant, give you more options, and support the weight of the pistol better than dropping it in your pocket. Thunderwear is an option, but I would avoid the belly band. In the heat, you'll sweat like a pig (a belly band is nothing more than a neoprene wrap), and the salts in your sweat will corrode your pistol. |
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A Sig 220? Without a belt? ARE YOU NUTS????? Get a quality rig (belt, holster,mag pouch) and dress appropriately to conceal it. Cargo pants/ shorts are fine, with a "wife-beater" and a Hawaiian type button down shirt, untucked. That's my warm weather "uniform". Shit, I worked a TAC plainclothes detail some years ago wearing only Hawaiian shirt as a cover up. Underneath, I had my issued Glock 17, spare mag, cuffs, body armor, knife, pager, and radio. My OC spray was in my pocket, and slapjack in rear pocket. I had on plain, Old Navy brand cargo pants. |
Thought I'd put a little more effort into my post here... i.e. ... LOTS MORE WORDS!  I actually have the SmartCarry, not Thunderwear. My first experiment with this type of carry was with homemade stuff - three versions - then one from GALL'S. The one from GALLS is a cheap waste of money! It's falling apart at the seams. The SmartCarry is holding up real well. For carrying my 642, I padded the extra mag pocket so my speedloader rides up high enough for me to grab it. One thing about this type of carry... it gets hot and moist down there (moist from sweat that is! ). After a day carrying like that I notice how warm and damp my gun...er...pistol is. I sometimes use an Uncle Mikes pocket pouch/holster for the S&W. The drawbacks for me are; grip shows if the pocket isn't real deep and holds open instead of lying flat, and if I were to get into a tumble, I'd worry about it slipping out onto the ground. Ken Null Take a look at the SKR, it's the first white plastic shoulder rig on his holster page. I recently got one on the EE here and I really like it alot! (as I've mentioned ad nauseum  )I can conceal my S&W 642 under a plain button-down shirt, over a t-shirt. The straps DO NOT PRINT at all! I actually didn't understand the rig at first and I used the little suspender clip to hold the strap to my pants. I later discovered that the clip is fastened on a loop with a snap. I snap the loop around my belt and use the little clip to keep the loop from sliding around on my belt. This unit really hides well! I can't say enough about it. I feel the gun is held securely with the plastic holster and snap. It rides in a vertical (muzzle up) position so it fits under my arm comfortably. While some folks feel there are drawbacks to shoulder holsters (safety, convenience, etc. ), I find this to be as safe/secure/convenient as any belt holster I've trained with and used so far. Again, with just a cover shirt of the right weight/color/pattern, and a t-shirt (not a 'muscle' or tanktop shirt) underneath, I am fully confident in it's concealability and comfort. I recently discovered what other folks already know, IWB leather holsters can transmit moisture to your firearm. This happened to me with my Kimber 1911 and a Milt Sparks Summer Special IWB. After wearing this pair during some hot days trekking around wooded property in Missouri, I started seeing rust on the slide of my Kimber 
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