Or is it all in the holster? I have 3 pistols I try to rotate. A cz p07 duty with an alien gear shapeshift configured for iwb, a cz p10s with a vedder light tuck, and a glock 43x with a crossbreed mini tuck. I say I try to rotate because I keep coming back to the p07. The p10 s is a chunky little bastard for a small gun and is down 4 rounds with  factory extensions on both mags, but then again, maybe it’s just  the holster because I do not like the all kydex design, and it also seems like a chunky holster.. I feel like the glock should be the most comfy being as it’s massively thinner but I do not find this to be the case. with the spacing on the belt hooks and the Duluth trading co firehose pants I’m usually wearing and where they place the belt loops, I find that I must make a small compromise one way or the other vs where the p07 would sit, both cause the grip to dig into my side. That could be partially because unless I wear it with the belt hooks places to that it rides as high as it will go, it’s almost impossible to get a good purchase on the grip from a draw. sitting in a chair with this thing on is very uncomfortable because of the high grip. I can hardly notice the p07 on me when upright and while sitting it is beyond tolerable even for extended periods of time. But then again, even with all the hate alien gear gets, that’s just the holster that works best for me, even though it is also pretty chunky. I really like the nylon on back. Just doesn’t make sense, chunky gun+chunky holster = comfy carry. I think my next move is to try an AG for either the p10s or 43x. For reference, I’m around 5’9” and 165ish lbs

I am also 5'9" and 165lbs.  I carry a Glock 22 everyday in a Tenicor Velo 4 holster.  It is just as easy as carrying my Glock 27.  Size is a non issue.  It is all about the holster and the fit to your body.  It is absolutely essential for me to wear one size up in the waist in pants size.  I can't stand carrying in my normal 32" waist jeans.  34" is no problem.  

Holster type/carry position/clothing type define things, IME.

My old stock of pants is what was keeping me from iwb carrying. I replaced them all at the same time and sized up specifically to accommodate iwb carry, and man, idk how I went so long dealing with the cumbersome task of concealed owb carry.  Now I understand when all the older guys say “ you’ll wind up with a tote full of holsters by the time you find what fits you”

My first glock and second ever hand gun was a 22. Although every thing I currently own is 9mm, I think there is a very slight ballistic advantage with .40

Not me. I used to carry a P229 then a P320 CA, both IWB. Found that to get the belt tight enough to hold them snugly made it too tight and would impact the sciatic nerve and give me issues. Since I’ve gone to pocket carrying a P365, had no back issues.

Not for me.  Not even close.
5'7", 185 lbs., Alien Gear Tuck (shell change for the following pistols) IWB at the four o'clock position.
I carried a Glock 19 for years and never had a problem or felt discomfort.  I then switched to my PX4 Storm Subcompact and it's glorious.  I've done a 19 hour road trip and barely felt it.  
One day for shits and giggles I put on my Beretta 92 Brigadier.  Holy sheep shit that's a full size pistol!  The significant weight increase, the grip pressing on my back, and the barrel constantly poked my right butt cheek.  I'll never do that again.
For me, full size goes in the duty holster.  A different holster might help a little, but I'm not going to do that much shopping around when my compact/subcompact carry setup already works.

Sig P-226 always carried best for me.

Glock 19M mandated by my job.

My S&W 3rd Gen 1006 (5” barrel, single-stack frame) carries more easily in the right holster than a Block 20 or 21.

I think my Glock 19 is more comfortable to carry than my 43x. Both in a TXC holster. The 19 has a TLR7 so maybe that flattens it out across my appendix better or something. idk. I'll probably still switch to the 43x again once it gets hot just because it conceals way better. My 17 is the most uncomfortable, but it has an X300 that's always pushing into the little goon.

Yep a bad holster set up makes a gun carry poorly, even small ones.  

I learned early on I cannot abide too high a ride over the belt line, guns lean out or flop around.

I use a Blue Alpha belt Low Profile Inner EDC belt it is plenty stiff, easy to put on and adjust since it doesn’t have any buckles. It is also nice that I can toss on my full gun belt set up right over the inner belt in just seconds if need be.

My primary carry gun is a P365 X-Macro Comp. However if I know I am going into a more festive environment I have full size guns. While I typically have holsters for a specific gun, one of my favorite holsters is made by Philster, their floodlight holster indexes off the weapon light. In my case it is the X300. I have used their Gen 1 for years with all kinds of pistols, even a single stack 1911, I just had to adjust the bungee cord. The holster can be worn AIWB or strong side IWB. They now have their Gen 2 avilable that seems to be a little more durable though my Gen 1 has been great. If you’re like me and have a lot of different pistols, it is a great option since after awhile you find yourself with 60-70 different holsters in clear bins stacked in the closet. Sometimes I feel like a kid looking though a toy box for that specific Lego piece. The Floodlight just simplifies things. I can carry a AXG P320 or a Glock 17 with ease.
https://www.phlsterholsters.com/shop/floodlight2/

My EDC though is still pretty small, even compared to a Glock 19 yet it has a light, a dot and 17+1 along with two spare 20 round mags.
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Another HUGE consideration in comfort is physical fitness, specifically your core.  

Most gun owners look like they are in their third trimester of pregnancy.  Most gunowners have not done a sit-up in 20 years. A gun is a talisman to compensate for lack of physical discipline and laziness.  

You should be doing cardio 5-7 times a week.  Lifting and abs 4 times a week, stretching every day.

If  you do this your core will not demand you carry a tiny gun.

I am ready for the fat and lazy to yell at me for telling the truth.

Of course larger guns are better than smaller guns. Comfort is not a part of the equation of saving your life. Larger guns recoil less, carry more ammo, have a better sight radius, easier to shoot. Smaller guns hide easier but when it comes time to use it a larger gun will be easier to use. Comfort should not factor in. Comforting vs comfortable. Comforting to know you can make hits at 0-100 yards if needed. Not comfortable. Comfortable leads to having a feather weight gun that is hard to make good hits with when your heart rate is 200 and all that trigger fundamental stuff degrades.


Anyone saying you only need to shoot 10 yards or so is not correct. The mall shooter a few years was stopped by a guy carrying a Glock 19 at 40 yards and then he moved closer. A bad guy with a rifle at 100 yards is a threat. It comes down to would to rather believe the gun shop counter talk saying you’ll be tried for murder if you shoot a bad guy at 100 yards who is a direct threat?  Or happily sit by while this asshole guns down people because people are too lazy to get really skilled? I know for a fact I want to be as skilled as possible.


Some people cannot carry a bigger gun for a bunch of reasons. This is just my opinion. Say someone jumps in the room you’re in right now with a machete, at close range. On the table you have a little 5 shot revolver, a Glock 17 and a M1 carbine. You grab one weapon. Most people are gonna go for the M1. When it comes to fighting no gun is too big. When it comes to carrying no gun is too small. You ever notice how hard it is to shoot really well with a small gun under perfect conditions?

You are 100% correct on all points.

I carry a full size Beretta 92 with a TLR-9 every day. My other carry gun is a Glock 42 used only for very specific occasions. I have AIWB holsters for both and a pocket holster for the Glock 42. the Beretta 92 carries more comfortably and conceals more easily in my everyday attire compared to AIWBing my Glock 42. The Beretta disperses across a larger portion of my abdomen and its grip cants inward more easily. With a spare mag on the left hand side in a separate mag carrier it balances very nicely.

With the Glock 42 it prints more easily and feels like a more concentrated hot spot due to its size. Outside of the weight, which I got use to, I much prefer the Beretta over the 42 when it comes to AIWB. The 92 obviously has a plethora of advantages along with it of course. Typically the 42 goes to pocket carry in my jacket pocket these days. That is where it shines despite rarely ever having to carry this way.

For me, I think it has benefited that I only primarily have two carry guns and that they are complete opposites. Having full size advantages the majority of the time, passing up on the micro nine category types, and having very few exceptions for carrying the Glock 42 has lend itself great results.

How silly a post.

First , you for damn sure don't know "most gun owners", or even a teeny-tiny fraction of a single percentage point of gun owners in the whole USA. Such an all encompassing statement, which you could not possibly prove with any sort of data backup.

Second, you statement that "a gun is a talisman to compensate for lack of physical discipline and laziness" is quite similar to the old standby of the anti-gun/anti-hunting crowd's wild claims. Since they can't win on logic they resort to questioning a shooters manhood while you resort to lack of physical fitness on the gun owners part for your equally insulting statement. I'm also sure all the members on this forum appreciate you labeling them in such terms.

Third, I belong to two pretty large local gun clubs (about 1,000members each, which is the upper limit each allows) and most of the shooters I see at the ranges do not fit you description of "look like they are in their third trimester of pregnancy". Some few do, but the majority do not. From where are you pulling all your great knowledge about shooters? No, never mind because you don't know what you're talking about.

Fourth, I got out of the Marine Corps wearing trouser size 34" length and 33" waist. Since college I have always worn 34" length and 34" waist. Always. Not fat.

Fifth, my wife and I are very physically fit. We are cyclists and ride often including two recent years where we rode 4,372 miles one year and 4,443 miles another year. That's was 110-112 riding days per year. And Yes, we keep a cycling log and know exactly our mileage. We also work out at the gym 2-3 times a week and walk 3 miles most days and 6 miles other days. Even before half time working and then retirement we were physically fit. Others likely do not have that much time or opportunity for physical fitness and I just included our efforts to show how wrong you are in insulting gun owners.

Sixth, I carried a G19 or a Commander length 1911 for years. Now I carry a P365 XL most and a Shield Plus other times. I carry these guns because I Want to, not because I Have to. My G19s are mostly my night stand and car guns now. I don't feel under gunned with a 365 XL with 12 round mag in place and 15-rounder backup or my Shield with 13-round magazine and 15-round backup. Personal choices like others who choose these same size guns.

I don't "yell" at people. However your post is so very easy to refute I couldn't resist.

Someone got his feelings hurt.  

Your emotional outburst does not negate what I have seen with my own two eyes.  At my recent CCW class, 70% were overweight and not fit.  The instructor was in his second trimester.  He probably has not seen his ding dong in a decade.  

Your emotional outburst also doesn't negate the facts.  Google the obesity statics.  

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html#overall

And that is just for obesity.  If there were an overweight / not fit chart, the numbers would be much higher.  

Good for you. You are fit.  My comments don't apply to you.

My point is that these facts effect the ability and willingness to carry a full size gun.

I have migrated to carrying a G19 size pistol most days. Not hard to conceal for me at 6'-1" and 200lbs. That or a 17 sized. The comfort level is pretty much the same as my P365xl or G48 sized pistols. I do add leather to the body side of all my IWB holsters. Cooler and less sticky

I was just talking about this with my brother who is just now beginning to carry. I had him try about 15 of my pistols, with various holsters for each. Over all these years, I always am most comfortable with a compact or full-size regardless of what holsters I use. And I never really have any issue with concealment. Now, is I carried on the hip that would be different. However, with AIWB, these are my findings.

Another factor is WMLs. It seems that the more rounded form factor of a light-bearing holster is just now comfortable for me. I don't really gain any advantage leaving the light off.

I'd say these are my most comfortable setups. I also have a full-house LTT PX4 Compact coming, which seems like will fit right in. Attached File
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I use to prefer a Glock 19 size handgun, but I’ve been moving down the scale toward only carrying Micro 9s.

In the winter or while on the trail I’ll still carry a G17, G19, HK USP Expert, HK P30S, etc.  Daily street use … been heading toward micros.

The gun itself and holster combined with the belt determine how physically comfortable the combo is for me.

I prefer carrying a full size. Regularly carry a USP45 full-size with the USP45compact as a backup.

I have a P229 and a P226 and would rather carry the P226

I carry a commander size (basically full size) 1911 .45, I carry OWB and the thin profile allows me to not print as much as the G19 I used to carry

1911 5" is my preferred. It carries much better in IWB holster compared to Commander. However, any pocket size pistol is much preferred during summer time if I carry it in the front pocket of the cargo shorts.

G26 is the biggest I will carry

One is carried every day.

Not MY feeling as I don't fit your claim. Likely just your own because you were challenged on your post.  And the emotional outburst was from you with an unverifiable claim that "most" handgun carriers are obese. If you were in a CCW class to get your permit you must not have been carrying very long while I have been doing so for decades. I will not doubt your claim that the recent class had 70% of the class being overweight. But, counter that with my own previous observations of my long time membership in two large gun clubs where there certainly are some, but not most, shooters who fit your description.

Don't think that I'm defending the obese as I am not and have little sympathy for most of them. But calling out the majority of shooters being obese with large bellies as the reason they don't carry a full sized gun just isn't correct. Had the Shield Plus or P365 XL been available when I carried my Commander 1911 or Glock 19, I would have almost certainly switched. But they weren't available so I used what was available and what I liked. Now shooters have so many more choices than existed years/decades ago and that is a good thing. And another good thing is that many people are now carrying a handgun because increased legislation has made carry permits (or constitutional carry) available in most states and the popularity of smaller guns make easier to carry for a great many. I can't imagine my 5'5" wife carrying my Commander 1911 or my Glock 19s. And there are many, many more woman now going armed than there were last century when she and I received our carry permits.

I agree with you that more people should work on their weight, even if not obese, as well as physical fitness. But that applies to the general population and not singling out shooters. I don't agree that obesity is the reason more people don't carry a full sized gun. I think it is just personal choices, as it is with me.  Now that's all I have to say about this thread. Have a good day and a big "Well Done" for keeping up your physical fitness routine regardless of what those around you, like that CCW class, are doing.

Would add a good belt/holster combo.

Used to carry this regularly.