Posted: 11/26/2012 7:01:25 AM EDT
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Looking to get a designated appendix holster made for my CCW. I have appendix carried with a standard holster (with the standard forward cant) and had no problems.
After talking with the maker, he is suggesting a 0 to 5 degree cant on the holster, instead of the 15 to 20 degree forward. While I do agree that the reduced forward cant will make it easier to draw, what I am concerned about it the reduced access to the handgun grip once it is moved closer to my belt / pants-line. So for those of you carrying appendix, do you use a straight / reduced cant holster? And if so, is it difficult to grab the grip once the gun is holstered? Oh, and I will be carrying IWB Appendix, in case that matters. Thanks! |
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I carry AIWB, as I have said before, in a Vanguard2 (only for Glocks). It allows adjustable cant and height.
When I first started carrying, I wanted to do the way you are saying, and carry with a sharp forward (inbound) cant, for exactly the same reasons. However, the more I practiced and carried, I found myself gradually decreasing the cant to the point where now it is set at 0 degrees of cant. I have found that with my body type (5'11" @ 165lbs) the neutral cant conceals better and I find no change in my ability to draw the weapon quickly. So go with your holster-maker's recommendation, you won't be disappointed. |
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Quoted:
I carry AIWB, as I have said before, in a Vanguard2 (only for Glocks). It allows adjustable cant and height. When I first started carrying, I wanted to do the way you are saying, and carry with a sharp forward (inbound) cant, for exactly the same reasons. However, the more I practiced and carried, I found myself gradually decreasing the cant to the point where now it is set at 0 degrees of cant. I have found that with my body type (5'11" @ 165lbs) the neutral cant conceals better and I find no change in my ability to draw the weapon quickly. So go with your holster-maker's recommendation, you won't be disappointed. Awesome, thanks so much. I am ~5' 7", 140 pounds, so I am rather slender, similar to your build. Glad to hear that someone of similar build, facing similar issues, has faced this topic and can shine light on it. Thank you for also addressing the "conceal-ability" factor of a 0-degree cant gun / holster. |
| I carry a neutral cant MTAC that I have been very impressed with. I have used it on two long car trips recently and had little or no problems with having good access and concealment. With a light jacket I had little issues with printing either. If I was getting a custom holster I would stick with neutral cant for AIWB. |
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My BUG is carried left hand side AIWB in a VG2. Recently my BUG has been a G17, because I loaned my G26 to my mom.
I can wear it all day, including the 45 minute ride to work with no discomfort. Some car seats (Honda Accord backseat) make it uncomfortable, but other than that, it's good. I use very close to zero cant. I'm 6'4", 200 lbs. |
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The Holy Grail of AIWB info:
Pistol-forum.com Pistol-forum.com part 2 There's more AIWB info and AIWB experts over there than any place else I've been. I'd ask over there. I AIWB and I prefer a slight reverse cant. Adjusting the ride height can be done on some holsters by just moving the loop attachment. Depends on the holster. I'm 5'10 195. |
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Something I noticed yesterday: Was going to the movie with my wife and was thinking I was going to try to carry in a Raven Phantom LC so I could mount my Surefire X200a to the G17 and I noticed something that I thought was odd. I was uncomfortable with the OWB holster, even with my Ares Ranger Belt, where I barely notice the VG2 anymore, even with a fully loaded G17.
Concealment was just not there with the Phantom, well, in comparison anyway. But I knew this already. What shocked me was the comfort. I had been operating this whole time under the assumption that the OWB would be more comfortable because I would have less gun touching my skin and it would not be pressed into my inner thigh. Boy was I wrong. The weight of the gun to one side of my body made everything seem off balance. To top it all off, drawing the gun from each position revealed something else that was extremely shocking. Drawing from total concealment with the VG2/AIWB was as fast as drawing from an unconcealed OWB at my 3 o'clock. That is concealed vs unconcealed revealing the same draw time. Add a cover garment to 3 o'clock carry and the draw slows considerably. Take away the usage of the support hand to clear the cover garment (vertically, an unbuttoned shirt isn't an option for my job but an untucked shirt is OK) and draw from a OWB or IWB in the 3 o'clock or rearward position becomes extremely awkward and cumbersome to me. I want to run both holsters against a shot timer in a real test of draw speed, and document the results. I think they will be very revealing. I just need to come up with a training holster to use in place of the VG2. The re-holster process is a bit lengthy, having to remove the holster and reinsert it every time the gun is re-holstered, but very safe and confidence inspiring. |
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Quoted:
Something I noticed yesterday: Was going to the movie with my wife and was thinking I was going to try to carry in a Raven Phantom LC so I could mount my Surefire X200a to the G17 and I noticed something that I thought was odd. I was uncomfortable with the OWB holster, even with my Ares Ranger Belt, where I barely notice the VG2 anymore, even with a fully loaded G17. Concealment was just not there with the Phantom, well, in comparison anyway. But I knew this already. What shocked me was the comfort. I had been operating this whole time under the assumption that the OWB would be more comfortable because I would have less gun touching my skin and it would not be pressed into my inner thigh. Boy was I wrong. The weight of the gun to one side of my body made everything seem off balance. To top it all off, drawing the gun from each position revealed something else that was extremely shocking. Drawing from total concealment with the VG2/AIWB was as fast as drawing from an unconcealed OWB at my 3 o'clock. That is concealed vs unconcealed revealing the same draw time. Add a cover garment to 3 o'clock carry and the draw slows considerably. Take away the usage of the support hand to clear the cover garment (vertically, an unbuttoned shirt isn't an option for my job but an untucked shirt is OK) and draw from a OWB or IWB in the 3 o'clock or rearward position becomes extremely awkward and cumbersome to me. I want to run both holsters against a shot timer in a real test of draw speed, and document the results. I think they will be very revealing. I just need to come up with a training holster to use in place of the VG2. The re-holster process is a bit lengthy, having to remove the holster and reinsert it every time the gun is re-holstered, but very safe and confidence inspiring. I've been carrying IWB (and sometimes AIWB) for many years. The occasional times I use an OWB holster I'm uncomfortable and overly concerned about concealing it. Assuming you're using the Phantom for the G17 with light, have you thought about getting Raven's tuckable soft loops? I don't think I'd try to tuck a shirt in over the mess, but they do turn the holster into a very usable, and comfortable, IWB holster. I don't use it often, but when I do it easily conceals under a polo shirt. OP, I use a Raven Vanguard with the string, not the soft loop. This allows for some adjustment of the pistol as needed. I'm 5'7" and 170, so there's some extra in the middle and being able to shift the pistol slightly makes it much more comfortable to me than a fixed holster. Plus this method allows for tucking a shirt in over the gun without the obvious belt loop showing on the belt. The one disadvantage I see to this is that the pistol won't be in the exact same position for every draw. With some practice though it isn't bad at all. ETA: Nuetral or slightly negative cant would be my vote. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Something I noticed yesterday: Was going to the movie with my wife and was thinking I was going to try to carry in a Raven Phantom LC so I could mount my Surefire X200a to the G17 and I noticed something that I thought was odd. I was uncomfortable with the OWB holster, even with my Ares Ranger Belt, where I barely notice the VG2 anymore, even with a fully loaded G17. Concealment was just not there with the Phantom, well, in comparison anyway. But I knew this already. What shocked me was the comfort. I had been operating this whole time under the assumption that the OWB would be more comfortable because I would have less gun touching my skin and it would not be pressed into my inner thigh. Boy was I wrong. The weight of the gun to one side of my body made everything seem off balance. To top it all off, drawing the gun from each position revealed something else that was extremely shocking. Drawing from total concealment with the VG2/AIWB was as fast as drawing from an unconcealed OWB at my 3 o'clock. That is concealed vs unconcealed revealing the same draw time. Add a cover garment to 3 o'clock carry and the draw slows considerably. Take away the usage of the support hand to clear the cover garment (vertically, an unbuttoned shirt isn't an option for my job but an untucked shirt is OK) and draw from a OWB or IWB in the 3 o'clock or rearward position becomes extremely awkward and cumbersome to me. I want to run both holsters against a shot timer in a real test of draw speed, and document the results. I think they will be very revealing. I just need to come up with a training holster to use in place of the VG2. The re-holster process is a bit lengthy, having to remove the holster and reinsert it every time the gun is re-holstered, but very safe and confidence inspiring. I've been carrying IWB (and sometimes AIWB) for many years. The occasional times I use an OWB holster I'm uncomfortable and overly concerned about concealing it. Assuming you're using the Phantom for the G17 with light, have you thought about getting Raven's tuckable soft loops? I don't think I'd try to tuck a shirt in over the mess, but they do turn the holster into a very usable, and comfortable, IWB holster. I don't use it often, but when I do it easily conceals under a polo shirt. OP, I use a Raven Vanguard with the string, not the soft loop. This allows for some adjustment of the pistol as needed. I'm 5'7" and 170, so there's some extra in the middle and being able to shift the pistol slightly makes it much more comfortable to me than a fixed holster. Plus this method allows for tucking a shirt in over the gun without the obvious belt loop showing on the belt. The one disadvantage I see to this is that the pistol won't be in the exact same position for every draw. With some practice though it isn't bad at all. ETA: Nuetral or slightly negative cant would be my vote. I've considered their pancake wings as well. My only deal is that I absolutely love my VG2, and can't think anything else would conceal better or give me any advantages that the VG2 does not already give. I'm sure I'll try it in the future though. |
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Quoted:
The Holy Grail of AIWB info: Pistol-forum.com Pistol-forum.com part 2 There's more AIWB info and AIWB experts over there than any place else I've been. I'd ask over there. I AIWB and I prefer a slight reverse cant. Adjusting the ride height can be done on some holsters by just moving the loop attachment. Depends on the holster. I'm 5'10 195. Agreed. Tons of aiwb talk over there with lots of great reviews |