Posted: 8/3/2009 11:30:31 AM EDT
I am posting this here because I don't want to listen to a bunch of people tell me what other gun I should carry that is not a 1911. I am wondering what 1911 everyone carries, in what fashion and what size you are. I have a full size Kimber Custom II that I bought for home defense and just to shoot. I have been contemplating the carry option with it, but I am affraid that it is entirely to large. I am 6'3" tall (good news) but I only have a 33 or 34 inch waste and weigh 165 lbs. The other problem is that I wear a suit every day. School me please. 
|
|
i often carry the same gun. The slim frame of the 1911 design allows for easy concealment. I am about your size. Invest in a holster that positions the gun high on your hip, and to the rear, and your suit jacket will do the rest. This combination works for me.
It's not the size I find to be a problem. If anything, it is more the weight then the size. Not so much of a problem even, as long as you have a good belt. Concealment is easy, "forgetting" you have it on your hip is impossible for me (not necessarily a bad thing) because of the weight of this setup i know its there. |
|
A belt made for CCW I like 1.5" thick leather. (75 ish)
A Quality Holster. I like Milt Sparks VM-II. (130 ish) You will need to purchase new pats to fit your gun and holster. Esp if your suits are custom tailored. 6'5" 285lbs and dropping. Using the setup above I can conceal a 5" in a t shirt and shorts. |
anyone carry small of the back It seems like this would put the gun in a good position to be concealed by the unbuttoned suit coat but keep the long nose of the gun from peaking out from the double break in my coats (two slits in the coat at 5 and 7 oclock that make the coat hang naturally if you stick your hand in your pocket).
|
|
Quoted:
Yep, that's the only way I carry. Have several different holsters. Galco small of back. Bianchi 3S Pistol Pocket IWB left handed, makes a great SOB IWB for a right hander. Also carry with Galco Sky Ops with clip for inch and a half belt. where are you in MO? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Yep, that's the only way I carry. Have several different holsters. Galco small of back. Bianchi 3S Pistol Pocket IWB left handed, makes a great SOB IWB for a right hander. Also carry with Galco Sky Ops with clip for inch and a half belt. where are you in MO? Columbia, Mo |
|
I have an officer's model I carry in a crossbreed IWB holster. - That's my primary carry and I can't recommend it highly enough.
I also have a commander's model I carry in a CompTac Minitaur IWB holster. - It needs to be refinished, so I don't carry it often, but once I get it taken care of, it will ride along quite often. I also used a HighNoon Holsters "tail gate" model for my full sized 1911 (before I traded it for my officer's model). IWB (with the right belt) is awesome with a 1911 because of the slim profile. You REALLY WILL forget its there (The dual clip design of the holsters I mentioned distribute the weight over a large area of the belt) I also have a paddle holster (custom made by a local craftsman) for my officer's model for when I want to open-carry... but I don't do that very often. Don't let anybody scare you out of carrying a 1911. I have a walther ppk ( also with a crossbreed IWB) and it's no easier to carry than the officers. To be perfectly honest, the only advantage is that the overall weight is low enough that I can use a cheap belt to carry the walther. But even if I were to ONLY have the ppk, I'd STILL want a proper gun belt for comfort with extended wearing, so that whole advantage is a wash... And the lower energy round (9mm Browning; AKA the .380 auto) requires extreme precision to be as affective as a .45; not something I want to count on if I'm in a spot of trouble. Slim profile, solid functioning, and the 45ACP. It's a combo that plastic or mouse guns just can't beat. . |
|
If you wear a suit every day and can keep your jacket on you can actually carry OWB. However if you want to be able to take your jacket off you will need a tuckable IWB holster.
For a tuckable holster I'd go with a Raven Concealment Phantom and they have several different styles of IWB clips to use. Either way given the slim profile of the 1911 it is entirely possible to make it work. |
|
I am a slim guy.
5'11 and about 165. I reecently picked up a Kimber Pro Carry II and a TT Gunleather IWB holster. I was worried about a full size and the 4 inch works well. I ususally carry at a 3:30-4:00 position. It is very comfortable. In the NC heat I wear shorts on the weekend dand it covers well with just a t shirt. Work days I wear jeans and an untucked polo or button up. Love the combo.. |
|
I mostly carry either my CDP-PRO or CDP -ULTRA, I have carried my Tactical custom. But I drive alot and find the barrel pushes into the seat outside the pants carry and is darn near impossible to draw inside the pants while setting in a car or truck.
I uae a Galco Cozy partner for the ULTRA and a M. Rosen ARG for the PRO. Oh, I am 6'2" and roughly 250. |
|
I have carried several types of holsters with several guns. I eventually got a MS VMII for my 5" 1911 and loved it so much I had to get one for my Comm. I am not a fan of kydex but they do serve their purpose.
I am 5'8" at about 192 and 32 fall off me but with a t-shirt tucked under a untucked t I can hide a 5" 1911 no problem with my VM's. 6'3" with a suit a 1911 should be no problem with a nice holster and a good belt. As for the SOB holster, I had one but remember everytime you sit it sticks you in the back. Semper Fi 1* |
|
Quoted:
5'10" 150 lbs. SA Loaded in a VMII/Wilderness 5 stitch. As long as my t-shirts aren't too fitted (wear size L), so far so good.  I wear some t shirts that are pretty thin cotton so I will probably have to wear two shirts and I might be able to pull it off. |
|
Quoted:
Colt Commander M1991A1 (ORM) in a Galco YAQUI Belt Slide. Wilderness Frequent Flyer Belt
What kind of grips are you running there? |
|
I'm 5'11, about 210. I carried a full size 1911 for years, in all seasons, in a Kramer IWB holster. In 2007 I had a Bobtail Commander built - I carry it in a Kramer IWB too. My build is such that I can conceal a full size 1911 in an IWB as well as two extra mags while wearing a T-shirt, but I usually wear some kind of polo.
As an aside - a shirt with a pattern (check, striped, plaid) will help you conceal just about everything better than a shirt that's a single solid color. |
|
I'm 5' 8"/175ish. Have a little middle-age spread.
I carry a Colt Lightweight Commander in a Milt Sparks VM II, on a Beltman 1-1/2" bullhide belt. The VM II can be setup with clips for a tuckable option. If you anticipate having to remove your jacket at work, the tuckable feature is mighty handy. The clips attach to ones trousers, under the belt. When wearing a 5" 1911 it hits the seat before I do. The Commander length is right at the edge, for me. |
|
Quoted:
I'm about 6' 0" and 155lbs, and a fullsize Springfield Loaded all but disappears in my MTAC, even under a t-shirt (untucked helps). My own mother didn't notice it on one visit to my parents' place earlier this year. This helps me a lot! I have not seen that holster before. I like how adjustable it is! |
|
Being a southpaw, I carry a Randall 1911A1 Service Model. Basically a full sized 1911A1. I usually carry it in either a cross draw OWB or cross draw IWB. Both are from a custom maker (hard to find good southpaw leather to begin with, and since fewer than 500 of these were made...). Or, I use a fanny pack rig. I'm not tall, 5' 8" on a tall day, and about 150#. Some folks seem to thing that concealing a full size 1911 is hard, not so. It just takes sensible choice of clothing, and good leather.
I've tried shoulder holsters, but I dislocated my right shoulder years ago, and the weight on that shoulder is uncomfortable after a few hours. That being said, the fellow that convinced me that a 1911 could be carried comfortably all day was a Torrance PD officer who carried his in a shoulder holster. That was over 30 years ago, when small PD's allowed more leeway in what officers carried both on and off duty. I've talked with folks who use strongside IWB's or OWB's, they find them comfortable "if", and this applies to cross draws as well, you have a good belt. That means one that is stiff and wide enough to not allow the holster to sag or flop around. |
|
OP, I carried the same gun you have, for years. Kimber Custom II. Great pistol, miss it.
I carried it every day. Trust me, you're bigger than I am. I used a Galco Summer Comfort IWB, a Blade-Tech IWB, and usually a Bianchi Shadow pancake rig OWB. The OWB rig was very concealable, and very solid. The Blade-Tech IWB rig was just a little bit more concealable though. Find the right holster and belt for YOU, and you'll see, it's no problem at all. Even in a suit. |
|
Quoted:
OP, I carried the same gun you have, for years. Kimber Custom II. Great pistol, miss it. I carried it every day. Trust me, you're bigger than I am. I used a Galco Summer Comfort IWB, a Blade-Tech IWB, and usually a Bianchi Shadow pancake rig OWB. The OWB rig was very concealable, and very solid. The Blade-Tech IWB rig was just a little bit more concealable though. Find the right holster and belt for YOU, and you'll see, it's no problem at all. Even in a suit. good to know. thanks for the post! |
