How Can I hide my pistol AND stay comfortable..?

Since 12-23-08

From: ** Tim @ USCCA To: James
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008
Subject: "Member Question: How Can I hide my pistol AND stay comfortable..?"

"Member Question: How Can I hide my pistol AND stay comfortable..?"

December 22nd, 2008

I wanted to share with you, a message I received from a member on the other side of the world- South Africa.

Hi Tim,

I'm from South Africa and a white male with a gun - because of the political past - is seen as a racist. The problem is that the country is still very unstable on the issue of crime - in the area I work you will still be shot for your watch. I own a Taurus PT1 9mm- how do I carry it so that it can't be observed by the public? I thought of a SOB [small of back] holster - it's very hot here so a short sleeve shirt or T-shirt is what we wear - any suggestions?

Thank you for the email!

First, I am sorry to hear that you live in an 'unsafe' area, and I'm even more sorry that your right to defend yourself is seen as anything less than righteous.

Second- I'm thrilled that someone from all the way over in Africa is learning from the USCCA!

Third- the meat and potatoes...

Your pistol is by no means a "mouse gun", so concealing your handgun isn't going to be as simple as dropping it in your front pocket. But- Many, many folks carry larger guns than that- so you absolutely will be able to.

Finding the right way to conceal your pistol is going to take a lot of experimenting, and it depends very much on many factors, such as your body type and personal preference.

If you are in decent physical shape, you might want to consider buying a light IWB (inside the waistband) holster, and positioning it at 1 o'clock (if your belt buckle would be 12 o'clock) if you are right handed, and 11 o'clock if you are left handed. This configuration works well for many people, allowing them to wear a pretty big gun with just a thin t-shirt.

Another option is the "Smart Carry" holster. This holster wears like a belt, except it is positioned about 4 inches further down- the gun ends up right behind the zipper of your pants! But believe it or not, a Smart Carry works like magic.

Some people can't get used to them, but other people love them. I can tell you that a Smart Carry is my favorite holster, and that a double-stack GLOCK pretty much disappears when tucked into a Smart Carry.

Here is a link to their website: http://smartcarry.com/ 

One investment you may want to consider is my "Concealed Carry Basics, Volume 2: The Ultimate Concealed Carry Holster Guide" DVD set and Information Package. A friend of mine and I spend hours on film going over 33 of the most popular concealed carry holsters out there, and we tell all about the ones that work and the ones that don't work.

There's also a workbook PDF that is included with a broken-down analysis of each holster. Here is a link to the DVD package: CC Basics Volume 2.

Alternatively, if you are a USCCA member, you can check out any of the great articles about holsters on our website. I just searched for "Holster" and got 290 results! Here are just a few- remember, you must be a paid USCCA member to be able to access these:

Carrying Comfortably

Street Tactics: Appendix Carry

Clothing and Accessories for Comfortable, Discreet Carry

If all else fails, you can try our members-only forum: http://uscca.us/forum/ 

Create a new topic on your exact situation, and I'll bet ten or twenty people will jump to offer you great advice. There are probably at least a hand full on there who happen to live in a hot climate and carry your exact gun!

(PS- You can find out how to become a USCCA member and get access to all these tools for less than a box of 9mm shells HERE)


Well friend, I hope you are able to come up with the perfect solution to make Carrying Concealed easy for you!

Tim Schmidt USCCA - Owner / Founder
4466 Hwy P - Suite 204, Jackson, WI 53037, USA