Concealed Carry Corner: Carry Tips That Make A Big Difference
Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we took a look at my top 5 favorite summertime carry guns. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to look at a few small things that make a huge difference when it comes to carrying a handgun daily. Some of you may have other ideas and that’s completely understandable but over the years I have figured out a few tricks to have a more comfortable experience when carrying for 8 or even 12 hours in a given day. Let’s take a closer look at some carry tips that make a big difference.
Concealed Carry Corner @ TFB:
Having the Right Size Pistol
Having the right size pistol is the most important factor when trying to carry for 8-12 hours a day. It’s really the case of Goldilocks with different-sized pistols. When it comes to carrying an IWB (Inside The Waistband) holster, there really is a perfect-sized pistol for most individuals. Now if you decide to pocket-carry, you can certainly carry a micro-sized pistol all day with no problem as long as it fits comfortably without printing. The vast majority of people who carry a concealed handgun though carry in an IWB-style holster. If you decide to carry something like an original P365 or Glock 43, it may dig into your side and over time become uncomfortable depending on your holster setup. Also having something like a full-size P226 or M&P may become heavy and bulky over time which can be extremely uncomfortable.
Finding that happy medium between having a comfortable carry gun and something you can accurately fire under pressure is the key to being able to carry all day and still be confident if you ever have to draw it under stress. For most, the Glock 19 has become known as a fantastic “do-all” pistol. My personal favorites are the Glock 48 or SIG P365 XL. These size pistols offer fantastic capacity while being small enough that you can comfortably carry them all day long. If you’re struggling to be comfortable carrying all day long, there’s a good chance your gun is too large for you and it’s fatiguing you at a faster rate.
Belt Tension is Key
Alright so you’ve already figured out what size pistol is perfect for you but you’re still becoming uncomfortable while you sit and work or on long road trips. This is something that still happens to me and if I’m driving 12-16 hours a day, I can sometimes become extremely uncomfortable driving with a concealed handgun on my side. In most cases, the issue is your carry belt either being way too tight where it starts to dig into your body or too loose which ends up letting your pants shift slightly and dig into your stomach.
This is an issue I have personally dealt with a fair amount over the years and having a carry belt with smaller adjustments helps out a ton with your overall comfort. Personally, I have used a Blue Alpha belt for the last 6 or so years with great luck. The hybrid EDC belt has a cobra latch that’s shrunken down to not dig into your body while also having a velcro section that you can make fine adjustments without your belt shifting or becoming too loose.
Typically, I will loosen up my belt just a tad before I sit down for dinner or when I get in my truck, and as soon as I get up I will tighten it up to fully secure my gun to my body. This allows me to have stability when I’m moving around but adds a tad more comfort if I have to sit for a long period. This may seem like a really simple idea, but trust me the vast majority of people don’t think about this when they are going on with their day-to-day lives.
Dont Go Overboard
The last trap I see way too many people fall into is the idea of carrying too many accessories on their carry pistol. The modern trend on social media for gun guys is to have a red dot, full-size Surefire X300, and flared magwell on their gun like they are using it every day in gun fights. The chance that you’ll actually need to use your firearm in a self-defense situation is extremely low. The addition of a red dot and light can be helpful in certain situations.
Having every single accessory on your carry gun for everyday carry will not only start to fatigue you at a faster rate but ultimately it will make some not want to carry every day. Keeping things to a minimum really is the best policy. The old saying less is more truly applies here because the less bulk and weight on your gun really does translate into a more comfortable gun to carry for a longer period. If you have a bunch of attachments on your current carry gun, I encourage you to strip something off and see if it changes your overall comfort throughout the day.
Overall Thoughts
Perfecting your carry style and what you carry can take years and although the initial setup is rather simple, perfecting it can be somewhat tricky but given enough time and experience, it can certainly happen. These are a few tips I have learned over the years of carrying and although some of you may already know them, I hope it will be beneficial to others who may not have their carry style down just yet.
What are some things you guys do to carry comfortably all day or on extended trips? Let me know in the comments below. If you have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.
TFB’s Concealed Carry Corner is brought to you by GLOCK
I'm an avid shooter and love educating whether it's at my job or in the shooting community. I'm an average joe that really loves talking with other people about firearms and other passions.I'm active on Instagram on @fridgeoperator.
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The right holster "style" for you goes a long way. There's only so many ways to skin the cat ultimately. One clip or two, tuckable or not, wing or not....
1. Stop touching the gun whilst it is concealed.
2. Your belt buckle is too big. Even if I can’t spot your gun, more than likely I can spot your belt. There are plenty of high end, strong belts that can keep up a full sized 1911 no problem that don’t have a giant buckle.
3. Carry a big enough gun to fight with yet small enough to conceal. This is different for everyone. Your buddy’s edc doesn’t have to be yours.
4. Move in your carry gear. Can you run? Jump? Climb? Crawl? Murphy proof your set up.
5. Find that balance of being comfortable carrying a weapon but not too comfortable that you start neglecting the rules of safety.