If you carry concealed, how?

Azu thanks for your thoughts and experience.

http://www.looperlawenforcement.com/betty-holster.html

I kind of like Betty here-just tuck inside my Kerrits and add my spibelt with cell phone as extra security.

Then I can place it anywhere.

All very informational posts!

[QUOTE=LMH;6304732]
Here is a carry option…works under riding tights

http://masterofconcealment.com/pgroup_descrip/104_Concealment+Clothing/7068_UnderTech+UnderCover+Woman’s+Compression+Shorts/?return=?tpl=index&category_id=104&_Concealment+Clothing/[/QUOTE]

This is the “belly band” system I discussed, above, only wrapped around the hips not just under the arm pit and rigged for strong side draw not cross draw. :slight_smile:

This system, however, is also just a variation on the theme of “in waistband” holsters. They are very useful in some situations, but require a “cover” garment or they are not “concealed.”

Of cource, since I consider concealment while astride to be a Bad Thing I’ve got no heartburn with this. Except that it does violate the KISS principle, in that if you’re not going to try for concealment why not just use a standard holster?

Regarding the comment on autoloaders that you should not carry with a round in the chamber I’m going to disagree. Modern autoloaders have multple safeties and the risk of an AD from a fall approaches zero. Indeed, there is a significant risk in that if you have to use the autoloader now you have to “rack the slide.” If you’re already in a confrontation, and maybe on the back of a fractious horse, that’s one more thing you really don’t need to have to worry about.

Even when I carry an M1911 I carry “cocked and locked.” Or I carry my Para Ordinace LDA Clone with one “up the pipe.” There’s no real chance of an AD and if I ever feel the need the “drop the hammer” I want the thing to go “bank” without further ado. I don’t put my finger on the trigger until that time comes, however. And I don’t carry the autoloader astride with live ammunition (for reasons previously given).

Put another way, dramatically racking the slide on your M1911 looks really cool in a Hollyweird Movie, in real life it’s a very poor idea.

G.

P.S. I’ve not no heartburn with the models, either. :cool:

I had a little iberian cross who was GOOD at pancaking me!

He could go sideways like lightning…every time I came off (which was not often, fortunately) it was straight on my back.

G. you seem to know this topic well!:lol:

OK-let me ask you given these parameters what is your first choice.

Female (me) with not a large frame (5’8" and about 125 lbs)

Girls not big enough for Flashbang. :lol:

I ride in Kerrits tights with Under Armor type compression ‘shorts’ under…so there is some stability to it.

I use a Spibelt for cell phone, etc so would have an elastic belt for more stability.

I normally ride in some kind of athletic bra top for running

It gets so darn hot in GA this is the only way I can keep cool out there so would like a carry option that works around that wardrobe (if possible).

I really don’t want to be baking like bacon under something but realize there are compromises.

So with that in mind, first/second choice and why?

Thanks!

If you’re not looking to concealed carry then any standard belt/holster arangment will do. I like a standard cross draw with the holster one belt loop off center. A regular shoulder holster will also do. So would the “huckleberry rig” someone else linked to.

For concealed carry in hot climates most of the folks I know use an in-waist band holster and wear a t-shirt or golf shirt or sport shirt with a finished tail (so you don’t look like you just didn’t finish dressing) not tucked in to cover it. A few use “concealed carry undershirts.” Google this and you’ll find a number of options, some of which are designed for or can work for women).

If you always wear long pants an ankle holster might work, but I’ve always found them cumbersome.

If you’re astride just open carry and be done with it. If you’re not then you’ve got a lot of options and you’ll have to tailor what you do with the rest of your environment.

Good luck in making a choice. :slight_smile:

G.

thanks!

I am off to the gun store to look at options in person

I figured I would drop my 2 cents in here.
In CA are gun laws are strict and goofy. HOWEVER, I still open carry when I ride, and when I ride in the national park. 1. I would rather be convicted of carrying than wind up dead. The desert is full of hungry kittys and bears wander down from the hills rather often in our area. 2. there is a national park rule (I need to track down where it is stated and how) that if you are with livestock you are allowed to carry for protection or if you need to put down your livestock.

That said, I carry a Taurus Tracker .357. Only has a 4" barrel and is titanium (a great option for small women like me), I use a drop leg holster so it is easy to draw than from the hip while mounted. I prefer the double action as I know myself and I know that I don’t want to have to think about chambering a round, taking off my saftey, or a possible jam with a semi-auto pistol. I am a fan of the point and shoot method. Another reason I am a fan of this particular pistol (her name is Vicki) is that I can target shoot my .38 rounds which are cheaper, but when I am out and have those .357 rounds in it makes such a damn noise that even if I miss some one/thing is going to be reeling from the noise and get the hell away.

I also carry a straight blade on my opposite calf.

Like I said, when I am miles away on my own, better safe than dead.

Resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has more to add.

I have an ankle holster for my carry gun, and love it!

Over the years I’ve gone through various holsters and handguns and now I have pretty much settled down to a few standards.

Most of the time, it’s a Glock 17 in a choice of holsters:
Peters Custom Holsters Hold Fast or Brommeland Max Con V or AHolster kydex belt holster.
The last one is ideal for carrying openly, which would be my choice on horseback.

I’ll occasionally carry a medium frame S&W revolver (3" Model 65 or 4" Model 64) in holsters similar to the ones above.

When maximum comfort and concealment are necessary, a snub nosed S&W Model 637 in a small, inside the waist holster gets the nod.

[QUOTE=LMH;6298011]
Does it bounce when you trot?

Does it feel HUGE on your back?[/QUOTE]

No to both. It fits snugly on my back, and I pretty much forget I’m wearing it. I changed from the lowest profile one to a larger one since I had more stuff to carry than I had capacity, and don’t regret it one bit.

One thing that I don’t recall being talked about here is the importance of a proper gun belt if you are going to carry a pistol on your waist.

It is critically important to use a belt designed and made to support the weight of a handgun. Anything other than a gun belt is just not torsionally rigid enough and the holstered pistol will shift and flop around making your day very uncomfortable. On top of that, you will end up having to adjust your gun on your waist often enough that someone who knows what to look for will easily realize that you are concealing a pistol.

Gun belts come in two basic types, leather and nylon web. Leather belts really look just like any casual leather belt but they are made of two sewn and glued layers of cow, bull, or horsehide, sometimes with a thin synthetic stiffener glued in between the layers.

A typical leather gun belt would be this: The Beltman

A typical nylon web gun belt would be this one: Wilderness Tactical belts