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Big guy looking for concealed carry options

I'll throw in my two cents worth.
I am 5'11" and 210, I have a bit of a pouch of holiday weight.
I carry a Springfield MOD-2 Grip Zone IWB at 1:00 with a 10 round magazine and a 13 round in my left pocket during the colder months.
I carry a Smith&Wesson Model 36 in my right pocket with two speed strips in my left pocket in the warmer months.
I would like to either get a Springfield Hellcat or a P365 to replace my snub since .38 ammo is expensive.
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I'll offer this caveat: I seriously doubt that you'd be at all satisfied with any of the "bargain basement" nylon shoulder rigs. Most are horrible torture contraptions.
I'll also respectfully repeat that you'd be remiss to disregard a revolver, carried in a quality pocket holster.
 
Sig Sauer makes a micro .380 and 9mm that operate like a 1911 - the P238 and P938 respectively. Both can be racked easily by my Wife who is tiny and old/arthritic . You might have a look at those as they are slim SA hammer fired pistols and carry with a small footprint. also Walther CCP 9mm and the PK380 are really easy to rack and carry.
 
I'm a husky guy. I live in South Texas, so it doesn't get cold around here for long. When it's cold enough for a jacket I will wear a Galco shoulder rig for my EDC. When wearing jeans and my Kore gun belt I'll carry OWB between the 3 and 4 o'clock position with a large un-tucked tee-shirt. I don't have a problem with it printing. Most of the time I'm in athletic baggy shorts and a tee-shirt. I plan to get a J-frame .357 for pocket carry in the future, but for now carry my H&K VP9SK in a fanny pack holster when in those shorts. The tee-shirt is big enough to cover over the fanny pack, but even if it is seen, nobody even bats an eye.
 
LikeOne setup which I use sometimes since I have a muscular build, is not recommended for those carrying a little extra already (ahem, full figured) is the compression shirt. It is good to carry two full sized auto (or mid size revolvers) but you will find it too hot.
 
trader said:
View attachment 72667One setup which I use sometimes since I have a muscular build, is not recommended for those carrying a little extra already (ahem, full figured) is the compression shirt. It is good to carry two full sized auto (or mid size revolvers) but you will find it too hot.
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I have a few of them and used them regularly awhile back for very covert concealment. They are hot and unless you wear a t-shirt under them your sweat will get on your gun. Also I can't imagine carrying a pair of revolvers in one. Just carrying a Shield .45 under the support side armpit got a little heavy.

If you do go this route, definitely wear a wife beater or a thin cotton t-shirt under it and a loose fitting button up shirt over it with enough of the top buttons unbuttoned to be able to quickly get your hand in there and access your weapon.
 
To be honest, you gotta find out what works for you. Its mostly trial and error. Most of us have a box full of holsters that we thought were perfect, but just didn't work. :rolleyes:
Actually, big guys can conceal better than most folks. Your size alone helps the gun blend in. Plus you probably wear fairly loose fitting clothes anyway. A loose shirt with a square cut tail worn untucked can hide just about anything.
I'm not a fan of shoulder holsters. The things tend to shift constantly and just get in my way. Good ones are very expensive. Don't even think of running with one on. :rolleyes: YMMV
I'm not a fan of pocket carry either. But many people do it. Just need to find out if it works for you.
Buy good quality gear. Cheap stuff doesn't work well or last.
First of all, you need a good foundation. Start with a good belt designed specifically for concealed carry. No holster is gonna work well if it shifts and flops around.
As for holsters, I'm partial to the "Avenger" style. These secure the gun well while tucking the butt in close to the body. Just about every holster company makes a version of one.
I'm an average sized guy with a bit of a pot belly. 95% of the time I carry owb at about 3:30. That's what works for me.
Like I said, each of us is different. You just gotta figure out what works for you.
 
6'2"and 260 lbs. here, For pocket carry, my Hellcat with Shield RMSc rides in a DeSantis Super Fly. For my Shield 9 1.0 with CT LL-801G laser/light and my Sig P365 380 with Romeo X Compact, it's the DeSantis Nemesis. OWB is a DeSantis Mini Scabbard for each. IWB is the MTR Custom Leather Adversary A-3 for each. As stated above, a good belt is an absolute necessity. I have several Hank's belts for casual and dress occasions that have served me well for years. Like most others here on the forum, I've had a box of "no go" holsters that I donated to my club for sale at our monthly meetings or gave them to friends who wanted them.
 
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Thrun said:
Sounds like a great club! The one closest to me is a lot more limited but I really love some of their options, such as getting a discount on annual range dues by working a couple volunteer hours here and there. They are small but last time I checked their site, they have about 1.4k members.

I've considered AIWB or IWB in general but I feel like it would be fairly uncomfortable and a bit difficult when it comes to pant sizing (as I already get big and tall sizes), on top of keeping my pants up haha. A lot of gun belts seem to max out around my size if not before. That's why I've been leaning towards shoulder or sticky pocket carry. Thankfully, I live in an area where it's cold enough to shoulder carry during half of the year if I did go that route, and my size would help with the concealment.
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On the holster side I go between 3 different ones. McKinetec Holster are awesome made in the USA. Tier 1 and Texas Holster Holster Solutions. Those are the three that I will go between when I carry my Hellcat.
 
This guy might be able to help…I didn’t read all the posts here, so if someone already posted this, apologies.

jxtactical.com

Fat Guy Holster®

Find premium tactical holsters and gear, designed for durability, comfort, and reliability. Ideal for law enforcement and tactical enthusiasts alike.
jxtactical.com jxtactical.com
 
Thrun said:
I'm a big guy (6 feet tall, 300-350 lbs). I own guns but I'm new to concealed carry which seems to be a necessity these days. Other than the advice to lose weight (which I'm working on), I would love to get some input on what will work for carrying with my current body right now. That includes holsters, different ways to carry, etc. Right now I'm considering a shoulder holster but I am concerned about "flagging." I am also considering getting a sticky holster for pocket carrying. Any advice from other big dudes will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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I’m carrying a hellcat pro and a CZ P10C with lights. I have no problems at all.
 
Lab Us said:
This guy might be able to help…I didn’t read all the posts here, so if someone already posted this, apologies.

jxtactical.com

Fat Guy Holster®

Find premium tactical holsters and gear, designed for durability, comfort, and reliability. Ideal for law enforcement and tactical enthusiasts alike.
jxtactical.com jxtactical.com
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I bought this exact holster for my P365 several years ago....it doesn't have a padded panel and is VERY uncomfortable for me (seated in my office (truck) driving). Works great as long as you don't sit down. Maybe it'd be better with pants 2 sizes too big.
 
Jfal said:
I bought this exact holster for my P365 several years ago....it doesn't have a padded panel and is VERY uncomfortable for me (seated in my office (truck) driving). Works great as long as you don't sit down. Maybe it'd be better with pants 2 sizes too big.
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Not sure what you mean by padded panel. If you mean a wedge addition like Vedder offers and is velcroed on, I’m thinking you can get one of those for any Kydex holster. I did try one on my last Vedder for Hellcat OSP but made holster way too thick so I don’t use it. Shrug.

 
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