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  • cnl390

    Active Member
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    1   0   0
    May 27, 2009
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    I have always done IWB at 4 o'clock. Thinking about appendix carry, but my waistline isn't that slim and trim. Wondering about comfort.
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    gaines67

    Active Member
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    Mar 2, 2018
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    Park City
    You are going to get a lot of responses about AIWB being fine if you have the right firearm and holster, but the reality is that unless you are reasonably trim and/or wear pants with some extra slack, it’s not going to be very comfortable. What gun do carry?


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    cycleguy2300

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    Mar 19, 2010
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    Austin, Texas
    I have tried it and don't like it. I know some cool kids who swear by it, but 3-5 o'clock for me IWB or OWB for EDC.
    Galco shoulder holster for driving or if I have a jacket one.

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    cycleguy2300

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    Austin, Texas
    I have tried it and don't like it. I know some cool kids who swear by it, but 3-5 o'clock for me IWB or OWB for EDC.
    Galco shoulder holster for driving or if I have a jacket one.

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    EZ-E

    King Turd of Shit Mountain
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    May 4, 2017
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    Middle of no where
    I started off aiwb with a sig938 in a soft tuck by Desantis, smaller pistol & im a slim guy, so not to many issues with comfort. Now ive switched over to a CZP07 with a Tucker aiwb. Not as small as the p938 & not as comfortable. The P07 is a little longer so if my pants sag a little bit & i bend over it will push into my inner thigh. I still wear it, just try to pull my pants up before i bend over.
     

    TxStetson

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    May 9, 2013
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    I've found that having a bit of a gut, appendix is not comfortable. Also I don't particularly like a gun pointing at my junk/inner thigh
    Change "a bit" to "a lot" and "not comfortable" to "incredibly uncomfortable and often painful" and you've described my experience perfectly.
    As these guys pointed out above, appendix carry is not for me. My usual EDC is either a LCP II or a P365 in my right front jeans pocket, and a commander sized 1911 IWB at the 4 o'clock position. I have driven thousands of miles without it bothering me, and I can still draw while seated with a slight lean to the left or forward.
     

    dsgrey

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    0   0   0
    Oct 25, 2015
    1,873
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    Denton County
    I've lost 05% of my gut but appendix still doesn't feel right. I carry at 3 or 4 o'clock. Usually the latter due to pressure the 3 o'clock puts on my newly found hip bone.
     

    pronstar

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    Jul 2, 2017
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    I’m pretty thin-waisted but don’t find it comfortable.

    So I carry at 4-ish...usually have to do a slight adjustment once I sit in a car seat but once settled, I don’t even notice it while driving.

    Usually I carry my PPS M2 but have been carrying my 92 Compact lately. Will go back to a plastic EDC once it’s hot and I’m sweating.


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    PEMDAS

    Former mall ninja
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    1   0   0
    Feb 27, 2020
    64
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    Denton
    I’ll aiwb a jframe once in a while in a soft leather holster. But it’s only for a quick trip to the gas station or a walk around the block. For anything more physical, for a longer time, or for a larger gun... it’s 8:00 for me.
     

    karlac

    Lately too damn busy to have Gone fishin' ...
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    I’ve slimmed down enough to appendix carry comfortably with a Sticky holster while walking the pup (with all the dropoff strays in this part of the world, makes for a fast draw), but not comfortable in any other activity for me.
     

    sixtysixFox

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    3   0   0
    Dec 9, 2019
    98
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    San Antonio
    I prefer appendix if I won't be sitting for a long periods of time (i.e. hours) since I get tired of it digging into my junk/abdomen. But it does print slightly less than 3-4 o'clock for me. I carry a P30SK vs PPS M1.
     

    Sasquatch

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    Apr 20, 2020
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    I carry in what I term "modified appendix" which is actually about the 2-2:30 position. My EDC is a full size M&P 9mm. I make my own holsters, and have been testing a prototype in which the holster body is bolted together, vs riveted as I was playing with adjustable retention and adding/subtracting "features" without having to waste kydex on a new shell each time. I've been toting this particular holster now for 6 months. I put the gun on when I wake up in the morning, wear it all day while working, and don't take it off until well into the evening, or if I'm getting changed for a shower or something.

    JorVxR7.jpg


    I'm 6'4" and went from 315lbs to a low of 252 last year, I gained a bit back over the holidays that I need to loose yet - my goal is to get skinnier and hit 210 this year, but I know all about carrying with a gut.

    For years I carried strong side at either the 3 or 4 o'clock position. I have spent the majority of my adult years driving professionally in one capacity or another - security patrol monkey, motor coach driver, school bus driver, tow truck operator, uber driver, and currently I am an owner operator of a roadside assistance (not towing) business. I spend 8-10 hours a day working and most of that is going to and from service calls, or sitting and taking care of administrative shit. When I'm not sitting, I'm either standing and bending over, or kneeling, or in some cases dicking around on my back, belly or side under a car.

    I made the switch from strong side hip carry to appendix a few years ago and only revert to hip carry when carrying openly for whatever reason. Appendix, to me, is far more comfortable day in and day out with an IWB rig. If I was carrying OWB, it may be different. I will say that I no longer have the butt of the gun digging into a seat or pressing into my back, which is a plus.

    For my body shape, I have a "pocket" or sorts where my side and gut come together, about half way between my crotch and my side. The gun fits perfectly in that spot and doesn't dig in to the thigh when seated, nor does the gun ever dig into the balls. The only downside is that yes, the gun is pointed at my thigh when seated. Acceptable risk for me, as I don't make a habit of fondling my gun. I also noted that even with hip carry, we will flag ourselves on the draw or reholster no matter if you're carrying IWB or OWB, retention or open top. Your leg, your ass, your side - something is getting muzzled. For me personally - the benefits of the comfort, speed, and ease of access outweigh the slim chance I'm going to send a round into my femoral artery. If I do - I have a $1M life insurance policy for my wife & kid to get by on.

    A few images of the gun actually on me - they're mirrored, I carry on my right, not my leftL

    rYCoKRO.jpg


    vWZrRar.jpg


    KaOUbdj.jpg


    126ymvU.jpg


    On a rare occasion I will give one of the few factory holsters I own a go vs my home-rolled stuff.

    I modified a Blade Tech Eclipse for carry in this position:

    xuzxcgf.jpg


    sDBbKav.jpg


    flipped one of the OWB belt loop attachments around to act as a lever against the belt (same concept as Raven's claw) and I added an extra hole on the forward edge to bolt the second clip into place. I typically do not like clip/claw attachment holsters, they come off far too easily. I tend to favor soft loops with one-way pull the dot snaps. I came up with a way to carry this rig without that happening - I wear a Wilderness belt with the velcro to secure the end of the belt - I cinch the belt up snug and tuck the end into the first belt loop, and press the velcro nice and flat. So far wearing it like that, the holster does not shift and won't pop off the belt when I don't want it to.

    qEbrND4.jpg


    I've carried full frame Glocks in this position as well, also in holsters I made myself

    z2REVJP.jpg


    B09IOih.jpg


    EECirmj.jpg


    o8qnmN8.jpg


    This is an example of my typically carry rig that I'd standardized on a couple years ago, with both halves riveted together. What I found is that guns like the M&P Compact (gen 1, now called the SubCompact in the 2.0 lineup) with its sub 4 inch barrel are less comfortable to carry in this manner. The reason being is that if you have a gut, your gut pushes the butt of the gun out, thus shoving the muzzle in. That also means the gun flops around more, is less concealed, and more likely to have the holster flip out on the draw. None of that is good. I like a pistol with a 4 to 4.5" barrel when I carry because that has enough slide length to lever the gun back - and I've played with wedges - foam and molded, to help with this. The prototype at the top of the post has a molded in wedge at the muzzle end to help shove the butt of the gun in. I've used stick-on neoprene foam wedges on the holsters lower down - but typically I found the wedges are not super necessary, though the neoprene foam did make things a hair more comfortable (because it's softer) but that's about it.

    Comfort with appendix or front-of-the-hip carry does indeed depend on the right gun/holster combo for your body type, and you may not have a body type that plays well with front-of-the-hip carry. Some dudes will just naturally carry better strong side, behind the hip, or even cross draw. If you're really stout, there's always shoulder holsters. I'm contemplating moving to a shoulder holster setup for my outdoors/fishing/hiking setup vs belt carry, but still undecided on that.
     

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    Riksors

    Active Member
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    0   0   0
    Jun 13, 2019
    478
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    Georgetown
    Conceal-ability vs. Comfort. AIWB ergo isn’t for everyone esp with a waistline that isn’t slim and trim. If you have to pick something up from the ground, one would have to pick it up like a modest girl on a skirt. :laughing:

    YMMV, I locate where I’m most comfortable, which is AIWB, and practice for muscle memory. I want to have at least a periphery of my pistol. Maximize and not compromise my natural motion. IWB at 4 0’clock does not feel natural for me. Also, I’m worried of somebody tugging it out from behind my back.
     
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