Who's Packin Heat? Guns You Might Carry by Victor Epand

Packing as in actually carrying, I usually carry a Glock 29 10mm. When my attire forces me to carry something slightly smaller it's a Kahr K9 9mm. On the rare occasion I want to carry something beefy it's the Taurus PT945 .45 A.C.P. I have a Don Hume I.W.B. holster for each. I forget the exact price, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 for these holster. In the summer with elastic waistband shorts it's always the Kahr in a Smarycarry holster.

I carry a Para Ordnance P-14/45. Have for about eight years. Previous to that I carried a Springfield 1911 for about five years. The best holster that I have ever found for not printing is the Galco N.S.A. Because of the flat shape of the 1911, it just simply disappears when positioned properly. Prior to purchasing the Galco about ten years ago, I carried "Mexican" the pistol slid into the waistband without a holster. When it is slightly behind the side seam of your trousers, the pistol grip will lay in the curve of your back behind your hip, and it simply disappears.

Had a lifelong friend who was carrying a .380 of some cheap brand, and in a "bellyband". He simply could NOT keep it from printing. I had him try on my belt and holster, with the Para Ordnance. It disappeared on him. He tried various types of clothing, all the way down to a pair of running shorts and a loose tank top, and it never printed. And my friend is not exactly "big", but about 5'9" and 175 pounds.

On another occasion, we had another high school friend back up visiting us, who was working as a "Corrections Officer" in Sacramento. This mutual friend was always, always spot when someone was "packing heat", and the only way to sneak it by him was to carry a miniature pistol in the crack of your backside, with the shirt tucked in over it.

After about 30 minutes of this, with the knowing smirk being passed between my friend, his dad, and myself, unbeknownst to the "CO"... We were sitting in my friend's dad's motor home, parked at my friend's house. We had been walking around the yard, listening to the sermon, before we sat down in the motor home.

I lifted the waistband of my sweater, pulled out the Para Ordnance, dropped the magazine, then racked and locked the slide before handing him the pistol, saying "I have never personally found a problem with concealing a fullsize firearm." The three of us broke out in laughter at the bulging eyes of the "expert" orator. I then produced the two 14 round magazines carried on the weak side hip.

Now... people are shaped differently, and what works for one may not work for another. The only way to truly know is to try the pistol holster combination out for yourself.

In my own experience, I have found that a quality leather holster works much better for an inside the waistband holster. In my own experience, the extremely flat sided 1911 hides more easily against the body than many other pistols which are chunkier in profile, or more irregularly shaped.

And yes... I carried a 4" or 5" barreled S&W M29 or M629 for more than a decade: if you work at it, you can conceal pistols that would astonish most people. Frequently, you must alter the manner of attire which you wear. If the clothing style is more important to you than carrying a proper sidearm, then you will compromise that way. If carrying a fighting sidearm is more important? Your clothing will be that which is compromised.

Which brings up the last point...? It appears that most have the priority/preference to carry the smallest sidearm possible, in order to conceal it. My perspective has always been that one carries a sidearm as a tool, in case they might need it, rather than as a pacifier, in order to give themselves a false sense of security. If there was no need to conceal it, and you knew that a fight was coming, what sidearm would you carry?

For me... I want one that will do the absolute best job of getting large and heavy bullets downrange, controlled, quickly, and repeatedly. For me, that is a full sized 1911, and preferably the Para Ordnance with the 14 round magazine.

More controllable, able to deliver more quickly the follow up rounds, than the .44 Magnums I carried for a decade (besides being more easily concealed). A full sized sidearm is more easily controlled than a small handgun.

Author Resource: Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.WarGear.info/. WarGear.info carries the best selection of military clothing, war gear, and combat accessories on the market.

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