Largest size pistol to easily hide IWB


mwhals

Member
I am 6'1 and around 200 pounds although 175 pounds is a better weight for me. Given that range of weights and my height, what would be the largest pistol that is easily concealed without printing in a good IWB holster?

I like the Springfield Armory XD Subcompacts over the XDS single stacks. I also like S&W M&P, M&Pc and Shield. To add to the list am looking at the Sig Sauer P938.

I like my pinky on the grip and am not sure the P938 will work. Also, I am open to S&W .40 over 9 mm Luger.
 

depending on your rig and where on your person that you carry you should be able to conceal almost any "normal" pistol
normal includes anywhere from a 2 inch to a 5 inch barrel, single or double stack.
 
Right side around 3:00 or 4:00 with a Milt Sparks VM-2 holster and a heavy gun belt is how I plan to carry.
 
Carrying IWB at around 4-o'clock is all about the length of the pistol grip, i.e., the overall height of the pistol, and the wearer's body type and build. Printing occurs when the pistol grip extends too much away from the body. A thinner waist line typically means more potential for that happening while leaning over. Based on your numbers, you should easily be able to conceal a compact handgun with up to 5-inch in height.

You have a number of options, including the Glock 19/23, Walther PPS, Springfield Armory XD(M) 3.8 Compact, Sig Sauer P250 Subcompact, Ruger SR9c/SR40c, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9/40, Springfield Armory XD(S) 3.3/4.0, Smith & Wesson M&P 9/40/45c, Beretta BU9 Nano, and Glock 26/27.

I carry a subcompact Glock 26 (9 mm, 4.17 in height) with a flush 10-round magazine and a spare 12-round magazine with pinky extension. Glock's have generally the best capacity/size and capacity/weight ratios, but they are certainly not everyone's favorite. The Smith & Wesson M&P 9c is a good alternative in that size and weight category. It is slightly larger and heavier with a 12-round magazine.

I also have a compact Glock 19 (9 mm, 4.99 in height) that I sometimes carry with a flush 15-round magazine and a spare 15- or 17-round magazine. The Springfield Armory XD(M) 3.8 Compact is a good alternative in that size and weight category. It is slightly smaller and lighter with a 13-round magazine.
 
Thanks for the time to write your comment. I am looking at most of the guns you listed and the Sig P938. They should all work. I am not big boned and have always heard the grip is a bigger issue than the muzzle length to a point.
 
I'm 6 feet tall and about 175-180 and carry an XD40 standard with a 4 inch barrel. OWB and nobody's the wiser. I like having the 13 rounds of S&W40.
 
Howdy,

I'm a big fat guy, 6' 1" 268lbs, and I can carry any full-size handgun OWB without any issue. That includes my steel framed 1911A1, Glock 20, 21SF or 35.

On the same note, my Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull w/ 7.5" barrel is a little too big and heavy to CCW very much.

Paul
 
The XDM Compact should do well in 40 or 45 caliber due to a higher weight to reduce felt recoil. I like a stainless steel gun though, so may go the Sig route or at least get a dual tone XDM.
 
Ruger Semi's often get overlooked..I love my SR40C. Their trigger(out of the box) is so smooth. They do put M&P and Glock to shame (waiting on the hate mail !)
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I'm 6'2" 205lbs (most of the extra weight is right up front) and I carry a full size M&P .45 in a Milt Sparks VM-2 at 4:00-ish. Works for me.
 
I finally found the perfect holster for my Glock 30S, an Adhesive Holster without clips.


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I just picked up an Alien Gear IWB holster for my Ruger 1911 4.25 inch and conceals fine with a polo shirt over it. That's about as big as I can go, I usually carry a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog IWB.
 
I am looking at the XDM 3.8 9 mm compact, the XD subcompact 9 mm and the XDS 9 mm. Due to my wrist issues, I think a heavier 9 mm is best to start CCW.
 
Don't worry about "imprinting." Most people are oblivious to whether or not you have a gun. Only those of us who carry are actively looking for them. There are obvious wardrobe concessions to make. I am 6ft 230lbs. I wear loose clothes. I have to.

I Picked my best carry gun and then conceal it however I have to. My wardrobe revolves around it.
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I carry a steel commander size 1911style .45. It is 46oz loaded. It goes where I go.

WhiteHat holsters makes a great IWB holster. IMHO, much better than Galco or Crossbreed. Watch this video.... http://youtu.be/sVoHGMaRMrE

Galco also makes an IWB holster that I like. The N3 isn't great for long term carry. The gun moves around too much for me. The MaxTuck is super stable!



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I am 5' 10" and 220#. I've concealed a full-sized 1911 down to a single stack XD-S and Ruger LC9. Having owned and fired many of the firearms being mentioned here, I'll give my $0.02:

1. XD(M) - this is where I started... researched the many available options and loved the multitude of (passive) safety features (grip safety, trigger safety, drop safety, striker indicator, LCI), and owned both 45ACP and 9mm variants of the 3.8" compact semi-autos. Both were great shooters, and I never had a failure with the 45ACP, but the 9mm exhibited some ammo selectivity that I was not thrilled about resulting in some failures to eject and the subsequent controlled tapping of the trapped brass out of the chamber. Some choice words due to range sessions cut short, some questions of reliability, and - in the end - I don't own them anymore. The 45ACP grip is sized a little larger than the 9mm/40S&W, so know that before you try/buy. The good... solid semi's with what seems to be a good following and reputation behind them. Grip angle makes then point like a 1911. They are made in Croatia, and there is some evidence of striker retaining pins breaking, but videos seem to suggest that the gun will continue working regardless (and aftermarket parts are available). Lots of accessories come standard to get your started, and higher-capacity than almost anything else out there with similar grip sizes (10rd/13rd for 45ACP and 9mm compact mags, 13rd and 19rd in extended). I also used pinky extensions from Pearce grips to keep all my fingers engaged. Definitely made a difference for me. They are a little bigger and heavier than other polymers, and the bore axis is higher, but I think the two kind of negate each other when it comes to felt recoil.

2. XD-S - naturally, I moved to owning the XD-S variants of the aforementioned calibers for a slimmer, smaller carry profile. Recoil out of each was definitely less than expected. Grip texture kind of aggressive for the slim grip, and this turns off some people (my wife, in particular). Again, adjustable back strap for personalization. 45ACP did exhibit some weak ejection (pre and post-recall), and the 9mm had the exact same ammo selectivity issues as its bigger brother. Fiber optic front sight, and a similar selection of base accessories make this an overall great option. Really disappeared when carried IWB. Very comfortable.

3. Ruger SR9c - Boy, did this thing feel good in my hands. Dead on accurate, too. Rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation. Owned both the black nitride and stainless slide versions. Nitride coating a little weak and did see some early wear patterns that were questionable. Stainless slide serrations were as sharp as cheese graters, and I didn't own it long enough to see if it would eventually wear down. Also had some chamber peening where it met the slide that didn't inspire confidence in durability. For the price, probably one of the better deals out there for a carry tool. Lighter with more recoil when compared to Springfields and Glocks of similar size and capacity. Lower capacity mags (10rd for compact and 17rd for extended), and extended mags can be hard to find and are expensive. The magazine sleeve was always a little loose, and when carrying a spare in a mag holder upside down, would slide down (up) a bit on the mag... always a little annoying (maybe a non-issue, but hey, I'm just putting down my thoughts). What I didn't like... the external safety (personally, I prefer no external safeties on my guns), and even though I didn't use it, I didn't want to A) be faced with the situation of having it accidentally get engaged, B) have to remember in the heat of the moment which gun I was carrying, and C) in general, train differently for different carry options. Also, the magazine disconnect... a stupid requirement (sorry, People's Republik of California and other communist/socialist/fascist states). Sure, you could get rid of it, but I don't think it's wise to modify a safety feature of a gun (particularly if the modification removes it). It kind of rattled around when you shook it, and that just gave the impression of a certain cheapness to it. That being said... never had a failure, ate everything I fed it, and Ruger's CS is second to none (from what I've heard).

4. Glocks - oh boy, here we go... call out the fanboys and haters... I've now moved on to owning and carrying exclusively Glocks (with the one exception being my wife's LC9). Couldn't ask for a more simple firearm. Built-in passive safeties, no magazine disconnect, subtle LCI built into the extractor, lighter weight with a lower bore axis, and the reputation of many torture tests and LE agency contracts (you could argue that last one is due to marketing and sales deals, and you wouldn't be wrong). Sure, the 4th generation has had some potential issues (erratic ejection patterns and failures with rail-mounted accessories come to mind), but my G22 hasn't hiccuped with a light mounted, and the erratic ejection patterns don't bother me as much as a failure to feed/fire/extract, of which I have had absolutely none, with any kind of ammunition. The back straps adjust for fit, and although I hate the gen3 and prior grip size, the smallest setting (no back strap) on the gen4 fits me quite well. Sure the take down lever and slide stop are a bit small and can be hard to manipulate, but there's aftermarket parts for that (extended levers and slide stops installed on all of mine). The grip hole... plug it if it bothers you (I did that, too). The universal nature of the parts can't be beat... have a 20 year old G19 mag, it'll work with your brand spanking new G19, no problem. It's a simple tool that works, and works well, all the time... at least for me. As for that funky grip angle that people complain about... I read somewhere that the grip angle was designed to model the angle of one's wrist when one is punching correctly (in-line with the 2nd and 3rd knuckles). I think there may be some truth to that... either way, I adjusted to the angle well and can bring it up on target with my eyes closed consistently with the sights aligned. There aren't standard compact and extended mags, but you can pretty much use any magazine of higher capacity with any given gun (e.g., put that 15rd G19 mag into a G26 and shoot... in fact, my third G19 mag has an X-grip on it and is the back-up carry mag for my G26, which has Pearce +2 grip extensions on the standard mag).

In the end... find the one that fits you best, works for you best, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, find and practice with the one that you WILL carry. A gun does you no good if you're not going to carry it (too heavy, wide, long, complicated, etc etc.). If you doubt a gun's reliability, then move on to another option that will inspire and earn confidence. Good luck.
 

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