Your favorite CCW position.

I'm right handed and I carry a Glock 19 in crossbreed supertuck at 3 - 3:15 with as much forward cant as the holster will allow. Super comfortable and conceals easily under a loose fitting t-shirt.
 
I was just wondering. It seems like the favorite position for carrying IWB is at the 4:00 - 4:30 position. Why is this position preferred over say 3:00? I do no yet have my CCW (should arrive any day now) but I have carried around the house testing appendix carry and 3:00 with my Glock 19. Appendix carry is just not very comfortable especially when I sit down or bend over, but I have found that 3:00 using a White Hat Max Tuck holster is very comfortable. And besides my arm rests at 3:00 and helps to cover any possible print issues. I have not yet tried carrying at 4:00 because it seems to me that every time I sat down, the gun would be poking me in the back. It also seems that the draw would be a little more difficult at 4:00 - 4:30, and that it would print more if you bent over to pick something up. So am I all wet? What are some of the advantages to the 4:00 - 4:30 position and why is it so popular?
 
JBeck said:
I was just wondering. It seems like the favorite position for carrying IWB is at the 4:00 - 4:30 position. Why is this position preferred over say 3:00? I do no yet have my CCW (should arrive any day now) but I have carried around the house testing appendix carry and 3:00 with my Glock 19. Appendix carry is just not very comfortable especially when I sit down or bend over, but I have found that 3:00 using a White Hat Max Tuck holster is very comfortable. And besides my arm rests at 3:00 and helps to cover any possible print issues. I have not yet tried carrying at 4:00 because it seems to me that every time I sat down, the gun would be poking me in the back. It also seems that the draw would be a little more difficult at 4:00 - 4:30, and that it would print more if you bent over to pick something up. So am I all wet? What are some of the advantages to the 4:00 - 4:30 position and why is it so popular?
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat you are. For me 3:00 is much more comfortable and conceals so much better. I can't carry at 4:00 - 4:30 without it printing badly. I guess it's because people are different. Someone with a body type different from mine will be able to conceal better in a different carry position.
 
Also appendix carry seems to be better suited to smaller weapons. Either way I'm not comfortable with way the muzzle points in appendix carry, especially when seated. Your groin has some major nerves and blood vessels that go down to your legs, not to mention the family jewels, lol.
 
JBeck said:
I was just wondering. It seems like the favorite position for carrying IWB is at the 4:00 - 4:30 position. Why is this position preferred over say 3:00? I do no yet have my CCW (should arrive any day now) but I have carried around the house testing appendix carry and 3:00 with my Glock 19. Appendix carry is just not very comfortable especially when I sit down or bend over, but I have found that 3:00 using a White Hat Max Tuck holster is very comfortable. And besides my arm rests at 3:00 and helps to cover any possible print issues. I have not yet tried carrying at 4:00 because it seems to me that every time I sat down, the gun would be poking me in the back. It also seems that the draw would be a little more difficult at 4:00 - 4:30, and that it would print more if you bent over to pick something up. So am I all wet? What are some of the advantages to the 4:00 - 4:30 position and why is it so popular?
Click to expand...

I'll preface this by saying that a given individual's best carry location is the one most comfortable for them... For me, yes, it is the 4-4:30 position, and here's why: The 4-4:30 position, when viewed from the front, is never going to show, even if I'm standing with both arms up in the air. The firearm is hidden from view. Also, I will never snag my firearm on a doorframe, or, even worse, a passerby, like I may if carrying at 3 o' clock (of course, snagging on a passerby would be my mistake). I also tend to wear shirts that are a bit more fitted and I don't have a lot of extra weight to help conceal my weapon. Again- the 4-4:30 position excels here as my shirts are relatively close to my body, especially around my sides- at what would be the 3 o clock position.

Possible drawbacks: at a store, you have to be careful when reaching up or bending down to grab an item. Learning to reach with your left hand solves most dilemmas. If fetching something from a bottom shelf, I either casually place my right arm on my back, keeping my shirt in place, or I just drop to my right knee to grab the item.

The draw... I practice. I'm much more comfortable and natural now with the 4-4:40 than any other position.
 
Thanks for the info, your reasons and solutions are well thought out. Yesterday I tried the 4:00 position for a little while around the house. The main issue I noticed was that when I sat down in a harder chair the gun poked me in the back though it was very noticeable on the couch. Is there a solution to that or do you just get used to it? Maybe I will need to give the 4:00 position a longer trial run.
 
My Taurus Tcp goes in a black hawk IWB holster. It has a belt clip on the front. Goes on right side. I try & put the holster on directly behind my right pocket. It works but is very uncomfortable. That's what you get for an $11.00 holster. I think I'll try the super tuck. It's better to spend a little more & get something comfortable. That way you carry more.
 
I've been through 3 holsters (IWB only) and still haven't found a comfortable carry position. Function over form, I guess?
 
To make a holster more comfortable, you might have to modify it to comform to your body

I carry a full size 1911 in a crossbreed super tuck at about 3:30. I had to modify it a little. The holster was too long (horizontal)for me, so i made a new hole to move the foward clip back closer to the kydex. Then I trimmed the leather back. I also had a problem when i sat down. The bottom area under the foward clip dug into my thigh, so I trimmed the leather back, and used my dremel to grind the bottom of the clip. Even then the leather was uncomfortable, so I contact cemented a mouse pad to cover the entire back. Its real comfortable now. I where it 14+ hours a day everyday.
 
It depends on what I'm carrying. Most of the time I have my Glock 27 in a Galco King Tuk 3-4 o'clock.
 
thedub88 said:
To make a holster more comfortable, you might have to modify it to comform to your body

I carry a full size 1911 in a crossbreed super tuck at about 3:30. I had to modify it a little. The holster was too long (horizontal)for me, so i made a new hole to move the foward clip back closer to the kydex. Then I trimmed the leather back. I also had a problem when i sat down. The bottom area under the foward clip dug into my thigh, so I trimmed the leather back, and used my dremel to grind the bottom of the clip. Even then the leather was uncomfortable, so I contact cemented a mouse pad to cover the entire back. Its real comfortable now. I where it 14+ hours a day everyday.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip!

How does the mouse pad handle the perspiration?

I sweat a lot in the SC heat & humidity. (100* plus degrees here lately with heat index to 120*)

I was wondering if the mouse pad feels any cooler that the leather?
-
 
I carry a Glock 19 in a Minotaur holster from Comp-tac. I carry it at about 4 - 4:30 for the reasons listed previously. It seems to conceal pretty easily there even to the point that my wife doesnt even realize I have it on most of the time, until she puts her hand on my hip or leans against me. With the leather backing, its very comfortable even in a sitting position. I will probably try a Crossbreed for my next holster/carry gun.
 
I have found that "love handles" play an important role when wearing an IWB at 3:00pm for me. They tend to push the handle of the weapon out a bit causing it to print just a little more than i like and makes it a bit tighter on the draw. BUT, by moving it back to the 3:30 / 4:00 pm position they (love handles) tend to push the handle of the weapon in towards the body making it disappear and making it alot easier to remove from the holster. I use a Desantis Intruder which i love and carry a officer sized 1911. I wear a tshirt with a button up shirt over it so it tends to hide everything quite well.
 
I am a lefty and my Old Faithful holster IWB sits at 8 o'clock with a Ruger SR9c tucked inside. When I wear OTB it is a Don Hume JIT slide for my Stoeger Cougar .40cal at 9 O'Clock.
 
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