Hello all,I thought that I'd give you my thoughts on my new AIWB Dara Modular Sidecar holster and appendix carry in general.Overall, I like it. It has great retention, it is comfortable while I'm standing and walking, it seats nicely in my waistband without showing much of anything, it doesn't print at all, etc...However, I'm noticing things, not even necessarily about about the holster specifically, about appendix carry that I don't love.I'll just bullet point them and leave it open for people to input their thoughts.What I don't LOVE about appendix carry:300th parallel - A bit ago I learned about the 300th parallel from another fat guy on YouTube. Watch the video or not, it basically outlines that lifting your pants/belt and allowing your belly to push your gun into your pelvis/waist made it comfortable for larger guys to carry. However, this works best for people who are legitimately large bellied. Even though I'm a big guy (6'3" @ 280lb), most of it is in (eyeroll.jpg) muscle mass and my chest. I don't carry as much belly fat as your average guy. As such, lifting my pants doesn't result in the gun being pushed forward making it comfortable to sit down. It actually forces me to suck in a bit and have good posture. Not necessarily a bad thing.Stop being fat - Ultimately, this is the issue. Losing weight will solve most of the issues with appendix carry for me. While I'm overweight, I'm not grossly obese and unless I'm slouching or in a unflattering position, I'm not immediately noticeable as being overweight to the point of... grossness? So, losing weight is key for comfort with appendix, and honestly, the most I carry, it's a great motivator. I used to be 340, and I'm down 60lb, but I have plenty to go.Proper belt - I havne't noticed issues with my current belt being a problem. I have a sturdy leather belt that does just fine holding my appendix rig. When I OC, a better belt would definitely be preferable, but for AIWB, I am finding that a 1.5" leather belt is suitable.Pants size - I saw this after I ordered my holster. I am one of those people who's dignity doesn't get in the way of comfort. Lycra "infused" pants are amazing. While I'm losing weight weekly, it's still nice to be able to have some freedom of movement. Like mentioned before, a large portion of my body weight is muscle, and that's due to years of sports and martial arts. As such, I move a lot. I'm often kicking or jumping, etc. So the stretchy pants are pretty amazing.Undershits - I have never been an undershirt kinda guy. I don't have dark nipples (I'm not going PC here), I'm not exceptionally into see through clothes, I tend to wear more sturdy shirts and button downs, flannel/plaid, etc... However, I sit for the majority of the day at work, and when I get home, I'm either in the garage working on something, or again, sitting. It's either video games, watching Netflix with the family, or at my game store playing nerd games. As such while my Steyr isn't exactly sharp edged, it poking into me regularly and with a good deal of force makes me consider whether and undershirt is optimal.Concealment - Appendix, in my opinion, is the ultimate concealment. When I'm not concerned about concealment, and I OC, my OWB holster is in full view. However, I have since moved to MKE, and while I'm in a good neighborhood, and I work in a nice area, I also go places where guns aren't exactly "loved". Starbucks is a frequent stop of mine, though I've never been questioned about it while OCing. Similarly, the Brookland Square Mall, no one has said anything. However, my new game store is at a different mall in MKE and has had some issues with guns. As such, the concealment afforded to me by appendix carry is second to none. Even raising my arms, the most people see is my belt or clip. Being able to take off my jacket and bend over without printing or exposing is nice, too.Belt buckles - What no one tells you when you sign up for appendix carry is that your belt buckle is going to get in the way. So what do you do? Do you move it over? Have the buckle at 11 o clock? 1 o clock? What about the left over flap of the belt as you tighten it? The Dara clip doesn't open enough to fit the excess belt. If I have the buckle at 1 o clock, it gets in the way of my draw, and I have to have the appendix at a perfect 12. If I have the buckle at 11, I have a little more room for my dara, and I can move it to 1 if necessary. I have seen belts with no buckle, which I am interested in trying.So, over all, I like it. It has its negatives, which can solely be linked to me being a big guy.The 300th parallel really does require a certain fat-guy body type, which, while I'm fat, I don't have. So, I really have to focus on losing the weight and dealing with the pain until I'm good. Until then, I have wicked bruise above my dick where it digs in.So that's that. I'd love some tips and tricks. Having a GOOD holster actually made for my gun makes me feel a lot more confident, and apart from having a shirt too short (I have a monstrously tall torso), I haven't had issues with printing or exposing it.I DO feel that exposing a concealed handgun might be more alarming to people than simply having it OC, as no one seems to care about OC. But that's a personal opinion and doesn't have enough experience to validate just yet. via /r/CCW https://ift.tt/2EaeUQR
No comments:
Post a Comment