Lots of great thoughts in here already.
Pros that I think are universally accepted about appendix carry:
- Faster draws from appendix vs strong side hip
- Easier to protect the firearm from someone trying to take it
I think @Scotty above nailed a lot of items on carrying comfortably. Appendix really works well out of the box for some people, and others have to really work to find a system that works for them, and still others will never have it work for them.
For me, I can’t wear at 3o’clock because since i’m short even adding that 1" or 1.5" of width on my side makes me look like a lopsided troll. 4-5o’clock concealed really well for me… as long as I stayed standing straight up.
Appendix worked pretty well right out of the gate, and after several holsters I’ve really got it down to where no one notices. With very minor clothing variations I can wear a Glock 43, 26, or 19 in appendix.
I would suggest going to youtube and doing a search for “Spencer Keepers” and watch any video you can where hes talking about appendix carry. He is a “large guy” and has tons of advice on carrying that apply to you no matter what body shape you have.
Things Ive learned that help appendix work for me:
Where on the belt-line
Find the sweet spot from left-right where the firearm naturally finds a crease. Appendix generally goes from 12-230 o’clock, for me depending on the pants I will carry around 1230-130o’clock. This means I can comfortably sit & stand without having to readjust
Pay attention to the belt clips.
Some come with a single wide clip, others come with 2 thinner clips that are spaced apart and some come with just a single thin clip.
Dont bother with the single thin clip, IMO, as it allows for too much movement and it will cant somewhere that prints or pokes. Additionally, it makes for an inconsistent draw as every time it will be in a different place. And finally I’d worry that they would break away from the belt.
I’ve found the single wide clip to stick out more than double thin clips, but depending on your clothes and body shape this may not be an issue. It allows for quick/easy on/off while giving at least some stability
The double thin clips are the best IMO. the wider apart they are the more stable and “locked in place” your holster will be which means less printing (or at least predictable printing) and a consistent draw location. These will usually give you the most amount of room for adjusting cant and do not print as much since they are usually placed “next to” instead of “on top of” the thicker part of the holster that carries the firearm. You then have a choice of the regular clips, Ulti-clips (which “clip” to your pants behind your belt and are less visible) and J-clips (which go behind and under the belt instead of the normal in front of belt and so are less visible)
Take advantage of claws and wedges
Claws push against the back of your belt to push the grip of the firearm in towards your body. Wedges on the bottom of the holster push the top of the firearm in towards your body. The combination of these two with a good firm belt help mightily reduce the amount of printing
You need a good adjustable gun belt
You always need a good gun belt, but appendix carriers really need a good belt. Better is one that is infinitely adjustable. Spencer Keepers has a good bit on this here, but basically just letting out one belt notch on a normal belt (about 1") makes the firearm print significantly more. So being able to keep your belt appropriately tight is massively important. I like Kore Gun Belts as they have a racheting notch that you can let in/out in 1/4" increments. They have leather and nylon belts
Consider a holster with a sidecar
A sidecar is basically a built-in mag holder. It may seem counter-intuitive to put a larger thing in front, but in some cases the sidecar helps to spread the weight and size across a larger area actually reducing print and increasing comfort. Plus it means you will always have a spare mag handy which is helpful for those of us who struggle with where to keep a spare mag.
I like JM Custom Kydex or Keepers Concealment for appendix holster only, and I have a sidecar model from Tier1Concealed (recommended by WarriorPoet) on order that I’m highly anticipating.