New to carrying trying to get a comfortable spot

sorry if i posted this in the wrong spot. I’m new to carrying. My starter rig is a ruger lcp 2 and a vedder holster. What’s the best way to set it up for apendex carry. Is it better higher or lower. What do you do? .thank you

3 Likes

Practice…Took me a few months of trying different things. Ended up about 2-2:30 iwb, hybrid holster.

3 Likes

Try, adjust, try again, adjust. Only you know what is comfortable for you.

6 Likes

Right spot for post , possibly, wrong carry area! Got to work with what is comfortable for you all day carrying. There is no right or wrong, it’s what works for you. It won’t ever be comfortable but it will be a comfort.
I carry 24/7 3” .45 auto strong side hip at 4: o’clock, kydex holster, there’s a permanent indentation of where my holster fits on my skin. For over ten years. Despite the imprint I carry comfortably.

4 Likes

I personally don’t carry appendix, but I would imagine it would be true wherever you carry…trial and error…try a few different positions practice drawing without live rounds and when your comfortable with live rounds at the range.

Repeat until you find the right set up for you.

3 Likes

Your the only one that is going to be able to figure that out. Try it both ways is what I would do and see what feels the most comfortable to you.

2 Likes

It took me a while and a few different holsters to find the right carry position. When the 1st holster ran out of adjustment options, I tried another, then another, until I found one that was just right

1 Like

I carry appendix, and i like for the handle to sit up high enough from my waistband to get a good purchase on the weapon. However, that may not be possible with a small firearm.

I found that the most comfortable area to carry appendix is in the crease next to the hip bone on the weak side. For right hand draw, it would put it just left of the belly button.

1 Like

As for how I carry, I hold it at 4 o’clock because my dunlap gets in the way. I change from inside and outside the waist band depending on what I wear. Now, for you, it is all about you. Find a good position that is comfortable and easiest to have a good draw. Have a good belt. We could tell you that there is a magical position that guarantees absolute comfort and easy access but, just like our choice of underwear, we each have our own comfort.
Just try the different positions and see how they work for you.

1 Like

For appendix I carry either 1:00 or 11:00

1 Like

Wait a sec, I thought you meant on the holster and then I re-read and now I think you mean on your body!?!?!?

Hmmmmmmm… does our body reshape itself if we impose a physical restriction/binding on an area? I’m not a biology person!!

2 Likes

A Ruger LCP 2 is a 380 auto and I do not recommend holster carry because to me the gun is to small to draw from a holster. It would be easier to draw it from a pocket holster. You can naturally keep your hand in your pocket and walk around without drawing attention to yourself. Try pocket carry and see how you feel with it. There are some nice pocket holsters like the one your firearm came with. I use a Sticky holster.

2 Likes

I agree with @Johnnyq60… I think maybe that pistol is a bit small for appendix carry. But its going to depend on your build. Pocket carry may be the right ticket.

Having said that…

The very first thing you need to carry appendix is a dedicated appendix carry holster. I’m assuming you have the LightTuck? It is a very good holster and very versatile for a range of carry positions, but you are very likely going to struggle with comfort and concealment.I know, because I have one, it was the first holster I bought. You need a dedicated, appendix specific holster. It should have adjustable cant, ride height, a “claw” to tuck the grip towards your body, and optionally a foam wedge along the barrel. It is counter-intuitive, but a longer barrel is actually easier to conceal and helps with comfort. Many appendix holster makers will make slightly longer holsters for short barrel pistols (like G19 size for a G26 for example). I’ll put a list of some holster companies specializing in appendix at the bottom.

You will need a good belt if you don’t already have one. There are a couple other threads (use the search) that focus on belt selection. It must be sturdy and rigid to have success. The thing those other threads dont touch on much is the belt buckle. Depending on where your holster sits, and whether or not it has a sidecar, you will likely need to have your buckle off-center. Some buckles are very slimline, so this is less of a concern, but it is something to keep in mind.

Once you have a dedicated appendix holster, experiment with positioning from 2:30 to 12 o’clock. Most appendix carriers (if you aren’t using a sidecar) end up around 1 or 2 o’clock. You are looking for a spot where the barrel isn’t poking you on pelvic bone, and not jabbing you in your thigh/femoral artery area.

You then experiment with belt height on your waist. Sometimes keeping your belt higher or lower than your waistline can help with comfort or concealment.

Then you experiment with ride height. How high does the pistol sit in the holster. The deeper/lower it is, the more concealed it is. The higher it is, the easier it is to grab the grip. As a starting point, it should sit where you can just fit your fingers around the grip while its on your belt. Adjusting the cant (the angle off of vertical) can sometimes help sit the pistol a little lower or higher and still allow a good grip while maintaining concealment.

A good appendix holster will have a “claw” or “wing” (or sometimes called a “wing-claw” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) that levers against your belt to push the grip of the pistol back towards your body. These are a must have on any good appendix holster.

Many appendix holster makes will offer some sort of foam wedge attachment, or a small bump in the kydex, along the barrel of the pistol to push the bottom barrel end out from your body, which levers around the belt to push the top of the pistol in closer to your body. The foam wedges also help with comfort since it is foam against your body instead of hard kydex. Too small of a wedge, and there is little to no benefit (other than comfort). Too big of a wedge and you have a very odd bulge in the front of your pants. If you search around on Youtube you can find DIY solutions like taking the heel of a shoe insert (the gel kind) and using that as the wedge.

A very common issue on appendix carry is called the “tip out”. That is where the top of the pistol tips out and away from the body reducing concealment and very probably increasing discomfort as the barrel is then likely poking you in the pelvic area. The pistol, holster, belt, body combination has the pistol “tipping” around the fulcrum of the belt. If too much pistol is above the beltline, it will tend to tip out. This can be mitigated by longer holster barrel length, foam wedges, reduced ride height, less belly flub :smiley:

Here is a list of some appendix makers I either have used myself or know someone who has. This is far from exhaustive there are many really good appendix carry holster makers. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what to look for. Look out for IWB (Inside the Waist Band) because what you want is AIWB (Appendix Inside the Waist Band).

  • JM Custom Kydex - great appendix carry holsters. The Wing Claw 2.0 is my nearly daily carry.
  • Tier 1 Concealed - They make some fantastic sidecar holsters, they are one of the few that makes holsters around the Streamlight TLR-7 and TLR-8 series weapon lights. I have an Axis Elite I’ve been very happy with.
  • Keepers Concealment - One of the OG appendix makers, he specializes in carry for “large fellows” and if you search around on Youtube you can find him on various other people’s channels giving tips on how to conceal appendix with a belly (and even if you don’t)
  • T.Rex Arms - Another one of my first holsters. These tend to sit very high, so for me was harder to conceal, but the draw time is much faster. Most of the T.Rex products are geared towards “going faster”. Available with and without sidecar.
3 Likes

Absolutely, this is the result of wearing a mask for only 7 months!

2 Likes

Yes, if you are married, and wear a wedding band, you will see a difference between your right and left ring fingers. I also see a difference between my wrists, one where I have worn a watch since a kid and the other wrist - I wear it tight, so it does not move around.

2 Likes

@Harvey, thanks for the links to your posts. I’ve been using a Vedder with mods for my Kahr 45’s, but wanted to try something different for my M2.0 FS. I just ordered an Axis Elite with the wedge pack, and will update once I give it a try.

2 Likes

Quick update: I received the holster today. It is comfortable for a plastic IWB holster, especially considering it’s for a full size M&P M2.0 plus spare magazine. It won’t replace my PM45 or CW45 for EDC (Tier 1 doesn’t offer holsters for Kahrs), but it is a viable option for my M2.0 for times when only IWB will do. The adjustable height on the belt hooks really do make a big difference for appendix carry.

2 Likes

You will like the LCP! Others have given good advice. I would add try different holsters.
After I bought my P-365, it was still new on the market I had a heck of a time just finding any holster, then as they became available I must have ended up with 6 holsters, a couple kinda spendy. In the end, what I use now every day is a cheap $10.00 pocket holster. It just works. I have gotten so used to it I forget I am carrying until I get home and take my pants off.

2 Likes

The LCP is in my carry arsenal and I do carry it appendix. My son makes Kydex holsters as a hobby and he gave me one that sits a bit higher and is adjustable. I train with it regularly no problem but I will say that body type always factors in to what and where one can carry.

1 Like