I’d like to carry a full-sized gun, but I’m too small.
I carry this pocket .380 because I have to keep it concealed.
Generally speaking, I call B.S. on all of these types of comments. Yeah, I know, we’re all shaped and sized differently, so it’s impossible to make a universal statement. It’s also wrong to buy into the “universal” myth that if you’re smaller in stature than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson you can’t carry a full-size gun.
The bottom line is that you almost certainly can. Will it be easy? Not necessarily. Will you know you’re carrying a large gun? Of course. It won’t get lost in a pocket as easily as a Ruger LCP. But, as instructor Clint Smith likes to say, “Carrying a pistol should be comforting, not comfortable.” Even that’s not a binary issue, carrying a large gun can be surprisingly comfortable if you do it right.
Our “her” model (left) is carrying a Sig Sauer P229 with a Galco KingTuk holster. She’s 5’6. Our “him” model is a 32″ waist size and he regularly carries a full-size 1911, also with a Galco KingTuk. Shirts are tucked in only so you can see the guns.
While we’re going to focus on methods to accomplish this task, I’ll briefly mention that there are many significant benefits to carrying a larger gun.
A larger and heavier gun is much, much easier to shoot accurately while under stress. Try unloading a magazine as fast as you can at a target even just a few yards away using a pocket pistol. Now do the same with a full-size gun. Measure the groups and you’ll see a big difference. Not only is felt recoil less with a large gun, enabling faster follow up shots, the sight radius is longer, making aiming easier.
No one that’s survived a defensive encounter has been disappointed that they had more ammo in the gun than was required. Face it, this world is getting scary. Even if you don’t believe that terror attacks are headed to a mall near you, evil dudes are getting smarter with their tactics. Many criminal encounters involve more than one perpetrator. Warranted or not, I’ll always feel better with more rounds at my disposal.
I’m 5’10” (if I stand up straight), 170 lbs. My EDC is a Sig (drool here: http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/1911-compact-rcs-nitron.aspx) in a Galco King Tuk. My waist is a fat 31″ or a skinny 32″, depending on last nights dinner. I have no problems with this set up.
Don’t let other people’s uninformed opinions make your decisions for you.
Sorry but I have to disagree with this article. Nearly every person I know who tried to carry a full size pistol (including myself) eventually stopped doing it because it was too uncomfortable to be sitting, standing, walking, driving, sitting, standing, walking, driving all day long. I am a firm believer if you are going to EDC, you do it wake up to bedtime. I am 6 foot, 190lbs with 33″ waist and a single stack 9mm (XDs) with Kydex IWB holster is what is comfortable and easy to conceal with shorts and t-shirt.
Simply put I have seen enough to know if your set-up is not comfortable you will not carry on a consistent basis. Just my opinion though.