We’re just days away from the release of our new full-length book – The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters. We hope you enjoy this excerpt:
Some thoughts on Holster Shirts
5.11 Tactical Holster Shirt – Note the reinforced and padded pockets on both sides.
There’s something sexy about those spandex-y undershirts that are all the rage now. Whether you’re cut like The Situation from Jersey Shore, or built more like Paul Blart, Mall Cop, wearing one of these shirts improves your self-rated body mass index by 92.4%.
Superman shirt holsters are a great idea on the surface, especially if you’re exceptionally paranoid about being outed as a concealed carrier. It offers deep concealment as your gun is held along your side in a pocket built into the undershirt. Which also means the odds of you getting your gun out quickly are about as good as Nancy Pelosi speaking at the next NRA Annual Meeting. Well, in fairness, the odds are better than that, you just need to practice and carefully consider your choice of outer shirt.
With that said, undershirt holsters can be a great option when you absolutely, positively, have to conceal your gun and wearing a photographers vest would be considered inappropriate. Or at least un-stylish.
About the 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirt
The 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirts aren’t cheap. However, like most other 5.11 Tactical gear, they are exceptionally well made. We’ve been using the 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirts for years and have yet to wear one out. And that’s here in the humidity pressure cooker of America.
The 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirt is a polyester / spandex blend — so they are very sexy looking. More importantly, the holster pockets are sewn in as a padded mesh system on both sides. This provides full ambidextrosity (my word.)
The holster sections are supported by material looping all the way over the top of the shoulder, so carrying full weight handguns is not a problem. We do it all the time.
The pockets are closed with two velcro patches, so weapon retention is good. One thing we like about this model is that accessibility is good as the carry pockets are a little lower and more forward than other makes and therefore a little easier to reach. Another benefit to dual pockets is that you can store a spare magazine or two on the other side.
By the way, the material is anti-microbial to keep the, umm, odor, down to manageable levels.
The Good
The level of concealment would make a tax-evading Congressperson proud. Folks will find your Swiss bank accounts and campaign staffer romances long before they find your concealed gun with this carry method.
With most body carry methods, gun security is fantastic. You feel it. You know its there. There’s very little chance that your gun will tumble out of your control without your notice.
The Bad
Drawing your gun is kind of like removing your underwear while keeping your pants on. For those of you not quite following, that means that drawing your gun from a deeply concealed body carry location will be slower than drawing from your hip. Practice is a must with this carry method.
The Ugly
Hugging Aunt Martha can be really weird if you’re not careful. If you carry the gun on one side of your body or the other, you can adjust your hugging style to be more angular. If you carry a gun on one side, and spare magazines on the other, then you have to quickly develop a serious case of Aphenphosmphobia. That’s fear of being touched, which should cover the bases for most hugging encounters.
We highly recommend the 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirt. We own about a half-dozen of them and they’re well used.
Read about more carry styles and over 120 different gun holsters in The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters – available at Amazon.com! Learn more about our Insanely Practical Guides!
I wear one of these when the occasion arises. Mostly when I am required wear dress clothes that aren’t mall ninja approved. Who says tactical cargo pants are too tacky for a wedding?! Anyways I love it. It can easily store just about anything although some restrictions do apply. I have been able to pull off carrying a medium framed semi-auto before but it took some serious concealment (aka sports jacket) and a couple of full mags in the other pocket to avoid looking like the hunch back of Notre Dom. The hugging is spot on though…I have ended up telling people that it is a heart monitor. I’m not exactly lying…If i were to lose it I would have a heart attack!
I think tactical cargo pants are completely appropriate for a wedding. Assuming of course that you are wearing a hat with a matching logo.
Another use:
My brother had a severe heart attack 3 years ago, and now has a LVAD heart pump, which is battery powered. I bought him one of these shirts, and when he has to go out and can’t be plugged in to the wall, he can put his batteries in the holsters and away he goes.
I’ve shared this with others who have LVAD’s and it’s been a hit.
Wow! That’s fantastic – never would have thought of that. I suspect there are a number of medical devices which could be carried this way.
Thanks for sharing the tip!
Gun in one side, BATTERIES in the other!! 🙂
I am a new LVAD patient, and I have the HeartWare pump and controller. I just modified the 5.11 tactical shirt. I sewed in an 1 1/2 elastic strap to the shirt across my lower chest to act as a belt for holding the controller. With batteries in the holster pockets and my controller just above my stomach, all the weight is amazingly well distributed. I made the belt in two pieces, one attached to each side, and they are connected with sewn in hook stays. This way I can thread the strap through my mini LVAD pouch. I just ordered another shirt, and for my next go around I will make a new pouch and sew it to the elastic. This way the elastic can be just be one piece with no hook stays. I highly recommend this arrangement for LVAD patients.
[…] are dozens of ways to carry a concealed handgun these days. You can carry in your pockets. In your undershirt. With an evening gown. Under your desk. Under your belt. Over your belt. Across your shoulders. […]