Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Holster for 1911 concealed carry?

Can you guys recommend a good inside the waistband holster for summer concealed carry of a 1911 5" slide ? I want the slimmest but most comfortable I can find.

Thanx in advance.

Milt Sparks Summer Special.

Or Milt Sparks Executive Companion.

I can already see this is going to be a tough decision.

I like the Eric Larson IWB. Very much like a Milt Sparks, but you can get it much more quickly!

http://www.hbeleatherworks.com/

405wcf

Been doing just that for a long time. What you need is a Milt Sparks Versa Max II. Here's mine. Carries a full sized, all steel, 1911 with perfect comfort all day long.

I used to like the Executive Companion till I discovered the Versa Max II. The Executive Companion doesn't have nearly the stability of the VM-II. I think the same can be said for the Summer Special, since it's pretty close to the Executive Companion in design.

So do you have to wear a pair of loose fitting pants to be comfortable?

I have both the Executive Companion & Summer Special & while they are both fine holsters, they both share a trait which I find less than ideal.

The both have the belt loops directly on top of the holster & that just leads to unnecessary bugling & bulk.

Summer Special Type holster


After much experimentation, the holster I now prefer is the Brommeland........it's thin so it conceals well, holds the guns very well & has more forward cant than most holsters. It's very comfortable.

Brommeland Holster:


It is basically the same design as as the Sparks Versa Max II, but is thinner, & therefore, IMO, conceals better & I like its more forward cant better to0 as I think it puts the gun butt in a better position.

Holsters are pretty personal & body style has a big influence on both preference & comfort........you just need to try some different style & manufacturers to see what works best for you.

Gets a little expensive though.

MM

THis is great. Keep 'em coming please.

Nope. I take no consideration for the IWB holster when I buy pants. When I'm not carrying, I just tighten the belt one more notch than when I am.

What is it like sitting down with one of these type holsters?

that largely depends on the man. Full size 1911 is no mouse gun, and a smaller fellow has a more difficult time with carrying one IWB.
Body type also plays a big part. Fat guys don't have much room in those britches for anything other than a roll of fat.

I like leather by Sam Andrews, and don't forget a Quality belt as well.

You might consider the Crossbreed Supertuck. I don't really carry a 1911 much as a G29 or a Kahr P40 conceal easier for me but I use a Supertuck for those. The 1911 I bought came with, interestingly enough, a "combat cut" Supertuck. It's still not my primary carry gun but for the raving hell of it I have carried it and it does work, and pretty comfortably at that.

I much prefer to carry w/o a holster if I go for maximum concealment. It's been called "calvary carry" by some. The gun goes in the waistband, butt to front, and canted to the rear over the strong side hip. Hides better than anything else out there for two reasons.
It adds nothing to increase bulk.
Since the grip/butt is inline with the slide and barrel, it doesn't print nearly as easily.
Lots of other points for it too. Very secure, can be drawn with either hand, etc. E

A crossbreed supertuck is a wonderful holster, thin, flexible, comfortable, it has a sweat shield and you will want a sweat shield. That said for IWB carry I prefer a shorter 1911. The issue is sitting in the car or a backed chair, not walking or standing.

I won't go into the multitude of reason to always use a holster.

I forget I'm carrying a gun. Sometimes I'm sure I must have forgotten to put one on that day, and reach back to make sure. Sitting in bucket seats is sometimes noticeable, but only requires a slight adjustment of the gun's position to fix it.

Anyone had any success with the small of the back inside the waistband carry with no holster?

I have carried in a Milt Sparks Summer Special II for about 4 years now everyday and find it extremely comfortable. I have used Eric's holsters and they are great also. One thing to remember with IWB carry is to make sure that you get at least a size larger in the waist than you normally wear and invest in a good quality gun belt.

A couple of points... My vote for the best IWB holster is hands down the Milt Sparks Versa Max II. By far the most comfortable rig I've used in over twenty years of packing. I haven�t used them all, especially various customs from all makers, but the Versa Max II is just so well thought out and comfortable I cannot see any improvements to be made. It beats Sparks�s older designs by a stretch IMHO. The gun belt is as big a choice as the holster is, maybe more important in some cases. I�ve been using a horsehide belt from Jim Speidel �The Beltman� for awhile now and it is superb. Good enough that I just ordered another one in a different color.

Another point, I really prefer the 4" Commander over the Gov�t Model. I�ve toted both and the lightweight Commander is the top choice for me. I realize that is subjective, but the weight and length differences are noticeable to me.

I detest NOT using a holster. It is not secure and the gun does walk out the top line of the waistband with any sort of activity. Early in my career I saw way too many officers spill a gun out of their beltline from not packing in a quality holster. It was in fashion to pack �Mexican Carry� for awhile back in the day, but so were a lot of things we would consider risky now. When I helped write my department firearms policy holster less carry was forbidden and strictly against department policy. Along the same lines, Small of the Back carry is also a poor choice. The gun in SOB carry isn�t readily available to the user, but IS quite accessible to anyone else. That is a bad thing, as is the fact that if you fall backward on it you can damage the gun and suffer back injury from the hard impact of the gun on your spine.