Pros and Cons of Inside the Waistband Carry
Sometimes, you want a little bit more bang for your buck. I mean, the .380 is nice and all but sometimes you want a bit more BBQ sauce. Sure you can go with one of those trendy pocket 9’s but, seriously, 7 rounds of 9mm? Really? My Glock 19 holds 15 rounds of 9mm so with 2 magazines I could have what would take me 4 magazines with those tiny pocket nines. If I want to carry some beefy .45 rounds, what then?
Don’t get me wrong, I love my XDs but outside of 5.11 Tactical, companies are making cargo pants more for style than function anymore so I’m limited on the clothes I can pocket carry in. Plus, I have fallen in love with my big Sig and there’s something so comforting about that giant pistol.
So what’s a noob to do? Three letters, my friend: IWB. Inside the waistband carry. With IWB and a good holster, you can easily conceal a surprising variety of guns. Maybe not a Desert Eagle .50 but certainly most full size pistols would be a breeze (although I’d be willing to try carrying the DE as an experiment if somebody wants to send me one).
Suffice to say, IWB is arguably the most popular choice for concealed carry. It opens up so many options because, well, if you have a waistband you can carry something. Although it might take some finagling as far as placement and such, IWB can fit a lot of body types. It also puts the weight of the gun on your waistband or belt which is meant to handle a load better than your pocket will.
You also get the use of all your pockets! With pocket carry, one of my pockets is reserved solely for the pocket pistol which reduces the other stuff I can keep in my everyday carry set. Not so with IWB. It’s like my pants suddenly spawned an extra pocket.
The biggest advantage of IWB, besides gun options, is the ability to easily draw a gun from pretty much any position. Whether you’re sitting, squatting, prone or running you can easily draw your gun….depending on where you have it positioned. The most popular position of 4 o’clock (or 8 for you lefthanded people) is the most versatile of the positions. If you go with appendix carry, well, you’re going to limiting yourself a bit but not as much as pocket carry.
That’s not to say there aren’t some downsides. First off, IWB is very dependent on body shape. People who are very, very skinny will have troubles. Women of pretty much all shapes and sizes will also find it very hard to conceal in the waistband, especially depending on their clothing style. It’s a shame that there are so few options for concealed carry for women but that’s another article.
You’re also going to really rethink your pants. One mistake I see a lot is someone trying to carry IWB in their normal pants and then they complain that it’s uncomfortable. You have to account for the extra size of the pistol as well as the holster. For the most part, you’ll find yourself bumping up 2 pants sizes at the least.
The biggest downside, however, is concealability itself. It’s not like pocket carry where the gun is instantly concealed. With IWB, it’s very easy to flash your gun when you’re getting out of your car…or standing up from sitting…or sitting…or reaching for an item…or scratching the wrong place…or any multitude of things. You have to be especially conscious of your gun’s position as well as your shirt. Keep in mind, the mere act of trying to make sure your gun is concealed and clue people in to the fact you’re carrying.
While it take a lot more work to carry IWB, the near limitless choices of guns you can carry makes it worth considering if you can swing it.
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