Bellyband Holsters

[Orion2k]

I'm new here, very few posts but a lot of reading time. I am looking for opinions on bellyband holsters. I have done a search and found very few posts. Some recommending them but none from anyone that is actually using one and how comfortable or uncomfortable they are. I was thinking of picking up a Glock 26 or 27, saw a few for sale here recently, and was looking for peoples experiences with the holster. From what I see they look OK if all you are going to do is stand up all day but they look like a ba** buster when you sit, especially driving a car.

Any personal experiences?

J

 

[whatluck]

I have a smartcarry that I rock with a 360PD. It's ok for lighter guns, but my G27 is too heavy for me.

 

[portable75]

I bought a Bellyband for my Kahr pm9. I love it! I wear it with sweats all the time. I wear it at the 3 o'clock position. Its fine in the car too.

 

[paracarry]

I have one I bought a few years ago bought a large, should have gotten X-large a liitle to tight. If you wear it at your belt line pants tend to slide on you. If you are on the south shore pm me you can try mine. like new worn twice, If you like it you can have it cheap. I will get the x-large.

 

[newenglandshooter]

They are great, and with a little modification, they can be used when you exercise.

 

[FreeWillie]

Carry a G36 in a Smartcarry. Minimal issues.

 

[Nicole]

There's a difference in bellyband vs. Smart Carry/Thunderwear. They are going to ride in different locations.

I carry a G26 in a bellyband while exercising and occasionally under certain outfits I use it with a mouse gun. I second the recommendation to buy a size larger than you think you need. It'll be more comfortable. I find the bellyband very stable when upright or in motion, but when I sit it tends to ride up. YMMV.

 

[GSG]

Any personal experiences?

I have this one made by Galco only the colors are black on black. It works great for excercise, that's pretty much the only thing I use it for. I've also used it with great success to carry a full sized pistol & spare mags under a tux a handful of times. It's great because it has two pouches on the back that are great for carrying keys, ID, or similar things.

I find that it's a bit uncomfortable to carry with it for more than an hour or two, but nothing that can't be dealt with; ever hear the saying "A carry gun should be comforting, not comfortable"? It's been 100% secure when running, even when I sprint at a crazy pace. Reholstering can be a pain since you have to use two hands, but a little practice and you'll be fine. Carrying a Glock in one isn't a problem for me, I ran a few times with a full sized model but stopped because the front corner of the slide was digging a hole into the top of my butt. The models where the front of the slide is beveled like the G26/27/33, G36, and G37/38/39 are better for activity like running because they're rounded off at the front. I also wear a tank top underneath it when running to keep sweat off the gun.

I wouldn't want to use one for daily carry all the time, but if I had to I could manage.

When looking for the above link I was surprised to see that Sears sells them too...? That's surprising.

They are great, and with a little modification, they can be used when you exercise.

What modification is that? Mine's been fine right out of the box.

There's a difference in bellyband vs. Smart Carry/Thunderwear. They are going to ride in different locations.

There's a huge difference, they're not even similar, so I'm a little confused about why people mentioned theirs. Smart Carry/Thunderwear are great for deep concealment, but running with something like that on is not a pleasant experience, at least not for this guy.

 

[MichaelJR]

I've got one, I would wear a sp101 and not even know it's there. I don't wear it as often as I could, but it's certainly something I would recommend.

 

[italianppf2]

I got one and wore it for a bit. I got the larger of the two offered, 6 inch to 4 inches. It feels like wearing a back brace for lifting. I wish I got the smaller of the two. I don't wear it anymore, the velcro started to scratch my skin.

 

[Orion2k]

Thanks everyone for your responses. A lot of good information to think about. In doing some research, based on what was posted here, I found undercover holsters blended into T-shirts that I am going to look into as well.

 

[GSG]

I don't wear it anymore, the velcro started to scratch my skin.

Did you have the tabs aligned properly?

I found undercover holsters blended into T-shirts that I am going to look into as well.

One of our members recently reviewed on of those.

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/35700-My-5.11-Tactical-Holster-Shirt-Review

If you want some real entertaining reading, see his "Going to the bathroom while carrying" and/or Thunderwear thread...