I Conceal a Full-Size Pistol Just Fine!  Until you Move

I have found that the vast majority of people who claim to always carry a full-size service pistol actually do; when they carry.  Anyone who claims to only carry a full-size gun might be telling the truth, but they don’t carry all the time.  if you say you do, spare me.  the only guys who only carry full-size pistols, yet carry almost always, are those who live a firearms centric life, like as instructors or working on a range or in a gun store.  Tell me that you always carry your Glock 17 when dressed in business attire at the office, I don’t believe you. 

There are many great concealment options now on the market that do, indeed, make concealing a full-size gun doable, but it requires casual clothing, and a lot of people who think they are well-concealed when looking in the mirror might be; until they move around.  You can’t judge your concealment based only on looking at your static image in the mirror.  You know what, I can conceal a huge gun quite well under a loose fitting t-shirt, standing still.  Until I move.  Movement reveals things quite readily. 

I have seen some guys proclaim the awesomeness of their concealment rig, standing up, turning around, pointing to their midline, saying, “see, nothing!”  until they sit down and stand back up, and the gun slightly adjusted, and now they look like they have a colostomy bag.  That full size gun concealed great!  Until he moved. 

I would rather carry a smaller gun that is, indeed, concealed all the time, than a duty pistol that shows up to anyone who knows what they are looking at.  The new fleet of micro 9mm guns, that have double-stack capacity, are wonderful for this; they offer considerable capability, yet are truly small and concealable.  I am tired of hearing enormous guys (a lot of firearms instructors tend to be big, not necessarily fat, but just big guys in general) say that a full-size gun conceals just as well as a little gun if you know what you are doing.  Apparently, knowing what you are doing means you are enormous and you live in 5.11 pants and hoodies.  For those of us who live in reality, no, a full-size gun does not conceal as easily as a small gun. 

I have, for many years, primarily carried a Glock 26.  The width does not bother me much, and with the 12 round Magpul G26 magazines I get a full firing grip, yet the gun still conceals significantly better than even a Glock 19.  Therefore, for myself, personally, the Glock 26 proves the largest gun that I can truly conceal, all the time, without movement really giving it away, as long as I am in casual, untucked clothing.  I will take that better concealment every time over the enhanced capability of a full-size service pistol.  I go with a small revolver when I need to conceal under tucked-in clothing.  If you can get away with only something as small as a micro 9mm like a Sig P365, I would say, carry what conceals, and practice with it.  A well-practiced shooter is well armed with a modern micro 9mm pistol, so carry what is concealable. 

True concealment probably does not matter much if you are a firearms industry insider who wears 5.11 pants, but if you are a working professional with social obligations among the general public, it is a requirement that offers no compromise. 

Live fire practice is essential. To buy the ammo that I use for training at the best possible price, go to:

https://www.ammoman.com/9mm-luger-federal-champion-115-grain-fmj-wm5199-1000-rounds