Why I Carry IWB

Some people have an in-town holster and an in-the-woods or on-the-ranch-holster. I do, too, if I am carrying a different pistol.

But if I am carrying my CCW pistol, I use an IWB holster whether I am going to the store or into the bush. I use an IWB holster for training courses as well.

In my opinion, if an IWB holster works for concealment, it should work just fine for other purposes, and it does.

I prefer IWB holsters for several reasons:

Position

I carry strong side just behind the hip (4 0’clock position) on the belt. It is easy to find high quality IWB holsters designed to carry in this position. I feel that on-the-belt carry is ideal, and a strong-side position is best. Any positioning of the pistol away from this position is not for ideal location, but to solve other issues that may prevent strong-side on-the-belt carry.

This position puts the pistol in a safe location that is well inside the reach of the firing hand, in a location that is easy to access, protect, and draw from.

Support

In an IWB holster, the holster and pistol are supported by the belt and the pants, held tightly against the body. The holster does not protrude from the outside of the belt where it is more likely to impact things when you move. You can adjust the tension on the pistol by adjusting the tightness of the belt. The holster, sandwiched between the body and the pants and belt, does not move easily.

Concealment

Concealment is very easy with an IWB holster. The pants and belt cover the holster, so even if a covering garment moves upward, the bottom of the holster is not exposed. The pistol is held close to the body, so it does not print as easily. The shape both the pistol and holster is blended with the shape of the body by the pants, making it even more discrete. Both the 4 0’clock position and the appendix position provide very good concealment, and if you are using a tuckable holster in the 4 o’clock position, the pistol will totally disappear under a tucked shirt.

I use two different IWB holsters. For most daily carry, I use a Front Line Yamam holster. This is a rough-side out holster designed for use by the elite Israeli Yamam counter-terror and hostage rescue team. The holster is comfortable, simple, and secure.

For carry with a suit, or a shirt and tie, or any time I want to wear a tucked-in shirt or t-shirt, I use a Front Line Deep Concealment holster. This is a tuckable holster that holds the pistol in the same position as the Yamam holster, but allows a shirt to be tucked in. This is the best concealment holster I have used, and the most comfortable. A pistol in this holster just totally disappears. Almost everyone who has spoken to me about using this holster tells me that it is the most comfortable holster they have tried.

I use an IWB hoster for everything I use my carry pistol for, because it just works best.