Thanks for the feedback.
The more I look, the more confused I get. Not being able to actually try any, how do you know what you like and what will work? I am also finding that not all companies even make holsters for the P230 or 232.
What is the deal with the Paddle types? Does that just do away with the Belt Clip and make it more stable?
For those that carry Inside the waistband, how does the gun not push into your body when you tighten your belt to stop your pants from falling down?
Alot of folks I know have a drawer full of holsters. I guess trial and error is the common thing, unless you do what you are doing now.
I actually have several ways to carry my Glock 27. Maybe it's my body type, or maybe, it's the piece I chose to start with (it is small but potent). The drawback with a sub-compact is, being so small and short of barrel, it will amplify whatever you do that is not just right. You compensate for that by putting lots and lots of rounds through it, over a long period, on a regular basis. It becomes a natural extension of your body.
In any case, any of the holsters I have, I would use still. I have just settled on the BlackHawk holster I showed you up-thread, for a variety of reasons.
I have a belly band that I designed and my wife sewed up.I can wear it so my piece is located right where I currently carry it, or cross draw in front, or even up under my left arm, under my shirt (for if I am wearing dress clothes). It also has a slot for an extra mag. I still use this, but kind of rarely, as it tends to be a bit on the hot side. It does print the least of all of my other options. In the under-the-arm configuration, it even passes the hug test, like at congregational services.
My first one was a leather Bianchi IWB, with a metal clip that slips over my belt. But, as I stated up-thread, the clip tends to eat the tails of my shirts over time. Also, it lacks the adjustable retention that my current BlackHawk has. Since I have needed to get physical, I like for my piece to stay right where it is until I need it. Now that I'm getting older, getting physical needs to be considered a bit more, so the adjustable retention might not be such a thing.
I have a soft nylon net IWB, also with a metal clip, but I did not care for the lack of retention, and its metal clip also ate shirts. It also tended to be on the hot side. Leather, in my opinion, is best for IWB carry. Kydex, nylon, etc. just get a person sweating here in AZ, and that is not good for your piece. Here is where the big paddles are problematic for me. I also don't like my holster telling me it is there all of the time.
Finally, I have a tight to the body shoulder holster, made of webbing straps and elastic banding, secured with Velcro. This one is designed to be worn under a loose fitting t-shirt, with the piece up close under the arm. It works pretty well, and surprisingly, it does not print much at all, but it is not handy, and is too hot, and tends to provoke sweating. However, it is good for its specific purposes.
I have a nice leather day planner with a special zip-close area for the piece and an extra mag, That used to be with me when I would do visitations in homes, or at work, where I was not supposed to have a piece. It still lives in my briefcase, for access to the extra mag in it. I don't like the non-zero possibility of leaving it behind, or having someone else accessing or finding it. I also don't like not having my piece on my immediate person.
I had a very nice leather belly bag, with a special zip-close area for the piece, the holster for which is held in a variety of positions, as needed, by Velcro on the holster portion as well as the sides of the carry area. I think belly bags look stupid on me, so I took the holster portion out and gave the bag to my wife.
Finally, for when I am riding my RoadKing in the cold, which complicates accessing my piece, if it is on my immediate body (too many layers, leathers, heavy shirts, chaps, etc.), I have what they call a Pistol Pete leather jacket, with a special section in the left front which is accessed by a quick Velcro rip. The jacket is not as warm as my heavy leather, but does offer an option when it is not too cold out. It did not come with a holster, so I lined the area intended for the piece with Velcro and use the holster from the belly band I just described.
Now, with all of these different carry methods I have, I have to emphacize the psychology of survival situations. Without fail, humans lose about 75 points of their IQ when it gets hot and quick. You will only do what you have practiced and usually do without thinking. In such cases, you will reach for where you normally reach. If you are using an alternate carry means, you have lost time, suffer a moment of confusion, and will have telegraphed what you have. That is bad mojo.
For the most part, you need to find a means that conceals well, is not uncomfortable, and that does not require a lot of steps to get to. Then you need to practice, practice, practice. If you have a range that includes tactical training, even a laser scenario system, time and money in those areas is well-spent.
You also need to keep abreast of the law in your jurisdiction. Having a piece is better than not, but not knowing exactly if, when, where and how, can get you in serious trouble, real quick. Most failures to act appropriately, and even in situations where you did act appropriately, you will be faced with being prosecuted, and your future will be determined by 12 strangers, whose attitudes on firearms, and what is "reasonable," are all over the map. Successful prosecution will result, most likely, in a felony conviction with severe penalties and loss of the ability to carry, or even possess, in the future.
Just know that you can start by going outside to see what that noise is in the carport, and have it escalate to finding yourself in a stance, looking down the sites at another human, or even dropping the hammer, not able to clearly explain how it got from point A to point B at all, and how it did it so quickly. It could take you weeks to re-play the scenario in your mind, before you can make adequate sense out of it. That is why you do not want to make any kind of statement to law enforcement, should they become involved. If you are going to carry, you need to have a friend who is a competent attorney, or you need to have sat down with an attorney to learn what you need to know, and have his card with you any time you carry. I have significant experience with this stuff, from several different angles.
Believe me. Getting a piece and figuring out how to carry it are the least of your considerations. The more you know, and can do, and the better you can think under stress, the better for you, and the other humans you may encounter along the way. The best protection is wisdom...knowing how to not be where you will need the rest of this stuff is the best portion of that wisdom. A piece is not a solution, in and of itself. It is simply a tool.
Be careful out there,
Rich P
