# Questions about Concealment?



## Anthony_76 (Jan 13, 2016)

Here's my new Beretta for my CCW.








So my questions are this:
1. What's the best way to carry the firearm in my vehicle to avoid theft? In the glovebox, under the seat, etc...?
2. What is the best CC shoulder holster for my model firearm?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Don't leave it in the vehicle.. I never leave one on board unless I know I have to go where it,s not legal to carry. If I have to leave one, it,s in the console with all doors locked and security system arms. You also need to check your state laws. In some cases it,s not legal to carry it under a seat. In SC it has to either be on you (with a ccw permit) or in the glove box or console or in the rear of the vehicle out of reach. It may have recently changed here but I don,t think it,s legal to have it under the seat


----------



## Anthony_76 (Jan 13, 2016)

In Missouri it's legal to have a loaded handgun in your vehicle, even without a CCW, it's called the Castle Law.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Obviously lock your vehicle. Hide your handgun in the least obvious spot. 

Depending on where you're parked will determine how much time a thief will search. IMO 

Thinking like a thief. Lol
I (the thief) after entering the vehicle would first break open your glove box, then I would go through your lower n upper console, flip down visors for any cash, and very quickly check under the seats. Then haul ass. Lol


----------



## dereckbc (Jan 2, 2016)

If you have a truck or van they makes safes that are bolted on under the seats.


----------



## danray48 (Dec 22, 2015)

There is no safe place to leave your weapon in you vehicle. If they can get in, they can get your weapon. For a holster do a google search for shoulder holsters, and you should find many choices. I always buy mine on line, because around here we have many places to buy guns, but they all have in my opinion bad holsters since I prefer leather ones.


----------



## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Anthony_76 said:


> In Missouri it's legal to have a loaded handgun in your vehicle, even without a CCW, it's called the Castle Law.


legal to have one in vehicle without a ccw here also, just cant have it visible


----------



## RobertS (Jan 7, 2016)

I'm not a clean person and my car is old.

My car looks like there is nothing of worth in it and that's true, except for the gun.

I cover it with a plastic garbage bag.

Eventually, I'll get a newer car and try to take care of it better, but until then, my car looks like a risk/reward failure.

That's why I'm dismayed at all the businesses that don't allow you to carry a gun inside. They can have my car, but they can't have my life.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Generally speaking, a shoulder holster is not the best choice for self-defense concealed carry.
The presentation requires two hands, and reholstering requires two hands. The muzzle of the gun sweeps over several of your important blood vessels as you make the presentation, and also sweeps over all of the innocent people standing behind you. Because of all this, using a shoulder holster requires extra training, and lots of extra practice.

If you are Hell-bent on a shoulder holster anyway, Galco makes the best ready-made, "ready-to-wear" gunleather available.
See: https://www.galcogunleather.com/shoulder-holster-systems_8_2.html


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Simple Definition of *hell-bent*
Popularity: Bottom 10% of words
*: very determined to do something especially when the results might be bad.*

I'll have to use "Hell bent" I really like the sound and definition. It rolls off the tongue very well.

Pic. :smt023


----------



## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

I try never to leave my sidearm in my unattended vehicles. There are a few times when I must do this but I keep those to an absolute minimum. Leaving your gun in your car (with a few exceptions*) and having it stolen means you just gave a loaded firearm to a criminal.

Steve gave excellent reasons to reconsider a shoulder holster. I'd give this some very serious thought before going in that direction. If you train draw/fire exercises with live ammunition frequently, you'll come to appreciate speed and effective fire techniques. And it's almost impossible to do strong hand/weak hand drills with a gun held in a shoulder holster.

* Exceptions = quality vehicle safe bolted to the frame of the vehicle.


----------



## Anthony_76 (Jan 13, 2016)

SouthernBoy said:


> I try never to leave my sidearm in my unattended vehicles. There are a few times when I must do this but I keep those to an absolute minimum. Leaving your gun in your car (with a few exceptions*) and having it stolen means you just gave a loaded firearm to a criminal.
> 
> Steve gave excellent reasons to reconsider a shoulder holster. I'd give this some very serious thought before going in that direction. If you train draw/fire exercises with live ammunition frequently, you'll come to appreciate speed and effective fire techniques. And it's almost impossible to do strong hand/weak hand drills with a gun held in a shoulder holster.
> 
> * Exceptions = quality vehicle safe bolted to the frame of the vehicle.


Thank you guys for the opinions, I don't think I will leave my Beretta in my car. I'll leave it at home locked up until I find the right holster.
See the problem is this, I'm a very small guy at 5' 4" and about 130 pounds, so it's going to be hard for me to effectively conceal. 
So my options would be the kind that fit in your pants, but I don't think I want a firearm rubbing on my back or pointing at my crotch all day.
What would you guys recommend for someone of my size to effectively conceal?


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Anthony_76 said:


> Thank you guys for the opinions, I don't think I will leave my Beretta in my car. I'll leave it at home locked up until I find the right holster.
> See the problem is this, I'm a very small guy at 5' 4" and about 130 pounds, so it's going to be hard for me to effectively conceal.
> So my options would be the kind that fit in your pants, but I don't think I want a firearm rubbing on my back or pointing at my crotch all day.
> What would you guys recommend for someone of my size to effectively conceal?


Stay with the beretta,feel it out, you'll find out your own likes n dislikes 
I would purchase an inside the waistband holster for the beretta as a starter . A holster you'll be able to carry in different positions. From the 1 o'clock position , 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock etc. 
This will give you an idea what's comfortable for you.
I carried my 92 with a pancake holster and also an inside the waistband holster.


----------



## muckaleewarrior (Aug 10, 2014)

I would invest in some type of safe for your car so when you have to lock it up it won't be easy for a criminal to get it.

There are plenty out there but this is the toughest one I have seen:

Portable gun safes, pistol safes, portable hand gun safes


----------



## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

RobertS said:


> My car looks like there is nothing of worth in it and that's true, except for the gun.
> 
> I cover it with a plastic garbage bag.
> 
> Eventually, I'll get a newer car and try to take care of it better, but until then, my car looks like a risk/reward failure.


I'd suggest getting a new trash bag to cover it to fit in with the new car. :smt033


----------



## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

Make sure there are no NRA, gun maker decals or any decals having to do with firearms/weapons posted on or in your vehicles.
They are like a bright light and thieves are the moths. 
Whether you keep weapons in your car or not, it tells thieves there are good odds to finding a weapon if they break into your car. (Also wearing hats/shirts/coats having to do with weapons, they may follow you to see which vehicle is yours for later visitation.)


----------



## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Anthony_76 said:


> Thank you guys for the opinions, I don't think I will leave my Beretta in my car. I'll leave it at home locked up until I find the right holster.
> See the problem is this, I'm a very small guy at 5' 4" and about 130 pounds, so it's going to be hard for me to effectively conceal.
> So my options would be the kind that fit in your pants, but I don't think I want a firearm rubbing on my back or pointing at my crotch all day.
> What would you guys recommend for someone of my size to effectively conceal?


That's the thing about carrying a sidearm. You quickly find that you are almost certain to have to make some concessions in your dress, your gear, and your gun. It's just a fact of life. And of course, there is also the fact that there are some places which may now be off limits when you have a firearm on your person.

As for some other possibles for your size and stature... I'm sure you will probably not have much of a problem finding that you can carry your Beretta. However, there are some other very good candidates out there which _may _be a better fit for you.

The Smith and Wesson M&P Shield series. These little guns make excellent carry guns for a number of reasons. If you consider one of these, I'd recommend the DeSantis Mini Scabbard belt holster.

The Smith and Wesson M&P 9c is a fine small 9mm pistol. Has decent capacity and is quite accurate.

The Kahr K9 series. Another very good gun but it does have a few quirks. It can be finicky with some ammunition.

The CZ 75D PCR Compact. Excellent double action pistol. If you get this one, consider swapping out the factory hammer spring for a 13-pound version to lighten the trigger for that first shot.

Ruger and Springfield Armory both have some very fine handguns from which to choose. They run the gauntlet on size.

There's just a boatload of good choices out there to fill your requirements. And you do have your Beretta.


----------



## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

BackyardCowboy said:


> Make sure there are no NRA, gun maker decals or any decals having to do with firearms/weapons posted on or in your vehicles.
> They are like a bright light and thieves are the moths.
> Whether you keep weapons in your car or not, it tells thieves there are good odds to finding a weapon if they break into your car. (Also wearing hats/shirts/coats having to do with weapons, they may follow you to see which vehicle is yours for later visitation.)


Yes sir, couldn't agree more.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Anthony_76 said:


> ...I'm a very small guy at 5' 4" and about 130 pounds, so it's going to be hard for me to effectively conceal...


My wife, Jean, has the very same problem. She's barely five feet tall, and weighs 100 pounds fully dressed and soaking wet.
Although Jean is deadly with a full-size .45 ACP Government Model (1911), she can't possibly conceal it on her person. Quite the other way 'round: It would conceal her.

Her (our) solution to her problem was to first make her an expert, deadly shot with the full-size gun. Then, once she could hit reliably and quickly, we found her a pocket-size pistol that was comfortable in her hands. Then she practiced and practiced and practiced until she was as quick and as effective with the little gun as she had been with the big one.

So now she carries a Kel-Tec P3AT in one of several similar holsters. It's quite small, so it's easy for her to conceal it.

You don't have to go to a "wimpy" .380 ACP, as Jean did. There are a few 9mm pistols available which are just about as small as her little gun.
But tiny pistols are experts' guns, so you need to learn to shoot really, really well first, before you switch. And then you gotta practice, practice, practice.


----------



## Haas (Jun 24, 2009)

I don't have much here to say, but I would re-iterate that leaving it in a car unattended would make me nervous, no matter how well it's hidden. But I mostly wanted to pipe in to say, that freaking gun is absolutely gorgeous!!


----------



## Anthony_76 (Jan 13, 2016)

What do you guys think of this holster?
Bravo Concealment · BCA Light Bearing Gun Holster


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

1. The thicker it is, the harder it is to conceal. With the addition of the light, it becomes pretty thick.
2. It may not be the best plan, to carry the light in the same place as the gun. There are times when you need the light, but not the gun.
3. That's a pretty large holster, covering a lot of territory. A better concealment rig would be much narrower.
4. Does the light get in the way of forming a full firing grip, before you begin your presentation? I bet that it does.

Beware of "all-in-one" rigs. Don't carry everything in one place.


----------



## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

I've never been a fan of a light on my gun. If I ever happen to get into a gunfight with someone, that light would make an awfully good target for him. And if I just happen to be behind that light, as in pointing my gun, oh well... welcome extra holes in my body.


----------



## Anthony_76 (Jan 13, 2016)

I will never mount a light on it. I have no need for one.
So what would be a better holster for me?
I want one that fits inside my waistband since most of my pants are a little big I could easily conceal it with a belt on.
I looked at the holsters on this site.
https://www.theisholsters.com//holsters.php


----------



## muckaleewarrior (Aug 10, 2014)

Anthony_76 said:


> I will never mount a light on it. I have no need for one.
> So what would be a better holster for me?
> I want one that fits inside my waistband since most of my pants are a little big I could easily conceal it with a belt on.
> I looked at the holsters on this site.
> https://www.theisholsters.com//holsters.php


I have a couple of Theis holsters and they are well made. His service is second to none. He actually answers his phone and will reply back to your emails. I have a standard iwb holster and an EZ clip. The EZ clip is my favorite because it's easy on and off and wears well.

My top recommendation would be the onyx by Stealthgear USA. I have three of them and they are excellent. They are even breatheable which comes in handy during hot months.

Check out the reviews and videos on YouTube as well. Most of us end up going through a few holsters to get the right combination that works.


----------



## Anthony_76 (Jan 13, 2016)

muckaleewarrior said:


> I have a couple of Theis holsters and they are well made. His service is second to none. He actually answers his phone and will reply back to your emails. I have a standard iwb holster and an EZ clip. The EZ clip is my favorite because it's easy on and off and wears well.
> 
> My top recommendation would be the onyx by Stealthgear USA. I have three of them and they are excellent. They are even breatheable which comes in handy during hot months.
> 
> Check out the reviews and videos on YouTube as well. Most of us end up going through a few holsters to get the right combination that works.


I ended u buying this one on eBay.








"Stingray" Clinger Holster - Beretta 92/92FS Compact w/Rail - IWB - Kydex


----------



## curbhugger55 (Jan 19, 2016)

i am a small guy also i find it easier to conceal my weapon with a pocket holster. one that has a ketch on the end that hold the holster in my pocket and still does not show the shape of my gun this works if u do not wear pants that are tight. Even worked with cargo shorts. you can find these holsters anywhere i suggest you go to you tube and checkout videos on pocket carrying cases. This also depends on the size and weight of your gun. LET NOT LOSS ARE PANTS LOL. I myself like the sccy cpx .380


----------

