I’ve had two of these before, but the first one was via an online quiz service that seems to have deleted my pictures. So anyway, here’s the game:

I post pictures of myself in clothes I would normally wear.

You tell me if I am carrying a weapon or not, and if so where it is.

If you know me, no fair using your bias to suss out the answer!
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I have owned my Rock Island Armory 1911 Government model handgun for about three months now, and I still love it. It feels great in my hand, is accurate, and is built like a truck. I was always curious about 1911s since firing one when I was very young, but now I understand why they still have a cult (Colt?) following almost 100 years later.

The problem with the full-size Government model is that it is, well, full-sized. I am six foot tall and fairly slender. I could conceal the Government model while standing, but as soon as I sat down I literally had the barrel in my pocket. I tried wearing the Government in “appendix carry,” which is inside the pants on the left-hand side. I got a lot of attention from the ladies (and a few dudes, I take what I can get), but it was downright uncomfortable while sitting.

I spent the next twelve weeks trying to track down the shorter 3.5″ barreled Officer’s model. It seems like everyone knows about the Rock Island 1911s and supplies are limited on the budget shooting iron of choice. I checked in with my local gun store several times — I had purchased my other RIA there — and they said it would be nigh impossible to order one or keep it in stock. I tried Bellshire Guns on Gunbroker.com on the advice of one of my readers, but ran into another problem: my employer was set to lay off 1500 staff, and I wanted to keep as many pennies in the piggy bank as possible.

I wasn’t laid off, but now that I felt good about spending money again the compact Officer model was sold out everywhere. I wrote to Phil over at Bellshire, and he suggested waiting until late March or early April. I scoured the rest the dealers on the Internet — they were either out of stock or were charging up to a $200 premium. Sarco is the main supplier of these, and when I called to place my order they informed me there was a 600 handgun backorder. Looks like I would be waiting until the end of March.

Phil made good on his suggestion, and I picked one up from him via Gunbroker.com. The handgun was easily transferred to my local shooting range, and the next thing you know I was launching ash trays at paper targets.
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I’ve written about the SmartCarry deep concealment holster a few times before on Gibberish. I affectionately refer to it as my “assault diaper,” and I have found it to solve a problem other holsters cannot.

I was cleaning my Kel-Tec PF-9 and noticed that the color was fading from the front of the SmartCarry holster where the barrel and front sight rest against the fabric. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there was some wear on the edge of the holster. I don’t think there is any structural danger, but it does make me wonder how long the SmartCarry is going to last.
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I wrote about the SmartCarry deep concealment handgun holster in June of 2008. I had worn it around a few times, and while it was comfortable enough, I still couldn’t get the hang of living with it on. It really is an “assault diaper,” and fits very snugly around my waist, with the pistol right over my groin. This requires some changes in my usual behavior, especially using the restroom. One of my big complaints about my SmartCarry review was how to use a urinal without either spraying myself or appearing like a pervert.

This write-up is not intended to show you how to sneak a gun into some place you’re not allowed to carry. It’s not intended to help you break any laws or company policies. If you choose to carry some place you shouldn’t, that’s on you. Here are some of the pros, cons, and lessons learned after wearing the SmartCarry for a longer period of time.
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Around every good pocket pistol is a good pocket holster. Seriously. I used to carry an exes’ .38 snub nose revolver in my pocket when I worked at a sporting goods store, and within a month the muzzle had worn a hole in every right front pocket of all of my khaki pants. When I bought my Guardian I bought a leather Galco pocket holster. A good pocket holster (which includes the Galco, highly recommended) will not only protect your clothes but will also break up the lines of the pistol.

My Kel-tec PF-9 has been a fantastic pocket carry gun. I’ve carried it in my pocket for almost a month now, and it’s lightweight and comfortable. Granted, one of the reasons is because the Kel-tec is well designed to be a deep concealment pistol. The other reason is the DeSantis Nemesis Pocket Holster.
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Firearms are a passion of mine. If you’re a regular Gibberish reader, you know this. What you may not know is that I’ve held a concealed carry permit in the Commonwealth of Virginia ever since I turned 21. Most kids buy a twelve pack or go barhopping; I bought my Glock 27 and shot five hundred rounds of ammunition instead. I took a carrying hiatus while I lived in Oregon and Maryland, but aside from that time period if you saw me in public, chances were I was armed.

I’ve learned a lot about comfortable concealed carry over the last decade-plus. There are three goals anyone with a CCH license tries to achieve: safety/protection, comfort, and concealment. The desire to safely carry a weapon for protection is obvious. If you wear a handgun (or handguns, redundancy is your friend), then comfort is a major concern. I sit for most of the day, whether it be at the office or riding in my car. The fall and winter give you some allowances on clothing and holster options, but during the summer even small-framed handguns feel like wet anvils as you sweat just standing still.

Lastly, a key part of CCH is concealment. Freaking out that table of soccer mommies at your favorite restaurant doesn’t do anyone any good. You learn very quickly to reach for things at the store with your off-hand so that your shirt doesn’t ride up and show your piece. Take your gun out before you sit down on the toilet, or risk a nice “clank” if your handgun falls onto the bathroom floor. Sure, you might be able to pack a full-framed 1911 .45 ACP if you wear a suit all day, but my standard attire has been a tshirt and shorts/jeans. Even that is easy street compared to the poor guys who have to wear business casual. Too strict to keep a shirt over a belted handgun, too lax to wear a jacket all day. All of these issues combined lead consistent-carriers like myself to smaller and smaller handguns.
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