Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Propper Holster Concealment

Two items just recently arrived and are of considerable assistance in enhancing concealed carry.

The first, as the title of the post suggests, is the Propper Covert Button Up Shirt.

It's straight out of the package so it needs an ironing, but you get the idea. It's quite the excellent cover garment. Comfortable, breathable material, long and thick enough to both conceal the firearm and break up its outline with its pattern, and it has a raft of features.

Most useful is the fake button front.

While the top two buttons are real, the rest are a clever facade covering quick snaps that let you quickly open the shirt to access your firearm.

There are also velcro closures at the lower side of each seam that are easy to open to get access to a firearm that you may have on your hip.

In addition there are also two semi hidden chest pockets closed by magnetic closures that work quite well. Possibly useful for storing cash in a hidden location or important paperwork, but less valuable than the snaps and velcro.

Overall, the shirt is excellent for carrying concealed, and a full-sized M&P pistol hides beneath it with no issues at all. The only downside is it is very square-cut which is not my personal style and I look very blocky wearing it. For people that don't know me it won't be an issue, for people that do know me they'll likely wonder why the heck I'm changing my style of dress quite that much.

We'll see how it stands up to being washed and worn, but for now it's excellent casual concealed carry wear.

The second item that just arrived yesterday is a JM Custom Kydex AIWB holster.

To say this holster is carry-lifestyle-changing is an understatement.

Much more comfortable than the Vanguard 2 (which is still an excellent minimalist holster, don't get me wrong), it fits the M&P like a glove and completely changes how you go about carrying appendix style. I decided to get it after reading this extensive discussion on pistol-forum.com and decided to try it out.

The holster is made from a single piece of Kydex superbly molded to the shape of the pistol. Rounded edges prevent it from digging into your body and yet with the extra tuck option in rides in close and disappears under a dark loose t-shirt. It is both thinner and far more comfortable to wear than I expected.

I got it with the extra tuck option, and after a couple months wait I've received it and it makes carrying appendix position both more comfortable and much more secure than the VG2.

I didn't realize how much the holster would really improve carrying and it truly does: sitting is easier, holstering is much easier and safer, unholstering is faster, concealment is if anything easier, and the solid belt loop really keeps it in position. Most importantly, with the JM Custom AIWB holster, the front sight stops digging into spots most tender, which is really, really gratifying.

This holster is quite simply life-changing in terms of how much it improves safe and efficient concealed carry.

While everyone is different, if you intend to carry appendix style, a JM AIWB would be a really great choice and seems to work very well for most people who have ordered one, and it's worth the wait.

Note that I paid for both of these items with my own money and neither manufacturer requested nor knows that I'm doing this review.

Both the Propper Covert Shirt and The JM AIWB will really enhance your concealment of your pistol.

5 comments:

Keads said...

Very nice stuff Aaron! Thanks for the review.

Murphy's Law said...

Good review, but I'm thinking that you need to send the missus back to ironing school.

Aaron said...

Keads: Thanks!

ML: As noted in the review, it is fresh outta the package and hasn't been washed or ironed yet. I'll have a freshly ironed review on it later, without irony.

Tam said...

A good holster, like a good belt, is such an eye-opener.

Aaron said...

Tam: Yes indeed, it truly is.