Thread revival time..... When I was working, because I carried on my hip while on duty, I carried on my hip (concealed) while off duty for the most part. I believe that one carry position is a better idea, since you will instinctively reach for the weapon in its normal location if you need it in a hurry.
Now that I'm retired, I've found that I prefer to carry in an appendix rig when carrying concealed. I may carry exposed on my hip while in the woods, but any other time I prefer concealed carry. While working, I generally carried smaller guns that conceal easily, at least during the warmer months. But now that I carry in an appendix rig I have gravitated to my larger guns. I have gotten Tier 1 Concealed rigs (I love their products!) for the 2011 and for the 1911s, and I ordered one for the Shield just for fishing trips. I was rotating between my Staccato 5" 2011 (pretty bulky with a Holosun optic and a TLR-1 light) and my 5" 1911s, and seldom carrying anything smaller. This has worked out well, except for one issue: on long drives (it's six hours to the girlfriend's house) the 5" rigs start getting uncomfortable after three or four hours.
I decided I wanted something with a 4" or 4 1/4" barrel for comfort in the truck, and I settled on a pistol I've always liked but never owned. I picked up a 4" S&W M&P 9C that was cut for an optic. I put a Holosun 507C and a TLR-7A light on it, and ordered a Tier 1 Concealed Axis Elite holster for it. I dropped in a straight Apex trigger; a huge improvement. It has enough barrel that my gut (yes, I'm developing a bit of a retirement gut) doesn't push it out, but it's comfortable on long drives. It's actually the gun I carry 99.9% of the time now. I had to lightly hit the stocks with some emery cloth; the factory stippling is too sharp and it'll rub your belly raw after a while if you carry without a tee shirt between you and the stocks (not a problem now). The Apex trigger is nice. Prior to installation (and before the pistol was broken in) I had a hard time dry firing it with a penny balanced on the front sight; every few pulls it'd drop. No such issue with the Apex. The optic-ready model comes with suppressor-height sights, so they co-witness with the optic.
All in all I'm very pleased with this rig after carrying it for a few months, and I wanted to recommend it for anyone looking for a similar setup. A lot of folks just go with a Glock 19, but Glock's ergonomics just don't work for me, and I absolutely HATE Glock's mile-wide front sight. This 9C is a great alternative for those of us who aren't Glock fanboys; it's reliable and accurate, and has proved to carry comfortably, at least for someone my size, in a quality appendix rig.
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