SmartCarry review
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:22 am
I recently purchased a SmartCarry holster and wanted to share my experience with it. In a word, it is awesome.
For those who are not familiar, the SmartCarry is a deep-concealment belt, worn such that the holster sits directly in front of the groin area. It is a little less accessible than some other options, like IWB, but offers safe, deep concealment of even large handguns.
I wore it a few days ago when I went shooting with a friend on his private range. My friend has his CHL and a sky-high guns-to-people ratio in his family, and he knew that we were planning to shoot handguns on his range. Before we went shooting, my wife and I hung out with my friend, his wife, and their children, had lunch, toured the property, etc. Even so, my friend did not even know that I was carrying until we were on the range and I drew my handgun to prepare to do some shooting. I think his exact words were, "Whoa, where did that come from; have you had that on you the whole time?!?" Because he couldn't see it, he assumed it was in my range bag or somewhere else, off my person. And I was not carrying a small gun -- I carry a Sig Sauer P229 in .40 S&W! That is a full-size service pistol, and I had a backup magazine in the holster's second pocket, to boot.
Of course, my friend then wanted a full demo of the holster, and was very impressed by the ease of drawing and the time to on-target. We tried using the holster with his subcompact (LC9), which truly disappears in the SmartCarry, even from the directly-above angle (carrier's view). The butt of my P229 prints a very little bit just below the waist, but only from directly above; there is no noticeable bulge from other angles. Thinner guns just disappear entirely. Note: even with the P229, an untucked shirt easily and completely hides the one small area in which it's possible to see anything. With my shirt untucked, even I can't see anything that makes me feel like I'm showing.
For what it's worth, my wife also cannot tell for sure when I am carrying.
As for safety, I think that it is as good as anything else out there. Because of where the holster sits, the gun is accessible, but is held against the body and will not move unintentionally. The trigger is also well-protected; unless you work at it, you cannot get a finger or anything else in contact with the trigger. When I first got it, I spent a while practicing drawing (with an unloaded weapon, of course). I found it very easy and quick to grab, draw, and aim the gun without once contacting the trigger.
I have noticed two downsides. First, drawing is definitely trickier when sitting down; the key is to lean back and slide your butt forward. I have not practiced drawing while wearing a seat belt, so I cannot comment on that. Second, sitting down for an extended period with a large (thick) handgun like the P229 can be uncomfortable unless you have some extra room in your pants. For example, it started to bother me on the drive back from my friend's place, but by that time I had been carrying for about 10.5 hours and driving for about the previous hour.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing to disclaim; I don't work for or have any association with Concealed Protection 3, Inc. (the manufacturer) or get any kind of compensation for saying anything positive about the SmartCarry. I just like the holster!
For those who are not familiar, the SmartCarry is a deep-concealment belt, worn such that the holster sits directly in front of the groin area. It is a little less accessible than some other options, like IWB, but offers safe, deep concealment of even large handguns.
I wore it a few days ago when I went shooting with a friend on his private range. My friend has his CHL and a sky-high guns-to-people ratio in his family, and he knew that we were planning to shoot handguns on his range. Before we went shooting, my wife and I hung out with my friend, his wife, and their children, had lunch, toured the property, etc. Even so, my friend did not even know that I was carrying until we were on the range and I drew my handgun to prepare to do some shooting. I think his exact words were, "Whoa, where did that come from; have you had that on you the whole time?!?" Because he couldn't see it, he assumed it was in my range bag or somewhere else, off my person. And I was not carrying a small gun -- I carry a Sig Sauer P229 in .40 S&W! That is a full-size service pistol, and I had a backup magazine in the holster's second pocket, to boot.
Of course, my friend then wanted a full demo of the holster, and was very impressed by the ease of drawing and the time to on-target. We tried using the holster with his subcompact (LC9), which truly disappears in the SmartCarry, even from the directly-above angle (carrier's view). The butt of my P229 prints a very little bit just below the waist, but only from directly above; there is no noticeable bulge from other angles. Thinner guns just disappear entirely. Note: even with the P229, an untucked shirt easily and completely hides the one small area in which it's possible to see anything. With my shirt untucked, even I can't see anything that makes me feel like I'm showing.
For what it's worth, my wife also cannot tell for sure when I am carrying.
As for safety, I think that it is as good as anything else out there. Because of where the holster sits, the gun is accessible, but is held against the body and will not move unintentionally. The trigger is also well-protected; unless you work at it, you cannot get a finger or anything else in contact with the trigger. When I first got it, I spent a while practicing drawing (with an unloaded weapon, of course). I found it very easy and quick to grab, draw, and aim the gun without once contacting the trigger.
I have noticed two downsides. First, drawing is definitely trickier when sitting down; the key is to lean back and slide your butt forward. I have not practiced drawing while wearing a seat belt, so I cannot comment on that. Second, sitting down for an extended period with a large (thick) handgun like the P229 can be uncomfortable unless you have some extra room in your pants. For example, it started to bother me on the drive back from my friend's place, but by that time I had been carrying for about 10.5 hours and driving for about the previous hour.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing to disclaim; I don't work for or have any association with Concealed Protection 3, Inc. (the manufacturer) or get any kind of compensation for saying anything positive about the SmartCarry. I just like the holster!
