Holsters, Heat

Me | 2/24/03 | oldfashionedvalues

[oldfashionedvalues]

Hi all,
My darling wife, bless her heart, with her bonus, bought me a Kel-Tec P11 this afternoon. I was surprised, to say the least. Quite small and lightweight. Trying it out Saturday. Now, a few questions.
1) I am 5' 8", and stocky. Any recomendations for a concealed holster? Preferably a "belly" type. There seem to be hundreds to choose from. I generally go around in shorts and a t-shirt probably nine or so months out of the year.
2) Is there a general rule regarding storage and heat? I know in my ARMY days our ammo cans would get quite hot. If I have to leave my gun in the car.....better left at home?
3) As far as leaving a gun in the car (and heat too)....There are a few places I can not bring a gun here in Florida. My kids' school is one of them them. (Though, I'd rather be armed in their school than someone else shooting up the place). I am real hesitant about leaving my gun in the car, always have, makes it worthless, stolen, etc. Do you go by "don't know, won't hurt them"(might help them)? I do not like the idea of leaving the house in the morning unarmed just to go to a meeting that evening in a "restricted area", etc.
4) As always, the wise advice of you all is greatly appreciated.
ofv

[annyokie]

It's either Coranado.com or coranadoleather.com. Excellent concealment jackets, women's handbags, holsters, et al. I hope you are licensed for concealed carry. See NRA mags, too.

[oldfashionedvalues]

I will look, thanks. Yes I have a concealed weapons permit.

[Stirner]

I got a Kel-tec p-32 a year or so ago. Extremely small. They sell an accessory, a small steel piece, sort of like half a money clip, that screws onto the side and allows you to hook the pistol onto the waistband of your pants (or even your underwear)with no holster at all.

[annyokie]

You're welcome. I have a handbag from Glaco (looks like a Coach) with a concealed holster.

[Shooter 2.5]

Placing this on the bang list increases your chances of an answer.

I can carry a Galco Royal Guard IWB in any kind of weather and it's fast on the draw from concealed.

[toddst]

I carry the Kel-Tec P32, use an in-pocket holster made by De Santis. Works great. Perhaps they make something similar for the P11.

I appreciate your being unhappy with the school restriction. Don't recommend you carry concealed into the school due to the hassle you will encounter if you are discovered. Lobby for a change in the law for licensed concealed-carry.

Heat won't be a problem per the ammunition if you rotate it out every four to six months. Just shoot up what's in your gun and replace with fresh ammo.

[whipitgood]

At a gun show last weekend, I saw a holster that I almost couldn't resist. It is an inside-the-waistband concealed holster, and it looks just like a pager on a waist clip on the outside. The seller demonstrated it with some large caliber guns, and it was all but invisible. Granted, he was wearing fairly loose pants. Even with shorts, it would still work very well. Easy to quick-draw when your hands are in your pockets. I can send you details on FRmail if you like, so as not to advertise on FR.

[annyokie]

Just checked the badging: it is Galco. Sorry!

[annyokie]

I carried at Duquesne University. There are ten layers of parkings, it is dark at 9:30 pm,there are obviously-not-student types there drinking Malt liquor and taunting. I am slight and blonde. I figured I'd worry about that later.

I am firearms safety trained and licensed to fire.

[Sender]

If you don't mind plastic, the most functional holsters I have ever seen are from Fobus. They weigh about 2 ounces, are made in Israel, the paddle slips securely inside your waistband and they are custom-molded so that your pistol snaps into position but easily snaps out too. Since I got one for my Makarov I can't imagine any other holster. The Kel-Tec P11 uses model "KTP11". Cheap too.

[litehaus]

My memory says this thing will accept some S&W 5900? series
clips that will give you MANY more shots than than the original clip BTW.

[LibWhacker]

Can't carry in California, so I can tell you nothing from personal experience. But a lot of people on the Kel-tec group like the SmartCarry. Definitely wouldn't carry into a school; if you're caught, I bet you'd lose your concealed carry permit pronto.

[oldfashionedvalues]

Thank you all,

To clear up any misunderstanding. I was using the school as an example. What do you do when you know you will be going into a restricted area. Leave at home, in car, just keep it on you?

ofv

[annyokie]

Ii didn't care. Better live than dead.

[HairOfTheDog]

Do you go by "don't know, won't hurt them"(might help them)? I do not like the idea of leaving the house in the morning unarmed just to go to a meeting that evening in a "restricted area", etc.

No. Yes, it is useless in the car, but you really don't need a weapon's charge. I carry everywhere I can too, but that does not include, in my case, schools or bars. It has to stay in the car.

[Trailerpark Badass]

I carry the Kel-Tec P32, use an in-pocket holster made by De Santis.

Hate to be the bringer of bad news, but that combo, if the gun can be fired from within the holster, is classified as an "AOW," or "Any Other Weapon," by BATF. As such it is subject to the NFA and must be registered. $200 tax stamp on a Form 1, or have a Class 2 manufacturer register it and pay the $5 tax stamp on a Form 4.

[AAABEST]

I don't think heat should be a prob. It got up to 130 in Saudi and we never had anything go off. I leave my guns in the car all the time down here in S. Florida (so do a lot of folks) and I've never heard of any problem with cook-offs. I've seen it happen with an M-60, but the barrel was probably over 500 degrees.

That said, I'm not a physicist so feel free to fact check me.

Be careful when you clean that Kel-Tek. My dad has one that when you break it down it's possible to dislodge or bend one of the springs (I think in the trigger assembly. It gave him some probs.

[Henrietta]

Try SmartCarry. www.smartcarry.com, I think.

[Henrietta]

"What do you do when you know you will be going into a restricted area. Leave at home, in car, just keep it on you? "

I keep it on me. My life is worth defending.