Before proceeding, it should be noted that I am a police officer with over 20 years of experience. I have tried many methods of carrying concealed pistols over the years. I also own the 5.11 5 in 1 duty jacket as my winter coat while on duty. That jacket also features the back up belt system and it works well for carrying a backup weapon on duty. Thus I thought this fleece might be an excellent option for off duty wear.
Upon receiving this fleece, I immediately noticed how soft and thin the fleece material was, which caused some initial concern about warmth, but more importantly about how well it would conceal a pistol. After a great deal of effort I was finally able to install the Backup Belt System holster from 5.11, which is designed to fit in the outside breast pocket of the fleece. The first pistol I placed in the holster was my Model 38 Smith and Wesson 2 inch barrel revolver. As I feared, the weight of this pistol, which is VERY LIGHT, still caused the jacket to hang down and pulled the entire coat over to the side. Standing right in front of a mirror, I could easily make out the outline of a revolver through the thin fleece material. Turning to the side reveals an abnormally large bulge that extends several inches from the chest. It would clearly catch the attention of any person whose eyes might glance toward your chest. I tried placing a piece of cardboard over the holster to conceal the outline of the pistol, but that just made the appearance that much more odd and noticeable (bulging).
The next pistol was a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm compact semiautomatic pistol. This is a much heavier pistol and, as one would expect, the bulkiness was substantially worse. There is no way that this pistol could reasonably be carried in this jacket without wearing a shell over it. Even under those circumstances it would be quite uncomfortable to wear with the fleece pulling down.
I am keeping the fleece and will wear a shell over it. As stated above, the only pistol I can carry will be the snub nose revolver. I think with a heavier material fleece, the jacket would conceal the pistol better. I will have to carry something In the other pocket to provide a counter balance for the sake of comfort and appearance. Overall I cannot recommend this fleece as a concealed carry article of clothing.
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This is my favorite jacket for those chilly days in the 40s to wear while packing my SR 40 in the front pockets. Little or no marking whatsoever. Not to mention the jacket is very comfortable and suprisingly warm.
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