The Original CZ Forum

CZ PISTOL CLUBS => CLUB CZ97 => Topic started by: Poseiden on April 10, 2005, 04:14:44 PM

Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Poseiden on April 10, 2005, 04:14:44 PM: Hey guys!

I'm looking for a holster that will have a slim profile with a 97B. I've looked at all the websites that usually come up here and was wondering if you guys had some practical experience.

I want to carry my 97B. Any type of holster will work, I just want a low profile. Suggestions?
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on April 10, 2005, 05:44:13 PM: Are you an LEO? otherwise I believe the 97B is too large for a concealled carry weapon (the title of your thread). For concealled carry, I prefer the Rami in 9mm or .40SW. I use my 97B for recreational/competitive combat shooting and for home defense. The 97B is not meant to be a concealed carry weapon, but rather what I mentioned above and as an open carry for LEOs. IMHO.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/wingedliberty/el2.bmp)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/wingedliberty/rami9mm.jpg)
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Walt-Sherrill on April 10, 2005, 06:01:40 PM: Whether YOU can carry a 97B concealed or not depends on whether you've carried a lot before, whether you body is built right, and wether you find a holster compatible with your body.

If you haven't carried much, and are considering the 97B as your first carry gun, I think you'll end up disappointed.

The 97B is a big gun. Its wide. And its not light. All three of those characteristics make it less than optimal for concealed carry.

Check with Eric (www.hbeleatherworks.com) to see what he has that is suitable. Some folks do it. They are the exception, though, and not the rule.

I found the "Compact 75B" to be bigger and heavier that I really like.k
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: BigGun97B on April 10, 2005, 11:28:24 PM: The 97B would indeed be on the bulky and heavy side for carry. But it can be carried with no printing if you want to spend the money to buy the right rig. Full size .45's have been carried out of sight for ages.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Boricua on April 11, 2005, 01:54:09 PM: I carry mine with no problem.

1. Cen-dex IWH
2. 1.75" Wilderness belt

With the above I have carried mine for a long time with no problems of any kind. The most important thing is the belt, it needs to be strong and ridged.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: ManChicken on April 11, 2005, 07:49:03 PM: Is that a nylon belt, Boricua?
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: skucera on April 12, 2005, 12:19:25 PM: I carry mine just fine, but I have to be very careful not to print. That in mind, I never carry it under just a single layer of cloth, and never under anything even the least bit svelte. So, you can see where I'm going with this, I bet.

In winter I have a lot more latitude with how I pack my CZ 97. I have one of Eric's Com2 IWB holsters, it is great. I wear it under dress shirts when I'm also wearing a ski vest, rain parka, or fleece jacket. I wear it over shirts with these too, but I have be just a little more careful about printing. I also have one Hawaiian shirt that is baggy enough and stiff enough that it doesn't print, but it's the only one of my Hawaiian shirts that I can hide a CZ 97 under. The rest require a smaller pistol, especially with my "stout" frame.

I have a Falco shoulder holster that I wear with suits and blazers. It is far more comfortable for all day wear than the IWB holster, but a lot more limited for the wardrobe I can wear it with.

For the rest of the year I have an old fanny pack. Here in the Pacific Northwest, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting someone wearing a fanny pack, and about one in ten are designed to carry pistols. Yeah, you can identify the ones designed for packing heat, but most of the workaday public can't and don't care.

Scott
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Poseiden on April 12, 2005, 03:47:01 PM: I usually wear loose fitting shirts, untucked. I'm 6'2" and about 230 lbs. I can conceal the pistol under my shirt but anytime I bend or stretch the pistol will print. The holster I'm using is an Uncle Mikes cross draw paddle holster. It just doesn't hold the pistol close enough to my side. I think that Cen-Dex IWB looks pretty good.

Any others?
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on April 12, 2005, 04:49:33 PM: Very good point gentlemen, I never factored in climate and the size of the individual. I live in Florida and am average build, so its jacket time only about 3 weeks out of the year, for the most part, its more practical for me to have a smaller weapon like a Kel Tec P11 9mm, A CZ Rami in 9mm or .40SW. Climate and physique has alot to do with it, not to mention wardrobe, all important considerations.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Boricua on April 12, 2005, 09:27:40 PM: Manchicken, it is a repelling belt of sorts. Check Cendex as they have them for sale. I have had mine for 2 years now and it shows no signs of wear. Not to mention it is one Stout belt.

I live in Arizona and wear a t-shirt under my outer shirt and have no printing problems at all. I am 6' 180 lbs. and with the right gear you can hide just about anything.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on April 13, 2005, 04:28:54 AM: I am curious as to what else you gentlemen conceal carry.
I like to mix it up and alternate between the following:

Kel Tec P11 in 9mm
CZ Rami in 9mm and .40SW
Glock 26 in 9mm
Kel Tec P3AT in .380ACP
CZ83 in 9x18 MAK
Russian Makarovs in 9x18
North American Guardian in .380ACP
Beretta Tomcat in .32ACP.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Boricua on April 13, 2005, 07:50:31 AM: Well I don't normally alternate but have carried the following at one time or another:

CZ97B
CZ85B
Beretta 92F
Beretta 21
Ruger SP-101
Ruger Redhawk
Taurus 38 spc.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on April 13, 2005, 04:48:18 PM: Nice, but those would be too big for me, I own most of them, but cannot conceal them well, for a small guy in Florida. LOL
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: skucera on April 13, 2005, 10:10:21 PM: Well, my pistols tend to get smaller as the weather gets hotter. In cooler weather, or working indoors in hot weather I pack my CZ 97. In spring and fall outdoors I often pack my Makarov under a vest, or under an unbuttoned flannel shirt. It warm weather I've been known to simply slip my little Beretta .25 in a pocket (on the theory that it's better to have anything rather than nothing... and surprisingly it is my most accurate pistol despite its tiny sights).

Hiking in the woods or in the desert, I'll open carry my CZ 52, but that's more out of fun than anything else. Its over-penetration is just too daunting to pack it in town.

Scott
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on April 14, 2005, 04:01:13 AM: "Its over-penetration is just too daunting to pack it in town."
I agree, the 7.62x25 TOK is an amazing round.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: woodchip on April 22, 2005, 05:32:26 AM: I carry the 97 all the time. My motor cycle jacket has a huge cargoe pocket that I stuff the 97 in when riding my bike. I have a F.I.S.T. belt holster that I use for normal carry and league shooting. I have a heavy duty belt I had made up by a saddle maker. Eventually I will get a nice shoulder rig as concealment is easier with such a holster.
In summer I may leave the shirt tails out or wear a safari type vest. I only carry the 97 as that is what I shoot all the time. I'd be concerned about changing my carry piece all the time due to muscle memory and stress in a life threatening situation
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on April 22, 2005, 07:32:49 PM: I wish I had enough cold weather down here in Florida to get to wear my leather jackert for more than 3 weeks out of the year. LOL
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Jeff Bergquist on April 23, 2005, 02:48:26 AM: I have carried my 97B once or twice, as well as many other of my larger pistols, but on a daily basis I carry my 40P or PCR. For deepest conceal I'll carry my Taurus Ultralite .38 special snubby in a pants pocket.

Jeff
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Radom on April 23, 2005, 12:09:56 PM: I use the Null Speed Scabbard. I wouldn't even attempt carrying this pistol with anything else. It is horsehide, so it is completely form-fitting; it couldn't be any thinner or smaller.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Jack44 on April 26, 2005, 07:00:52 PM: Of course you can carry concealed every day with a big gun like the 97B. Here's what my solution was: With my agency we could carry off duty with any weapon we wanted, as long as it was the issue Glock 17. Dimensionally, about the same size as the 97B, with possibly a bigger handle. I couldn't find an IWB type that didn't have that huge hogleg handle sticking out, maybe it was my being new to the concealed idea. I live in El Paso, so a big jacket wouldn't work 10 months out the year. What I did was get a Bianchi fanny pack aka the bleep bag. You wear the fanny pack (obviously across the front/don't know why its still called fanny)with a large button shirt un-tucked. I never got a second glance, much less made. You can wear a t-shirt, with a short sleeve or long sleeve over it, just make sure it's a light material. Hawaiian shirts are cool again. After a while I would sometimes even wear the t-shirt untucked and the over shirt unbuttoned. The fanny pack just isn't noticable because it's in the shadows (if you're a panzone) and in the background if you're trim. When you go for your wallet, it doesn't stand out as oversize for 'innocent' purposes. I later tried it out with a Kimber 5" and my 97B and found that weight was not a problem. Try that with a belt holster. Practice and draw speed isn't a real problem.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: BRASMAN on April 27, 2005, 11:05:53 AM: Hey if you can hide it go for it. I live in Utah and were long pants and a safari vest year round even in the summer. That is how I normaly dress though so it is not realy out of place. So I could conceal it but I would rather carry my my Glock 19 because of the size. I would go with an IWB holster made of quality leather but only if I did not mind the barrel running down my leg. I have foung that most hand guns have a brother or sister when it comes to holster fit. I personaly hate micro-guns my self because the seem harder to control but to each his own. Just my two cents.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Major Buck Wally on April 27, 2005, 11:04:42 PM: I carry a Para P14 Limited in a F.I.S.T. Model 14 (that's an IWB/Pancake - your choice). It is bigger and heavier than a 97B and is quite comfortable for all-day carry. These holsters are the best deal for the money of any I've run across. I'm 6'3" and 185.

You do have to cover the gun with something. I wear a photo vest until it gets too hot, and a Hawaiian shirt then. I can't say the gun never prints, but I'm more concerned about carrying concealed than carrying in stealth mode. I really don't care if someone is pretty sure I have a gun. I do, though, care about complying with the law, which requires the gun to be concealed, not to be invisible. As long as it is covered, I'm legal in Alabama, which is all I care about.

My belt is from Ted Blocker, 1 1/2" lined horsehide. It is ten years old and still looks and works great.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: kngflp on May 05, 2005, 05:21:45 PM: Malor Buck
I was looking at the Fist #14 for my 97. Are you happy with its function as both IWB and OWB? Does it support a large gun well all day. I have never seen any of their products up close, how is their craftsmanship? DO you have the side protector on yours?
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: exexpat93 on September 08, 2005, 06:46:23 PM: 97 Looks a little big for concealed carry. I use my Makarov and PCR 9mm for that.

I have never really understood concealed carry.

If you have the permit are you hiding it from LE or Perps?

Seems to be dangerous either way.

I would like something like AZ where you can carry out in the open.

LE and Perps would see what you have and not be bothered -
one would be less nervous and the other would stay civil.

Also if you have the permit just a small attempt of keeping it under wraps would keep you under tolerences of the law? Correct?

A little printing would not be too bad.

Bugged because some college kids have been bothering the local gun shop - harassment. Probably put up to it by some lefty professor. Seems like the worst place you would want to bother. Police don't even come to move them on like they should.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Alex45ACP on September 08, 2005, 09:43:00 PM: I'd rather no one else knows I have a gun unless I deem it necessary.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Fordzilla on September 09, 2005, 12:07:27 AM: Couldn't agree with you more, alex.
Carrying concealed is simply a matter of how committed you are to carrying at all times. A little resourcefulness, a change of wardrobe, and adaptation make it work. The CZ 97 is not too big to carry/conceal.
As an LEO, state law REQUIRES that I carry concealed off duty, though this is sometimes ignored by the less-than-tactical minded.
While off duty, I am on my own, my dispatcher has no idea where I am or what I'm doing, I have no radio, no back up, and my only tactical advantage is that the bad guys don't know who I am or that I am armed.
These caveats apply to the armed citizen as well.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: BRASMAN on September 09, 2005, 12:43:12 AM: Thank you for that last statement Fordzilla. I am always thankful when a person in law enforcment makes those kinds of statements.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Fordzilla on September 09, 2005, 02:02:44 AM: No thanks needed. I'm a die-hard RKBA guy.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: BRASMAN on September 10, 2005, 03:38:58 AM: OK I am stupid. What is RKBA?
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on September 10, 2005, 05:46:09 AM: (R)ight to (K)eep and (B)ear (A)rms.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: BRASMAN on September 11, 2005, 12:01:59 PM: DDUUUGGHHHH! OK
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: kngflp on September 13, 2005, 05:53:52 PM: I think of my CCW as the suprize ending to a fairy tale gone wrong.
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: BRASMAN on September 14, 2005, 03:08:29 AM: Yes a HAPPY ending!
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: Fordzilla on October 02, 2005, 01:03:56 AM: Well fellas,
I've been carrying the 97B daily, all day, for about a week now, both in an IWB and OWB rig, and I have to say it is not too large a burden. This handgun is too sweet to leave at home! Adjust your wardrobe, carry it, and don't look back.

I'll have to wait for the honeymoon period to be over, but I've got to say, for someone who's carried nothing but 1911s daily for the last fourteen years, I may have a new carry gun from now on!
Title: Concealed Carry
Post by: KingPolymer-III on October 02, 2005, 01:13:06 AM: We are glad its working out for you.