Some of you may have seen my previous thread asking for input on how to carry while jogging. Well, here's the good news: I ended up with enough money to pick up a KelTec P-11 at the March 1500, so I don't have to try to carry that bulky 1911! A bit later, my dad ordered a 5.11 holster shirt to use while jogging. (I actually placed an order, too, but Amazon screwed it up and I never got it, and they never charged me.) But Dad didn't quite like it, so he gave it to me. Here's my review based on a little less than a week of use.
Exercises
I've been running about 3 miles (28mins) and riding a bicycle 6-8 miles (35-45 mins).
Sizing and Fit
I'm about 6' 1'' tall and about 195. My dad is a bit shorter and definitely slimmer than I. When we were placing the order, I decided on a Medium, but Dad thought that'd be too small for me since he was also planning on ordering a medium. I didn't talk to him extensively about why he didn't like the 5.11 (was it too loose?), but I can say that I like the fit of the medium.
I normally wear Large shirts, and they fit sorta kinda loose. Medium shirts fit me tighter than I really like, but that's only because I still have a gut that I'm trying to lose, and a Large hides that better. But remember, when you're picking out a shirt that you want to hold a gun in place while you're jogging, you want it to be snug! And you can always cover it up with a loose T-shirt if you don't like "being on display."
So, when you're ordering a 5.11 holster shirt, I'd recommend that you pick the size T-shirt that normally fits you snugly. The material is stretchy, so it'll probably fit you just right.
Firearm Support
The pockets are deep and strong. Just like they say on the website, the mesh distributes the weight very well. As I said above, I've been carrying a KelTec P-11. It does not shift around at all while I'm running or riding because it sits nice and low in the pocket.
For kicks, I just went and put it on so I could try a larger gun in there. (It was still wet from my last ride - yuck!) I would not recommend using the 5.11 shirt to run with something the size of an XD or larger. It just isn't strong enough for that. You may be able to get away with it if you're only using the shirt for CC while at work or something, but it'll be moving around too much while you're exercising.
Printing
As long as you wear a comfortably loose cover shirt, the location where the weapon sits, at the bottom of the pocket, along with the mesh does a good job of preventing printing. If you wear a tight T-shirt, YOU will be able to see the grip when you look down, but probably nobody else will notice it.
Drawing
I said that the pockets are deep, but that doesn't make it difficult to draw. There are two velcro pads that hold the top of the pocket shut, and they are arranged such that your hand just naturally slides between them when you reach for the weapon. Your hand just falls right on top of the grip, and there's even plenty of room to secure a strong, proper grip before drawing it, so you wouldn't be fumbling around trying to grasp it correctly after you get it out of the pocket in a stress situation. Your hand released the velcro on its way in, so there's no hangup when you pull your hand back out either. It really draws very smoothly.
Rubbing
Everything I've said so far has been positive, but you knew that couldn't last the whole time. Here's—pardon the pun—the rub: the gun doesn't shift or bounce around while you're running, but it does kinda rub against your side right at the end of the barrel. I didn't notice it on the first two runs, but by the end of the third, I finally noticed it was happening. (Not a substantial problem on the bike rides in my case.) My solution is just to wear a wife beater under it. You may not like the extra, albeit very thin, layer, but it was no big deal for me.
Stuff
When I run or bike, I take along my driver's license and LTCH, my iPhone (for workout tracking with runtastic and sometimes music), and a small keyring with my house key. I put the gun in the left pocket because I want to draw with my right hand if I need to, and then I put the other stuff in the right pocket. Since the pockets are deep and have velcro closures, there's no worry of stuff working loose or falling out. And it doesn't even make me feel off balance or anything either.
Well, I think that's everything I'd wanted to tell you all about the 5.11 holster. I like it. It works well for me, and I'd recommend it for carrying a small revolver or semi-auto while jogging or biking.
Carry on!
Exercises
I've been running about 3 miles (28mins) and riding a bicycle 6-8 miles (35-45 mins).
Sizing and Fit
I'm about 6' 1'' tall and about 195. My dad is a bit shorter and definitely slimmer than I. When we were placing the order, I decided on a Medium, but Dad thought that'd be too small for me since he was also planning on ordering a medium. I didn't talk to him extensively about why he didn't like the 5.11 (was it too loose?), but I can say that I like the fit of the medium.
I normally wear Large shirts, and they fit sorta kinda loose. Medium shirts fit me tighter than I really like, but that's only because I still have a gut that I'm trying to lose, and a Large hides that better. But remember, when you're picking out a shirt that you want to hold a gun in place while you're jogging, you want it to be snug! And you can always cover it up with a loose T-shirt if you don't like "being on display."
So, when you're ordering a 5.11 holster shirt, I'd recommend that you pick the size T-shirt that normally fits you snugly. The material is stretchy, so it'll probably fit you just right.
Firearm Support
The pockets are deep and strong. Just like they say on the website, the mesh distributes the weight very well. As I said above, I've been carrying a KelTec P-11. It does not shift around at all while I'm running or riding because it sits nice and low in the pocket.
For kicks, I just went and put it on so I could try a larger gun in there. (It was still wet from my last ride - yuck!) I would not recommend using the 5.11 shirt to run with something the size of an XD or larger. It just isn't strong enough for that. You may be able to get away with it if you're only using the shirt for CC while at work or something, but it'll be moving around too much while you're exercising.
Printing
As long as you wear a comfortably loose cover shirt, the location where the weapon sits, at the bottom of the pocket, along with the mesh does a good job of preventing printing. If you wear a tight T-shirt, YOU will be able to see the grip when you look down, but probably nobody else will notice it.
Drawing
I said that the pockets are deep, but that doesn't make it difficult to draw. There are two velcro pads that hold the top of the pocket shut, and they are arranged such that your hand just naturally slides between them when you reach for the weapon. Your hand just falls right on top of the grip, and there's even plenty of room to secure a strong, proper grip before drawing it, so you wouldn't be fumbling around trying to grasp it correctly after you get it out of the pocket in a stress situation. Your hand released the velcro on its way in, so there's no hangup when you pull your hand back out either. It really draws very smoothly.
Rubbing
Everything I've said so far has been positive, but you knew that couldn't last the whole time. Here's—pardon the pun—the rub: the gun doesn't shift or bounce around while you're running, but it does kinda rub against your side right at the end of the barrel. I didn't notice it on the first two runs, but by the end of the third, I finally noticed it was happening. (Not a substantial problem on the bike rides in my case.) My solution is just to wear a wife beater under it. You may not like the extra, albeit very thin, layer, but it was no big deal for me.
Stuff
When I run or bike, I take along my driver's license and LTCH, my iPhone (for workout tracking with runtastic and sometimes music), and a small keyring with my house key. I put the gun in the left pocket because I want to draw with my right hand if I need to, and then I put the other stuff in the right pocket. Since the pockets are deep and have velcro closures, there's no worry of stuff working loose or falling out. And it doesn't even make me feel off balance or anything either.
Well, I think that's everything I'd wanted to tell you all about the 5.11 holster. I like it. It works well for me, and I'd recommend it for carrying a small revolver or semi-auto while jogging or biking.
Carry on!
