Detritus: I hate to say this ol Buddy, but the notion of adding holster leather to the size of the pistol you're packin' doesn't always lend to the concept of 'concealment.
I have tried all sorts of different holsters from different manufacturers and custom makers over the past 35 years and have found almost all of them to be wanting in some regard, either the ability to draw quickly, the ability to conceal the additional bulk, or the tendency to add a 'profile'.
About the best holster I've ever had for a 1911 is the very first inside the pants holster that Paris Theodore ever made for that pistol. He made it up for me in his shop in NYC just before I shipped out to RVN back in the 60's. Ken Null of Null Holsters still makes that design. I still have that holster but it is not one that gives up the pistol easily. It's main benefit was a secure 'hold' on the piece to keep it from slippin' and slidin' all around and to keep it concealed so nobody would know I was carrying.
Since that time I have determined that: (1) I am not a Police Officer and have no right or authority to go chasing anyone around when I'm carrying a pistol in my belt , so I do not need the security of a holster for that purpose and (2) all my concealable handguns conceal better when I just stuff them into my belt, and (3) I avoid bad situations like the plague so that I minimize the need to acccess the thing.
I have found that, at least for my waist and butt and I'm not all that slim but pretty 'flat', that holsters don't serve me well at all. Whether I'm wearing dress slacks or a suit, or just jeans, I can stuff the dang thing right into my waistband and conceal it very, very well.
I know this is going to get me some heat from the folks who will tell you that everybody, especially the Police, believe that if you carry but don't use a holster, you be a bad guy, or at least are looked upon as being a bad guy. But, there have been noted Police Officers all throughout this (past) century that carried their handguns just that way. And, in addition, if an Officer ever needs to check the validity of your permit, I firmly believe that once he sees you are not 'holstered', it won't matter to he/she, as they will know you are 'legal'.
I'm not certain what the laws are in Texas, except that it has to be 'concealed'. I don't think the laws mandate a holster for that purpose. Most recently, one very 'nice' Lady I taught to shoot found that the 'fit' of her jeans and her preferences for coats or jackets didn't lend well to concealment holsters. We spent hours trying a bunch of them one weekend at a couple of gunshops and more time at guns shows trying the same thing. She found it easier and more comfortable, and had more confidence in her ability to access that firearm just stuffing it into her belt. I enjoyed that exercise with her, until she got wise to me and asked me to 'hold the target'.
Hope this helps. Mikey.
