I am a long time reader of survival blog and find the info very helpful. I noticed the comment on Thunderwear holsters and thought I would pass on my take on it. I am a large guy. Concealment of even a large frame handgun is relatively easy for me, but that limits me to only certain modes of dress. So, I tried thunderwear over 10 years ago and never looked back. I every day carry a ruger sp101 in .357 mag and did carry a 41mag for a few years, both stainless. I also carried a .45 1911 briefly. Corrosion is an issue if you do not clean your piece daily without fail and oil it liberally. While it is not the perfect holster, it makes it easy to have your gun close at hand in most occasions, and it makes it very difficult if not impossible for others to know you are packing heat unless they physically grope you. That alone could be hazardous to their heath, as my wife is the only one allowed such close contact and not in public. God bless – M.S.
Walking/running shorts or bathing suit and a t-shirt are typical South Florida dress. Using the SmartCarry holster, I have never had any corrosion issues with my firearms. I’ll leave the handgun out of the holster at night so the holster will thoroughly dry but give it no other special treatment. – Florida Native
While I have not used the Thunderwear brand holster, I have carried using a SmartCarry for about a year. The SmartCarry uses a special material that isolates the metal parts of the gun from moisture created from sweat in that area, and I never saw any corrosion or even wear on the gun itself after carrying in this method. Granted, I am in Colorado rather than Florida, but I frequently wear it with shorts while performing physical activities. It is great for this, but for everyday carry with jeans, I find an Old Faithful IWB holster more practical and comfortable for me. In fact, my Kydex/leather IWB holster I use now is more apt to produce wear marks on the weapon itself. Thanks, E.M.
I am responding to your request about ThunderWear (now called SmartCarry) holsters. I have three holsters that I use for daily carry, and ThunderWear is my go-to favorite. In Texas, I normally wear shorts (either athletic or cargo) and a t-shirt, nearly year round. I’ve tried lots of holsters, but none concealed well with light clothing. I’ve never had an issue with sweat causing rust or corrosion. If I do sweat a lot on a really hot day, I just give it a quick wipe down in the evening. I also learned long ago to wear an undershirt. It may seem counter intuitive to wear an undershirt when it’s hot, but it does help soak up sweat, keep you cool, and helps keep the grip of the handgun off your skin. I would say that there are two downsides of the ThunderWear holster: 1) If you are in a hurry to go out the door, it takes a bit more time to put on than just slipping on an IWB holster, and 2) You can’t just use a standup urinal when going to the men’s room, or the next guy may see it.
Since I am writing in about concealed carry holsters, I’d also like to mention the other two I use: Uncle Mile’s IWB and Kangaroo. The Uncle Mike’s only costs about $10. I can put it on or take it off in seconds, and the material comes all the way up to keep your gun from contacting skin. The material is sweat proof, and it stays put when drawing. The Kangaroo is a bit more pricey, but it is also very comfortable. It’s very adjustable and conceals well, but you need a bit heavier shirt than a thin t-shirt. A Polo of Oxford works well. They also have absolutely outstanding customer service. – Jeff in Texas