Put it where men have been putting them for many, many years, IWB, strong side, 4-4:30.

 

This☝ Plus with a little practice you can draw your gun with your week hand as well as your strong hand making it ambidextrous draw.

 

Obviously being more concave in that area helps with comfort and concealment. You might want to look at vertical position of the gun, rotation in the plane of the holster and belt/waistband tension.

Size of the gun and holster are also factors. A longer gun/holster is more stable when you're standing upright, but the further the high and low contact points are apart, the more they are going to impinge into your body as you lean forward.

Generally speaking, I would say clockwise movement of the gun away from 12:00, slight rotation of the muzzle toward 12:00, looser belt/pants and lower bodyfat are probably advantages against your complaint.

 

The light tuck is not the most comfortable. Leather becomes more comfortable. The stealthgear venticore , N28, even the Tulster and the bladetech are more comfortable to me( but don’t have the same tuckable feature.
As far as gun pinching or poking , it depends on the gun and how it’s placed. Ironically, sometimes the larger gun is actually more comfortable.
You can also use neoprene wedges to keep the gun straight where your body curves to make it more comfortable and print less as well,

 

IMO, if you are trying to carry a G17 then you are SOL.

Every body has different dimensions and this changes the ergonomics. I have very long legs, a short upper body and some belly fat but not a beer gut. I tried a dozen or more different settings and ended up putting my holster (Crossbreed Reckoning or Vedder Lightuck) @ 12:30, riding low, and with a heavy cant bringing the grip going down toward the waistband and the barrel tilting toward the left instead of straight down. Very comfortable for me.

You just have to try different positions and adjustments until you find the one that fits you.

 

I don’t carry in the de-cock position.

 

I use a holster with a claw, no shirt tucking, pistol about 12:30
I find longer slides beneficial for keeping grip pressed toward body.
Carry a Glock 22 AIWB everyday in the FL heat, despite being in a "good area "
6'1 / 205#

 

I’d say it depends on what gun you’re carrying. Size and weight make a big difference. I went from a Shield Plus to a Sig365, and it became so easy it could almost be forgotten.
Edit add….
I have been using kydex holsters from Amazon, no claw, simple and cheap. Current holster is about a year old, maybe a little longer, vertical and cant adjustable….

 

I’d say it depends on what gun you’re carrying. Size and weight make a big difference. I went from a Shield Plus to a Sig365, and it became so easy it could almost be forgotten.

Hell truth be told it was a little P365! So I can't imagine trying it with say a Glock 19 or something.

 

I’m short. 5’10”. Kinda hefty but not too fat (working on losing a bit again).
I carry AIWB exclusively. I carry a HK P30 , P30L, G19 size pistols all the time. I find the larger the easier to carry!! The following helps me.
1). Kydex holster dedicated to the specific weapon. Claw on some, not on others. I can’t really tell a difference.
2). Pants one size larger than I use to before I started carrying.
3). Dedicated gun belt of good quality (Kore Essentials for me).
4. I move the hardware (ratchet or buckle) to my non dominant side to the second loop. So nothing is in the way of the gun which rides at 12/1 o’clock position. This really helps.
5). Keep at it and don’t give up for a while. Anything new takes time to get use to.

 

At 5'7" with a small amount of fat I have found carrying at around 2:30 with a 15-30 degree cant is just right for comfort and concealing. Can handle a Glock 45 best or even a 17 with no problem. May not be appendix exactly but close.

 

A long with the claw, I find some type of wedge foam useful as well. I'd suggest trying slightly different positions to find the comfort zone, as well as small adjustments in ride height of your holster. Sounds crazy but 1/2"/1" position changes can eliminate hot spots for more comfort !!

 

As has been said, the quality of your belt is very, very important. I'm currently using a "We The People" kydex with a claw. It works really well for me. It's about the tenth time I've tried to make a holster work, and the first time one has worked well.

 

CYA brand makes nice products for aiwb carry. Its what I use.

 

 

I carry a fullsize gun at times, and would not try appendix.

Keepers Concealment check out their products.

 

I don't have an appendix...

 

PHLster - The Basics of Concealment Mechnics

Forget having your answer presented in a post. Sit down, check the link, and accept that it will take you a bit to figure it out. The key here, which wasn't around just a few years ago, is this is THE best one-stop resource for getting you on the correct path. I seriously wish I had it available wen I started carrying AIWB about 10 years ago - I would have saved over $1k in holster fails.

I prefer to carry a G17 or G45 AIWB, which I do in the winter as my cover garment allows it. In the summer months it is a G19 - and that switch is just because the G17 length grip is on the edge of acceptable (for me) concealment in a t-shirt.

 

Ditto for PHLster, esp. the Enigma. Lots of Enigma users carry and conceal full sized pistols comfortably, including me. The Enigma may seem pricey and will not work for everyone but it seems to be an effective and, ultimately, cost effective AIWB solution for most.

 

AIWB is awesome walking around as stated, but have shifted to strong side iwi for the same issues with sitting comfort. AIWB is perfect out for a walk but sucks in the car or any other seated position.

 

Digging into your leg sounds like the muzzle isn't in the best position horizontally and maybe vertical ride height is too low too. Digging into your stomach may indicate it's sitting too low vertically. When I sit comfortably the tail of the slide and is felt resting on my lower ribcage. The muzzle sits in the 12:30-1:00 range in the natural crease. You will need to play with fine tuning your setup with gear, claws, and wedges to your body. Most successful AIWB probably won't happen with just slapping on an off the shelf solution. Your custom body will require customizing your kit and positioning to work with you.

Custom cut wedge shape and thickness can move grip distance from body and the added padding can potentially help with leg pinch. Off the shelf wedges may work or may not. Build custom ones out of yoga blocks and attach with heavy duty velcro if needed.

Adding moleskin to holster hotspots helps.

I find longer holsters are better if your ride height is set to have frontstrap at least 2" off the belt, which should be the the goal to allow for cleaner draws.

Yes, bodyfat makes a difference. It was more comfortable at sub10%-12% BF range for me than it is right now. However it conceals even better with a little fluff than it did before. If you're like me then that "beginning stages of a dad bod" is probably a little further progressed than we would admit. AIWB gear setup is a balancing act around the body type more than other carry methods are so we may need to adjust gear for body changes.

I've been carrying a G34/X300u rig aiwb for almost 5 years as my EDC and have done a lot of customization and testing to find what works for me. Adjust, test, repeat. Give it time to get used to it too. It will feel weird for a while. But after a while even 5 hour+ car rides with a good appendix setup can feel fine.

 

Phlster holsters has some good information regarding proper and comfortable AIWB carry.

Basic Concealment Mechanics | How to Conceal a Gun Without Printing

A step-by-step, comprehensive guide on how to conceal a gun invisibly on your body. Easy techniques for all body types, for both men and women. Tips and tricks for carrying a concealed handgun comfortably, without printing. PHLster's concealment principles help you shortcut the learning curve...

www.phlsterholsters.com

 

A lot of good info on quality belt and holster BUT, the problem for the OP is not concealment but comfort. Again, a long slide does help hug the body but is worse for comfort. I will admit that having a holster with the ability to adjust height and cant makes a big difference. A fixed holster (and the cheap ones) were of no use to me.
I have total comfort with AIWB in the configuration that works for me. I will say tha

 

OP - I feel your pain and have dealt with this issue for about 15-20 years. I've finally arrived at a G17.5 in a Galco Ultimate Second Amendment horse hide rig at 12 noon for the most comfort and least amount of printing, even with a t-shirt, because the gun rides deep. Absolutely counterintuitive I know, but I've been trying to make a G27 and/or a G26 work at about 12:30 and while the printing issue is practically nonexistent, even under a white or gray t-shirt (the acid test IMHO), sitting down for any stretch of time resulted in, first: femoral nerve pain, and second: a numb right leg.

Following the advice of GT members, I moved the latest 26 to high noon and that solved some of the problems, but when I asked about larger guns being more comfortable in a GT thread, I got a lot of positive responses, so I bought a G17.5 and it feels better while sitting. Standing and walking has never been a problem with the 26s or 27s, but now I think I can sit for longer periods of time with the barrel/slide directly on the center line.

I haven't tried it through an entire restaurant meal or movie (haven't been to one in a few years), so I might have to eat some crow, but for now I think the bigger gun is MY answer. I understand the idea of G19 in the summer for less grip printing, but I'd worry about the femoral nerve/artery thing again. The belt post was an excellent idea and one I might have to pursue because who cares if your belt buckle is right on the gig line when it's under a shirt anyway?

PS - I also tried a G34 with my Galco holster but it poked out a bit too far and I felt like a porn star for a while as I conducted the test. Although the LGS owners didn't make a big deal out of my big deal because they knew what it was ... just a gun barrel.

 

AIWB P365xl and Macro X in this setup;

What is the PHLster Enigma concealment holster, and how does it work?

The PHLster Enigma is a concealed carry holster system that allows you to carry your gun invisibly without the need for a belt. Comfortable, adjustable, infinitely customizable, and rugged enough to survive a fight.

www.phlsterholsters.com

I wear medical scrubs and this is a nice setup.

 

I hate the leg leash.
I went to the vertx runner’s clutch. Once it’s broken in , much more comfortable and I use a regular kydex holster.

 

There's no place I can wear a kydex IWB comfortably all day. I've just learned this the "hard" (pun intended) way. With kydex, you conform to it rather than it conforming to you. Leather on the other hand, makes a world of difference. I tried the AIWB thing and it's fine if I'm always standing, but any other activities make things get uncomfortable fast.

So as mentioned in prior posts I moved my IWB to about 3:30 and use a leather holster. What a difference. 3:30 just rides more comfortably, I can sit and drive with it there, and just about any physical activity is never a problem.

 

I've tried it with a Vedder light tuck IWB with a claw (probably better options for comfort) and while walking I really liked it.

But the second I sit down, holy **** my gun was digging into my gut and holster in my leg.

Now in today's world I'm "skinny" but I don't have the 6 pack I used to. If I had to describe my build I would say beginning stages of dad bod. Is there a secret to it that I don't know or does it require washboard abs?

I have often wondered the same. Having grown up with actual shooters and law enforcement officers since the day I was born, I have never met a person in the real world who carries that way, so I may never get a good answer to the question.

Luckily, there's no benefit to appendix carry, unless you are stepping out in the street for a high noon gunfight, maybe, so it's not a very important question.

 

I've successfully deployed Uncle Mike's holsters for the Sub Compact and Compact Glocks.

#12 for the Subcompacts
#16 for the Compacts (and the subcompacts when they are in the wash) Just kidding about the wash, but you can use the 16 w/ subcompact if needed.

Cheap to replace too...

Good Luck Shopping!