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BillCA · August 10, 2009, 12:29 PM

The penny/nickle/fishing weights can all work, but you have to do it right.

A tailor once showed me how he makes it work.
First, never use lead fishing weights or wire.
If the shirt-hem has a folded hem at the bottom, open one end and feed in a length of aluminum or stainless steel solid wire about 6 inches long. Position it between 1 and 3 o'clock (9 & 11 for southpaws). Add a few stitches fore and aft to keep it from shifting and close the opened end.

The weight of the wire doesn't need to be really heavy, just enough to resist bending in the wind. Adding the weight of a pair of nickels at the front corner will reduce the "fly open" effect from a gust of wind.

The other method is to use fusible lining material to secure the wire and/or nickles. This thin, white material can be ironed on to fabrics to stiffen them slightly and can create a pocket for weights. This material can be added along the inside of the shirt to stiffen the fabric a bit so it reduces printing too.

For dress jackets and coats, carry something with a little weight in the strong side jacket pocket. A wad of keys, a pager/PDA, speedloaders, etc. This helps keep the jacket from flipping open in the breeze. But the bigger plus is that this extra weight helps the jacket carry backwards, out of the way, when you go to draw your firearm. Especially with a breeze at your back.

August 10, 2009, 12:29 PM	#26
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	The penny/nickle/fishing weights can all work, but you have to do it right. A tailor once showed me how he makes it work. First, never use lead fishing weights or wire. If the shirt-hem has a folded hem at the bottom, open one end and feed in a length of aluminum or stainless steel solid wire about 6 inches long. Position it between 1 and 3 o'clock (9 & 11 for southpaws). Add a few stitches fore and aft to keep it from shifting and close the opened end. The weight of the wire doesn't need to be really heavy, just enough to resist bending in the wind. Adding the weight of a pair of nickels at the front corner will reduce the "fly open" effect from a gust of wind. The other method is to use fusible lining material to secure the wire and/or nickles. This thin, white material can be ironed on to fabrics to stiffen them slightly and can create a pocket for weights. This material can be added along the inside of the shirt to stiffen the fabric a bit so it reduces printing too. For dress jackets and coats, carry something with a little weight in the strong side jacket pocket. A wad of keys, a pager/PDA, speedloaders, etc. This helps keep the jacket from flipping open in the breeze. But the bigger plus is that this extra weight helps the jacket carry backwards, out of the way, when you go to draw your firearm. Especially with a breeze at your back. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)