Holster Claws and Wedges Explained: How to Stop Printing

The problem: the grip prints

If you carry inside the waistband and your gun shows through your shirt, the culprit is almost never the slide. It's the grip. The slide and barrel sit inside your pants. The grip sits outside, above the belt, with nothing holding it against your body. When you bend, sit or reach, the grip tips outward and pokes your shirt into a gun-shaped bump. That's printing.

The fix isn't always a smaller gun. Often it's getting the grip to sit tight against your body. That's what claws and wedges do. They're most associated with appendix carry, but claws help on strong-side IWB too. If you haven't picked a carry position yet, start with our holster position guide.

What a claw does

A claw, sometimes called a wing, is a small arm attached to the outside face of the holster, near the top. When you wear the holster, the claw presses against the inside of your belt.

Think of the holster clip as a pivot point. The belt pulls the clip in. The claw pushes against the belt above or beside the clip. That pressure rotates the holster so the top of the grip turns into your body instead of flaring out. Ammunition Depot's listing for the DeSantis Mean Streak describes its integrated claw as something that "pulls the grip of the firearm close to the body," which is the whole job in eight words.

Claws come in two forms:

• Integrated: molded into the holster shell itself. Clean and simple, but not adjustable.
• Add-on: bolted to the holster through existing screw holes. Many can be repositioned or swapped for a different size.

A claw only works if it has something firm to push against. That's why a stiff gun belt matters so much; a thin, floppy belt just bends away. More on that below.

What a wedge does

A wedge is a foam or rubber pad stuck or strapped to the body side of the holster, near the muzzle end. It sits between the holster and your lower belly.

By lifting the bottom of the holster away from your body, the wedge tilts the muzzle outward. Because the holster pivots around the clip, the grip tilts inward. So a wedge also helps the grip hug your body, but it gets there by changing the angle at the bottom rather than pushing at the top.

A wedge also does something a claw doesn't: it changes comfort. For appendix carriers, especially anyone with some belly, the muzzle end of the holster can dig in when sitting. A wedge spreads that pressure and lets the holster sit at a friendlier angle. That makes it a key tool for appendix carry on a wide range of body types.

Claw vs wedge at a glance

How to set them up, step by step

Do this with an unloaded gun. Verify it's empty, check twice, and keep all live ammunition in another room. If your holster maker offers a blue gun or dummy for your model, that's even better.

1. Start with the right belt. Wear the stiff gun belt you'll actually carry with. Claw and wedge setups tuned on a dress belt won't transfer.
2. Set ride height and cant first. If your holster has adjustable height and angle, get those right before adding anything. A grip that rides too high prints no matter what.
3. Add or adjust the claw. If your holster has an add-on claw, mount it per the maker's instructions. Use the correct screws and thread locker only if the maker calls for it. Tighten screws firmly but don't strip plastic.
4. Check in a mirror. Put on a fitted T-shirt. Stand, then bend forward as if tying a shoe, then sit. Watch the top of the grip. If it still flares, move to step 5.
5. Try a wedge. Start with a thin wedge. Position it under the muzzle end on the body side. Re-check standing, bending and sitting. If the muzzle still digs in or the grip still flares, try a thicker wedge or move it slightly.
6. Re-check the draw. With the gun verified unloaded, practice a slow draw and a slow, deliberate re-holster. A claw shouldn't snag your hand. A wedge shouldn't change where the grip is enough to throw off your draw. Make sure the holster mouth stays clear.
7. Wear it for a week before judging. Comfort at minute five isn't comfort at hour ten. Make small changes one at a time.

Common mistakes

• A claw with no belt to push on. Without a stiff belt, the claw does almost nothing. Ammunition Depot's belt section lists dedicated gun belts such as the 1791 Gunleather Gun Belt 01.
• Too much wedge. A wedge that's too thick can push the grip so far in that it's hard to get a full firing grip on the draw. If you can't get your hand around the grip cleanly, go thinner.
• Loose hardware. Claws attach with screws. Check them regularly. A loose claw changes how the gun sits and can let other hardware loosen too.
• Using a claw to fix the wrong problem. If the gun is simply too long in the grip for your build, a claw helps but may not solve it. Shorter grips or different carry positions might be the real answer. See our P365 vs XL vs XMACRO piece for how grip length changes concealment.
• Forgetting the trigger guard. No attachment should ever reduce trigger guard coverage. If an accessory interferes with the shell, stop and contact the maker.

Holsters that come with a claw

The easiest path is a holster with a claw built in. DeSantis's Mean Streak line is one example: Ammunition Depot lists it in .080 Kydex with an integrated claw and a sweat guard, in versions like the Mean Streak for Sig P365, the Mean Streak for Glock 43X MOS and the Mean Streak for Hellcat OSP. Make sure any holster you buy is listed for your exact gun, optic and light.

Ammunition Depot's holster section can be filtered by holster type and mounting style, including claw-equipped holsters.

When claws and wedges aren't enough

If you've tuned a good holster with a claw, a wedge and a stiff belt and the gun still prints, look at the other variables:

• Clothing. Patterned, slightly looser shirts hide grips far better than tight solids.
• Position. Moving a little toward 1 o'clock, or to strong-side, can change everything. Larger-bodied carriers in particular often find the sweet spot shifts; it's worth experimenting.
• Grip length. A shorter magazine or a smaller grip module can make the biggest difference of all.

Editorial note: This how-to is an independent editorial guide built from manufacturer product descriptions and general holster principles. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products named. Follow your holster maker's instructions for installing and adjusting any attachment.

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