A while back, I evaluated a pair of CCW Breakaways unique concealed carry khaki dress trousers and really liked them. They allow the wearer to carry up to a full-sized pistol — such as a Glock 17 — in a special deep front trouser pocket. (This works for both right- and left-handed wearers.) The gun disappears in the pocket but is easily accessed by pushing your hand outward against the pocket as you reach the pistol. The khakis look like a standard pair of Dockers trousers complete with front pleats. They are excellent for blending in when you are in situations that require a very low-profile appearance and where holster carry is impractical.
The only thing I found that didn’t work quite well enough for me was the lack of side cargo pockets. As I’ve aged, I’ve found that carrying my wallet AND my separate police ID holder in rear trouser pockets triggers what is commonly known as “wallet sciatica.” It becomes quite uncomfortable while I’m driving in a car for any trip that lasts more that 15 minutes — a royal pain in the … well, you know what I mean. I often wear cargo pants to avoid this issue. So I decided to give CCW Breakaways Business Casual Cargo Pants a try. I asked for a pair in the stone color.
CCW Breakaways Features
The company’s trousers line is made to support the “Grey Man” concept or blending in with a crowd. There is nothing about you that screams “tactical, gun-carrying person.” Traditional tactical cargo pants can be one of the biggest giveaways, along with things like a tactical knife clipped to a pocket and a tactical flashlight hanging on a belt.
CCW Breakaways Business Casual Cargo Pants are 100 percent cotton. They are no shrink and very comfortable and durable. The front pockets of the cargo pants are the same as those on the dress khaki trousers. I recommend using a SkinTight polymer holster (available in various sizes for any pistol that you carry). It protects the pocket interior from any sharp edges on the gun and shields the trigger from unintentional contact. The side cargo pockets are as low-profile as you can make them. CCW Breakaways refers to them as having a “business casual smooth” appearance. The pocket flaps are made with no-catch leading edges and are designed to prevent side pocket billowing. The rear pockets are flapless and secure via traditional brown buttons. This also helps eliminate the traditional tactical pants look.
Inside each cargo pocket is a large segment of Velco loop material for storing Velcro-hooked accessories such as tactical knives. (A segment of adhesive Velcro hook material is included to facilitate this.) The outer flap is held in place by only one Velcro closure, which allows rapid opening of the cargo pocket with only one hand. Special magazine pouch “socks” are available with the hook material already in place to affix in the cargo pocket. With a magazine in place in the sock and affixed to the inner loop patch, there is no shifting of the magazine’s position. The cargo pockets are large enough that two 33-round Glock 9mm pistol magazines or one 30-round AR magazine can be carried in each. The single- or double-stack socks can also be used to carry things like pepper spray canisters and flashlights.
In Actual Use
CCW Breakaways requires true-to-size fitting for each order. There are specific measuring instructions required for ordering. You can’t list whatever off-the-rack pants size you are used to wearing. The trousers you order are essentially custom-made for you.
One of the hallmarks of CCW Breakaways is that the user has the ability to conceal and carry a full-sized handgun. While the handgun can be concealed, the weight of the gun is obviously unaffected. If you prefer to carry a lightweight handgun most of time, you will likely want to carry the same gun in these trousers.
I’ve found that it takes a couple of minutes to get used to the feel of carrying a handgun low, alongside your inner thigh, which is where the gun ends up being positioned. At first it felt strange, but after the gun settled into its position for a few minutes, it was no longer a distraction.
Wrap Up
CCW Breakaways Cargo Pants give you all the utility of standard tactical cargo pants — and them some — while maintaining your Grey Man status. Current price is $79.99.
Sources:
CCW Breakaways: CCWBreakaways.com
About Scott W. Wagner
After working undercover in narcotics and liquor investigations, Scott W. Wagner settled down to be a criminal justice professor and police academy commander. He was also a SWAT team member, sniper and assistant team leader before his current position as patrol sergeant with the Village of Baltimore, Ohio, Police Department. Scott is a police firearms instructor certified to train revolver, semi-automatic pistol, shotgun, semi- and fully automatic patrol rifle, and submachine gun.
