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I'm curious as to what requirements the rest of the membership have for their carry holsters - talking concealed carry here, not open carry (unless you use the same holsters for both)
For me - I have a small list.
- must be rigid without the gun in it, especially IWB holsters. I should be able to reholster one handed, and a soft, squishy holster does not allow this easily.
- must completely cover the trigger and not allow crap into the trigger guard with the gun seated
- must not come off body easily. I used to be a huge paddle holster fan, but there are only two paddles out there that I've used that consistently held the holster in place on a firm, fast draw - oddly enough they were teh cheapest holsters I could find - Uncle Mike's "Kydex" (which are not actual kydex) and Fobus. The Uncle Mike's holsters have an adjustable hook that actually really grabs your pants / belt - I've never had one of their paddles come out. The fobus, between the rubberized backing and the shape, which basically grabs tight to the belt really sticks. Paddles from Safariland, Comp-Tac, Blade Tech, and Blackhawk all pull out. Safariland was the worst, and it was the most expensive holster. These days - I prefer soft loops with one-way pull the dot type snaps. Super secure, just as speedy on and off as a paddle. Further - I hate j-hooks and clips on holsters with a passion, because they don't stay.
I make most of my holsters these days, and I like tinkering with designs to see if I can improve on them. I've settled on a basic design that works very well for me, conceals well, is comfortable to wear all day, and its gone through some revisions over the years. I do appreciate some of the off-the-shelf gear though. For a factory holster, the Blade Tech Eclipse is a good convertable IWB/OWB holster - with some modification. In IWB mode it comes with a pair of clips/hooks that suuuuuuuuck. Have had the gun/holster pop off the belt a number of times just from sitting in the car. That is no bueno. I modified the holster by drilling a couple extra holes, and use some Raven tuck-struts, and it became a very good IWB/AIWB holster. It's a good left/right convertable too, because the holster body has no curve to it, yet remains very comfy. Since I'm a righty, I shaved down the outboard / right side sweat guard, and I typically use it in it's OWB mode. It hugs VERY tight to the body.
Another set of holsters I like are the Safariland ALS and SLS - these can be had in concealment versions plus duty (police/security) holsters. The ALS are nice, because its a natural motion to unlock the holster and draw it. The SLS hoods are likewise easier to use than a thumb break when you get the hang of them. The entry level to these are the "Pro-Fit" universal fit holsters, which actually work really well. I have one of the full size versions and it worked well with a Glock 17, an M&P 9, a CZ-75, and currently, because I don't have any other holsters for it - the Kimber 1911 I just inherited. It doesn't fit the gun as snugly as a purpose-built holster, but for the typical guns, they fit well without rattle or play.
I appreciate decent leather holsters for some aspects, but leather doesn't work for my daily carry needs. Between sweat, grease, rain, acid, and sometimes being down on the ground - leather holsters just got too beat up for my needs. If I'm not working, and don't care about concealing as much, the Galco FLETCH is my favorite off the shelf leather holster. I've had a Kramer before too that was alright, but it was softer than the Galco and for the money, I'd go Galco every time. DeSantis leather goods are also good to go. Nice and stiff, and their IWB had reinforced mouths that didn't collapse. But typically anymore, I use kydex. It takes a beating, its waterproof, acid proof, blood proof, sweat proof, and my oldest kydex gear still looks pretty good after years of heavy use and abuse. Surface scratches in kydex don't look nearly as bad, or stand out as much as scuffs and scratches in good leather.
So, TLR What are your favorite holsters and features, and what are your must-haves in a carry holster?
For me - I have a small list.
- must be rigid without the gun in it, especially IWB holsters. I should be able to reholster one handed, and a soft, squishy holster does not allow this easily.
- must completely cover the trigger and not allow crap into the trigger guard with the gun seated
- must not come off body easily. I used to be a huge paddle holster fan, but there are only two paddles out there that I've used that consistently held the holster in place on a firm, fast draw - oddly enough they were teh cheapest holsters I could find - Uncle Mike's "Kydex" (which are not actual kydex) and Fobus. The Uncle Mike's holsters have an adjustable hook that actually really grabs your pants / belt - I've never had one of their paddles come out. The fobus, between the rubberized backing and the shape, which basically grabs tight to the belt really sticks. Paddles from Safariland, Comp-Tac, Blade Tech, and Blackhawk all pull out. Safariland was the worst, and it was the most expensive holster. These days - I prefer soft loops with one-way pull the dot type snaps. Super secure, just as speedy on and off as a paddle. Further - I hate j-hooks and clips on holsters with a passion, because they don't stay.
I make most of my holsters these days, and I like tinkering with designs to see if I can improve on them. I've settled on a basic design that works very well for me, conceals well, is comfortable to wear all day, and its gone through some revisions over the years. I do appreciate some of the off-the-shelf gear though. For a factory holster, the Blade Tech Eclipse is a good convertable IWB/OWB holster - with some modification. In IWB mode it comes with a pair of clips/hooks that suuuuuuuuck. Have had the gun/holster pop off the belt a number of times just from sitting in the car. That is no bueno. I modified the holster by drilling a couple extra holes, and use some Raven tuck-struts, and it became a very good IWB/AIWB holster. It's a good left/right convertable too, because the holster body has no curve to it, yet remains very comfy. Since I'm a righty, I shaved down the outboard / right side sweat guard, and I typically use it in it's OWB mode. It hugs VERY tight to the body.
Another set of holsters I like are the Safariland ALS and SLS - these can be had in concealment versions plus duty (police/security) holsters. The ALS are nice, because its a natural motion to unlock the holster and draw it. The SLS hoods are likewise easier to use than a thumb break when you get the hang of them. The entry level to these are the "Pro-Fit" universal fit holsters, which actually work really well. I have one of the full size versions and it worked well with a Glock 17, an M&P 9, a CZ-75, and currently, because I don't have any other holsters for it - the Kimber 1911 I just inherited. It doesn't fit the gun as snugly as a purpose-built holster, but for the typical guns, they fit well without rattle or play.
I appreciate decent leather holsters for some aspects, but leather doesn't work for my daily carry needs. Between sweat, grease, rain, acid, and sometimes being down on the ground - leather holsters just got too beat up for my needs. If I'm not working, and don't care about concealing as much, the Galco FLETCH is my favorite off the shelf leather holster. I've had a Kramer before too that was alright, but it was softer than the Galco and for the money, I'd go Galco every time. DeSantis leather goods are also good to go. Nice and stiff, and their IWB had reinforced mouths that didn't collapse. But typically anymore, I use kydex. It takes a beating, its waterproof, acid proof, blood proof, sweat proof, and my oldest kydex gear still looks pretty good after years of heavy use and abuse. Surface scratches in kydex don't look nearly as bad, or stand out as much as scuffs and scratches in good leather.
So, TLR What are your favorite holsters and features, and what are your must-haves in a carry holster?