I promised Heavies that I would write a little bit about my holster experiences. My experience is extremely limited and in some cases not making smart choices. So hopefully my experience will help you along the way in making good choices in holsters.

Understand that I am not making any recommendations here. I made choices based on desire, inexperience and recommendations. Choosing a holster is even more personal a choice than the pistol you choose to carry.

My carry experience starts back in the early 90’s living in CA when high capacity semi auto pistols were really coming into their own. The first Glock 17’s had only been out for a few years. And most service pistols were full size and full weight. I bought my first pistol I intended to carry and that was the Glock 17 Gen 2. I carried it inside my waistband and and fully loaded it would fall down my pants leg occasionally. I decided at that time I needed a real holster. I chose an all plastic OWB Serpa style holster. Serpa holsters were quite popular at that time. Little did I know that at a later time they would get a bad reputation. For those who don’t know, the Serpa holster has a retention button that needs to be pressed before you can draw your pistol. And considering the position of the button, some accidents apparently occurred where the finger that is pressing the retention button slips onto the trigger while drawing and accidental discharge can happen. I carried that Glock in that holster all around my home and out plinking in the LA National Forest. I applied for a CCW permit but was turned down of course. So no carry for me.

Just about that time Sig came out with the “Compact” P228 which is the granddaddy to the P229. It was smaller in the frame and slide than my Glock. So I bought it thinking if I were to ever carry I would carry my Sig. From the 90’s until 2020 when I moved to AZ I only used that Serpa holster and only carried my Glock around my house. Now I live in a state where I can carry concealed or not concealed every where. Of course I broke out the Serpa holster with my Glock and went right to my local range that promptly told me Serpa holsters are not allowed there due to the aforementioned accidental discharge issue.

After a lot of research and talking to Stang, I decided my first real EDC holster would be leather and come from a company that makes custom leather holsters called Simply Rugged. They are located out here in Prescott, AZ. I purchased a leather holster made for my Sig that is designed to be used both IWB and OWB. First I set up the holster for OWB. Put in my Sig and realized this this is a big heavy gun. Size is one factor in carrying in a holster. But weight is a real drag when it comes to carrying. It is tiring and can be obnoxious as times. And over a 4-8 hour period it is extremely tiring and annoying. After this I configured the holster for IWB and put it on. Once again the holster is quite minimal and quite comfortable. But put in the gun and the whole dynamic changes. The weight and size of the P228 is just not conducive for me to carry. But I continued to carry the gun both IWB and OWB and found that the gun is actually much more comfortable carrying OWB. And now I carry it around the house and when I go shopping at the local stores OWB. I will wear a unbuttoned flannel shirt over it. I carry it on my trips to the range as well. Always OWB. I practice drawing and double taps with it. I also do the same with my Glock 17 and the Serpa holster.

Location of the holster is also critical for concealment and comfort. I’m fat so appendix carry is comfortable when standing but uncomfortable while sitting. I find the best location for me is at the 4 o’clock position. Not directly on my hip but slightly behind my hip but not at the 5 o’clock position or small of my back. Also, while carrying OWB I have tried the 3 o’clock position and it is not bad either. The leather holster conforms better to my body while kydex/plastic does not.

One thing I need to also mention is that belt choice is even more important than gun and holster choices. If you buy leather, it needs to be thick and stiff and be able to hold up to the constant weight and drawing and pulling you put on it. It needs to be a minimum of 1.5” and a maximum of 1.75” wide. I recommend 1.5” as that is what I have and it can be difficult to feed through the slots of my holsters. A wider belt would be even more difficult. I suggest you buy one from a holster manufacturer. A non holster specific commercial belt will not do. There are numerous other choices for belts on the market. Especially tactical belt choices. Just make sure you get one designed to be used with a holster.

Here are my takeaways so far. Plastic/Kydex holsters are excellent because they maintain their shape and are easier to draw from and easier to reholster. Retention can be adjustable. Which I find to be an excellent feature. Leather feels better to me against my skin compared to hard plastic/kydex. So they are more comfortable as an IWB holster. Plastic/Kydex holsters also make noise when drawing and reholstering. A lot of people consider this a detriment as if you want to get the draw on someone it can give you away. Otherwise Kydex is probably the best choice for a holster. Leather needs to be broken in before it demonstrates similar properties to Kydex/Plastic. But in my opinion leather holsters also have a coolness factor that kydex/plastic can never have. Again, it is a very personal choice.

Future installments will include revolver carry IWB/OWB in leather holsters. Also I will be buying and trying a hybrid holster made of leather and kydex. And another kydex/plastic holster for my Glock. And I have a couple of accessory carriers for mags and speed loaders. Also, there are going to be gun purchases and more holster choices.

That is it for my first installment of my experience into the holster world. I have a lot more to write as I have bought 3 more holsters since this experience so I will write more as I get more time.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

This is my next experience into buying and using a holster.

During my time here in AZ I have been taking some training courses from my local indoor range. The owners of the range have excellent classes taught for real world use. One of the classes required having a holster. Anything except a Serpa holster. And they recommended NOT to bring a leather holster. I wanted to bring my leather holster but it turns out leather requires a break in period. In other words when I got my first leather holster it was custom made for my Sig. It was tight and required some effort to push the pistol all the way in. In other words it was a tight fit. So since this experience I decided to leave the gun in the holster for a few days at a time. And slowly but surely it has become just tight enough to retain the pistol but not so tight it requires strength to push it in all the way.

So now I am in a dilemma. I have a nice leather holster for my class. But it has not been broken in yet. So I decided to by a cheap plastic/kydex holster for my Sig. Now I live in the country. Holsters are everywhere. Every LGS here carries multiple lines of holsters. But it was also the day before my class. So after a few hours of visiting every single store that sells holsters I found that no one carried a holster to fit my Sig. And why should they? My Sig is from the 90’s. And it was replaced by the P229 which has a slightly different profile on the slide. So I decided to break a cardinal rule. I decided to buy a cheap plastic/kydex holster that was a generic holster designed to fit numerous different models. I brought it home and noticed right off that it felt cheap and the quality seemed pretty bad. It was designed as an IWB/OWB type model. First thing I tried to do was to run my belt through it. Now I decided to buy my belt from Simply Rugged as they build their belts for holsters. They are thick, very stiff and are designed specifically for the task at hand. It took almost all the pressure and strength I could muster to run my belt through the belt clip. And I was honestly about to break something on the holster. After further observation it appears the holster was designed to be used with a tactical type belt which are very stiff but are made out of some type of fabric which is much thinner than my belt. I finally figured out a way to get my belt into the clip but it literally took me several minutes of going one inch at a time.

After I got the belt through it and positioned where I wanted it I put it on and decided to try holstering my Sig. It was too tight. But, it had adjustable retention. So I loosened it a bit and continued to adjust it until it seemed right. I tried to draw and reholster several times. It seemed like it was working rather well at this point. That is until I bumped the butt stock with my arm. The gun moved forward. More directly it tilted forward. It seems that the holster was adjustable for cant. I could adjust the cant or tilt of the gun to make it easier to grab to draw and reholster. Only problem was I had tightened the cant adjustment screws down pretty tight. So once again I had to remove the holster from the belt and try and figure out what happened. As it turns out this holster is so cheap that even with the cant adjustment screws cranked way down, they still did not hold the cant when bumped. But okay I could live with that. But wait, there’s more. The belt clip that was giving me so much of an issue to thread my belt through was also designed for a much wider belt than my standard 1.5” wide belt. And so it also allowed the holster to tilt slightly back and forth if pressure was applied in either direction or if bumped. Okay, I just bought this thing for the 2 day class. I can live with this.

But now I decided to look closer at how my gun fit into this holster. And I found something I really didn’t like. And that was even with the retention fairly tight, my gun was still a little loose in the holster. In other words there was some slop. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I promptly repackaged the holster and took it back to the store and got my money back. But now I have a problem. Out of all the stores and holsters I looked at for several hours, that was the only holster that said it would fit my Sig.

Now what do I do? So I went back into my safe and decided to use my Glock. Now I have used this Glock as a test bed for a lot of different aftermarket pieces and parts to customize it to work well for me. I have it to that point where it is as good as it gets. One thing I have on it is an extended mag release. Which has never caused me a problem in 20+ years. More on that later. So back out shopping. it seems that the Glock 17 is so popular that most of the LGS around me have empty pegs where the Glock 17 holsters are kept. Oooops. I cannot find a holster for my Glock 17. But I kept looking. I finally found a cheap plastic holster, OWB that was designed for my Glock and seemed like it had all the features I wanted. And it was cheap. Just over $30. Fine, I bought it and took it home. But I learned something from the previous holster. I decided to set up the holster first before I put my belt through it. I set the retention on it. And it held my Glock snugly with no slop. I set the cant and it seemed to hold it better than the previous holster but still not perfect. Okay I can live with that. I tried to thread my belt through it and it fit well. It seems that this holster is going to work. After trying it on and adjusting the location to where I wanted it, I decided to place it at the 3 o’clock position. It worked really really well. So now I am set for my class.

The first day of class we did not use our holsters. We were learning how to shoot tiny little holes in our targets and to shoot a business card with the edge facing us (Yes I split a business card with one shot). And yes I have pictures if someone wants to see them. The second day we were taught practical (not tactical) holster work. Of course a lot of working with a holster requires practice and repetition. So after practicing for a while with unloaded weapons it was time to try live fire after drawing from our holsters. I loaded my Glock, placed it in the holster and stood on the line ready to draw and eventually fire my first shot.. I was ordered to draw and present and then extend and then fire. Which I did. And something really bad happened at that point. My magazine fell out of my pistol. Oh shit! What happened? So I grabbed it quickly and reinserted the magazine. The pistol did pick up the next round before the mag fell out. Weird. Never ever done that before. When came my turn again I went up to the line, did all my holster draw stuff and fired a shot. Guess what happened? The magazine dropped out again! Damn! Something was wrong and I didn’t know what it was. My instructor diagnosed the problem as my hitting the extended mag release while I was firing. Really? In 20+ years of having this extended mag release I pick now to accidentally hit it? Twice in a row?

Break time and I decided to unload my pistol and holster it before I walk around the parking lot. So I looked at my pistol as I was holstering and low and behold I saw the problem. Every holster is designed differently. And every one of my holsters covers the trigger and trigger guard like they are supposed to. But none of them cover the magazine release. Except this dumb plastic cheap holster I got at the last minute. It covered the mag release and actually pushed on it ever so slightly as I holstered my weapon. It was just enough so that when I pull out my weapon the mag does not fall out. But the jolt from firing a round was enough to jar the magazine loose and it would fall out. I tried it a few times and I could reproduce this issue every time. So I casually walked out to my car and flipped open the trunk. Took off my holster, got out my knife and cut a notch out the holster. It was just enough to not cover the mag release when I holstered the weapon.

I have to say the rest of the day went smoothly as the holster and my Glock worked flawlessly. So what did I learn from this? First thing I realized is this. When you buy new equipment, don’t wait until the last second to buy something. Take your time, shop around, think it over, and buy what you think is going to work best for you. Also, don’t go on the cheap. I really don’t buy on the cheap normally. But this holster was only going to be used for this class. In other words, one time use. It made sense at the time. In hind sight it doesn’t make sense and it never made sense to do this. In the meantime I have used this holster a lot since my Serpa holster has the retention button that gets in the way of fast drawing. So it turns out it is not a one time use. But the big thing I learned from this is to always use and test out any new piece of equipment before you set out into the real world thinking everything is good. What if I had bought the holster and tried drawing and holstering without a problem and then needed to use my Glock to defend myself and the magazine drops out after the first shot? I would have never known that problem existed until I actually practiced live fire drills. Good thing it happened in a controlled environment. And that is why we practice and test and practice more.

Nice write ups, Inspector 
Can't wait for the revolver installments. Will that be with your SP101?

Nice write ups, Inspector 
Can't wait for the revolver installments. Will that be with your SP101?

As a matter of fact, yes! It includes my experiences with the SP-101 and my 2 K frame S&W. I also have some experience with my N Frame revolvers Model 627 and Model 25-1 as well. I’ll try and get around to writing this up soon. I will be traveling for a while so don’t look for it until after the first of next month.

Thank you Inspector. Real world experience is invaluable. I am hoping we will all, especially in Hawaii,  be able to benefit from your experience very soon!

Thank you Inspector. Real world experience is invaluable. I am hoping we will all, especially in Hawaii,  be able to benefit from your experience very soon!

It is the only reason I am spending so much time writing this. I hope even one person will learn something that is valuable to them.

But mostly I hope the SCOTUS decision will be in our favor and Hawaii will benefit from it.

I also have a leather Simply Rugged holster for my 3" GP100, and a leather belt slide for my 1911 w/o rail.
They make great leather holsters. I have used it a couple times on my friends farm. I love the way it looks and its functional. My experience is very limited, but easy to see Simply rugged makes great leather holsters 

Okay, I have a little time this morning so I am going to write about my next experiences about my journey into holsters.

My next and last holster purchase also came from Simply Rugged Holsters. Just know that I purchase only no nonsense holsters meaning I am not paying for extras such as scrollwork, engraving nor exotic materials. Simply Rugged offers all these extras. I want only a holster. I will buy something fancy one day but for now I have purchased only plain black holsters.

I now have enough holsters to warrant having to put them in a box because they don’t  stack well and they have a tendency to slide off a shelf. And being all black they sort of start looking similar. I pull out a semi auto holster but it turns out to be a revolver holster. Fortunately, Simply Rugged stamps their holsters with marks so you can see what firearm the holster is for. For instance on my holster for my S&W Model 10 with 3” barrel they marked it K/3. The K stands for K frame and the 3 for 3” barrel.

First holster I ordered was for my S&W Model 10 K Frame with 3” barrel. I ordered an IWB/OWB holster. I already have the belt loops from my Sig holster so I didn’t have to order any extras if I didn’t want them. It is again in plain black and marked K/3. This holster is very comfortable. Both IWB and OWB. After putting it on I put my revolver into it and found I needed to move it from the 4 o’clock position to the 2:30-3:00 o’clock position. But what I found is that it is so much lighter than my fully loaded Sig P228. It is wider but lighter and that goes a long way with me. So now carrying a revolver is all of the sudden a much more pleasurable and easier choice.

Now, while I was at it, I decided to also try carrying my other K Frame which has a 4” barrel. Of course since it is a K Frame it fits the holster perfectly. And considering the longer barrel it does stick out beyond the bottom of the holster but only by 1/4”-3/8”. Not enough to notice anything different. I know this sounds kinda dumb, but I realized that even though this is a custom made holster it can be used for other pistols. Which brings me to my next experience. I decided to try holstering my Ruger SP-101 with 3” barrel. And guess what? It fits pretty darn good! Not perfect. But good enough that it is retained well and draws well so I am using my SP-101 in my EDC rotation. I like it because it is a tad smaller than my K Frames and a tad lighter. Remember, smaller size goes a long way. Especially in the butt. But weight is much more tiring. So lighter is definitely much better for me. So I have one holster now that does triple duty. I won’t keep my K Frame with the 4” barrel in my EDC rotation for personal reasons. But it is wonderful that I can carry my SP-101 without having to buy another holster.

So, let’s review what I have for EDC whether IWB or OWB. I have my Glock 17 which right now is OWB only. I have a Sig P228 which is both IWB and OWB. And I have 2 revolvers which can be both as well. While I was on the Simply Rugged website they had some pre made holsters at a special price. I suppose these are holsters that are either commonly sold but probably custom made for someone that didn’t want it or maybe made mistakenly. Either way, I ran across a plain black holster for an N Frame S&W with a 5” barrel. Which miraculously fits my S&W Model 627 357 Mag. For those that don’t know this is a full size revolver that is heavy. The holster is OWB carry only and it was a good price. I can’t pass up a bargain so in my cart it went. Now I can carry my N Frame as part of my EDC if I want. I can carry any way I want here. So having another option, albeit not a practical option is nice. But then I remember I have another N Frame. I have a Model 25 which is a very nice older model in 45 ACP. It has a 4” barrel so it fits well in this holster. When I am out in the desert I can now carry my N Frame revolvers safely and securely. A very nice addition to my newly expanding holster collection.

To sum up, I am really enjoying having a decent rotation of firearms to carry. While I do prefer to carry OWB, I do so with a loose shirt over it. It does print and can be seen. But let’s face it if you are walking towards me you cannot see it. If you are on my left side you cannot see it. If you are on my right side it prints only a little and may be detected and from behind is where it prints the most and is most detectible. But if one is not looking for a gun, I guarantee you will walk right by anyone and not notice. Even if they are printing. I walk around every where looking for people who carry. And I rarely see someone who is carrying and printing. I see more people carrying OWB and IWB and not trying to cover it up. A lot of people don’t care. And even when they don’t cover it up looking for someone who is carrying is not always easy. My preference at this point is to carry a revolver. For what I own the K Frame and SP-101 are lighter and less tiring. They get the bulk of my EDC right now. As does my Glock. I carry around the house and every time I leave the house.

Next installments will be as follows (maybe not in this order);

* Mouse or pocket gun carry with holster for deep concealment and backup (Ruger LCP Max in 380 ACP) already getting experience with this
* Magazine holders and Speed Loader holders
* My take/feelings about leather vs kydex vs plastic
* A new gun purchase (Sig P365 XL) and a IWB/OWB hybrid holster (leather & kydex). And I will try this as a pocket carry as well. This gun will replace my Glock 17 and Sig P228 in my EDC rotation. I have not purchased this gun yet. And a little farther down the line a J Frame revolver.

I also have a leather Simply Rugged holster for my 3" GP100, and a leather belt slide for my 1911 w/o rail.
They make great leather holsters. I have used it a couple times on my friends farm. I love the way it looks and its functional. My experience is very limited, but easy to see Simply rugged makes great leather holsters 

I also go to the range twice a week to practice my holster draw with live fire. My favorite 2 guns to live fire practice drawing with are my Glock and my S&W Model 10. And between those 2 the revolver gets the nod. I just feel a little more comfy with the revolver. I guess it is just a personal choice. I also use the 22 conversion on my Glock to save some money.

This is my S&W Model 547 with 4” barrel so you will see it stick out of the bottom of the holster.

I used to rep Ted Blocker Custom Holsters around 30 years ago.
They sold the company and I stopped selling stuff.
Still have quite a bit of new old stock in storage.
Sold a custom holster to Tom Selleck once.
I used to have something like Tupperware parties at my house with new HPD recruits.
I would teach basic concealed carry methods and drawing techniques.

I got a lot of stuff to get rid of. Just ask.

Okay, I have a little time this morning so I am going to write about my next experiences about my journey into holsters.

My next and last holster purchase also came from Simply Rugged Holsters. Just know that I purchase only no nonsense holsters meaning I am not paying for extras such as scrollwork, engraving nor exotic materials. Simply Rugged offers all these extras. I want only a holster. I will buy something fancy one day but for now I have purchased only plain black holsters.

I now have enough holsters to warrant having to put them in a box because they don’t  stack well and they have a tendency to slide off a shelf. And being all black they sort of start looking similar. I pull out a semi auto holster but it turns out to be a revolver holster. Fortunately, Simply Rugged stamps their holsters with marks so you can see what firearm the holster is for. For instance on my holster for my S&W Model 10 with 3” barrel they marked it K/3. The K stands for K frame and the 3 for 3” barrel.

First holster I ordered was for my S&W Model 10 K Frame with 3” barrel. I ordered an IWB/OWB holster. I already have the belt loops from my Sig holster so I didn’t have to order any extras if I didn’t want them. It is again in plain black and marked K/3. This holster is very comfortable. Both IWB and OWB. After putting it on I put my revolver into it and found I needed to move it from the 4 o’clock position to the 2:30-3:00 o’clock position. But what I found is that it is so much lighter than my fully loaded Sig P228. It is wider but lighter and that goes a long way with me. So now carrying a revolver is all of the sudden a much more pleasurable and easier choice.

Now, while I was at it, I decided to also try carrying my other K Frame which has a 4” barrel. Of course since it is a K Frame it fits the holster perfectly. And considering the longer barrel it does stick out beyond the bottom of the holster but only by 1/4”-3/8”. Not enough to notice anything different. I know this sounds kinda dumb, but I realized that even though this is a custom made holster it can be used for other pistols. Which brings me to my next experience. I decided to try holstering my Ruger SP-101 with 3” barrel. And guess what? It fits pretty darn good! Not perfect. But good enough that it is retained well and draws well so I am using my SP-101 in my EDC rotation. I like it because it is a tad smaller than my K Frames and a tad lighter. Remember, smaller size goes a long way. Especially in the butt. But weight is much more tiring. So lighter is definitely much better for me. So I have one holster now that does triple duty. I won’t keep my K Frame with the 4” barrel in my EDC rotation for personal reasons. But it is wonderful that I can carry my SP-101 without having to buy another holster.

So, let’s review what I have for EDC whether IWB or OWB. I have my Glock 17 which right now is OWB only. I have a Sig P228 which is both IWB and OWB. And I have 2 revolvers which can be both as well. While I was on the Simply Rugged website they had some pre made holsters at a special price. I suppose these are holsters that are either commonly sold but probably custom made for someone that didn’t want it or maybe made mistakenly. Either way, I ran across a plain black holster for an N Frame S&W with a 5” barrel. Which miraculously fits my S&W Model 627 357 Mag. For those that don’t know this is a full size revolver that is heavy. The holster is OWB carry only and it was a good price. I can’t pass up a bargain so in my cart it went. Now I can carry my N Frame as part of my EDC if I want. I can carry any way I want here. So having another option, albeit not a practical option is nice. But then I remember I have another N Frame. I have a Model 25 which is a very nice older model in 45 ACP. It has a 4” barrel so it fits well in this holster. When I am out in the desert I can now carry my N Frame revolvers safely and securely. A very nice addition to my newly expanding holster collection.

To sum up, I am really enjoying having a decent rotation of firearms to carry. While I do prefer to carry OWB, I do so with a loose shirt over it. It does print and can be seen. But let’s face it if you are walking towards me you cannot see it. If you are on my left side you cannot see it. If you are on my right side it prints only a little and may be detected and from behind is where it prints the most and is most detectible. But if one is not looking for a gun, I guarantee you will walk right by anyone and not notice. Even if they are printing. I walk around every where looking for people who carry. And I rarely see someone who is carrying and printing. I see more people carrying OWB and IWB and not trying to cover it up. A lot of people don’t care. And even when they don’t cover it up looking for someone who is carrying is not always easy. My preference at this point is to carry a revolver. For what I own the K Frame and SP-101 are lighter and less tiring. They get the bulk of my EDC right now. As does my Glock. I carry around the house and every time I leave the house.

Next installments will be as follows (maybe not in this order);

* Mouse or pocket gun carry with holster for deep concealment and backup (Ruger LCP Max in 380 ACP) already getting experience with this
* Magazine holders and Speed Loader holders
* My take/feelings about leather vs kydex vs plastic
* A new gun purchase (Sig P365 XL) and a IWB/OWB hybrid holster (leather & kydex). And I will try this as a pocket carry as well. This gun will replace my Glock 17 and Sig P228 in my EDC rotation. I have not purchased this gun yet. And a little farther down the line a J Frame revolver.

too easy...

Member quotes….

too easy...

...
I'm dense.... please provide graphic illustration of what you're talking about.
 

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I'm dense.... please provide graphic illustration of what you're talking about.
 

heads

Here is a nice article that stresses comfort over everything else.

COMFORTABLE CARRY

THINKING ABOUT THE DECISION
OF WHAT TO CARRY AND HOW

https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/montana-musings/comfortable-carry/

EDC MICRO-CARRY

AN NAA .22 MAG. ANCHORS MIKE’S DEEP-COVER CARRY RIG!

https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/concealed-carry/edc-micro-carry/

HOW MUCH AMMO IS ENOUGH?

https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/how-much-ammo-do-you-need-to-carry/

Next installments will be as follows (maybe not in this order);

* A new gun purchase (Sig P365 XL) and a IWB/OWB hybrid holster (leather & kydex).

Buying a holster is more difficult than buying a bra. I make this statement based on hours of shopping with my wife at the Ala Moana mall. When you buy the wrong holster, you normally cannot return it. When I ordered two Safariland holsters for the Glock 19, I thought they were different enough to warrant getting one with waist attachments and one without. Both could be configured for OWB carry, so they were identical functionally. This meant that I bought two holsters when one would have been satisfactory. Then I realized that either I am a poor shot or I need a flashlight and laser beam to improve my aim. This requires a brand new holster, rendering the first two, useless. Trying not to make the same mistake with the Sig P365 XL. This was ordered with a Sig Romeo red dot sight, which comes with an outer protector. I will bet you that when I finally order a holster for that small gun, the fit will be off. Obviously, if the Young vs. Hawaii case turns out in our favor, this will create another wrinkle (CCW) in the process of selecting a holster.

I have a bunch of other handguns in the ordering pipeline. They have top, bottom, or both types of rails. The ones with the long rails have at least two mounting locations for the optics. This forces me to wait until I determine the spot that is most balanced. This further delays the process of getting a holster.

We need a list of vendors whose choices are not limited to one or two types of optics, or one barrel length. Not all guns are sized like Jayne Mansfield or Audrey Hepburn. I need a holster maker who uses real handguns, not blueprints based on rough estimates, when they craft their holsters.

In this part of my holster experience I will dive into what I have learned from pocket carry.

Pocket carry for me has been an eye opening experience. While I enjoy carrying my firearms IWB and OWB I have issues with both of these types of carry. Mostly my issues stem from my being overweight and also not being used to carrying 3-4 pounds of dead weight in a single spot on my body. This doesn’t sound like much but ask anyone who carries a firearm for a living what it was like in the beginning.

Trying to carry a heavy fully loaded firearm on my hip or behind my hip causes muscle fatigue to set in after 4-6 hours. After 8 hours I am ready to take the holster off and relax. Also, being older I also occasionally suffer from sciatica which is a pinched nerve that runs up and down my leg. That alone can be quite painful. Carrying on my hip or behind occasionally causes my sciatica to flare up.

My next purchase is going to be the smallest and lightest 9mm pistol I feel fits my hand the best and that I can shoot competently. I have decided on the Sig Sauer P365 XL. I have chosen the XL because I have a larger hand and it seems to fit better in my hand than the slightly smaller P365. I will write about my carry experiences with this pistol after I buy one and a holster to fit. Hopefully, it will solve some of my physical issues with carrying IWB and OWB.

In the meantime a good friend of mine met me at the range one day. He had this little mouse gun that he had just bought. I am not big fan of mouse guns. That is until now. The gun he has is a Ruger LCP Max in .380ACP. I also was not enamored with this round as it is quite low in power. As a review this new LCP comes with one 10 round magazine. But 12 round magazines can be purchased for it. That can give you 12+1 rounds that can be dumped quickly into someone attacking you. That is not insignificant and was not lost on me.

My friend offered to let me shoot the little gun. Now I have shot LCP’s before. Both the original LCP and the LCP II. While the LCP II is much better than the original I was not very impressed. But after his letting me fire his LCP Max, I have to say I was hooked. I immediately went out and bought one for myself. This little gun is soft shooting but has a lot of muzzle flip which is very controllable. The gun comes with a tritium front sight and I can see it and place it on target extremely fast. I can recover from my previous shot very quickly and get the next shot off very quickly. I can literally dump all 13 rounds off almost as fast as I can pull the trigger and maintain acceptable control of the gun.

Now let’s look at the .380ACP round. I don’t want to get into a comparison between the 9mm Luger and .380ACP rounds. The 9mm takes the prize in almost every category. Except size/compactness. The .380ACP uses a 9mm projectile in the 90gr-100gr range at approximately 1,000 fps. And in terms of foot/pounds you are looking at about 175-200 or so. My feeling is if I have at least 13 rounds plus a possible extra 12 round or 15 round magazine, I can put the hurt on someone attacking me. The first 13 are going in very quickly. If you consider shot placement I do not feel under gunned with this little piece at all. Consider this, more people are killed in the US every year by a .22 than any other caliber. And considering this gun should be used at bad breath distances, a head shot is not out of the question.

So what about a holster and carry options? The LCP Max comes with a Ruger nylon pocket carry holster which is just a cheap holster designed for pocket carry for any gun of that size. Actually, Ruger says any LCP or LCP II holster will work with the LCP Max. This holster is padded. And when the gun is inserted it is very flat and pretty much the same size as a phone or wallet length and width wise. When you place this rig in your front pocket, it fits beautifully. It does not print to say “I have a gun” at all. It says I am carrying my phone or wallet.

What is really amazing about carrying this rig in the pocket is comfort! I can carry this rig all day and night and forget it is there ready if needed. It is the most comfortable way I have found to carry a firearm. I can sit and stand and walk without any discomfort at all. The padded nylon holster along with the diminutive size and weight of the gun is the key IMHO. I keep thinking I want to get a specialized kydex or leather holster for this gun. But my thoughts are this. The padded nylon is so comfortable that I think a hard leather or kydex holster will be uncomfortable while sitting and walking. If the nylon holster gets funky from sweat, it can be cleaned or even replaced quite cheaply. When I go out now with my wife to a place where I feel having a firearm would be a no no I carry this rig every time. When I am just going around town running errands and shopping I carry IWB/OWB and I conceal it the best I can. I can honestly say if concealment is your number one priority then pocket carry is the way to go. The IWB/OWB carry methods can and do print under certain circumstances. Maybe not much and maybe not often, but pocket carry done right does not print and say “I have a firearm”.

What about draw and draw speed you might ask? Well, that would be an excellent question. Pocket carry has its downsides and that is slower draw and getting to the firearm in order to draw can be a problem. When I carry in the pocket I make sure I have a loose fitting shirt when it is cold, and a tucked in t-shirt when it is warm. I have practiced drawing from the pocket and just getting to the gun is slowed down due to the location. But also, the draw is different with a pocket carry. When carrying in the front pocket of pants the gun is facing down towards the ground. I have to draw up first to get the gun near the top of the pocket. Then I have to turn the gun approximately 90 degrees so it is pointing forward and then pull the gun out towards the rear. At this point the gun can be fired while still in the pocket if it is deemed necessary to do so. I turn the gun 90 degrees so the tab on the pocket holster grabs at the pocket and is left in the pocket during the draw. Some pocket holsters have sticky material and some have tabs and some have both. So far the sticky material on my holster does not keep it in my pocket. You want the holster to stay in the pocket during the draw so you can get your finger into the trigger guard. The tab that is built in to the holster will stop the holster at the top of the pocket so the firearm can be withdrawn from the holster when you turn the firearm 90 degrees as I described.

When I start wearing my cold winter coat/jacket (I have two different coats/jackets) the LCP Max goes in the pocket of my coat/jacket. Once again, it is quite comfortable to carry this way and you can forget it is there ready for you. In this case the firearm is facing forward so having to draw from this position can be a little faster and less complicated. However, make sure the pocket holster tab catches at the pocket entrance or you will be drawing a gun with the holster still on and the trigger guard covered. Some feel it is better to pocket carry in this way without a holster. It can be fairly quick because there is always the possibility you can fire while it is still in your pocket. Again, this is not always recommended but sometimes an attacker needs to feel that first shot before you feel his attack.

Remember, the more clothes you have to wear to stay warm, the harder it will be to draw from an IWB/OWB holster since heavy coats/jackets will cover your firearm and slow down your draw even to the point of preventing you from getting to your firearm when under duress. This is why a good pocket carry option should always be available to you.

If you pocket carry without a holster you must constantly maintain your firearm from lint and dirt. This is why so many prefer revolvers. They just work. Lint or dirt or crud does not usually stop them. With this said, I am planning more pocket pistol purchases. There will be a revolver or two as well.

So there we are with my experience with carrying in the pocket. I hope this helps you to decide whether this method is right for you or not.