You’ve probably noticed that there’s no shortage of options for concealed carry holsters. The problem is, many of them are garbage. Remember the cheap, black nylon one-size-fits-all number with the flimsy, stamped metal clip? Yes, the one you slide your gun into and hope it stays put. This one and others like it claim they’re made to carry anything, but in reality, they don’t hold anything well.
Or how about the leather pancake that was the harness for your granddaddy’s Model 10? They’re the ones that many of us started with because it was what was handed down to us or it was in the gun store and we just didn’t know any better. We’re here to tell you that everyday carry (EDC) holster technology has grown by orders of magnitude since then.
Today’s custom Kydex and hybrid holsters (Kydex+leather or Kydex+another material) offer a better fit for your gun, great gun retention, greater comfort when you wear it, and more safety. All with the same handmade quality as traditional leather holsters.
Carry More Gun with a Custom Holster
When carrying a gun, you want it to be hidden, secure, and available to be readily employed to defend your life. As with many things, trade-offs exist. If you want the ultimate in concealment, you’re probably opting to pocket-carry a tiny .380 mouse gun.
While that’s certainly better than no gun at all, a small, difficult-to-shoot .380 stuffed in your pocket is hardly an easy draw compared to an outside-the-waistband (OWB) or inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster. Plus, these are often single-stack designs that carry 6 or 9 rounds of ammo.
If you want the greatest degree of instant access to your gun, you’ll probably open carry, which is permitted in several states. If you’re not restrained by having to keep your gun concealed, the tendency is to carry a larger, higher capacity gun. However, if you can’t open carry and must carry concealed, it’s more difficult to hide a full-size or compact pistol. Or is it? This is where custom-fitted holsters come in.
A custom-fitted holster lets you hide more gun under less clothing. Many responsibly armed citizens feel the need to “dress around the gun,” and that’s usually necessary to some degree, but with a custom holster, not as much.
Typically, if your gun is riding where it should, which is high and tight to your body, all that’s needed to conceal even an OWB gun is a longer-fitting, loose T-shirt. Yes, it’ll print if you bend over or peek out from underneath your shirt if you reach up high, but the reality is that almost no one is watching to see if you’re carrying a gun.
When was the last time you scanned everyone in the Walmart to see if they were packing? Probably never. That said, greater concealment is just one way that a custom holster gives you greater peace of mind.
Let’s dig into more reasons why the best option for concealed carry is a custom-fitted holster.
Custom Holsters Offer Greater Comfort
Carrying a firearm isn’t a decision you arrived at lightly. You’ve chosen to take your safety into your own hands, which is smart. Given today’s popularity for defunding police and cutting department budgets, you should make that choice. As the cliche goes, “when seconds count, the police are minutes away.” While this isn’t their fault, police can’t be everywhere all at once or get someplace in an instant.
Anything can happen at any moment, and you do not want to be unprepared. It’s a better idea for you to ensure that you and your loved one are best protected from threats of deadly violence. The best way to do this is to carry a pistol.
Another axiom says that carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable. These guys probably used the aforementioned black nylon holsters. It’s true that carrying two pounds of steel on your belt isn’t as comfortable as wearing slippers and sweatpants, but that’s not the point. However, carrying a gun does not have to be uncomfortable.
In the holster world like many others, you get what you pay for. Junk in, junk out. Getting a holster that’s designed for your exact gun, or gun and light, or gun with a light and optic combo is absolutely the best thing you can do when you decide to start carrying a gun.
Custom Kydex or hybrid holsters are more comfortable than most. Kydex won’t chafe you or get hot and sweaty like nylon. Most custom EDC holsters are sculpted and have rounded and deburred edges.
Kydex holsters are smaller by nature because they’re form-fitted to the gun, leaving little or no excess material hanging off the top, sides, or bottom. Extra material anywhere on a holster (especially IWB) is bound to poke, gouge, or rub you the wrong way. Making sure that the shape of the holster mimics that of the gun as closely as possible is best accomplished by a custom-fitted holster.
If you’ve rolled your eyes at someone who said they forget they’re carrying a gun, he might not necessarily be lying. He may just have a great, custom-fitted holster. If wearing or carrying your gun isn’t comfortable, guess what you’re less likely to do? Carry the gun.
Custom Holsters Are More Secure
Most custom Kydex or hybrid holsters come with several options for attaching the holster to your belt. Some outside-the-waistband (OWB) holsters have “wings,” or belt loops molded into the sides of the holster. Others use either permanent or snap-lock loops or use hard loops. There are other methods of attaching a holster to a belt, but these are the three most common, and all are stellar options.
Most inside-the-waistband (IWB) holsters utilize snap-lock loops, steel clips, or a large, single plastic clip. Again, these are all proven retention methods when properly utilized.
An advantage with custom holsters is that they’re going to either come standard with the best option for your gun, or give you a couple of choices, all of which are good. Generic do-all holsters usually have a flimsy stamped steel clip that’s prone to bending, and that’s it. These can pop off of your belt, which can dump the holster and gun if you bend over.
A test to see how good your holster is— or isn’t— is to stick your UNLOADED gun in it, hold it by the belt loop(s) and carefully turn it upside down. If the gun stays put, you’ve got a decent rig. If it falls out, it’s time to scrap it and get a real holster.
You want enough retention that the holster stays put when jostled or even inverted. If it has that retention, you’ll be reasonably sure your sidearm will stay put in the event you fall, have to run, or are involved in an altercation.
Custom Holsters Are Safer
A custom Kydex holster is safer than generic nylon do-all numbers. They retain their shape when you draw your gun, fully protect the trigger, and feature a precise fit that ensures a better grasp on your gun. When training, you’re going to want to practice drawing from a holster and putting rounds on target.
Drawing and reholstering over and over again is great for muscle memory that will kick in under stress. However, if your holster collapses each time you draw, you won’t train as much because getting your gun to go back into the holster is a pain. Plus, reholstering your gun in a collapsed holster is more dangerous. The sides of a cheap generic holster can collapse inward, creating a potentially dangerous situation.
As previously mentioned, custom-fitted holsters are made specifically for your gun or gun/light/optic combo. A critical aspect of the fit is ensuring that the trigger is covered. Many holsters index and create tension off of several points on your gun, and the trigger guard is a common one.
Sloppy generic holsters don’t index off of anything, and you’re left with a loose fit and subpar retention. Try to jog or run with a cheap holster and see how quickly you reach for your gun to keep it from popping out.
Custom Holsters Offer Greater Customization
Another thing you won’t get with one-size-fits-all gimmicks is a totally custom experience. With a mass-produced holster, you get something that “fits” an auto or a revolver, and that’s it. With a custom holster, you get more options for colors, patterns, finishes, materials, and sizes to deliver a true custom holster that’s made for your exact gun to your exact specifications.
We give you the option to add a splash of color or even camouflage to your rig for a truly personal touch.
Last Thoughts
In summary, when you choose a custom holster, you’re getting the most important thing built right in: peace of mind. The knowledge that you’ve got a holster that’s made to your liking and tailor-made to fit your exact gun, and nothing else, gives you great confidence. That delivers a greater degree of certainty when you strap your pistol on that can’t be found in cheap, generic offerings.
One thing we are sure of: after experiencing the security and comfort of a custom holster, you will never want to go back.
April 17, 2023