What do you expect in a holster?

I purchased a used gun today and it came with a very nice Alien Gear holster that I expect cost someone a pretty penny. I don't think I'll ever use it and am ordering the kind of holster I want. Am I just weird or should I not expect my holster to:

1. Allow me to take it off and on with the gun holstered. Being able to remove and replace the holster easily with the gun in it is a safety issue. Why would I want to have to handle my loaded & chambered weapon next to my sleeping girlfriend when I go to bed (yeah, there's a joke in there somewhere).

2. Allow me to put it on/take it off without undoing my belt/pants. Typically ones that require undoing the belt fail number 1 above, besides just being a PITA.

3. Allow me to re-holster my weapon with minimal effort or groping. This is a training issue. If you can't re-holster easily and accurately you will not train, it's too much of a PITA.

This type of holster does none of those things. It typically takes a full Kydex holster to do these three things but to me they are critical. Sure leather is nice and distributing the weight across more area is nice, but it comes at too high a price IMHO.

Anyone want a um, nice PX-4 holster?

Does it come with a magazine?

If you swap the J clips for over the belt clips it should. You may even be able to just flip those and mount them to the lower screw hole.
I have a Foxx hybrid that easily does all those things #3 did take it being well broken in and trimming the sweatguard could improve on that.
That said most of mine are full kydex, and holster selection especially IWB is very personal.

Those are over the belt clips, just upside down.

Holsters need to do a few things. And that one likely does them.

Then there are things you might want your holster to do. And those are all subjective.

In the end, holsters are like shoes. Find what you like and stick with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Take a look at the Vedder Light Tuck or the Rapid Tuck, both single steel clip and very functional. Both will do everything you want and comfortably.

I like the CrossBreed, this is what the Alien should look like & it'll hide a subcompact with shorts and a light T-shirt.

The thing about the double clips is they bear the weight so much better for larger guns.

But I concur with all your points. I don’t use the double clip holsters for same reasons and would tend towards a lighter carry gun with full kydex and single clip.

NKD said:

The thing about the double clips is they bear the weight so much better for larger guns.

But I concur with all your points. I don’t use the double clip holsters for same reasons and would tend towards a lighter carry gun with full kydex and single clip.

Click to expand...

Yeah you know I think I was a little hard on it. For a gun this size and weight a full kydex with clip like the Infidel I use with my PPS might not be ideal, but I'm willing to try. There are many small outfits making kydex holsters these days, I won't have to pay Comp-Tac prices to get one made to try out.

I can't believe nobody said a gun. You guys are sleep'n.

My gun.

For IWB I prefer double clip hybrid style. Distributed weight well, seems more comfortable to me.

However; I also often use a single clip IWB keyed holster because they are easy to take on and off with the gun in it. Since where I work I can’t carry, it’s easier to use one in this we up.

For OWB I am a die hard pancake style holster like made by our very own Chief Jason. The construction, aesthetics, and utility all make them perfect for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

1 and 2 are not important to me unless its an AIWB.
Yes i have holsters from CJ and Two Fools and they both check all the boxes for me.

I stick to owb holsters any more and chief Jason’s leather fits the bill for me. I must take my belt out of a few loops to get it off but that’s a small inconvenience. His holsters hold tight and have stood up to years of use so far. My wife also carries using a chief Jason holster and while she’s not as picky as I am she has no complaints about it.

For me I base it on where I'm wearing it and what gun is in it. If it's a striker fired weapon I'm with you 100%. For a DA/SA like what I carry every day, I give it a little more flex in my standards. I know regardless of how I move it's not going to pull a 10-pound trigger, while in SA it might be a different story.