[SmittyJ]

I, like many, have a drawer full of holsters! As I have whittled down my array of hand guns I have been giving away those tat are no longer of use, but, I still have about 5 per gun! IWB, OWB, Leather, Kydex, ????. So, I decided to do a sort of in depth study of what really works best for me.

Now to start, I'm not a little guy, 6' and 280#. I'm not a fancy guy, usually Jeans & T shirt and Un-tucked shirt or Photo Vest and cowboy hat so for the most part concealment is not a problem no matter the size of gun. Dress-up might be battening the shirt! LOL

Carry choices / handguns have been narrowed to Sig P320C W/Wilson Combat Grip, M&P9 4.25 and Shield Plus 9. I Have 2 M&P 9s, a 1.0 modified with 2.0 palm swells, Night Sights and Apex Trigger (wife has the same) and a 2.0 Pro Series with suppressor height fiber optic sights. (these pose a problem with some holsters)

Holster choices: Generally, I find Leather OWB the most comfortable except for the shield. Due to it's slim size it just disappears with a BlackRhino TCS. I also find the Pancake style works the best for weight distribution and concealment.
For my P320 I have a Safariland 577GLS that I really like for the retention system but their 534 or their Leather version would conceal much better. I also have the BR TCS bot it it bulky for IWB use. I have two OWB leather pancake style holsters for this gun, a 1791 BH2.4s which I love and also fits both M&P9s and a Simply Rugged Cuda which is nice but does not hug the body like previous SR holsters I have purchased. Choice for the P320C Is the 1791, heavy, stiff and reinforced, actually over built for this gun.
For the M&Ps I have a Chicago Kydex, good construction but needs a stiff belt and does not hug the body well. I have a DeSantis Speed Scabbard from S&W I bought for the 1.0 that is absolutely great, hard, light and molded like Kydex but actually leather, hugs the body great but giving it to wifie! I have two equally good options in the earlier mentioned 1791 and a Simply Rugged Cuda that was made for a P226 Sig that fits the M&P9 2.0 perfectly (well, with a 1/2" extra length) and for some reason hugs the body and seems so much more secure than the newer version. This one is 20 years old and well used and still like new. I might have to look into a new belt though, my SR belt is about 25 years old. LOL

I have to say, with a the mayhem that has been going on I have been carrying all waking hours and given these guys a workout and at the beginning the Shield was my go to choice, now it it the Sig unless a camping outing. But, to be honest with a good pancake style holster I do not notice the weight difference. Sig to S&W is +4 oz and 2 rounds so not muck added weight.

Oh, and my gun and setup choices, they all feel the same when I hold them so to me it is like I am shooting the same one.

Just my thoughts, FWIW!

 

[bearcatter]

I'm no better on the holster drawer, except my drawer is 50 cal ammo cans.
I have 7 models of holster for my 2 Guardians, and 5 more duplicates. So that's 12. OWB, pocket.
I have 4 for my 2 Bearcats, plus 1 duplicate. That's 5. All OWB.
Two for my 3 Zastavas, and both are duplicated. That's 4. OWB
Three for my .22 SP101, and 2 duplicates. That's 5. OWB

That's 16 different holsters for 4 types of gun, 26 total holsters for 8 total guns....

I like leather with a belt loop and thumb break best, but only 5 are. I have 1 pancake I don't really like. Six are nylon. No Kydex.

Leather - Desert Gun Leather, Don Hume, Hunter, Mitch Rosen, TripleK.
Nylon - Allen, Bianchi, Sticky, Uncle Mike

I'd like a crossdraw for my Zastavas, but lucky to have figured out the two I've got, Hunter and Uncle Mike....

 

[Terry_P]

I have a holster drawer as well. My carry 95% is a Sig P938 in the strongside front pocket in a DeSantis pocket holster. I have a Theis IWB hybrid that I think I have carried it once in it. It's a nice holster but the 938 is made for pocket carry. The other 5% (big city usually Tallahassee, FL) is a P320 SC in .40 S&W in a Simply Rugged Cuda OWB leather or a Crossbreed Supertuck IWB (another hybrid leather/kydex). The room for a IWB tends to vary with me with my caloric intake but I just feel more comfortable with the OWB. There is something about reholstering a striker fired gun that gives me the heebie jeebies and even more so with an IWB holster. Other times going to the big city I've been known to carry my P938 as I normally do and my Bond Snake Slayer with 000 buck in a Driving Holster which rides parallel on the belt. It's velcro attached around the belt so I take it off and lock it in the console when I get where I'm going. With the 000 Buckshot it's like getting hit with 3 or 4 38's at the same time which might discourage someone that wants to jack the car.

 

[bearcatter]

Actual use, for my Guardians I like a Don Hume pocket, or OWB Mitch Rosen thumb break with a belt clip. Both discontinued, so I bought extras.
Bearcats, Hunter Snap-Off.
Zastavas, Hunter Versafit.
SP, Triple K.

 

[SmittyJ]

I have a holster drawer as well. My carry 95% is a Sig P938 in the strongside front pocket in a DeSantis pocket holster. I have a Theis IWB hybrid that I think I have carried it once in it. It's a nice holster but the 938 is made for pocket carry. The other 5% (big city usually Tallahassee, FL) is a P320 SC in .40 S&W in a Simply Rugged Cuda OWB leather or a Crossbreed Supertuck IWB (another hybrid leather/kydex). The room for a IWB tends to vary with me with my caloric intake but I just feel more comfortable with the OWB. There is something about reholstering a striker fired gun that gives me the heebie jeebies and even more so with an IWB holster. Other times going to the big city I've been known to carry my P938 as I normally do and my Bond Snake Slayer with 000 buck in a Driving Holster which rides parallel on the belt. It's velcro attached around the belt so I take it off and lock it in the console when I get where I'm going. With the 000 Buckshot it's like getting hit with 3 or 4 38's at the same time which might discourage someone that wants to jack the car.

I forgot about the pocket holster, I rarely use it because the BR TCS is so easy to snap on. Wifie uses it occasionally when she uses a purse that doesnt have a gun pocket. I do like the Crossbreed Supertuck, that would be good for either the P320 or M&P.

 

[bearcatter]

Do you guys have holsters just for the range? I usually use my nylon ones except I don't have Bearcat nylon. Which means my OWB leather is rarely used. I only have it because every gun should have good leather, but I don't want to scuff it up....

 

[Terry_P]

No range holsters. When I get to the range I'll set the firearm on the bench and put the holster in the range bag.

 

[SmittyJ]

Most indoor ranges around here don't allow drawing from a holster and outdoor only for competitions. I do have what I consider Field or Open Carry holsters, those not really suited for concealed carry. I do have one that I have had for 65 years that has served me well for a Fanner Fifty, Colt Frontier Scout, Kimber 4" 1911 and now a M&P 9, LOL It is a highly modifier WWII US Army surplus holster I got as a kid, had to do a little wet forming for the M&P, LOL That sucker has been around for a lot of years and seen a lot of different guns over the years, just can't seem to part with it. Wifie's M&P came with what they called a Range Kit and has a Fobus holster included.

 

[bearcatter]

I'm not used to indoor ranges. The one my brother "dragged" me out to was the first in a long time. The holster is for outdoors, walking out to targets or the "outhouse". It's unsupervised , and I don't leave a gun on the bench farther than arm's reach. Over the last few years, two people, that I know of, had handguns "walk off". Heard that one lost an AR somehow. There's been more, I'm sure.
That surplus holster sounds pretty durable! Isn't it a little big for an M&P?
I'm surprised that a S&W came with a Fobus, Israeli made. I like their holsters, tupperware beats Kydex. Like the belt or "Roto" mount, not the paddle. They don't make anything for what I've got now. I'd love one for a Zastava. I'd get the Roto for crossdraw.

 

[JamesCC]

This post is eye opening. I only have one holster but after I’m reading this and seeing there is a lot of folks that have more than one

 

[bearcatter]

I'll probably never use most of mine, but as soon as I threw one out, I'd have a need for it.....

 

[SmittyJ]

I'm not used to indoor ranges. The one my brother "dragged" me out to was the first in a long time. The holster is for outdoors, walking out to targets or the "outhouse". It's unsupervised , and I don't leave a gun on the bench farther than arm's reach. Over the last few years, two people, that I know of, had handguns "walk off". Heard that one lost an AR somehow. There's been more, I'm sure.
That surplus holster sounds pretty durable! Isn't it a little big for an M&P?
I'm surprised that a S&W came with a Fobus, Israeli made. I like their holsters, tupperware beats Kydex. Like the belt or "Roto" mount, not the paddle. They don't make anything for what I've got now. I'd love one for a Zastava. I'd get the Roto for crossdraw.

Upon further research of the S&W holster, I opened the case and looked at it!, it is a Bladetech holster. Locks like it will do the job though. If she doesn't like it she can use the DeSantis Speed Scabbard, she has a Mini Scabbard for her Shield.
The old US Army 1911 flap holster has seen a lot of surgery and wet forming over the years!

 

[JamesCC]

Upon further research of the S&W holster, I opened the case and looked at it!, it is a Bladetech holster. Locks like it will do the job though. If she doesn't like it she can use the DeSantis Speed Scabbard, she has a Mini Scabbard for her Shield.
The old US Army 1911 flap holster has seen a lot of surgery and wet forming over the years!

i again only have one holster the tier 1 on my kore nylon belt. I am curious though why people buy more than one?

 

[SmittyJ]

i again only have one holster the tier 1 on my kore nylon belt. I am curious though why people buy more than one?

Options! lol My most comfortable and concealable:
Shield Plus - BlackRhino TCS set to IWB
Sig P320C - Simply Rugged Cuda OWB
S&W M&P9 - DeSantis Speed Scabbard OWB
For Field or Range:
Shield Plus - 1791 OWB
Sig P320C - 1791 or BlackRhino TCS set to OWB
S&W M&P9 Simply Rugged Cuda (actually for P226 but fits great) or Chicago Kydex OWB

I like the Kydex for our normally wet weather and ease of re-holstering at the range. I also use a Blackhawk chest type carry system when riding on ATVs for convenience.

I forgot about the Safariland 577GLS I bought for our cross country trip for the P320C. For the states that allowed open carry but did not honor my CPL, I wanted a little extra retention. It's a great field holster ad not bad for concealment with a jacket or vest.

I will say, for a single choice holster, I would go with the BlackRhino Concealment TCS system. It works well for both OWB and IWB!

 

[SmittyJ]

Well, my holster evaluation expanded. Since the explosion of shootings and just overall random crime has managed to gravitate to our side of the water and our lack of range time, we have been doing some draw and present / dry fire drills periodically through the day with unloaded and safe regular weapons. This especially helps me because of the dead/blind spot at the center of my right strong side eye.
These drills have also helped me evaluate my two M&P 9s the 1.0 with Apex short reach/reset trigger and 2.0 palm swells and the Performance Center 2.0. The 2.0 is a couple of ounces heavier but always felt fatter and has bothered me. My 1. and P320C with the Wilson Combat grip mod feel the same but the 2.0, just no. I finally determined it was the stippling on the sides of the grip frame. Now, everyone is raving about the new 2.0 Metal but the grip is just like the 1.0, not the 2.0. So, I filed down the first two stippled strips too the front and that helped but, I Miced the grip and the 2.0 is 1/16" wider! Doesn't seem like much but feels like a lot and would take a lot of grinding, but, there's those damned interchangeable palm swells! So, changed the 2.0 from medium to small and got rid of my 1/16". Problem solved! Now, I just have to replace the fiber-optic suppressor height sights on the 2.0 so it fits in the DeSantis Speed Scabbard and life is good! Love S&W! Well, and SIG! LOL

 

[bearcatter]

I guess I'm blessed, I don't have much to choose from. My Zs have zero grip options and two OWB holsters. The Guardians are a little better, 2 grips and a half dozen holsters that cover all the postions.

 

[SmittyJ]

I guess I'm blessed, I don't have much to choose from. My Zs have zero grip options and two OWB holsters. The Guardians are a little better, 2 grips and a half dozen holsters that cover all the postions.

That was kind of my goal with paring down everything between the wife and I since her go to was the Shield and mine was the M&P but I'm blaming her because she bought me the P320C. We have maintained the one caliber and lots of interchangeable mags for the M&Ps so they are the main home defense besides shotguns.