My Big Box of Holsters

One of the things that I stress in my Utah Concealed Firearm Permit classes is that if you are going to seriously carry a concealed firearm on a regular basis you should be prepared to invest in a number of holsters to suit a variety of situations. Taking this into account, there are two features that any concealed carry holster should possess. they should have some sort of retention device and they should cover the trigger.

These holsters don't have to be expensive, I have a couple of Uncle Mikes Super Belt Slide holsters that I have used on a regular basis for the last 15 or so years. While these holsters are nylon, they have held up every bit as well as the more expensive Galco leather holsters that I have.

Holster selection is always a compromise between security and concealment. I have a Safariland Level III police duty holster that I carried as a Reserve Police Officer that only allows the wearer to remove the firearm due to it's redundant retention mechanisms. But, that isn't practical because even with heavy winter garb there is no way that I could realistically conceal it.
Patrick Sweeney, noted author for Guns & Ammo magazine just wrote an excellent article on this very subject in the December 2009 titled RIGGED FOR WEAR.

Here are a few of my favorite holsters and the situation to which I find them appropriate.

Uncle Mike's Super Belt Slide & Side Bet Holsters
$12 - $20
This is my all around utility holster. I wear them if I am going to be in a situation where I might scuff a leather holster, but that I need a bit more concealment than the Blasckhawk SERPA.

Some of the nice things about these holsters are that they are inexpensive, hold up well, are very light and will work with a variety of firearms. One of the downsides is that when the firearms is drawn they collapse making reholstering a bit more difficult than if they maintained their shape as a plastic or leather holster does. Sometimes the ability to quickly and safely reholster is just as important as the ability to quickly present the firearm from the holster.

Bianchi Accumold Belt Slide Holster
$30 - $35

This holster fills essentially the same niche as the Uncle Mike's nylon holsters, but, is of higher quality and has a couple of neat features that the Uncle Mike's does not.

Most notable is that the belt loops are held together with snaps. This means that if you are carrying and find yourself in a situation where you must quickly remove you holster, such as needing to go into a Federal Building or Courthouse, you can just unsnap the holster and secure it in your vehicle. No need for the uncomfortable danceof trying to remove a holster from your belt all the while hoping that no one sees you.

It also stays open when the pistol is drawn, making reholstering with one hand much easier.

Uncle Mike's Inside the Pants Holster
$12 - $15

This holster breaks on of my rules for a concealed carry holster in that it doesn't feature some sort of retention device, but as I stated before, any holster is a compromise between concealability and security.

I use this holster primarily in the summer during shorts and t-shirt weather. It's hard to conceal a firearm using one of the other holsters when wearing a t-shirt because the end of the stock tends to print on the shirt. I wear this holster in a bit of an unconventional fashion. Instead of clipping it to my strong side hip in typical fashion, I position it in the small of my back. This means that I have to be even more situationally aware due to the lack of a retention device, but holds the Glock 27 close to my back which prevents printing and allows the t-shirt to conceal the pistol.



Galco F.L.E.T.C.H. High Ride Belt Holster
$85
What is there to say? The F.L.E.T.C.H. is a classic leather high ride holster. It serves about the same function as the Uncle Mike's Super Belt Slide and Side Bet holsters, just a little fancier. The rigid leather construction means that it maintains it's shape once the firearms is drawn, allowing for easy reholstering.

Blackhawk SERPA Concealment Holster
$50 - $60

I like the SERPA because of it's integral locking mechanism and the fact that the lock release is in an ergonomic position. Everyone should be practiced in indexing their trigger finger along the slide in order to keep your finger off the trigger until on target and ready to fire. This holster uses that instinctive position to unlock to mechanism.

Another thing that I like about the SERPA is that it comes with both a belt loop attachment and a paddle attachment. These screw onto the backside of the holster and the paddle allows for easy removal of the holster without removing the belt.

It isn't the easiest holster to conceal, but once again we get into that concealment vs security issue. It easily conceals under a light wind breaker, but you might have a hard time hiding it under a t-shirt.

These are just a few of the holsters that I like, your experience may vary. Go out and try a few different types because just like clothes, different holsters fit different people differently. A good gun shop will let you try a few out before you buy it.