Avoiding the pile of $50 to $75 Mistakes

[Leadeye]

HH Heiser, from 1903 still going strong.

 

[Tomc1947]

Buy used, then your only making a $20 mistake.

 

[foszoe]

Being left handed I totally lack the convenience of trying holsters on in a store, or even finding one. I found a lightly used Milt Sparks VM 2 for a Glock 19 on EBay and have never looked back. Currently I'm carrying a shield in a PJ IWB holster I found on EBay for $25, Half the price and no wait. Ebay has become my holster shopping store, I have bought holsters online that I know I would like and didn't own the gun yet, the joy of being left handed.

Yeah. Just yeah.

Being left handed if it wasn't for the internet, I would be hard pressed to find a holster

 

[bwframe]

I'd start the search with listening only to those that carry all the awake hours. Then look at the professionals among that group.

Not a professional here, but I carry when awake. 100% in form fitted Kydex for guns and mags. Henry Holsters, CCK Holsters, Raven and Bravo.

 

[tbhausen]

Being left handed I totally lack the convenience of trying holsters on in a store, or even finding one. I found a lightly used Milt Sparks VM 2 for a Glock 19 on EBay and have never looked back. Currently I'm carrying a shield in a PJ IWB holster I found on EBay for $25, Half the price and no wait. Ebay has become my holster shopping store, I have bought holsters online that I know I would like and didn't own the gun yet, the joy of being left handed.

I feel your pain. I ordered a holster and mag carrier for my P-1O C from Blackpoint Tactical. It will be here by the weekend and I will let everyone know how it works out.

 

[snapping turtle]

The gun show boxes have worked very well in the past for me. Just brought the pistol in with me (sometimes over and over) looked at the back for the makers mark. You know the names to look for after a while. Then a fit test for the gun. Leather holsters can and will stretch or shrink (yes old guy here who likes leather). It is like dating you might not find the prefect one right away. But you might find one that does for a while.

 

[M67]

I forgot about this thread
And after the liquor store run tonight

I thought it might be about bourbon

 

[Gunaria]

Nothing wrong with bourbon, keep trying to you find the right sip.

 

[Small's]

For the most part gun stores carry garbage for holsters. You will mostly see uncle mike, serpa and just about everything else that you dont want. From my experience so far i would say get a could kydex holster with a good attachment setup. Most of the places ive trained at recommend staying away from the plastic belt clips you see on alot of kydex holsters. At some point you will draw and the holster will come out with the gun. If your a belt guy the belt loops are hard to beat.. Many different flavors out there. Some sound like great ideas until you actually try to train with them. I have a small pile of holsters i have tried with my g19. Ive tried alien gear, mic, kydex with belt loop, fobus when i was a rookie "mistake"and a kydex with ulticlip. The one i use the most is cooks iwb ulticlip then a kydex with belt loops.

 

[88E30M50]

For me, the Kramer OWB Scabbard in horsehide works really well. Once I found that one holster that seemed to be perfect to me, I started to buy them for every gun that gets carried. I used to carry them on an MTAC Kydex reinforced gun belt, but with the last holster ordered for a P01, I bought a gun belt off of Kramer at the same time. The biggest issue with the Kramer holsters is the 12 week wait.

 

[Daggy]

I'm afraid there's no way around it. I have different pairs of shoes for different occasions, the same with holsters. Some of us keep buying and selling guns to find something better, so we deal with holsters the same way. The only difference is that holsters are too cheap to bother selling.

 

[Bapak2ja]

I started with the index that came with the weapon in the box. Worked OK while I was learning about this whole firearm carry thing. Tried the cheap Uncle Mike, for about one week. Visited a gun store with an experienced CC person, and bought my first IWB leather holster. Sold it with the G26.

Eventually came across High Noon holsters. Found excellent leather for all my carry pieces for 03:00 carry. Discovered I needed something different for when I was in the car. Came across this at my LGS. (Sorry about the size of that photo. Strange things happen when trying to post photos on this forum. Things are a LOT easier on taurusarmed.net and Marlinowners.com. Over there I just have to drag and drop.)

I carry it cross draw when traveling, and at church. Works great.

I also picked up a beautiful hand-belt and slide holster in Pigeon Forge. I use it when I do not care if the CC prints or lets the barrel peak out under the shirt tail.

The only one I have that I never use, and will never use, is the cheap Uncle Mike's. That one is dangerous!

My procedure was to talk with folks who had experience. Do my research online, reading all the available reviews. Talk to folks in the LGSs and at the gun shows. I think I have done pretty well in that I only have one holster that is never used.

 

[Goodcat]

I'm fond of constantly buying holsters until you have more holsters for each of your primary carry pistols than you own firearms, then leaving several drawers full and never taking the time to sell any you don't use!

 

[indygunguy]

I'm fond of constantly buying holsters until you have more holsters for each of your primary carry pistols than you own firearms, then leaving several drawers full and never taking the time to sell any you don't use!

That's exactly what I do. I love holsters, but I'd be very afraid to know how many I actually own.

There must be a support group for guys like us. Oh wait, there is!

 

[halfmileharry]

I've NEVER owned a holster I haven't had to modify or "tweak" to fit ME. I'm not good at fitting to a holster.
Heat guns, drills, dremels, knife, etc are all in line for me.
My present Raven Concealment needed nothing for my Glock 19. My Raven Concealment for my full size 1911 took about an hour with a heat gun to properly fit up. There's so many variations of 1911s in safety size, ambi, sights, mag releases, etc that a little tweaking is expected for me.
Oh, I cleaned out an extra sock drawer just for old or "wrong" holsters.

 

[russc2542]

Ah, the one Achilles heel of my P7: Parts & Accessories. Find me a store that carries a holster for a P7! Even for my more plebeian guns there's usually only the same few unappealing choices of holsters at any given store.

The gun show boxes have worked very well in the past for me. Just brought the pistol in with me (sometimes over and over) looked at the back for the makers mark. You know the names to look for after a while. Then a fit test for the gun. Leather holsters can and will stretch or shrink (yes old guy here who likes leather). It is like dating you might not find the prefect one right away. But you might find one that does for a while.

Don't bother with the smaller shows but big shows like the 1500 usually have multiple good size venders that you can try out a few. Last one I went to I found two nice leather rigs and a sticky that fit at a booth that was just tables of holsters lined up in boxes alphabetically.

I'm afraid there's no way around it. I have different pairs of shoes for different occasions, the same with holsters. Some of us keep buying and selling guns to find something better, so we deal with holsters the same way. The only difference is that holsters are too cheap to bother selling.

Get rid of a gun? What are these strange words you speak?

About different rigs for different situations, true. IWB for CC general out and about. OWB around the house, yard, some out and about. Sticky for day-to-day due to daycare and work being unfriendly and not wanting to spend the day with an empty holster belted up.

 

[doublesharp]

I've got a box full of unloved holsters but since I've discovered Remoras that's all I use for semi autos.

 

[LarryC]

Guess I am a little different, I carried a Colt 45 (Double Eagle) for many years. I used a nylon shoulder when I wore a suit (most of my working life when traveling) that concealed well, was quite comfortable, secure and provided easy quick access to the gun. It had pants "clips" and provision for 1 or 2 magazines. When I didn't wear a suit I used a left hand Uncle Mike at 6 o'clock (wore out 2 or 3) Never had any issues.

At present I carry a Kimber Solo. This was a gift from 2 of my sons, at the next gun show atTipton, I ran into a dealer that had 2 holsters for the Kimber Solo, one was Nylon and the other a leather Galco ISTB. Both were sold as used, but I couldn't see any wear on the Galco, I purchased both for $30, love the Galco. I wear solid leather belts (purchased at a Gun Show) and these have served me well, doubt I would ever spend the money on a "dedicated firearm" belt.

Yeah, I have practiced drawing and firing my handguns from all my holsters, I feel very confident I can draw, and in the case of the Kimber, release the safety and fire very quickly. I also practiced with the 45, it has zero safeties, just a de-cocker and is a SA/DA so will fire when the trigger is pulled even if de-cocked, again, I had no issue with drawing and firing quickly.