Right or Left holster

Yes. If you shoot left handed you should definitely get a left handed holster.

As far as materials, nothing that holsters are typically made of will damage a gun.

The only time that this lefty ever had to carry his pistol in a right handed holster was when I was in the Army.

Sometimes it can be a bit of a hassle finding the perfect holster as a lefty, but that is no different than anything else in this right handed/wrong brained world. However, it is easier to find a good left handed holster than it is to find a good left handed pair of scissors.

Leather or kydex, both are good. I'd avoid nylon.

As far as holster wear goes, here's an excerpt from the Milt Sparks "Questions" page

https://www.miltsparks.com/questions.php

The act of drawing your pistol from whatever container you choose to carry your weapon in creates friction at the points of contact. Eventually those points will begin to show signs of wear. For that reason, it would be unreasonable to expect that your personal sidearm will remain in pristine condition forever. It does not matter whether your holster is lined or un-lined, as a lined holster simply delays the inevitable. If you carry and use your gun, the finish on your gun will wear. We prefer to call it “character”. A pristine gun in a pristine holster is not a tool that is being used.

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With this and another thread, you seem to be new and searching for some holster information. This video from the late Paul Gomez may be helpful to you.

Note all the holsters that he has, that is not uncommon for the average gun owner. No matter how much information you get, and even if you are able to sort through the stuff that is bad information (there is a lot) and the stuff that is good information, you are still going to have to go through some trial and error on your own. There really is no getting around it.

Even if you get a great holster the first time out, you'll find carrying a gun is not as comfortable as not carrying a gun. You'll figure that everybody else is carrying, and they must have a more comfortable holster than what you have, so you'll try that holster, and then another, and another, etc. That's just the way it goes.

I believe you commented you're looking for a holster for a full size Beretta PX4. Here's a video of Ernest Langdon's PX4 after 50,000 rounds, a number most of us will never shoot through our guns. His gun was holstered in, I believe a Safariland duty holster, and a Keepers Concealment kydex AIWB holster through most of this time. Note the wear on the PX4, which is not known for having a super durable finish. I think it looks pretty good. It is only a year old though.

You're probably going to end up with a shoebox of holsters, no matter what you do.
I shoot right, use an IWB holster with a 15-degree forward cant, at 3:30 or 4 o'clock. This is a common method and a good place to start. On the other side, obviously, for southpaws.
I'm partial to leather but my current holster is kydex. No apparent wear yet, and kydex is more likely to allow you to reholster one-handed; leather compresses more under your belt and often needs a tug to open it back up.
Some holsters allow some adjustment. I had a Fist Inc. adjustable for my last carry gun and loved it. Got lucky, didn't need a box full. For reference there: http://www.fist-holsters.com/storag...pel-12h-159i-160l-167-177-188-213-detail.html They make both right and left-handed, and mine wasn't hand-boned like the picture. It was still vacuum-formed over a dummy gun, but didn't have the sharp definition hand working gives.

I won't use soft belt holsters any more. They need to be formed to the gun, not fit a range of entirely unrelated models and shouldn't rely on belt pressure. IMO they only serve to cover the trigger in what is otherwise just tucking it in your belt. That extra safety may be all you need, and if so go for it, but I'm spoiled and don't have enough waist for it.
Find a holster you think will work, get a good belt (a nice stiff leather belt makes at least as much difference as the holster) and give it a shot.

Miguel Santa said:

I shoot left hand and want to use an IWB holster.

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Typically speaking, carrying strong side (what ever hand you shoot with) is going to be a bit faster and probably feel a little more natural. Not always and not necessarily true for everyone. some folks really prefer cross draw, especially if riding in a vehicle a lot. I think people who appendix carry sometimes carry cross draw also.

As the others have noted, choosing a holster and a carry position is trial and error. But one piece of advice I will through out there, is that in a lot of cases, there is a very good reason a more expensive holster is more expensive. I've bought some cheap ones in the past, and lucked out. But the more expensive Stealth Gear holsters and Diamond D Custom Leather holsters I've been buying the last few years are worth every penny. And those are quite cheap compared to many custom leather holster makers.

So I guess I'm saying don't skimp if you are sure IWB is how you want to carry. A "good" IWB holster can make a big difference in carry comfort.

IMO pistol shooters should be practiced in both right and left. I've always been able with either. Being so will make weak side cross draw make a bunch of sense. The pistol is available north or south. No limit.

Miguel Santa said:

Should I get a left or a right holster?

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If you shoot left handed, get a left handed holster. CC'ing is more than just having a firearm on your person. Drawing from concealment (and reholstering) are incredibly important skills that require practice and muscle memory. It is not efficient to draw right handed and transfer to the left, when LH holsters are available. Then, think about a reload drill. Where might a mag holder go? Fishing one out of a pocket can be pretty slow.

Miguel Santa said:

I think iwb is more concealed than owb.

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Absolutely. The advantage of IWB is that the slide is concealed in the beltline. The bottom of the grip is typically the first thing to print with movement. The disadvantage is that most people need to buy bigger pants carry this way.
There is value in OWB, but there are more considerations in terms of gun size, concealment garment, carry location, and how to explain that goiter on your hip at 3:00 or 9:00.

Miguel Santa said:

materials. What’s your opinion about this?

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Holster materials are personal preference. To me, the important part is: if I would ever have to actually use a CCW, can I reholster the firearm so that I'm not the guy holding a gun when the police arrive? Most IWB leather only holsters do not keep their shape well for reholstering. Fully Kydex holsters or Kydex shells with leather backer holsters keep that IWB space available for reholstering.

There's a million different opinions on where to carry....and many different body types. The preferences of some may not work for others. It depends on the size of the firearm, where a person wants to carry, clothing choices, etc.

A few other thoughts:

Any CCW carried for any length of time will not be a pristine firearm. Even polymer framed, nitrided firearms will show wear. It is part of CC'ing.

Any product with leather will take time to wear in. Kydex/leather hybrid holsters can take approximately 30+ days of daily wear to break in.

The proverbial drawer or shoebox full of holsters frequently comes up. A person is not relegated to that fate (and expense) if they choose carefully. Holsters multiply when people want to carry multiple guns, multiple ways. It does not have to be that way. Sure, a good belt, holster, and mag holder may cost $200 or more, but they may last you several years - they are wear items. Contentment saves a lot of money if you don't feel the need to always chase the latest and greatest.

A good belt makes all the difference. It ought to be at least 1.5" wide leather and have good fitment with the holster attachment, but does not have to be double layer leather with a stiffener. It's just that fashion belts found in department stores typically don't work well.

Lastly, expect your clothes to wear out faster. It's just part of it. Whether it's clip holes in your pants, belt loops coming off, holes in shirts, etc - metal always wins against fabric.

...and if the weight becomes uncomfortable, do what I do. I carry IWB and balance the weight by hooking a pair of Perry suspenders onto my belt. Now I'm not constantly pulling up on my waistband, etc. I just wear them over my T-shirt and cover with an untucked button-down shirt.

cougar1717 said:

Most IWB leather only holsters do not keep their shape well for reholstering.

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Your point about one handed reholstering is a good one. However, reinforced holster mouths are very common with quality leather IWB holsters.

Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 has https://www.miltsparks.com/products-versa-max-2.php

• A fully encased metal reinforced mouth band to aid in safe one-handed holstering of your sidearm.

Mitch Rosen ARG has https://mitchrosen.com/products/holsters/inside-waistband-holsters/

- the ARG is reinforced at the top with double leather and steel, thus facilitating ease of one-handed reholstering.


Andrews MacDaniel II has http://www.andrewsleather.com/traditional.htm

- A full band of steel prevents the collapse of the holster top when the weapon is withdrawn. This allows a one-handed return without having to look at, or wrestle with, the holster.

An un-reinforced mouth is less common among quality leather IWB holster than is a reinforced holster mouth which is very common with leather IWB holsters.

Comfort, gun retention and rigid enough opening for easy reholstering are some features that you’ll come to love.

I'm left-handed. Boy, do I have a lot of holsters.

I even have a couple of right-handed ones, mostly for weak-sided carry of a backup gun.

I also use IWB holsters, but I wear them between the belt and pants, not inside the pants, a technique known as ITB (inside-the-belt) carry. I find that to be a good compromise between IWB and OWB carry, though it still requires as long a cover garment as OWB carry does.

Everyone has their choice. My primary IWB is an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5. Most would call it a Hybrid as it's built like a Kydex Leather Combo but it uses a synthetic instead of leather so I don't know if that's technically correct.. It works great for me but others might hate it. Holster choice is very individual specific.

Call Milt Sparks and order a Criterion or Versa Max 2 along with two IPS mag holders and two S4C mag holders. Done.