First timer looking for IWB for Glock 19

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lithnights

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Hi all,

I've had my Glock 19 for a month or so now and am looking for an IWB holster. I've already searched and found some threads that address this same question and have gotten some good ideas, but most posts are a bit old, so I figured I'd start one up here.

I don't plan on CCW 24/7 but I do want something that is not cheaply made, yet won't cost me a fortune.

My brother likes his Galco 2nd Ammendment ($70) but Galco also has a Tuck N Go for $30. I was thinking the Tuck N Go may be a better starter holster, especially since I don't really know what I will like in a holster, and it will be a cheaper cost if I don't like it. I've also heard good things about Crossbreed Supertuck but it's more expensive.

I know everyone will say that I'll end up with a half dozen holsters that won't get used, but I don't want to be that guy. :)

Any good suggestions?

Thanks!
 
There is a less expensive alternative to the Crossbreed here http://www.oldfaithfulholsters.com/index.html (and they have it available in kit form if you're handy).

Don't go too cheap on a holster, those "one size fits all" affairs suck. Period.

The Tuck N Go is a decent holster for a smaller gun, but your Glock really would benefit from the greater stability of a dual clip type holster.
 
Take a look at www.comp-tac.com at the Minotaur holster. Adjustable can't C-hooks, comfortable leather back, and kydex weapon-specific platform. I use one with my Glock 23 and I love it. It's the only one that I've tried that allows me to forget that I have it on while keeping it readily accessible. It even works well in summer months.

The best part is that you can buy other weapon platforms to change them out. It saves money. I use the same one for G23, 5" 1911, and a Beretta 96.
 
Don't go too cheap on a holster, those "one size fits all" affairs suck. Period.
Indeed.

I like the SuperTuck, I own two and will be ordering another two in the near future (plus we have an Ohai for the Mrs, a mag carrier, and a belt).
A SuperTuck is a lot cheaper than ... (three junk holsters gathering dust in a drawer) + (the SuperTuck you end up buying anyway)

The "Old Faithful" looks interesting, KHolster makes another similar style holster that is reportedly of good quality.

If you don't carry at all yet, you probably need a belt, too. CrossBreed makes a very good belt, BeltMan makes an even better one.
 
I'm a big proponent of 24/7/365 carry so I recommend you put together a rig you could carry 24/7/365 with (even if you don't ever carry that much) plus you aren't going to really spend any more for a good rig than 3 or 4 cheap ones you end up not using.

When you get a good belt it WILL hold your pants up 24/7 so it won't be money wasted :)
 
Take a look at www.comp-tac.com at the Minotaur holster. Adjustable can't C-hooks, comfortable leather back, and kydex weapon-specific platform. I use one with my Glock 23 and I love it. It's the only one that I've tried that allows me to forget that I have it on while keeping it readily accessible. It even works well in summer months.

The best part is that you can buy other weapon platforms to change them out. It saves money. I use the same one for G23, 5" 1911, and a Beretta 96.
Tackleberry,
Which Minotaur? There are 3 different ones on their site. Any of them?
 
Indeed.

I like the SuperTuck, I own two and will be ordering another two in the near future (plus we have an Ohai for the Mrs, a mag carrier, and a belt).
A SuperTuck is a lot cheaper than ... (three junk holsters gathering dust in a drawer) + (the SuperTuck you end up buying anyway)

The "Old Faithful" looks interesting, KHolster makes another similar style holster that is reportedly of good quality.

If you don't carry at all yet, you probably need a belt, too. CrossBreed makes a very good belt, BeltMan makes an even better one.
This may be a dumb question but does one need a special belt in order to use most holsters? Is it just a more solid belt or is there something else special about a belt for a holster?
 
I also use the Comp-tac MTAC minotaur. I love it!! I put a bunch of IWB in the junk drawer, but this one ended the search.

The belt tou will need should be specifically made to carry the weight of a pistol. This belt should be VERY stiff. A stiff belt will support the weight of a pistol much more easily without over tightening. You will be forced to tighten a JC Penny belt well beyond the point of comfort and the gun will still pull your pants down. A pistol belt is as important as the holster IMHO>

The Wilderness makes several very good choices at the bottom of the price range. I wear a Wilderness Instructor all the time now, gun or not. It is great for holding my pants up too!
 
I'm a big proponent of 24/7/365 carry so I recommend you put together a rig you could carry 24/7/365 with (even if you don't ever carry that much) plus you aren't going to really spend any more for a good rig than 3 or 4 cheap ones you end up not using.

When you get a good belt it WILL hold your pants up 24/7 so it won't be money wasted :)
Agree with the COULD carry 24/7 idea. That's why I don't want to go ultra cheap. But at the same time I don't want to go too pricey, especially since I will likely soon be looking to purchase a semi compact (something like Glock 26 size) to use as my main CCW. I should have mentioned that in my OP. I don't know when I will purchase that, but it will likely happen within 6 months or so, and it will likely be my main CCW.

Thus I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a holster for my 19 when it likely won't be the main used gun and holster.
 
Is it just a more solid belt or is there something else special about a belt for a holster?
All that makes a holster belt special is that its more solid (don't flex as easily), but other than stiffness and durability there isn't anything special (unless you have some sort of hidden, tuckable clips that velcro to the back side of the belt ... but that's not generally what we're talking about here).

Thus I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a holster for my 19 when it likely won't be the main used gun and holster.

For the most part if you get a holster for your G19 it'll work just fine with a G26 (now if you get something other than a G26 or other Glock you'll need new leather).
 
I also use the Comp-tac MTAC minotaur. I love it!! I put a bunch of IWB in the junk drawer, but this one ended the search.

The belt tou will need should be specifically made to carry the weight of a pistol. This belt should be VERY stiff. A stiff belt will support the weight of a pistol much more easily without over tightening. You will be forced to tighten a JC Penny belt well beyond the point of comfort and the gun will still pull your pants down. A pistol belt is as important as the holster IMHO>

The Wilderness makes several very good choices at the bottom of the price range. I wear a Wilderness Instructor all the time now, gun or not. It is great for holding my pants up too!
So it looks like it's time to upgrade my wardrobe. My wife will like that..although she'll likely want to help me pick out a stylish one. ; ) And of course I'd have to get one brown and one black so she doesn't tell me I don't match depending on what I'm wearing!

Another dumb question..would I find holster belts at gun shops? I'd be afraid to buy a belt online without the ability to try it on. That may sound silly but I don't have much luck with buying clothing online!
 
crossbreed supertuck

you will not need another holster for iwb, period.

they are comfortable, built to last, and their customer service is a 25 out of 10!! any problem you run into is typically covered at NO COST to you!
 
I'm partial to High Noon holsters. Extremely comfortable, I wear mine 8-10 hours a day and they are built to last. Most of the models are on the higher side, though they do have a few that are not. I have the Down Under myself and love it.
 
And I just realized that was my first post. I signed up a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to do the intro. Off to the intro section!
 
Another dumb question..would I find holster belts at gun shops?
Not really. Don't go looknig for holsters at gunshops either, they can't make much profit maintaining proper inventory for every belt size / holster shape, so they just have the ultra-basic stuff.

BeltMan's website has a detailed FAQ that includes measuring instructions. The instructions work, you'll need a belt that fits in the first place to measure.
http://www.thebeltman.net/sizing.htm

You want a gunbelt for a number of reasons, stiffness and support are one, the fact that most holster makers equip their product with clips that fit onto a thick leather gunbelt means less wiggling of the holster on the belt. And while BeltMan belts are pretty nice-looking, if you're carrying IWB your belt becomes invisible, unless you use the tuckable feature of some holsters (I almost never bother)
 
+1 on Beltman. Good solid stuff.

Just to ad my own recommendation: I carry in a Tucker Gun Leather, Texas Heritage. It is outstanding as far as wearability/comfort goes. The Kydex belt clips that they offer are large and awkward. I tossed them and mounted a set of Comp-Tac Standard Clips. They blew my mind, and I'm not going to ever have any another belt clip on any holster, ever again.

I carry a small pistol, and I don't imagine that I would have as much success if I were carrying something like a G19. I believe the size of the overall package is quite relative to the end result. FYI

I'm [strike]cheap[/strike] frugal and I didn't want to spend a lot on a carry rig when I started carrying. I'm glad I did though. This stuff costs, but I swear that it is worth it.
 
I believe the size of the overall package is quite relative to the end result.

That's what SHE said. :evil:


Today I'm packing a full size CZ75 and I'm perfectly comfortable ... good leather + good belt + proper mindset and you'll be amazed how big a gun you can carry all day comfortably.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I'm trying to analyze it all.

One thing I did notice, especially with something like the SuperTuck is that some of these suggestions seem so much bigger/beefier than some of the smaller ones. I guess the huge width of them is what stands out. I guess the comparison I keep making is something like the Galco Tuck n Go

https://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?ProductID=3914&GunID=47

or Galco 2nd Ammendment

https://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?ProductID=2101&GunID=47

seems so much smaller. I would think this naturally would be much more comfortable and easier to put on/take off, compared to something with so much width to it. Am I off base in that assumption?

I know I should try on various ones to verify but I figured I'd ask anyway for now.

Thanks,
 
The extra size is a benefit when wearing a leather/Kydex holster. I think that in the long run your concept of putting it on and taking it off all the time will seem silly, and the ST isn't that hard to take off (it isn't fun to put on in a tight spot, admittedly).

Those two Galco models are actually pretty rudimentary holsters, here's what they're lacking:
-not molded for a specific gun, less retention
-single clip on top of weapon increases bulk
-single clip on top of weapon increases wandering
-"J" hook puts weight on pants, not on belt
-one of them will collapse on draw, not only does it hamper re-holstering but your pants stop fitting right when you draw ... fun!
-soft design can allow your belt to force the weapon up ... and out (even worse if you don't have a real gunbelt)
-non-adjustable cant means you get whatever angle you get
-non-adjustable cant means you can't tweak it for the lowest-printing or best-drawing angle
-"J" hook isn't that much less visible than a black clip on a black belt, particularly if you have black pants (and if you really want less visible clipping, the V-Clip velcro-to-belt clip design is superior)
-single clip means the gun won't be held in as close as paired offset clips will hold it, even with a good belt the gun can rotate more

Now, in the sense of fairness, the downsides of a hybrid leather/Kydex holster with offset clips:
-bulky to store (I use a vertical organizer to hold a few holsters and my mag carrier)
-a bit harder to don/doff
-you get the spot-wear on one side from Kydex edges and general-area-wear on the other from grit embedded in the leather (yes, my guns are wearing more on the leather side)
-you end up taking GFZs less seriously, because your concealment and comfort is just that good

...

I hear about the "drawer of holsters" so often, and my policy of buying a quality all-day wear holster for any gun I might carry means I only have one holster per gun, and generally the guns live in the holsters. If you don't dig the CrossBreed designs, Tucker Gunleather and KHolster make slightly different ones, at a slightly different price point. Any holster maker on the planet is going to have a Glock 19 mold, so you just need to focus on design.

Back when I was looking for MY first holster, I ended up posting pictures of the CB ST when it was new and after break-in in this thread:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=433559
Here's a testament to the CB ST for you, I bought that holster, wear it all the time, and never bothered to get a pocket holster, the ST is just that comfortable.
I've worn that ST for multi-state drives (>12 hours behind the wheel), all-night events (wearing for >24 hours), carry in areas not friendly to the armed citizen (I'll leave out specifics), and it just keeps taking the abuse.
I treat the gun side with Obenauf's leather preservative for a stiff & waxy finish (BeltMan has the best price on the stuff I've found, it is great for belts and gunleather) and treat the body size with sweat and the occasional light spray of Febreze (it does absorb a bit of funk in the summer)

I do have a few generic holsters, they're universally junk for actual wear. One has become a car holster (I Velcro-ed it to the trunk for stashing when I can't avoid a GFZ) and one has become a range-only holster just so I don't have to set the gun down when I go downrange. Other than that it is all IWB custom-molded holsters.

Spend the extra few bucks, this gadget is going in your pants for hours and will be holding a valuable device you may need in a hurry. Going cheap is not the long-term solution, it will lead to future purchases and/or not carrying ... or the "photographer's vest of tactical denial" when your concealment is lousy.
 
Bigfatdave,
Thanks for the detailed reply. You make a lot of good points. I think the issue I keep coming back to is that due to the fact that I work at a federal building, I can't ccw to and from work, so that limits my potential ccw use. I have to park on base so leaving in the car is not an option either. Thus since I won't use it as often as most, I'm afraid to sink big bucks into one until I realize what I like and dislike about holsters in general.

Also, I'm afraid that if I get one with offset clips, instead of those Jhooks, the the greater complexity may deter me from using it.. as a 1st time CCWer..at least until I get used to doing so.

I think that is where part of me wants to get a less expensive one, use it for a bit, and at least find out my likes and dislikes. Does that makes sense? I, like CoRoMo, am FRUGAL, and maybe am afraid to make a bad pick.

I think I really need to go try some of these options on! ; )
 
Nobody has mentioned the Black Hawk IWB holsters so I will throw in my 2cts. I have been using one for a couple weeks for mid sized Glocks and like it. The cost was about $50 and I got the model with the steel clip rather than the belt loop.
The clip is very stiff and the steel ridge that is opposite the clip helps to secure it so it stays in place during the draw.
 
I'm afraid to sink big bucks into one until I realize what I like and dislike about holsters in general.
Well you're packing a Glock so if you buy a holster and end up not liking it you should be able to get much of your money back out of it by selling it here on the Trading Post (lots of Glock packers out there so it should go quick).

Also, I'm afraid that if I get one with offset clips, instead of those Jhooks, the the greater complexity may deter me from using it.. as a 1st time CCWer..at least until I get used to doing so.
With the Crossbreed and the MTAC the clips are interchangeable so if you want to, for pocket change you can just order a second set of different style clips and swap them out (additional clips for the Crossbreed are between $5 and $10 depending on style, and additional clips for the MTAC are $8.50).
 
Most of the time you carry that Glock 19 in the Galco 2nd Amendment you will be very uncomfortable, and especially if you don't get a good gun belt. That one J hook will be dragging on you all day long, and you will be constantly adjusting the holster. Also the pressure point on your body from that holster will be in a small area and uncomfortable. I know, I had one for a Kahr P40 which is a smaller gun than the Glock you want to carry.

The stability from a holster like a MTAC or Supertuck will make your time carrying much more enjoyable, because you won't be tugging at your trousers every 5 minutes or adjusting your holster because it changed it's position when you sat down or stood up. The comfort will greatly increase due to the wider/bigger pressure point on your body(waist area). It will not be as nagging. Most people can tolerate pressure on there body as long as it is over a wide area. It gets really uncomfortable when the pressure is concentrated into a small area. But I will say this, the longer you do it the more your body becomes accustom to it. Just trying to supply you with some more information. Good luck with your search.

ETA: The MTACs and Supertucks or any other holster like them are wide, but they have very thin profiles front to back. In other words, they are less bulky than most other holsters.

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