Suggestions For Daily Carry Holster?

My daily carry holster (for a decade or so) is the Mil Sparks VersaMax 2. I have about six of the holsters including ones for all the Glocks I carry other than the 43.

Shoulder holsters are something that I don't see many positives in. Starting with the fact that you always have to have some kind of cover garment if you want it to be concealed. When everybody else is wearing a T-Shirt you have to have something covering your gun. If it is actually cold out and you button or zip up the cover garment: now you have an issue getting to the gun. The only situation I have ever thought of where a shoulder holster might be nice is when open carrying a gun with a fairly long barrel and you are in a vehicle. If the gun is on your belt, the barrel sticks into the seat and tries to pull your belt up to your arm pit. A shoulder holster would be nice for that.

Shoulder holsters are handy for some applications, like driving, but in general, they aren't very popular. In addition, since the Glock is striker fired, with no manual safety, or exposed hammer, and you have some potential problems with a holster that would most likely point the gun at everybody standing/sitting behind you, this makes a shoulder holster a less than optimal option.

Milt Sparks already mentioned is a good place to start for leather. The aforementioned Versa Max II (VM II) is a classic, as is their Summer Special/Summer Special II and their 55BN.

Milt Sparks http://www.miltsparks.com

In kydex, Raven Concealment Systems (RCS Gear) Phantom holster gives you a lot of options to experiment with just the one holster. You can change the ride height and cant, and with additional loops you can experiment with both IWB and OWB.

RCS Gear http://rcsgear.com

There are lots of options. Just about everybody makes holsters for Glocks.

If for OWB this gets my Vote http://www.mcssl.com/store/a9856d0d...alog/product/a32da5c0f4ed4b6a8045885a05d27bfb

I tend to go with a strong side inside the waistband kydex holster, poly clip. Click in retention on the trigger guard, and an adjustable tension screw. If you are robbed, going for your gun looks like going for your wallet. Shoulder holsters have their uses, fishing above waders, snowmobiling, riding ATV and motorcycle. The shoulder holster has two drawbacks; you can't draw it without pointing it at yourself, an early discharge in a panic, and you've done the bad guy's job for him. Second, if a threat presents at your strong side, your draw will cause the muzzle to sweep any innocents from one side of the room to the other. An early discharge in a panic could be tragic.

Spats McGee said:

My EDC about 80% of the time is a G19 in a Crossbreed Supertuck. It's ridiculously comfortable.

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What Spats said and for OWB Tucker Gun Leather makes a good holster.

I carry a G17 gen 4 AIWB the maker is an independent who is on Hiatus at moment. He promises me he'll be back bending Kydex by Late Spring. For AIWB I also like JM Custom Kydex , Knightfall Customs, Tulster Holster, Vedder Holster & Black Arch Holsters.

I wear a shoulder holster any time it's hoodie weather. I like it more than the IWB and pocket holsters that I have. I have the Galco Classic Lite for my MK9. Very comfortable.

Lots of good choices out there.

After a couple other holsters, I finally settled on a Milt Sparks Criterion IWB.

Here's what I recommend:

Get yourself a suitable gunbelt that will meet your dress needs. A holster without a decent belt is a bad match up that will leave you frustrated. You MUST have good support for the holster and the weight of a loaded pistol.

Visit some gun shops or gun shows and try out some holsters for fit and function. Of special note:

- The holster should retain the weapon, whether with a retention strap or without a retention strap, in whatever activity you expect to be performing.

- The holster should retain its form, especially without the weapon inserted, in order to facilitate re-holstering your weapon with ease. This is more important for IWB holsters, as they are worn between the body and the belt which will lead to compression of the holster by your belt.

- Your holster MUST adequately protect your weapon's trigger and prevent anything from reaching it with the weapon holstered. This is especially important with your Glock, as it lacks an actual safety to prevent pulling the trigger.

- Your holster, when worn, should retain its position without shifting. It should not shift its cant (the angle your weapon is presented), nor should it shift position around your waist.


Good holsters (and gunbelts) aren't cheap. If the price is throwing you, then think about it in terms of the money you spent on the gun and the ammunition you run through the pistol. A good holster will run you about $80 to $120 for starters, give or take. That's what...4 to 6 boxes of Winchester Whitebox 9mm?

It's also entirely possible you'll end up with 2 or 3 holsters over the years, as you try others. Nothing wrong with that, and nothing that many of us haven't done, either. But if you follow the general guidelines I posted, you'll be able to find a decent holster to start with.

RetiredUSNChief's comments about the need for a gun belt is an excellent point.

This video from the late Paul Gomez may be helpful

A good belt is key. I use High Noon Holsters products, and the Rock Steady gun belt makes a HUGE difference.

Unless you wear a coat or blaze every day, a shoulder holster is generally not the way to go. Drawing your pistol from the strong side will always be faster than any other method, and consistency in placement is the key to building "muscle memory", which eventually translates into speed and efficiency with practice. This is the reason that it is pretty much the universal method used by LE, the military, and competitors. I've seen some goofy shenanigans ensue in training in shoot houses and the like by people who use holsters in multiple locations :depending on situation" which always manifest under stress. I'm a strong advocate of positive retention, which means a thumb break on leather and some similar device on kydex. In leather, look at Tagua. They are of decent quality and an economical option to El Paso Saddlery. For kydex, check out the Blackhawk Serpa.

A note on shoulder holsters, since several have posted on them as well.

Shoulder holsters, like any other holster, have their pros and cons. They are a viable choice, and may indeed be the best solution for one's particular needs. I'll leave that up to the individual to decide how they may.

In general, they have a couple cons worth noting.

- Drawing from a shoulder holster means having to reach across your body to do so. It also means the mechanics of drawing your weapon will necessarily sweep a much greater area with the muzzle of the weapon. Reaching across your body means you may be blocking some other ranges of motion that you might need concurrently. It also means it's more likely that other things may interfere with, or block, your draw. And sweeping more people with the muzzle is generally frowned upon.

- They do require a bit more limitation on concealment options. This may not be much of an issue, depending on your normal dress code and such.


Some pros:

- They do make vehicular carry much easier.

- They can be very comfortable in terms of positioning and toting the weight of a loaded weapon.


A good shoulder holster rig isn't going to be cheap, either. Going cheap will likely result in being unhappy with the rssults, no matter your initial inclinations.

RetiredUSNChief said:

A good shoulder holster rig isn't going to be cheap, either. Going cheap will likely result in being unhappy with the rssults, no matter your initial inclinations.

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This is correct, but in the apples to apples comparison, a shoulder holster is normally the equivalent of a belt, holster, and mag pouch. If comparing on cost, the potential shoulder holster purchaser should consider those costs for a belt holster.

I'm very much partial to Blackpoint Tactical's Mini Wing holster for an IWB carry holster. I have one for my P226, P229, Walther PPS, and another on the way for my P30L. Very comfortable holster to wear and if you are like me and also carry a couple of spare magazines, their MAP mag pouches are tough to beat. If you want a good OWB holster option, take a look at the Blackpoint Tactical Leather Wing Holster. This is a great kydex holster that has leather wings on either side so that the holster is a little more comfortable to wear and it will conform to your body better than a solid kydex OWB holster.

Here's the Mini Wing:
http://www.blackpointtactical.com/shop/miniwing/

Here's the Leather Wing:
http://www.blackpointtactical.com/shop/leather-wing/

And here's the MAP:
http://www.blackpointtactical.com/shop/map/

When worn with a proper gun belt, these are incredibly comfortable options. In terms of price, they're pretty much the same as any other custom kydex gear maker.

I have and use the Galco Miami Classic, and I like it, but shoulder holsters are trickier than it appears. When I draw, I put my weak hand on the strong shoulder, to avoid pointing at my arm.

I have never seen a public range that allows you to draw from a shoulder holsters. You will need to practice out in the woods.

I have a couple of Sparks Summer Special II's, an ole Askin's Avenger, and a Vedder LightTuck and I like them all. I'll also recommend a good belt and even further recommend a Bigfoot Gunbelt. I have the 14oz steel lined version and am very happy with it. They run $10 off sales every now and then. There always seems to be one around Christmas.

I have a few older Bianchi holsters, like the Askins Avenger and the Minimalist, as well as number of DeSantis belt holsters, both IWB and OWB. They all do a great job of keeping the gun close in to my body and being very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Again like so many others have mentioned, a good holster set-up works best with a good sturdy belt.

The only shoulder holsters I currently have are a U.S. M7, which I use during the cold weather months when I go hiking in the backwoods and an old Uncle Mike's Sidekick Cross-Harness model for my S&W Model 686. Many years ago I had a Bianchi 9R shoulder holster for my Charter Arms Undercover but found that the holster tended to move around too much as there was no retention strap to secure it to your belt. Also the single strap harness design wasn't very comfortable to wear for any lengthy period of time.

I can't comment on shoulder carry as it's always looked cumbersome to me, but for IWB I think N82 Tactical is the way to go.

I have a couple other holsters based on the Crossbreed supertuck. Some nicer, some about the same, but the N82 blows them away in comfort. There's not even a comparison.

They don't look as "cool", but they're relatively cheap and I don't know if I'll ever buy a different holster.

sorry can't help, as I have a garage full of holsters that didn't work

Send me some

Cokeman said:

Send me some

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for what gun ?

Glock 23, Kahr MK9, Kahr P380, S$W Shield, or Walther P22?