38 j frame holsters?

[Axis II]

I carry my hammerless j frame in a Blackhawk serpa holster cause that was my work holster but in level 3 so tried to keep everything the same. I no longer carry a firearm for work so looking for something that will sit a little tighter to me than a Blackhawk cqc holster.

I'm a little thicker of a guy and worried a leather holster tighter to me I would have to distort my body to get it out cause the "love handles" would get in the way. anyone have issues like that?

I think I was getting some looks today at a mcdonalds cause I had a little bulge under the shirt. its not bad but if your eyeballing me you can tell somethings off.

 

[MedWheeler]

An IWB holster worn between the pants and belt (known as "inside-the-belt" carry) works well to smooth over a gun/holster profile while still keeping the rig out of the pants' waistband. That's how I carry everything from a P32 to a 4-inch Police Service Six. As far as I can tell, I've never been made. It still requires a long cover garment, just like with OWB carry.

I carry aft of midline, so the gun is more or less behind the "thickest" parts. This is about 8:00 for me, as I'm left-handed; it would be about 4:00 for a RH-ed person.

 

[acdodd]

I'm also a big guy.
I carry a Sig P938 in a Crossbreed Mini Tuck.
I really didn't think an IWB would work for me but it does.
My brother asked me why I wasn't carrying my gun so I pulled up my shirt.
He ordered a Mini Tuck the next day.

 

[Alte Schule]

Bianchi 5 Blackwidow OWB. Bought mine from Midway last year for $40.00. Fits my Model 637 J Frame and my Ruger SP 101 snub.

 

[bannockburn]

I like to carry my Model 649 and Model 638 in a DeSantis SOF-TUCK IWB holster. Very comfortable to wear and does a great job at concealment.

 

[JTQ]

I carry my hammerless j frame in a Blackhawk serpa holster...looking for something that will sit a little tighter to me than a Blackhawk cqc holster.

Just about anything will ride closer than a SERPA since it really isn't a concealment holster.

Popular OWB revolver holsters are available from

Simply Rugged, their Silver Dollar Pancake model https://www.simplyrugged.com/ecomme...aled-Carry-Holster.cfm?item_id=152&parent=669

Lobo Gun Leather Enhanced Pancake http://www.lobogunleathers.com/enhanced_pancake_model

Milt Sparks PMK http://www.miltsparks.com/products-pmk.php

Mitch Rosen 5JR or Upper Limit Express Line models http://mitchrosen.com/products/express-line/

If you need more concealment, IWB holsters abound. See Rosen's site for their IWB Workman http://mitchrosen.com/products/holsters/inside-waistband-holsters/

 

[Axis II]

sorry guys i meant to say its a s&w 642. I would like something with a little retention. I have a safariland IWB for it but it digs into my side and i hate it.

 

[JTQ]

.. I would like something with a little retention.

I don't think most thumb breaks work with hammerless guns, but that is out of my area of expertise. If they do work, I could come up with some makers that offer a thumb break.

As far as retention goes with open top holsters, most quality open top holsters offer "wedgie level" of retention which is normally enough for the typical concealed carry user. With a quality open top holster you should be able hang upside down on the monkey bars and your gun isn't going to fall out. I suspect you could probably strap one on an Olympic gymnast and have them do a floor exercise and a gun wouldn't fall out.

Open carry, and LE who could expect to wrestle with people in a battle for a pistol probably do need active retention devices, though concealment and that level of retention don't typically meet up in holsters.

If you need an active retention device, I'd probably look to Safariland.

 

[Axis II]

I don't think most thumb breaks work with hammerless guns, but that is out of my area of expertise. If they do work, I could come up with some makers that offer a thumb break.

As far as retention goes with open top holsters, most quality open top holsters offer "wedgie level" of retention which is normally enough for the typical concealed carry user. With a quality open top holster you should be able hang upside down on the monkey bars and your gun isn't going to fall out. I suspect you could probably strap one on an Olympic gymnast and have them do a floor exercise and a gun wouldn't fall out.

Open carry, and LE who could expect to wrestle with people in a battle for a pistol probably do need active retention devices, though concealment and that level of retention don't typically meet up in holsters.

If you need an active retention device, I'd probably look to Safariland.

just looking for something a little more than open top. i carry it a lot when hiking in the woods and don't want to lose it if i take a fall down a hill or something.

 

[.308 Norma]

I would like something with a little retention.

I'm pretty sure a DeSantis pancake style holster like the one I use for my 637 will work great for you. It has thumb break retention. One hint though - put a little round piece of electrical tape over the snap button that rubs against your gun on the inside of the holster or it will wear a hole in your gun's finish. It's not a major problem - the electrical tape dot will last 6 months or so.
Edited to include - I use the same model of DeSantis holster for a little Taurus .32 H&R that I carry when I go on my exercise hikes down to Marsh Creek and back. It's about a 4 mile hike, and my biggest concern on the trek is large, territorial farm dogs that run a hundred yards down a driveway to tell me I'm trespassing on "their" section of a public road. I've never had to shoot one yet though. I just show them my hiking staff and they back off. But the .32 H&R just behind my right hip is still kind of comforting.

 

[AZAndy]

I used a Bianchi Covert Option holster for J-frames for a long while. The soft panel on the side provides the retention, and I never had any fear of it coming out. The top is above the beltline, so one-handed holstering is not a problem. Liked it so much I got another for Officer-sized 1911s.

 

[Axis II]

I'm pretty sure a DeSantis pancake style holster like the one I use for my 637 will work great for you. It has thumb break retention. One hint though - put a little round piece of electrical tape over the snap button that rubs against your gun on the inside of the holster or it will wear a hole in your gun's finish. It's not a major problem - the electrical tape dot will last 6 months or so.
Edited to include - I use the same model of DeSantis holster for a little Taurus .32 H&R that I carry when I go on my exercise hikes down to Marsh Creek and back. It's about a 4 mile hike, and my biggest concern on the trek is large, territorial farm dogs that run a hundred yards down a driveway to tell me I'm trespassing on "their" section of a public road. I've never had to shoot one yet though. I just show them my hiking staff and they back off. But the .32 H&R just behind my right hip is still kind of comforting.

something like this? I called desantis and safariland/biachie today and desantis recommended this. It shows its for a s&w 640 though and the only thing i can see is the 640 being steel instead of aluminum. I used to carry my fullsize m&p9 in a leather holster without retention and took a spill in the woods and the gun came out.

 

[JTQ]

Have the revolver guys commented on how well a thumb break works with a spurless hammer?

 

[.308 Norma]

something like this? I called desantis and safariland/biachie today and desantis recommended this. It shows its for a s&w 640 though and the only thing i can see is the 640 being steel instead of aluminum. I used to carry my fullsize m&p9 in a leather holster without retention and took a spill in the woods and the gun came out.

Yeppers, that's it. Only difference is, mine are brown.

 

[Axis II]

Yeppers, that's it. Only difference is, mine are brown.

is your revolver hammerless? I notice in the one I linked the thumb break is offset to sit over the hump the hammer would be on. I'm wondering how well it will hold the gun in there.

 

[.308 Norma]

is your revolver hammerless? I notice in the one I linked the thumb break is offset to sit over the hump the hammer would be on. I'm wondering how well it will hold the gun in there.

No sir, my revolver is not hammerless. Although, I used the same holster for the shrouded, "humpback" j-frame Smith I used to carry. It worked fine for that, but for a genuine hammerless revolver, I don't know. You'll just have to try one out. I bought both of mine at Sportsman's Warehouse.

 

[Axis II]

No sir, my revolver is not hammerless. Although, I used the same holster for the shrouded, "humpback" j-frame Smith I used to carry. It worked fine for that, but for a genuine hammerless revolver, I don't know. You'll just have to try one out. I bought both of mine at Sportsman's Warehouse.

Thank you! I called desantis and she said it fits the 640 and 642. I take what a CS rep says with a grain of salt though. I'm going to call around locally and see if anyone has one so if it doesn't work I'm not stuck with shipping to and from.

 

[JTQ]

Thank you! I called desantis and she said it fits the 640 and 642. I take what a CS rep says with a grain of salt though.

As you probably understand, but I'll say it anyway, "fits" and "works" are two different things. I'd be pretty confident the gun will "fit". Whether the thumb break "worked" providing any retention to your spurless hammer gun is something different.

I used to carry my fullsize m&p9 in a leather holster without retention and took a spill in the woods and the gun came out.

Just as a data point, do you remember the holster you were using?

 

[Axis II]

As you probably understand, but I'll say it anyway, "fits" and "works" are two different things. I'd be pretty confident the gun will "fit". Whether the thumb break "worked" providing any retention to your spurless hammer gun is something different.


Just as a data point, do you remember the holster you were using?

I gave up on that and now carry it in a serpa holster.

 

[JTQ]

I gave up on that and now carry it in a serpa holster.

Now I understand why your gun fell out.

- By design, that holster style gives up about half the retention of a normal holster since there is no friction on half of the slide.
- There are a whole lot more poorly constructed Yaqui slide holsters than well made version.
- Because the muzzle is exposed, an impact on the muzzle will force the gun out of the holster, such as even just sitting down in an arm chair and banging the muzzle on the chair's arm.

It is a good design for a training class on the range since there is so little friction on the gun, but not a good choice for concealed carry. If that is your sole experience with an open top holster I can see your skepticism with the security of open top holsters.

You can do a google or forum search for folks looking to break in their leather holsters or for the "plastic bag trick". They can't get their guns out of their holsters and are trying to get the holster to the point where they can draw the gun without giving themselves a "wedgie". Most well made open top holsters provide quite a bit of retention.

The basic design of a pancake holster also provides retention. The classic design uses two pieces of leather of the same size. When put on the belt, the outer layer has to bend more to cover the longer distance and somewhat collapses, providing retention to the gun. This design often doesn't work for the very slim user as the bend is so severe, the gun almost cannot be drawn out of the holster.

If you still need a retention device, make sure you get some feedback from folks with hammerless guns to make sure a thumb break works for those guns. Otherwise, I suspect a thumb break holster, that doesn't work, provides less retention than an open top holster. The thumb break holster is counting on the thumb break for retention and not the holster body, while the open top is using the design of the holster body to provide retention.

Safariland probably offers a holster that provides retention at a different point than at the hammer. However, I'm not that familiar with the LE retention devices to know how they work with small revolvers.

 

[JTQ]

Per above regarding pancake holsters and slim folks, from Del Fatti leather on his pancake holster the LP

http://www.delfatti.com/2011 LP.html

Some people with very narrow waists (usually under 32 inches or so) might find that the wings bind the weapon because they are pulled in to the waist so abruptly.

I understand you've commented you're not slim, but this illustrates what this design does for retention.

 

[Axis II]

Now I understand why your gun fell out.

- By design, that holster style gives up about half the retention of a normal holster since there is no friction on half of the slide.
- There are a whole lot more poorly constructed Yaqui slide holsters than well made version.
- Because the muzzle is exposed, an impact on the muzzle will force the gun out of the holster, such as even just sitting down in an arm chair and banging the muzzle on the chair's arm.

It is a good design for a training class on the range since there is so little friction on the gun, but not a good choice for concealed carry. If that is your sole experience with an open top holster I can see your skepticism with the security of open top holsters.

You can do a google or forum search for folks looking to break in their leather holsters or for the "plastic bag trick". They can't get their guns out of their holsters and are trying to get the holster to the point where they can draw the gun without giving themselves a "wedgie". Most well made open top holsters provide quite a bit of retention.

The basic design of a pancake holster also provides retention. The classic design uses two pieces of leather of the same size. When put on the belt, the outer layer has to bend more to cover the longer distance and somewhat collapses, providing retention to the gun. This design often doesn't work for the very slim user as the bend is so severe, the gun almost cannot be drawn out of the holster.

If you still need a retention device, make sure you get some feedback from folks with hammerless guns to make sure a thumb break works for those guns. Otherwise, I suspect a thumb break holster, that doesn't work, provides less retention than an open top holster. The thumb break holster is counting on the thumb break for retention and not the holster body, while the open top is using the design of the holster body to provide retention.

Safariland probably offers a holster that provides retention at a different point than at the hammer. However, I'm not that familiar with the LE retention devices to know how they work with small revolvers.

I have a safariland open top IWB for the gun and it has a retention screw for it. if i could find something of that nature for OWB i would be happy with that also but haven't found anything yet.

 

[JTQ]

High Noon has several OWB holsters with tension screws. I have a Slide Guard for a 1911. There is lots of retention. The design provides the retention. The tension screw is really just for use when the holster gets worn and old, and it needs a little tightening. I haven't touched the screw on my holster other than to understand how it is made and works.

High Noon http://www.highnoonholsters.com/leather-holsters/belt/extreme-duty

Tauris Holsters offers tension screws on most of their models http://www.taurisholsters.com/products.cfm

 

[Coop45]

This outfits holsters are interesting. I haven't bought one yet, but I'm surely tempted.

http://www.tuckergunleather.com/inside-the-waistband-iwb-holsters/

 

[JTQ]

I have a safariland open top IWB ...

Since you mentioned Safariland, and since I couldn't think of an IWB Safariland holster, I went to their sight to research...

I then remembered Bianchi makes a "CarryLok" holster that may give you the retention you desire.

http://www.safariland.com/products/...el-82-carrylok-hip-holster-10870.html#start=1