Anyone here carry thair ccw gun in a fobus paddle holster?

Status
Not open for further replies.

megatronrules

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2003
Messages
960
Location
The sunshine state,Florida
The title says it all guys iam wondering how these things conceal,how comfortable they are,how smooth is the draw and overall are they good holsters for the money? Also would you get the belt or paddle holster? Which one conceals better? Last I will be using the rig for a browning hi power if this matters at all. Thanks for any help.
 
I carried a G19 in a Fobus paddle last summer. The holster does not conceal well at all, unless you wear really baggy clothes, which I don't. Basically, it was not close enough to my body to conceal well. I think that Fobus makes a great product though if you only use their stuff for open carry use. I would spend the bucks and get a high quality IWB holster like a Sparks, Rosen, Blade Tech, etc. Don't forget to buy a good gun belt. The holster and belt is even more important since you'll be carrying a full size handgun.
 
Does not conceal well, pokes the gun out from the body too much. The Roto series is an accident waiting to happen, I broke the holster and gun free from the paddle when sitting down in my car. Draw is very directional, yank in the wrong direction and not much good happens. G-Code, Comp-Tac, Blade-tech, etc. for kydex. Lots of good leather out there too, good place to start is a Dillon catalog.

The Fobus double mag pouches are the cheapest way to carry two mags other than your pockets.
 
fobus paddle

I tried, with a H&K compact. Didn't work. I carry open carry now, strong side in a Fobus. It's a great holster for the money.
 
Same as the above posters...the holster just didn't ride high or close-in enough for me. Had a similar experience with an Uncle Mike's Kydex paddle rig. After accidentally snapping the paddle off the thing, I finally went and got some good custom leather and haven't looked back.

Ditto the remarks about Dillon Leather...have heard only very, very good things about their products and their prices are usually pretty good, too.
 
Not on a regular basis, but it is easy to slip on for a quick trip to the store. It can be concealed, it just takes a decent covering garment. I often wear shorts with a t shirt and a short sleeve button up unbuttoned over it. This will conceal just about anything. Typically when I use a Fobus it's with a full size 1911, and I haven't had any problems.

Vance
 
concealing a firearm is more a state of mind that a holster. a person who knows how to carry can tote a fullsized USP and hide it better than someone w/ an IWB colt pony who has no idea what they are doing.
my first carry pistol was a full sized 1911 and i lived in S.FL.
fobus works well for a great many people. try one. if it works you saved yourself 40 buck over a leather rig. if it doesnt your out $15. you can probably recoup $10 by selling the rig if you dont like it.
 
For a year and a half I carried a snub .38 in a Fobus paddle and was delighted with. I started out with a $50 leather belt holster that never seemed to feel right. One day at a gun show I tried a Fobus paddle and that was then end of the leather one! I paid $18 for it.

When I decided to go with an auto (Bersa .380) for carry the very first thing I did was call Fobus and order a paddle holster for it. I like them so much I didn't even think about any other kind.

Very easy to slip in and out of the waistband, nice and comfortable, and the gun snaps out real fine. No maintenance concerns, its very durable, and even looks kinda cool the way its shape follows the pistol.

To say the least, I am delighted with mine.
 
Every day. G23 strong side. Cheep, easy to get on/off, and the gun stays where you put it. I normally wear a t-shirt with an unbuttoned buttondown over it. . .
 
I use one occasionally with my Glock 19. As others have said, it doesn't conceal well but the paddle version is great for times when you need easy on/off.

My preferred CCW is an leather IWB of some sort.
 
I just will never understand why people put several hundred dollar guns in 10 dollar holster. Maybe it is my irational affinity for fine leather products but with most of the best holsters made under $100 and in some cases allot less (milt sparks summer special $52 bucks from brownells), why would any one use it for regular carry. I can understand if you carry something once in a blue moon and just want a cheap holster, but for everyday?
 
i've had a milt sparks summer special (IWB) from when that was state of the art CCW leather. for serious carry (alot of movement in an unfriendly environment), i'm using an alessi ACP (OWB) which is really a work of art. but, for casual everyday carry, i usually reach for a fobus paddle holster first.

i have fobus paddle holsters for my beretta 92/96 and sig 220/226 for when i wear a coat. under a sweatshirt or long t-shirt my glock 19 or smith 642 ride in their own fobus paddles. the ease of slipping it on ensures that i don't walk out without a gun.

i don't think you gain much going with a leather paddle holster except a larger price tag. the fobus paddle is not as adjustable as the uncle mike's paddle, but it is much lighter and less bulky. for CCW, stay away from the roto models.
 
Like others have stated...it's pretty hard to conceal a weapon with it. I had to attach it backwards in a cross draw fashion. Mine is a Roto and the gun is an XD357. Not as easy to conceal as the G23 or the Colt Officer's.

ajacobs, I bought the Fobus because I heard good things about it and, at 20 some odd dollars, I didn't have much to lose. A polymer pistol seems to warrant a polymer holster. It was just unique; no thumbsnaps.
 
I used to carry my G-19 and 26 in a fobus paddle,it would hide them really well wearing a tucked in shirt and a loose fitting button up shirt over it.
 
Have a fobus for every pistol I own. Is very convenient for on and off. My job takes me almost every day to places that a gun is not allowed by law. So it gets locked in the trunk. It is a three season holster for me. In the summer time need an IWB and a Hawaiian shirt.
 
I had a fobus paddle for my glock 22. When I traded my G22 for the sig 229 I thought I'd listen to a-jacobs and try a nice leather holster. I got a Galco fletch belt holoster. I just traded it back in today for a fobus roto holster. The Galco fit tight to the body, but I found it less comfortable to sit on. The thumb break was nearly impossible to engage, and even after break-in, way too tight.
The fobus is convienent to remove and more comfortable. It does stick out a little further and I have to tighten my belt a little to stabilize it, but for me it's the way to go. Becuase of my job I do a mix of carry techniques. I carry in a backpack mostly, then when the day shift leaves I use the fobus. HTH.
 
I don't care for Fobus, myself. I tried one a while back for my Makarov and I literally could NOT get the gun in it. After a few phone calls to Fobus, they told me to loosen it up by heating it with a hair dryer. I tried that, and eventually it loosened to the point that I could get the gun in but I had to force it.

Well, then of course, I couldn't get the dang thing OUT to save my life. I'm talking serious pulling, tugging, yanking, etc. that baby wasn't budging.

Then I learned from Fobus that the mold they used to make the holster was actually a different shape than my gun. D'OH! That'll do it! My trigger guard is rounded and the model gun's was square, so the thing just didn't work.

I sent it back for a refund and had a custom polymer IWB holster made for the Mak and haven't looked back. I wear it daily.

Shoeless
 
For two year I used a Fobus belt holster for my USP, and at the last gunshow, i bought their roto paddle. Excellent weapon retention qualities, IMO. Perfect for practice/sportshooting.

No , I don't use it for CCW... I use an Uncle Mike's IWB suede holster instead. ;)
 
Seems like Fobus is very much ''good for some'' ...... and ''not for others''!!

I have my P95 in one currently ........ and like it .... agreed, it does not keep things as close to body as might be ideal but .... overall ... it suits me well. Draw is slick even if needing a ''brisk'' pull to get good release. Retention is great.

I find the paddle also suits me . quick to take off ... and comfortable. These are very cheap products .... when they work i think they work good ... not important to compare value of piece with value of holster IMO ... it's what works!
 
I've got a couple Fobus holsters right now...both for the S&W L-frame, four-inch...I LIKE the "paddle" holster, DETEST the belt holster...just can't get it into a "comfortable" place on my belt for some reason...hhmmm...BTW, Shoosie, who custom-made the holster for your Mak, if you don't mind me askin'???....mikey357
 
I use them a lot, for CCW and for range work. I have IWB holsters (Alessi, Galco, Milt Sparks, etc.) for that mode of carry, but when I'm wearing a suitable concealment jacket, I like to use the Fobus. They're plenty tough, too... I've used one Fobus at Thunder Ranch, Chapman Academy, and multiple Lethal Force Institute courses, as well as on the range, and it's still going strong after literally thousands of draw-strokes and holstering. I'm a fan!
 
BTW, Shoosie, who custom-made the holster for your Mak, if you don't mind me askin'???

Not at all! Mike Benedict of Talon Tactical, did it. He doesn't have (or he didn't at the time, anyway) have a mold for a Makarov so I had to actually leave the gun with him for a few days.

He can be reached at [email protected]

Also, check out his web site:

Talon Tactical Web Site

Shoeless
 
A Fobus paddle

for my G22. True, it doesn't pull the gun in as tightly as some others. But in the cool seasons, with a proper gunbelt and a fleece over it, it conceals quite well. Easy to remove when necessary, very secure, but draw is easy. YMMV.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top