DeSantis Popup Holster

[dfsixstring]

I have an LCP that I was looking to pick up another conceal carry holster for. I was looking at the Popup from DeSantis. I found it at a decent price here: http://www.opticsplanet.com/s/desantis+pop+up/

Before I order one, I was curious if anyone else was familiar with it. What are your impressions? The idea is that the entire but of the gun sits at or slightly below the beltline for maximum concealment.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=35.037009,-86.547380

 

[dfsixstring]

Well, I went ahead and ordered it today...we'll see how well it works. I'll post a short review once I have it - maybe some pics too.

 

[dfsixstring]

I got my DeSantis PopUp holster in yesterday. I wanted to give a quick review of it.
You can view photos of it here:
www.photobucket.com/desantis_popup_holster

1) The construction is what I would expect from DeSantis - very solid.
2) The belt "J" clip was really tight (good) and being new, hard to get on. Once it was on and the "J" clip under the belt, it felt very secure.
3) The leather, like any holster, needs to be formed to the gun. There were instructions in the package for doing that. It was stiff, but I was able to work the pistol into it with relative ease (weapon unloaded )
4) When worn, it simply disappears. The photos show it worn with jeans, but I purchased it to be worn in a work environment with slacks or casual attire.
5) Even not being broken in, I was able to push up on the muzzle to expose the pistol grip for cross draw - which is how I intend to wear this.

Overall, with less than 24 hours of playing around with it, I like it. For the price ($28.99 + $7 shipping), I think it was a good choice. I purchased it from OpticsPlanet, Inc on Amazon. When I placed the order they were out of stock. When I spoke with one of OpticsPlanet's CSR's, they said that they were popular and hard to keep in stock. Since I got no initial feedback on either this forum or the other one I post on (tngunowners.com), I suspect these aren't very popular holsters and they order as needed. But I'm a skeptic and could be wrong.

Again, I really like it so far - if things change I'll post an addendum to this. If I get a chance to take a few photos in slacks I'll update the photobucket album.

 

[ForumSurfer]

How comfortable is that when seated? Or how about when you are squatting/crouched? Thanks for the review.

 

[dfsixstring]

It isn't as comfortable (yet) as my comp-tac holster that I wear at 7 o'clock (apples/oranges). Since I'm wearing this at 1 o'clock (cross-draw), I know it is there. The LCP is small enough that it doesn't dig into me when I sit. Granted, I was wearing jeans, so with dress pants I would think it would be even more comfortable, because I wear dress pants looser at the waist than I do jeans.

Something else I have noticed with all CC holsters, the larger the "spare tire", the less comfortable they seem to be. I've lost some weight recently, and can tell a big difference across the board.

 

[ForumSurfer]

Something else I have noticed with all CC holsters, the larger the "spare tire", the less comfortable they seem to be. I've lost some weight recently, and can tell a big difference across the board.

Strange, I feel opposite. I carry IWB at 3-4:30, though. When I had a little more "love handle," it was more comfortable.

 

[dfsixstring]

I've added 2 more photos to
(All photos)
http://www.photobucket.com/desantis_popup_holster
(photo 1)
http://s1103.photobucket.com/albums/g479/dfsixstring/?action=view&current=break-in1.jpg
(photo 2)
http://s1103.photobucket.com/albums/g479/dfsixstring/?action=view&current=break-in2.jpg

Both photos have some text explaining what they show. Basically, one shows the first day I received the holster and how the LCP fit. The second shows how it looks by simply wearing it for 2 days (not all day though) and wrapping it in plastic wrap 1 evening and leaving it over night. I was surprised how effective the plastic wrap trick was. You can see that the pistol is fully seated now and the trigger guard is completely covered. The retention of this holster is such that it passes the upside down test, which is still a bit tight for this type of carry. Being IWB, I think a bit more stretching needs to happen. Also, before the plastic wrap trick, I was able to push the pistol all the way into the holster, but had to keep my thumb on the back of the slide while doing so - to keep it from sliding back. Now, after the plastic wrap trick, I can push the pistol into the holster just by pushing the butt of the gun and it seats properly.

From what I have seen so far, this holster is very good for the application it was intended - deep concealment. It is not a "fast draw" holster, by any means. It is a multi-step process to expose the grip and then draw. With time and stretching of the leather, I fully expect it to get better. I am still very pleased with the holster and would recommend it to friends.