Holsters I don't like

[mugsie]

There are tons of discussions on holsters. Invariably one person will recommend a particular holster, and someone else will chime in as to why brand "X" is better. Oh wait! I found brand "Y" to be better.... and on it goes. I'm sure all holsters work at one point in their lives, but what about the ones that don't for whatever reason.

Like most of you, I too own a Box 'O Holsters. Not all are used. That's what I'd like to hear - why don't you like a particular holster.

For instance - I have a N82 holster for my Sig 250. I use it for both the compact and sub compact models. Do I like it - not really - does it work - yes it does, but it doesn't hold the firearm as close against my body as I would like. It doesn't cant. It rides too high. If I remove the firearm because of the spandex construction it takes virtually removing my pants to reholster the darn thing.

I have Uncle Mikes holsters - they're good for pocket carry but don't seem to work for me IWB.

You get the gist of what we're looking for. So - thoughts as to what doesn't work for you and why. Again - this isn't meant to bash one particular holster manufacturer over another, but to give some reasons why a particular brand doesn't work for you - be it body type, activity levels, material etc.

thanks....

 

[IlikeSA]

I generally carry 40 oz+ pistols and revolvers and dislike non-pancake holsters for hip carry. They simply don't distribute the weight well enough or don't pull the firearm close enough to my hips. I am not picky about brand, but am picky about type.

 

[JTQ]

I don't like tall sweat shields on holsters.

I'm a 1911 guy, and I get that a lot of holster makers want to provide a sweat shield that covers the hammer and beavertail, but I don't care for any sweat shield that extends beyond the back of the slide.

I prefer to get a "full firing grip" on the holstered gun, and with a 1911 that means getting to the thumb safety. With a tall sweat shield, I can't get to the thumb safety. There either needs to be no sweat shield, my preference on an OWB holster, or a short shield on a IWB holster that extends no farther than the back of the slide.

 

[JohnKSa]

I don't like holsters with belt-loop snaps unless the snaps are "one-way" snaps. Having a snap open when you don't want it to is very irritating and potentially dangerous.

I don't like holsters that are made to fit multiple guns because they inevitably fit all the guns poorly.

I don't like holsters that prevent me from getting a good grip on the handgun before drawing.

I don't like concealment holsters that put the belt-loops at the point where the holster is already the thickest making the holster even thicker. What does it hurt to move the belt-loops out a little bit to either side of the thickest part of the holster so that they don't add to the thickness? The side benefit is that by moving the belt-loops farther apart, the holster is more stable and less likely to twist on the belt.

I don't like holsters that require heroic effort, careful attention or special techniques to reholster the gun--or worse yet require the holster to be removed for safe reholstering. Reholstering is already dangerous enough and difficult enough to do while maintaining good muzzle control without having to go through extra steps or making extra effort.

I have come to dislike hard plastic holsters. They are noisy and seem to wear the gun more than leather in my experience.

I don't like holsters that are difficult to remove from the belt. When I need to remove my firearm from my belt (for whatever reason) I prefer to remove the gun, holster and all--without drawing the firearm. It's one more level of safety to help prevent unintentional discharges.

 

[Wishoot]

Sticky / Remora type holsters. Never worked for me.

 

[Winkman822]

As a small framed guy who carries a fairly heavy gun (my 1911 weighs in around 42 oz. loaded), I disfavor a lot of non paddle OWB holsters because the weight o the gun causes some trouser sag on the strong side. For IWB holsters for my 1911's, I need a two point attachment, a summer comfort design at the very least, but ideally something like a VMII or a SuperTuck style. In general, I dislike holsters that use a J-hook to attach to the belt.

 

[stoky]

likes: Milt Sparks, Slide Guard (except for the wait time)
My luck hasn't been so good with Kramer and Bianchi.
For moderately priced utilitarian stuff, I think Hunter is hard to beat.

 

[Quincy12]

I can tell you what I don’t like about all three holsters I have; for a S&W Shield. I have a Galco tuck-able. It works ok, but only for short periods. The clip around the waistband is very narrow, so not much support and the tuck-able part only is subtle with very thin shirts. I say short periods because anything more than a couple of hours and it shifts around too much and gets very uncomfortable. I have a N82 Original. It works well enough for me, but contrary to everything I read before buying, it isn’t comfortable after a few hours or when sitting, at least for me. The muzzle end pokes into me after a while, or, if walking much, it needs more support on the belt (and yes, I have a very high quality, stiff gun belt). I also have an all leather OWB pancake type that is the most comfortable, but the leather portion that the belt goes through ends up digging into me after a few hours of carry. Still looking for something better. Part of what doesn’t help at all is that I’m relatively small framed, 140 pounds, maybe.

 

[Red Cent]

" I also have an all leather OWB pancake type that is the most comfortable, but the leather portion that the belt goes through ends up digging into me after a few hours of carry."

Visualize.
Two slots for belt. The one on the left side is beveled/ramped going in and the right back side is also ramped. On the right side, back left of slot is ramped and the right top side slot is ramped.

I agree that the pancake is the most comfortable to wear for the masses. The half pancake is more comfortable.

To address a statement/question, the more distance you create between the belt slots, the more chance for the holster to "bow" outward. Especially, a holster made with rather thin leather. The solution is to provide a straight line for the 1/4" thick belt.

 

[mugsie]

Damn guys - I can empathize with all the sentiments listed. I think somehow I have each one of those holsters mentioned in the previous posts! Pants sag - yup. Good gun belt - yep. Not close enough to the body - ummm, yup. Can't get a good grip? - yup.
Gee - I've got most of 'em all covered!