pangris
Member
Much like cholesterol, holsters build up over the years. The new Comp Tac Spartan is featured at the top of the heap
Over the past 10 years, something remarkable has happened in our country. Citizens are fighting to regain our Second Amendment rights, and we’re winning. You can now legally carry concealed in 39 states. This is a truly remarkable thing, as in the course of history it is rare for populations to regain rights once taken.
This wonderful and noble truth leads to some problems. Now that we can legally carry, a lot of us want to do so – and therein lies the rub.
Carrying a “real” gun is a pain in the – somewhere. Usually where you try to station your hog’s leg. I have carried big guns, small guns, Inside the Waistband (IWB), Outside the Waistband (OWB), front pocket and so forth and if there is one thing I believe it is that carrying a “real” gun is a pain.
Thankfully, holsters have evolved over the past few years. My starting point, the original IWB Summer Special type holster leaves a lot to be desired regarding support, stability, and comfort.
Kicking it Summer Special style. If you can get past the bulk of the design, the lack of lateral support, and the inability to tuck in, it is great...
I thought I had found heaven when I found the Milt Sparks Versa Max II. Sparks holsters are made to last a lifetime, and the VM2 allows for tremendous stability, support, ability to reholster – it does almost everything well… “but”. While it can be converted to a “tuckable” IWB, it doesn’t work well as such for me in that format. If I’m not going to tuck in, a VM2 is often my choice, but I prefer to tuck my shirt in. I am already ugly, so I prefer to not look unkempt and sloppy.
Tons of support, very stable, metal band to keep the mouth open, and tremendous craftsmanship - but still a little thick, and doesn't tuck well
While the VM2 was good, my quest continued and I found the Comp – Tac C.T.A.C. Sweetness, and for a good long while, a CTAC with a G36 was my carry rig. First, it is designed to be tuckable by design. Second, the clips come in a variety of options and you can actually use clips that tuck in behind your belt. Third, the CTAC blends leather and kydex – it bends where it needs to, and is firm where it should be… it is a great holster. Finally, the kydex just seems to work better with a Glock than anything else.
CTAC with a 1911. I would have pictured my G36 rig, but it is set up for a specific belt due to the hidden clips system
Last week, the best of both worlds arrived. The new Comp Tac Spartan is all that and a side of fries.
The Spartan marries leather and kydex. It supports the gun beautifully and can be adjusted to ride at almost any height and angle. It is as thin as it can be. It tucks even more easily than a CTAC.
This is one of those things that is so simple, yet so much better.
Another angle to show how the leather rides
If you are going to train with your gun, you *need* a holster that won’t collapse when you draw your weapon. In training and real life, you need to be able to reholster without looking like “a raccoon trying to open a bag of potato chips” (Smithism). The whole purpose of a holster is that we need a place to put the gun – and if you have taken it out, we will probably need to put it back.
I personally have a little extra me in the love handle area, and the feeling of pinching yourself between a steel gun and rigid holster just sucks. The Spartan has a large enough piece of leather that you don’t face this problem. You also won’t have to worry about very cold or very hot steel against your flesh. The kydex shell has adjustable tension, so you can make the draw as easy or the retention as tight as you deem necessary.
The model I got to play with was a prototype and for a Glock 19 and it worked very well for that gun. Many people much smarter than me consider the G19 to be an ideal carry gun, and in the Spartan I am carrying mine more comfortably than I ever have before in ANYTHING else.
I can’t wait to try one out for a Glock 36 or 1911 – I’ve got a custom bobtailed Titanium Commander being built that is just begging for a holster like this.
There is a more “deluxe” model available that doesn’t have anything exposed on the back – my basic model just has some moleskin covering the screw retainers. Either way works, just depends on your personal taste.
The "high end" MTAC model -
Note, these are stock photos from CT
A pic of the back of the Spartan, also a stock photo. The Spartan looks similar on the front, but has the screw retainers exposed on the back. On mine, they are covered with moleskin and it is 100% comfortable.
All in all, I continue to be impressed with Comp Tac quality and innovation in general.
PS – if anyone at Comp Tac is listening, you need to make the Spartan for a P7M8. I’ll provide the model if you need one!
Edited to add - www.comp-tac.com
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. Excelent post btw.
