IWB Holster Recommendations Needed

Status
Not open for further replies.
I love my High Noon "Split Decision"... Leather Tuckable IWB for $35!

High noon is on the less expensive side, and the holsters aren't hard leather, so you need two hands to re-holster. The workmanship is excellent, and the leather is quality.

http://www.highnoonholsters.com/Product_Line/product_line.html

If you're looking for a $200 custom engraved holster, you're looking in the wrong place :D

If you're looking for something to keep your gun in while you work, play, and lounge, and are on a sub-$70 budget, you've found your holster.
 
Savit260,

Thanks for the pictures, it looks very good.

However, I notice that your 1911 sticks above the sweat shield a bit. Does the hammer dig into your side at all? I bought a new full sized 1911 and need a good holster. I like Milt Sparks VM II and Summer Special but as someone noted, the wait time is unreal. Obviously everyone else likes them too! :(

I also note that he makes holsters for a Taurus 605, 3". I've been looking for a good IWB holster for a long time for that gun, it's my favorite for easiest concealment in summer clothing.

Ken
 
Paints,

Brownells has the Summer Special II available, in stock, for immediate shipping for just about the same price as Sparks direct. Still more than the Simply Rugged though. If you are looking for a holster with a sweat shield, remember the original Summer Special (not the II) has no sweat shield.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=0/k=sparks/t=P/ksubmit=y/Products/All/search=sparks

Most are concerned with the thumb safety poking them rather than the hammer. The Simply Rugged Cuda's sweat shield (flab tab) looks like a good one to me.

I have a kydex IWB/OWB holster with a sweat shield. The thing that pokes me the most when wearing that holster, either IWB or OWB, is the sweat shield. I do realize a leather sweat shield would be more comfortable. I have a Colt with the standard teardrop thumb safety and don't find that to be uncomfortable against my side when wearing another holster without the sweat shield.

Mentioned earlier is Andrews Custom leather. Their MacDaniel II seems like a good holster. In my internet searches it is extremely popular. By all accounts, even with just the single attachment point it is apparently a very stable holster.

http://www.andrewsleather.com/
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the link,Im ordering Two today for colt officer and a kahr 9.
The Split Decision looks like a good choice for me as Ive found that I prefere thin soft leather over the more rigid type,but everyone is different.
 
Paints

Savit260,

Thanks for the pictures, it looks very good.

However, I notice that your 1911 sticks above the sweat shield a bit. Does the hammer dig into your side at all? I bought a new full sized 1911 and need a good holster.
Click to expand...


No, the hammer doesn't dig me at all. If that was a concern, Rob may be able to accomodate you by modifying it a bit. Not positive, but I'd certainly ask, as Rob is FANTASTIC with customer service, price and turn around times.

Give them a call. He's a great guy to talk to as well. HIGHLY recomend him.



The Simply Rugged Cuda with the optional Iside Out straps only runs around $75. That's a sweet price IMO for a Custom made holster. $60 without the IWB conversion. The turn around time for the "Cuda" was only about a week or two as I recall. It was pretty darned fast.
 
If you want something very light...

Try Mika's custom holster for IWB or pocket carry, they are very well made and will last a long time. I like mine, as they are not made of heavy leather, and will bend with you without binding which too me is very uncomfortable. They are made of a lightweight synthetic material by a man who was in Law enforcement and now doing this full time at his home.
 
Mika's are nice holsters. I have one for pocket carry for my Colt Cobra. Upside is nice price. Downside was a very long wait. Demand is apparently high, as mine was 7 or 8 months till it arrived. Best pocket holster going though. Great product, just don't expect it to be a quick turnaround.
 
If you're looking for something to keep your gun in while you work, play, and lounge, and are on a sub-$70 budget, you've found your holster.
Click to expand...


The Split Decision looks like a good choice for me as Ive found that I prefere thin soft leather over the more rigid type,but everyone is different.
Click to expand...


I can't understand why anyone would want a rig that requires two hands to re-holster. But as you say..."everyone is different".
 
I can't understand why anyone would want a rig that requires two hands to re-holster. But as you say..."everyone is different".
Click to expand...

I worry about the draw, not putting it back :D

That being said, it is "acceptable" to me for it to take two hands to reholster, Getting a quality product at a low price was the largest concern when I first purchased the holster. Since then, I've purchased a few other holsters for the gun, and I still use the High Noon... It's just become second nature, and it sits and fits just right...
 
Crossbreed Supertuck, combat cut, horse hide (it gets a bit sticky in KS during the summer). Been a joy to carry in. Used it in several classes and some IDPA as well. One handed holstering as well. The Kydex is as friendly as soft leather to the gun finish but mine still looks good enough. It's not meant to be a show piece. Conceals very well also.
 
Another vote for the Crossbreed Supertuck.
Started with an Uncle Mikes, You know what thats like...
Next was a High Noon, Found it to be uncomfortable for long days wear.
Then I bought a Supertuck...
Most comfortable holster I have ever tried. Had days where I had it on for 20+ hrs and NO PROBLEMS. Standing, walking, driveing...whatever, you just forget you have it on.
I'm sure all of that type would be good but I KNOW Crossbreed is & I KNOW the service is too.

www.crossbreed.com
 
The bottom line: You get what you pay for.

If you are a serious concealed carrier, buy an all-leather IWB holster like the Milt Sparks VM II. THis holster sets the standard for concealed carry reliability but it is definately NOT worth the wait. IMHO, you need to have two of these type holsters available at all times and by the time you get one of these, you should be ordering another one. Milt Sparks purposely makes its customers wait for their products in an attempt to make themselves into an elite, illusive product manufacturer. Buy any IWB holster that looks remotely similar--and buy several from different manufacturers. This is not an elitist game we're playing--this is a real-world protection/defense measure and your search should include trying several different brands to ensure reliability.

I don't care if I offend others by saying this: Stay away from IWB kydex holsters and kydex clips. My experience is that products that allow for several positions and are a combination of kydex and leather are generally NOT NOT NOT daily-wear reliable--and you will find this out the hard way if you take this route. As far as their lifetime guarantee of free relacement if parts break, they do this because parts DO DO DO break. Yes they do--and if you do not have a second IWB in your possession, you are out of luck for a week or two.
 
Last edited:
Another vote for Crossbreed holsters although I actually prefer the regular IWB slightly over the supertuck. They offer a trial period.
I have a Milt Sparks VMII and it is a very good holster but the Crossbreeds are the most comfortable I have worn.
 
Logguy,
I agree completely about the Kydex IWB holsters. I tried the crossbreed I think it was and sold it rapidly. Not because I thought it would break but because it was uncomfortable.
My Andrews McDaniel II is very stable and has the sweat shield. It has a metal tab inside the leather on the rear of the holster near the belt loop, that when you tighten your belt, it helps really pull the grip in, moreso than the VM II.
I can't see buying a $600+ gun and put it in a $30 daily carry rig. That's just me though.
 
Stay away from IWB kydex holsters and kydex clips.
Click to expand...
You obviously haven't tried the Dale Fricke holsters I mentioned in the previous post. I've used one of his holsters (EHUD AIWB) for daily carry for almost three years without any sign of wear or breakage on the kydex hooks, and I find it very comfortable.

FWIW, his clips aren't adjustable for cant, so that may be one reason they are more sturdy.
 
My Andrews McDaniel II is very stable and has the sweat shield. It has a metal tab inside the leather on the rear of the holster near the belt loop, that when you tighten your belt, it helps really pull the grip in, moreso than the VM II.
Click to expand...

I'd like to try one of these if it weren't for the fact that the trigger isn't even clost to being covered up. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY, even though I carry a 1911 (Dan Wesson bobbed stainless) and it has the standard left-side-only safety and the 1911 safety is so reliable that it really completely stops the weapon from ever accidently winding up with the safety accidently coming off. Carrying a Glock or other weapon without a thumb safety is nothing short of unsafe and unwise--especially with the trigger so revealed in this holster. IMHO, carring WITHOUT a round chambered is limiting your ability to get off the first shot significantly--and this first shot advantage is where the value of concealed carry lies. This is why I say that any other semiauto without a thumb safety is TOO dangerous to carry cocked and locked, even those other semiautos WITH thumb safeties because they are not as totally reliable as the 1911 safety. One really good example of this is the M&P with the thumb safety. I carried this weapon for almost a year and found the safety OFF on at least a half dozen occasions of normal carry. Imagine something catching on the revealed trigger in this holster with a weapon such as a cocked and locked Glock--or imagine drawing under durress quickly and sticking your finger into the trigger guard accidently as you draw and attempt to get a good grip on it.
 
+1 on the crossbreed supertuck. Have one in horsehide, w/o the combat cut. They really do make suberb equipment.
 
The good news about all these recommendations is I'm now justified in buying several handgun-specific holsters:).

I have quite a few handguns, so I'm on the road to having quite a few IWB holsters.

I'm really glad to see there are some small businesses out there competing with the big boys. It would be a shame if the art of holster making was relinquished to the bigger companies

One quick question : are any of the recommended holster "broken in" right out of the box? One of the problems I've had with some leather holsters is they are so tight that drawing the firearm is nearly impossible UNTIL the holster is broken in.

Again, thanks for the recommendations. I'll continue to look and will post what I end up buying.
 
DFW1911 I just got my 100% leather DeSantis Cozy Partner and it's been a great "broken in" feel from the get-go.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
  • Locked
Holsters for new guns
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
kashton
K
E
  • Locked
IWB carry
Replies
20
Views
1K
Mac45
M
B
  • Locked
Dumb leather questions: Such thing as an IWB pancake?
Replies
17
Views
974
Bravo11
B
unclenunzie
  • Locked
Concealed carry IWB with OWB magazine carrier
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
WheelGunMan
WheelGunMan
D
  • Locked
IWB vs OWB for HOT weather carry?
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
Dravur
D
Back
Top