Simply Rugged ???

[farm23]

I have the sourdough for my 629 - 3" along with the 1 3/4" belt and ammo pouch. The belt and holster are with me most every day and do a great job. When I am riding a horse I have added a thong but it probably is not needed. When I get my next gun it will be a Simply Rugged or maybe one from CraigC if he does outside work.

 

[jeepnik]

I really need to stay away from SR's site. Just got this one.

I discovered their "Sale" page, and wouldn't you know it they have a few for us southpaws.

 

[lemondrop9344]

http://images.thehighroad.org/smilies/cussing2.gif - Simply Rugged

A few years ago I purchased a Sourdough Pancake with a Chesty Puller setup for my 5" 686 Pro. The thought being.... I could carry it on my belt OWB as well as a sort of shoulder rig when performing rigorous activities. The pictures on the web site reflects what appear to be will boned holsters. This let me to believe the mouth of the holster would remain open to facilitate re-holstering the weapon one handed.

I found this holster to be completely unsuitable for use where one handed re-holstering was needed (Mas Ayoob's Mag/40 class). The class requirement was to re-holster the revolver, one handed, trigger finger down the side & thumb on the hammer. I can't tell you how miserably I failed to accomplish this task with the Simply Rugged holster. Several of the instructors advised my best be would be to change to a different holster for the balance of the class. I had a very cheap 3 person style holster with very stiff leather which held the mouth of the holster open I used for the balance of the class.

Upon my return from the class, I emailed Simply Rugged regarding reinforcing the mouth of the holster in some fashion so as to keep the mouth open. The softness of the leather was such the holster essentially closed up and made one handed re-holstering impossible. I never received a reply.

Based on my experience, I would offer the opinion this holster is not really a suitable holster for concealed carry or tightly molded to the gun as their web site states. I would also offer the opinion there customer service is less than stellar as I have no record of ever receiving a response to my email. I was prepared to pay for this service, but, no response.

A little food for thought, there is probably a good reason why some holster makers have such a long lead time. Their products work as advertised and they have stellar customer service. For my money; C. Rusty Sherrick is the way to go even with the wait time.

 

[lemondrop9344]

A few years ago I purchased a Sourdough Pancake with a Chesty Puller setup for my 5" 686 Pro. The thought being.... I could carry it on my belt OWB as well as a sort of shoulder rig when performing rigorous activities. The pictures on the web site reflects what appear to be will boned holsters. This led me to believe the mouth of the holster would remain open to facilitate re-holstering the weapon one handed.

I found this holster to be completely unsuitable for use where one handed re-holstering was needed (Mas Ayoob's Mag/40 class). The class requirement was to re-holster the revolver, one handed, trigger finger down the side & thumb on the hammer. I can't tell you how miserably I failed to accomplish this task with the Simply Rugged holster. Several of the instructors advised my best be would be to change to a different holster for the balance of the class. I had a very cheap 3 person style holster with very stiff leather which held the mouth of the holster open I used for the balance of the class.

Upon my return from the class, I emailed Simply Rugged regarding reinforcing the mouth of the holster in some fashion so as to keep the mouth open. The softness of the leather was such the holster essentially closed up and made one handed re-holstering impossible. I never received a reply.

Based on my experience, I would offer the opinion this holster is not really a suitable holster for concealed carry or tightly molded to the gun as their web site states. I would also offer the opinion there customer service is less than stellar as I have no record of ever receiving a response to my email. I was prepared to pay for this service, but, no response.

A little food for thought, there is probably a good reason why some holster makers have such a long lead time. Their products work as advertised and they have stellar customer service. For my money; C. Rusty Sherrick is the way to go even with the wait time.

 

[CraigC]

Lemondrop, it is a pancake. That's how pancakes work. They're designed that way.

I would also offer the opinion there customer service is less than stellar as I have no record of ever receiving a response to my email.

Never, ever depend on email. Pick up the phone.

 

[JTQ]

lemondrop9344 wrote,
The pictures on the web site reflects what appear to be will boned holsters. This led me to believe the mouth of the holster would remain open to facilitate re-holstering the weapon one handed.

I found this holster to be completely unsuitable for use where one handed re-holstering was needed (Mas Ayoob's Mag/40 class). The class requirement was to re-holster the revolver, one handed, trigger finger down the side & thumb on the hammer. I can't tell you how miserably I failed to accomplish this task with the Simply Rugged holster.

A couple of points. In the big picture of custom holster makers, Simply Rugged holsters are some of the least boned custom holsters made. A quick look through their site and just about any custom holster makers site will show how little detail boning Simply Rugged holsters have. Since most of their models are of the basic pancake design, retention is provided not by the holster's boning, but by the basic conceptual design of the pancake holster (that I pointed out in post #18). When worn on the belt, the out layer will be drawn close and provide retention. When the pistol is drawn, that outer layer will tend to close up and often make reholstering difficult, especially with something like a revolver with a thick cylinder.

If you needed a holster for range use, that would require many presentations and reholstering, a pancake holster, regardless of the maker, is usually a poor choice simply due to the way the holster is designed to work.

From Simply Rugged's site
http://www.simplyrugged.com/about/

For competition and range use, we developed the Cattleman an easier packing, low cut holster, with easy to holster capabilities.

Here is another maker, Horseshoe Leather's take on basic holster designs

http://www.holsters.org/holster-design.htm

For training classes, a wraparound style, such as a Milt Sparks 55BN or Galco Avenger, is a much better option because the design of the holster will allow it to stay open when the holster is drawn.

The ease of drawing and reholstering is the primary reason kydex holsters have become the most popular holsters for training/range/competition.

 

[CraigC]

They look wet molded to me, not boned.

 

[lemondrop9344]

I now have a much better understanding of the complexities of selecting a holster. I have come to the realization there is no one holster which will be a solution for every possible situation. Like so many others, I'm beginning to amass a variety of holsters. Have't decided if this a good thing or a bad thing.

I appreciate all who took the time to respond and enlighten me. I realize I have a tremendous amount to learn.

With regards to the 'Simply Rugged Holster', I purchased..... At the time I purchased the holster I saw the information on the website regarding the pancake holster. Unfortunately for me, I interpreted the wording to mean something along the line; the pancake holster would work, but, there were better choices. This was my mistake and I acknowledge same.

With regard to the following, Never, ever depend on email. Pick up the phone. There website states if you have a question email them. This is what I did.

I don't disagree the best solution is to pick up the phone and try and talk to someone. However, as a consumer, I've been conditioned to the recorded messages which tell me how important my call is & I'm put on ignore. Not saying that would have happened at Simply Rugged..... but, decisions we make today are influenced by success or failure of past decisions. As a consumer, I just expected a response to my email inquiry.