I have carried several pistols and revolvers with a good many holsters. I've tried nylon, Kydex, Leather, and hybrids. I like the nylons if they are made well, I modified a Uncle Mikes for my Witness 45 and was very pleased with it, but out of the box it was loose and not too secure. The leather holsters I have had were good depending on maker and the firearm it was used for. Some holster designs simply do not work with certain firearms. I've owned three Kydex name brand holsters, most recently a Safariland, all broke or cracked. I am done with plastic.
I finally just made a holster that worked as I wanted and for nearly two years was completely satisfied with the holster itself. A simple pancake, fit to my MY revolver and MY body, with MY cant. It's comfortable, holds the revolver close so you really cannot tell I am carrying, and the price was right. Just a few hours of work and $29 in leather from a shop in Nashville.
I can do summersaults with it and the revolver stays secure. I often run flat out chasing kids down without problems.
Except one.
Reaching a belt holster while driving or wearing carharts is a big problem. I looked for options and kept coming back to a shoulder rig. The only thing stopping me was the abundance of folks who say shoulder rigs are only good for Hollywood. I carry a S&W 629 snubbie. S&W 629 44MG* - Camfour Exclusive It has been tuned, bobbed, and smoothed by Denny Reichard of Sandburr Gun Ranch. It's heavy at 2lbs 8oz loaded.
I looked at horizontal rigs and quickly dismissed them, I ain't thick enough to keep the butt from sticking out with anything but maybe a Keltec 32. I looked at vertical rigs but they were all heavily made and bulky. After a considerable amount of research I felt that the Alessi Guardian was the one to try, but they only make it for small revolvers.
I stumbled on a holster company called Kangaroo Carry, watched the videos, fretted about it, talked to the wife, and finally decided at $49 bucks what did I have to lose. I selected the Air Marshal 3 and placed my order using their recommended method of choosing the size.
I just a few weeks it arrived. The product was well packaged with instructions that were short, clear, and to the point. I put it on and began wearing it that night on the outside of my shirt so adjustments were easy. After three days I moved it inside my shirt and continued to make adjustments. After a month I was sold. The draw is far easier than it looks, works with just about any clothing except a completely zipped shut winter jacket. I can draw from the neck opening while in the car, laying on the couch, sitting, it hides even a N frame S&W as well as anything else. Unless you are hugging me you will not likely know I have it on.
I have been wearing it every day for two months now without complaint other than my revolver may be on the edge of what weight the holster should be used for. I like it because I am a big fan of one firearm, one holster, all the time. I do not want to think about what I am carrying, and where I have it, if I need it now. I don't want to change holster when I change clothing styles. If I really need to be concealed I have a P32, that is rare.
The one downside I see is I normally have all solid color shirts and that I think needs to change. I can move up in size to a XL shirt and it helps concealment a good bit, but a pattern to break up the bulk would help even more. I am not concerned about having the band touching my skin as I always a wear a tee shirt or undershirt even in the summer, so not a biggle for me. If I had to wear this holster against my bare skin, I might change my mind about it.
Pros
Cons
I think anyone carrying a compact auto, or a small to mid sized snubbie, would find it worth the money to try out if they were considering a bellyband or concealment tee shirt.
Yellowhousejake
Note, yes those are speed strips in an old magnetic latch cell phone holster. Lightning fast, secure, and no one seems to notice.
I finally just made a holster that worked as I wanted and for nearly two years was completely satisfied with the holster itself. A simple pancake, fit to my MY revolver and MY body, with MY cant. It's comfortable, holds the revolver close so you really cannot tell I am carrying, and the price was right. Just a few hours of work and $29 in leather from a shop in Nashville.
I can do summersaults with it and the revolver stays secure. I often run flat out chasing kids down without problems.
Except one.
Reaching a belt holster while driving or wearing carharts is a big problem. I looked for options and kept coming back to a shoulder rig. The only thing stopping me was the abundance of folks who say shoulder rigs are only good for Hollywood. I carry a S&W 629 snubbie. S&W 629 44MG* - Camfour Exclusive It has been tuned, bobbed, and smoothed by Denny Reichard of Sandburr Gun Ranch. It's heavy at 2lbs 8oz loaded.
I looked at horizontal rigs and quickly dismissed them, I ain't thick enough to keep the butt from sticking out with anything but maybe a Keltec 32. I looked at vertical rigs but they were all heavily made and bulky. After a considerable amount of research I felt that the Alessi Guardian was the one to try, but they only make it for small revolvers.
I stumbled on a holster company called Kangaroo Carry, watched the videos, fretted about it, talked to the wife, and finally decided at $49 bucks what did I have to lose. I selected the Air Marshal 3 and placed my order using their recommended method of choosing the size.
I just a few weeks it arrived. The product was well packaged with instructions that were short, clear, and to the point. I put it on and began wearing it that night on the outside of my shirt so adjustments were easy. After three days I moved it inside my shirt and continued to make adjustments. After a month I was sold. The draw is far easier than it looks, works with just about any clothing except a completely zipped shut winter jacket. I can draw from the neck opening while in the car, laying on the couch, sitting, it hides even a N frame S&W as well as anything else. Unless you are hugging me you will not likely know I have it on.
I have been wearing it every day for two months now without complaint other than my revolver may be on the edge of what weight the holster should be used for. I like it because I am a big fan of one firearm, one holster, all the time. I do not want to think about what I am carrying, and where I have it, if I need it now. I don't want to change holster when I change clothing styles. If I really need to be concealed I have a P32, that is rare.
The one downside I see is I normally have all solid color shirts and that I think needs to change. I can move up in size to a XL shirt and it helps concealment a good bit, but a pattern to break up the bulk would help even more. I am not concerned about having the band touching my skin as I always a wear a tee shirt or undershirt even in the summer, so not a biggle for me. If I had to wear this holster against my bare skin, I might change my mind about it.
Pros
- Light weight and breaths.
- Easy to draw from with practice.
- ALWAYS in the same place regardless of clothing.
- Comfortable.
- Adjustable for clothing thickness.
- I can finally wear a tucked in shirt, and still reach my EDC.
Cons
- Not really for a full sized EDC. I tried my Witness 5.5" 45 and it looked like I had a box of wooden matches in my pocket.
- Doesn't carry a heavy EDC well, the shoulder strap when adjusted to the far right leaves the holster pocket drooping.
- The adjustable shoulder strap will creep down with a lot of weight.
I think anyone carrying a compact auto, or a small to mid sized snubbie, would find it worth the money to try out if they were considering a bellyband or concealment tee shirt.
Yellowhousejake
Note, yes those are speed strips in an old magnetic latch cell phone holster. Lightning fast, secure, and no one seems to notice.
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