With Police Week in Washington DC last week there were several thousand police officers walking around our nation's capital with a badge hanging around their neck and a gun settled on their hip. Many didn't even make an attempt to conceal that weapon. In my opinion this is neither right nor wrong. It's Police Week. The brotherhood will gather and anyone who doesn't like the way they look can write a complaint - to whom, I have no idea. For those who do try to conceal their weapon I felt it might be appropriate to look at a few concealment holsters with a history of proven performance.
The six holsters I'm going to review come from two companies. This is not to say that other companies don't make good holsters - there are many qualifty manufacturers out there who make leather holsters that will last you a life time. You can get exotic custom made holsters, such as those from the talented George Wells, or you can get mass-produced leather holsters from a variety of sources. Ultimately, your needs and funds will determine what holster you end up with.
Now, before my inbox gets flooded with emails about how much nylon is better than leather, let me say this: in my younger days - when I first started out as a cop - I thought nylon rocked. I thought it was light, convenient, and surely the best way to carry any weapon I'd ever buy. A few years later (ok... more than "a few") I've come to prefer quality leather. Why? It is a simple matter of preference. With manufacturing techniques today, the leather and synthetic holsters fit weapons so well that - in general - having a generic fit nylon holster is unnecessary. For weapons that aren't as common as the "main stream" duty or off-duty guns, sure - a nylon universal fit holster can be great. However, if you have a relatively common make, model and caliber of off-duty weapon, you should be able to find a leather holster that secures it comfortably and in a manner that is relatively easy to conceal.
The first three I'm going to talk about are from BLACKHAWK!. BLACKHAWK! has been making holsters for more than ten years now and has significantly expanded its line in that time. Having started out with universal fit military style holsters they added leather and their CQC carbon-fiber line. The three holsters I'm going to look at represent common designs in the industry as well as three holsters I have in my gear closet; holsters I've worn several hundred times each in an off-duty or plain clothes capacity.
The first is the 3-Slot Pancake Holster. Shown in the above right photo, the 3-Slot Pancake allows for carrying the weapon two ways: straight up and down or with a forward cant. Virtually every time I've ever worn this holster I've placed it in the "forward cant" position - but I've known others who like to wear it vertically. The holster design completey encloses the trigger and trigger guard and has a security strap that snaps just inside the hammer. For 1911 style weapons that strap goes under the cocked-n-locked hammer for single-action carry. Note that the holster also completely covers the full length of the slide and barrel. Not only does this protect that portion of the weapon from being banged up as we go about our daily lives, but it also prevents that portion of the weapon from wearing into your pants. Depending on the manufacturer you can find such holsters as cheap as $20 or upwards of $300.
Next on the list is the Compact Askins holster. Also in a photo above right, you can see that this holster has a bit less leather to it. It also would appear that you can ONLY carry it with a forward cant. That's incorrect. BLACKHAWK builds these so that they fit on most belts and have a split slot on the back. You CAN wear this holster to carry your handgun vertically - but I prefer that cant. The mouth of the holster is molded so that it doesn't collapse. That matters when you need to holster quickly. Note that the end of the slide / barrel DO protrude. Depending on the length of your weapon (I carry a full size 1911 in mine) more slide/barrel will stick out. Be aware of this when dressing to conceal your weapon. People may not notice a 1/4"-1/2" of black leather that peaks out from under your outer garment, but for some reason, they are better at noticing 1/4"-1/2" of gun barrel. As there is no security strap, this holster design incorporates a tension adjustment screw so you can make the holster tighter - or looser (to a limit) - to suit your carry needs and comfort. This holster has an MSRP of just under $62 on the BLACKHAWK! site, but I've seen the design from other manufacturers with prices ranging from mid-$30s to upper $90s. Again, find the one that suits your needs.
The last holster from BLACKHAWK! we're going to look at is the Check Six. This is NOT a holster designed to be worn in the small of the back. It's designed to be worn at the right kidney - between your spine and your right hip. There are myriad arguments about the health benefits of carrying a holster in either place but ultimately - we spend a lot of time sitting down and leaning back. I'd rather have a holster that I can get to with less motion than one that requires me to move my entire body away from the back of the chair I'm sitting in. The cant of the holster presents the weapon for grabbing at an angle appropriate to the ergonomics of most humans reaching for that part of their body. Again, note that there is no security strap so there is a tension adjustment screw. These holsters completely enclose the barrel and slide. I have often carried my Glock 19 in this holster. I also have one for my 1911 but I'm always concerned that as I sit, move, stand, sit, etc - since there is no security strap - that I'd inadvertantly push the slide lock off. While that's not a super huge worry it does concern me enough that I just don't carry my 1911 that way. This holster has an MSRP of just under $64 but you can find similar designs for that wide space of pricing between $30 and $120 depending on manufacturer, material and even dealer - so search around.
That brings us to the three DeSantis holster designs I'd like to look at. The first is the Chek-Mate. This open top pancake design has an integral safety feature that grabs the trigger guard of the holstered weapon. As you grip the weapon prior to draw the release is located where your thumb should naturally go, releasing the weapon so you can present it. The use of an integrated locking system means less leather in the overall design and DeSantis uses a two-slot design rather than the 3-slot shown above. Why? Because weapon position and angle are important when gripping the weapon under high stress conditions so that the thumb naturally releases the inegral locking mechanism. The holster also has tension screws allowing the user to make the simple leather friction retention characteristics tighter or looser. The DeSantis website says you can get this holster in either black or tan leather. Their MSRP is $83 and that's about consistant with other concealable hoslters of this general type that have an integral safety mechanism. But shop around before buying - you never know what you may find.
Next on the list is the Quick Snap shown above right. The "precision molded" holster looks pretty good and is specifically designed for compact weapons that are hammerless. Note that the security strap goes over the weapon at the top of the backstrap - not across the back of the slide. At first I thought that was what the design name (quick snap) referred to - because you just push the gun in and snap the strap around the top. Not so. The "quick snap" refers to how the holster mounts on the belt. The single snap that secures the wrap-over belt loop to the holster body is where the holster got its name. This allows you to quickly put the holster onto any belt you're already wearing - and to take it off just as easily. It also means that the security of this holster on your belt is equal to the strength of that one snap in a fight. I strongly recommend that this holster only be worn in low-risk environments where concealing garments do a thorough job.
Last but not least is the Sky Cop design from DeSantis. This cross draw holster was obviously designed for use by air marshals. The precision molded leather presents a clean appearance while the supported hoslter mouth remains open for ease of holstering quickly. The trigger and trigger guard are completely enclosed by leather (don't buy a hoslter that doesn't do that) and a tension screw is in place so you can adjust how tight you want the holster to be. Plenty of clearance exists so that you can easily grasp the weapon and there is just enough cant to make the draw comfortable rather than a fight. The holster only fits belts up to 1.25" in width so it was meant to be predominantly worn with dress belts - not garrison belts. I would suggest, as leather holsters go, that this design is also ideal for those who drive a lot or are going on a long drive for whatever reason. When you're sitting in your car it's a LOT easier to get to your weapon from a cross draw holster than from anything else (except maybe a shoulder holster). Also, upon presenting the weapon, it's already pointed toward your driver door / window which is the most likely location of an identified threat. With an MSRP of about $76 on the DeSantis site you probably won't do a LOT better by shopping around - but inevitably distributors and dealers will have prices a few percentage points lower, so do shop around anyway.
That's the six holsters and holster designs. While I stuck to leather construction holsters there are obviously plenty of others out there to choose from. Look around. Get a little bit educated about pros and cons of design features. Spend YOUR money on the holster that suits YOUR needs - and does so securely.
Stay Safe!
