Lucky Noob
One of the difficult things about being a noob on P-T/F.com is that you don't have to work as hard to get to where everyone else already resides. There are so many knowledgeable people here, that I don't have to walk around in the dark. If I want to buy my first gun, holster, mag carrier, bags, belts, glasses, ear pro, attend classes, etc. everyone will give you good advice and most of the time it will be impartial and always make you think about your own goals and direction.
This has happened to me here a plenty. Luckily everyone's patient with us noobfolk.
What Makes This Holster Special?
I won't bore you with the details as to how Spencer (Keepers Concealment designer-Prdator online), OrigamiAK and SouthNarc graciously guided me to understanding the intricacies of this holster, but I will point them out to you in case this is your first foray into the AIWB market.
Again, being lucky to have joined this forum and having listened to it's inhabitants, I moved from OWB at 3'o'clock to AIWB in under a year and I NEVER had a bad holster. I went from a Comp-Tac straight drop OWB to a JRC Custom Leather Holster AIWB-CDA (I've reviewed that as well) and on to a Keepers Concealment AIWB. I never had to spend thousands on holsters that didn't work for me (I run a P30 and P30L) or didn't fit me or my gun quite right. I put them on and never looked back.
The Internet is a Hell of a Drug
I had just bought my second 9mm from Prdator/Keepers (HKP30) and he was honest enough to tell me he overcharged on the S/H and offered the refund towards one of his holsters. I didn't even blink, I just said yes, how much? It was $150.
I had just purchased everything that JRC had to offer, which was north of that, so I figured, WTH, Spencer's a good guy and his P30 was mint and as advertised, so this won't be anything different. Well, it was and wasn't.
As soon as I put it on, I was comfortable. The draw was slick and smooth and I had no problems moving around other than the typical tying of shoes wiggling that I have to do with both my AIWBs. FYI I'm 5'6" and 130 lbs, so carrying a full sized in AIWB is a feat that both of these holsters pull off handily.*
After a day or two of dry draw practice, I went down to the range to fire some live rounds. All was well, but I didn't know what made this a $150 holster in comparison to all the other sub $100 holsters on the market. The internet can cause paralysis by analysis and I was vapor locked.
Good to Have Friends
As I stated earlier, being a noob, I needed some guidance in the way of understanding why this holster was great. After all, everything I've gotten off this forum has been gold. My first and second holster, my second HK, my shooting buddy TGS and the plethora of information from all of you.
Spencer graciously heard me out about my concern and walked me through his improvements and told me that SouthNarc and OrigamiAK had the holster as well.*
When I spoke to OrigamiAK, he took me through his trials and tribulations in trying to get something to fit his G30, IIRC. I was amazed to learn just how difficult it was to get the right feeling holster that made the skills we strive for less encumbered by the third most elemental piece of hardware we need, a holster (1st and 2nd being gun/ammo).
I know this isn't true for every person and every gun, but it was something I never had to experience, b/c of the intense scrutiny all of the forum members have put into their own personal T&E (test & evaluation). Part of the premium I was paying for in a holster like JRC and Keepers is NOT having to spend money on failed experiments.
Down and Dirty Details
First, the body side of the holster is covered in soft side velcro, so you can place the foam wedges anywhere you see fit in order to wedge the muzzle and grip into your body. It is very easy and very comfortable.*
Second, there is velcro on the solid kydex belt loop, so if you are running a Wilderness or Atlas Belt, you can double back your belt and velcro the loop in place for added security and stiffness. The loop has two height positions and a cant adjustment.
Third, there is a cut away from the muzzle to the trigger guard so that I can kick with my right leg freely even though I'm carrying a HKP30L AIWB. This is an enormous advantage for me as a martial artist to have continued freedom of my legs despite the fact that I'm carrying a full sized pistol b/w my legs. Lastly, this cut away is sealed with a rivet and glued with a special adhesive that melts the two pieces of kydex together.
Fourth, the clamshell molding around the trigger guard wedges the holster along the contouring of your belly's hollow, which is the space that angles back towards your hip from your belly button. The only thing I'd add/ask to be done for me is to have a bit of the clamshell removed (tight quarters here) so that I can access my mag release from the front side trigger guard for my P30/P30L. However, you can release the magazine from the body side of the trigger guard. As Spencer pointed out, this style of clamshell covers the bottom of the trigger guard to keep the gun from rocking when you're getting a full firing grip at speed and if he removed more, it would compromise that stability.
Fifth, the kydex has a flap that is molded over the muzzle to protect your body from extreme heat when shooting at speed for long periods of time.
Back to the 'Net
When I went to the internet to look at the various kydex holsters that I've seen discussed, I found that no holster had the combination of things offered as I illustrated above. Sure they had one or two of these options, but not all four and if they did, I believe they'd need to be requested. In addition, most of them had serious back logs.
TGS and I have had conversations that perhaps some of these holster makers are too cheap. I say that, b/c when your demand is so high that you have 3-12 months of back log depending on the maker and season, I think your prices might be too low. I'm not trying to have everyone hate on me, b/c I've directly/indirectly caused all holster makers to raise their prices, but the more a holster maker makes within the market's confines, the more they are willing to put back into the R&D of their product so they can continue to evolve their products due to our input. In addition, the more they make, the more willing they are to hire some helping hands and reduce wait times.
Parting Shot
In the end, buying this holster was very educational and humbling to my own thought process and I thank this forum and the aforementioned members for their time and patience with me. The most important thing we can do as members, who have experience, is to pass on our experiences to noobs so that they don't fall into the same quagmires-they get to find their own
As a self-professed and obvious noob, I think this forum has allowed me to get my hands on the two best holsters on the market now in their respective mediums. If you are thinking of switching to AIWB, then you MUST consider both of these holster makers and IMO, get them both-you'll be extremely happy with their product, knowledge, customization and service.
Below you'll find the Holster Porn.
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Originally Posted by BaiHu
