Quest for “The” Holster, a Study in Wrong Handedness

[JFK]

So holster comfort, style and build is always a big topic here. I thought I would share my experience with my quest to find an AIWB holster that works for me. It seems especially hard for me to find what works being left handed. As you can imagine there is not a lot of available holsters around to try out. So the result is, ordering a holster, waiting for months to find out there is one or two features that I don’t like, order another holster, wait, try. Finally two years later I have some holster that I am at least happy with. I thought I would write up what I found and my vague conclusions, hopefully it will help the lefties and everyone else decide what might work for them.

One of the things I found is that even when I tried my buddies holsters for the right hand, when I received my left handed versions, they were just not the same. All of the holsters were of good quality but there is always a feature that would make me want to try something different. So this is the pile of gear I ended up with:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6552424319_704fd75c69.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424319/)
Holster Write Up 3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424319/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

Quick background....
I have been a pistol owner from the day of my 21st birthday. Never carried other than in my car until I was about 25. I really started getting serious as a shooter around 27. (I am 32 now) When I started carrying seriously I traded up my Sig 229 for a 1911 because ironically enough the 1911 is very left hand friendly. After starting to carry appendix 2 years ago and upping my shooting I swapped for some tupperware in the M&P forum, recently I am experimenting with the P30, but the jury is still out on that one. Everyone has their reasons for appendix carry but the reason I tried it was a little simple. It was the only way I could access my firearm in the car when driving. Again being left handed the door, seatbelt and seat itself do not allow for any sort of a draw in the car.

I apologize for the blurry pictures. I was trying to do this myself and was having a bit of trouble.

The first holster I tried was the Custom Carry Concepts Shaggy (http://shop.customcarryconcepts.com/Shaggy-AIWB-SHG.htm).
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6552423763_7c73a2850e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552423763/)
Holster Write Up 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552423763/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

This is a very comfortable holster. It concealed the best out of the others, but keep in mind that this was with a single stack, so it may be a bit unfair of a comparison. The build quality is good, but the leather backing will peal off after some abuse, or in my case if the thumb safety hits the top of the holster a few times. It is easily fixable with available epoxies. My only complaint was a pretty big one. The holster was ridding too low and I was not able to get a purchase on the grip that I liked. It was not bad to make for an unsafe draw, but enough to scape my fingers on my belt, making practicing annoying.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6552426765_8b414e99fc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552426765/)
Holster Write Up 11 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552426765/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

Concealed with a t-shirt.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6552427049_7ddcee2f86.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552427049/)
Holster Write Up 12 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552427049/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

After trying the other holsters I have a feeling that my problem with the low ridding and hard grip purchase was due to two things. First the leather belt loops, and second the weight of a steel 1911. After trying the other holsters I do believe that the combination of these two things made the holster cant a bit causing the problem. If I position the holster to get a good grip purchase It would stay that way until I moved a lot, or sat down. As soon as this happened the butt of the gun would sag more to the left making the draw harder. It is my opinion that a solid Kydex loop sized to a proper belt would solve this.

When switching to the M&P from the 1911 I was waiting for the C&D Pardus so I altered a Comp-Tac Minotaur Spartan to carry at appendix position. It worked to practice, and train with while I waited 4 months, but was not comfortable at all. This is expected because it was not designed for this use. It is of good quality, but I am not going to elaborate on the details, because it is not really relevant for appendix carry.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6552425219_65a190921f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552425219/)
Holster Write Up 6 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552425219/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

Finally I receive the C&D Pardus (http://www.caneandderby.com/catalog/category/view/s/pardus-appendix-carry-kydex-holster/id/10/).

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6552424925_675fc6e5d0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424925/)
Holster Write Up 5 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424925/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

This holster is of the finest Kydex I have seen. The build quality is outstanding. The edges are finished to perfection and the holster feels solid and the retention is very good with a satisfying click when inserting the pistol. This holster is very fast with no drag on the draw. Also I think the pink makes me look very manly and it matches my socks. Something that is not taken into consideration when selecting a holster that I think should be. This one does not conceal as good as the Shaggy, however it is very stable on the belt with the wider loop positions. There are a couple of drawbacks to this holster. The wider set loops can make for a hard time positioning on some pants. They are oriented in such a way that the first belt loop splits the two attachment points. As such there are some pairs of jeans I can not wear with this holster and get the position that I want. I know that Jody has mentioned this too (http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?2621-C-amp-D-Pardus-AIWB), so it would seem that his is not a lefty phenomenon. In addition there is a bump molded into the back of the holster that is supposed to push the butt of the gun in creating less of a print. It does do this, but it will also create a little pressure where it contacts the leg. I have found that sometimes I get a little uncomfortable on long days due to this feature.

Here are the pictures.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6552426069_9d46ec1ee0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552426069/)
Holster Write Up 9 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552426069/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6552426299_f456b15e50.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552426299/)
Holster Write Up 10 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552426299/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

[JFK]

What is also nice about this holster is with a little adjustment it will fit my P30 while I wait for a holster that is made for it. More on that later.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6552427523_1a89c5ac42.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552427523/)
Holster Write Up 14 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552427523/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

Finally after taking a look at BOM’s Desbien (http://www.desbiensgunleather.com/iwb-holsters/), I ordered one and it is a great piece of work.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6552424615_92213d6e94.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424615/)
Holster Write Up 4 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424615/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

This is a fine piece of leather goods. The molding and retention is very nice. The model I ordered was the #4 Hardcore with a reverse cant, high ride. This is the most stable out of the three. It is also the most comfortable. In addition to that I still enjoy nice leather, handmade products. It makes me feel good and I love the look of fine craft work. The slight cant makes for a very nice grip purchase. It is very natural and easy to draw with the reverse cant. I was a little worried about the draw speed, as there is a very different feel from leather to Kydex. The shot timer confirms that there is no difference in draw time. As a matter of fact there was a slight advantage to the Desbien. I would attribute this to the reverse cant. My wrist was locked as soon as I get a good grip, then it was a straight pull up. Logic would say you would have to switch directions with a RC holster, but that is not the case here. The cant is just slight enough for good wrist / hand position, but the upward motion of the draw is the same as a traditional zero cant AIWB. As with everything there is a trade off. The additional leather on the mouth does make this holster print a little bit more than the others. I do not know if the standard ride, as opposed to the high ride would negate this, but it is not awful. It does not print with a heavy shirt, or pull over, but with a t-shirt or slimmer fitting polo it will print to the trained eye, but not to the average Joe.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6552425499_56f06c5631.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552425499/)
Holster Write Up 7 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552425499/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6552425859_79b703338a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552425859/)
Holster Write Up 8 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552425859/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

Conclusion:

As it has been discussed ad nauseam even the best of holsters is not right for everyone. I like and dislike things about each. Here is how I would rank them among the major factors of selection.

Comfort:
Desbien
CCC Shaggy
C&D Pardus

Concealment:
CCC Shaggy
C&D Pardus
Desbien

Build Quality:
Desbien
C&D Pardus
CCC Shaggy

Matches Socks:
C&D Pardus
CCC Shaggy
Desbien

But of course there is always the feel factor, and what is important to you for selecting a holster. In my experiment so far taking all things know and felt into consideration I would put in order of preference for overall:
Desbien
CCC Shaggy
C&D Pardus

I am currently carrying and using my C&D with my P30 as it is the only holster that I have that fits it. I have ordered a Desbien in the same flavor as my M&P to carry this gun in. I hope the lead time is fast because although not a bad holster, it is not the perfect fit for me.

In addition when CCC opens up for orders I will order a Shaggy with a Kydex belt loop. I do believe the problems I was having with it after using the Desbien was due to the mounting system that I choose. I will use the Desbien as my primary holster and if the CCC works like I think it will I will use that when I want to wear just a t-shirt.

Mag Holders:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6552424045_0dc7a4babe.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424045/)
Holster Write Up 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72663770@N08/6552424045/) by Jay Koller (http://www.flickr.com/people/72663770@N08/), on Flickr

I will not spend too much time on this. Mag holders are just as important in selection of a carry system I found out. I have tried several and here are the top picks. Once again the Desbien is my favorite, but takes up so much belt real-estate that only one mag carrier is possible. This causes and issue for IDPA or if you are taking a class and want more than one spare on your belt. I like the draw of it and it is comfortable for all day wear. It is what I use when I go out of the house. However I found that the Blackhawk generic double stack holder is perfect. Good retention, release, as well as slim and sturdy. The Comp-Tac is very good and fast but is not as concealable as the others. The C&D is built awesome and is the most concealable, but I have found that the clips on both sides does not allow me to grab the mag like I like, so I never use this one. I can not index my finger where I want without the clip being in the way.

I hope this helps you lefties (and righties) out there select a holster. With wait times for quality products nearing 1/2 a year it is very frustrating to find a good fit.

Good luck.

Jay

[Jac]

Fantastic write-up, thanks.

[YVK]

This is a nice review, with obvious effort and time put into it, thanks.

Reading it brought one thing to mind, something that I've noticed and tangentially mentioned before. I think AIWB carry is the least generalizable in terms of holster fit.
I have or had all three holsters you've reviewed.
CDI rig for P30 had very little clearance over the belt, I couldn't draw the gun. I gave it away to a forum member, and he had no problems, just like you and others who reviewed that rig.
Desbiens # 4 high ride, straight cant for a 1911 offers me no concealment. It isn't only that it is thicker, it has no feature to bring the butt in. Combined with a long grip of 1911, it is useless for me in AIWB. Others I am sure will disagree.
Shaggy, of which I've owned four, has been nearly perfect, outside of known problem with leather backing separation. Then there are forum members here who couldn't stand it.
I think those who want to go down AIWB road should expect more involved trial and error than with conventionally positioned holsters.

[JFK]

Thanks for the nice words.

Agreed that there is more trial and error. It is nice to try things out if you can. Had I been able to give any of these a range session before buying I may have made different choices. I was able to try the Shaggy and Desbien before being in right hand, but until you get it how you are going to carry it you will not find the nuances.

I also concur the Desbien is harder to conceal. For me though it is only a light print, not a deal breaker. The comfort, ergo, and stability is much more important to me.

[JDM]

Awesome write up J.

And FYI, CCC still takes orders for loops and accessories even when closed for holster orders. Turn around is right around 3 weeks IIRC.

I meant to tell you on Friday.

[JFK]

Thanks. I will try the Kydex loop and see if that works. Thanks for the extra leather loops by the way.

Jay

[JFK]

Small update on this. I have been using my C&D with my P30 while waiting for a Desbien. I found that if I wear higher rise pants the comfort thing I complain about is minimized. The bump on the bottom does not land in a tender area and all day comfort is much more possible. So with jeans it is not as good, but cargos or 5.11 style dress it is much better.

[turbolag23]

as a fellow other strong handed shooter, thanks for the write up and pictures. i've been using a shaggy and basic mag carrier. i like that setup but sometimes after long rides in a car the holster digs into my leg. i've tried wearing my pants higher but with my build cant keep them where i need to not have the holster interfere.

[JFK]

as a fellow other strong handed shooter, thanks for the write up and pictures. i've been using a shaggy and basic mag carrier. i like that setup but sometimes after long rides in a car the holster digs into my leg. i've tried wearing my pants higher but with my build cant keep them where i need to not have the holster interfere.

It is hard to find the right gear. I use these pants. But mine have cargo pockets.

http://www.parisobdan.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/urkel.jpg

[TCinVA]

I've only ever used a Shaggy with the Kydex loop. It's very stable and keeps the ride height perfect. I think you can order one from CCC if you want to retrofit your Shaggy.

[JFK]

I've only ever used a Shaggy with the Kydex loop. It's very stable and keeps the ride height perfect. I think you can order one from CCC if you want to retrofit your Shaggy.

I ordered the Kydex loop. As soon as it gets here I will update my thoughts. I believe it will make a big difference.

[Shellback]

Nice write up. My wife's a lefty so I'm researching holster options for her currently.