First concealed carry holster

[hiro]

It’s time to get my concealed carry permit and I need a holster!

Don't thrash me to within an inch of my life for posting this! There are plenty of threads and posts saying buy this or this works great for me but as a noob I have not found a detailed insight as to the why's and wherefores of the features that go to make up a holster.

I know that body shape will play a huge role in what finally works and I will need to wear it to know. The question is where to start to best avoid a box of used once holsters?

I wish to carry a G17k G4 IWB. No light. 1 or 2 magazines.

I have been shooting at the range and dry firing a Ready Tactical OWB holster since March 2016. My draw is, I feel safe but not fast.

I'm right handed, 200lbs and 5'11". I am hoping to lose 20lbs. I have a couple of Wilderness Tactical Frequent Flyer belts. I live on the front range of Colorado. Summer I'm in jeans or shorts and a t-shirt, winter I'm in layers of typical outdoorsy goretex vortex clothing. I have an aversion to fishing vests.

I'm looking for someone to tell me what my understanding is missing or what I just got wrong. Yes, this is the internet but I'm not looking to validate something I already bought!

Cant is all about where you wear. 3 o'clock best with zero cant, the further back you go, the more you should increase cant.

Sweat guard height, higher could pinch but stops sweat corroding the gun. Protects from warm gun (really?)

Height of loops/grip over waist band. Lower loops raises the holster and gives better first time grip but can impede concealment.

Loops or paddles. Loops are more reliable(?) paddles allow quick and easy fitting and removal. In between these two are things like the Eidolon tuckable overhooks, which seem to make sense to me as long as you can yank on the pistol and it comes out of the holster and the holster stays on your belt.

Wedges and claws kinda do similar things tho at different angles. Both seem to be used exclusively with AIWB tho I think I've seen some IWB with claws. Having not worn either I think a wedge rotates the pistol to push the muzzle in and grip out or is it the other way round? Claws rotate the pistol around the axis of the barrel. Both are to improve concealment and access.

Where to wear? Being a new shooter I am cautious about AIWB, I like my arteries and testicles just fine thank you. That said, being stupid/careless enough to ND when holstering or drawing is not a choice regardless of carry position. Cos of my body shape I am drawn to AIWB but I really don't know if that's me subconsciously wanting to be one of the cool guys. Sad but I need to be honest. Anything further round than 3 o'clock seems daft for everyday carry. There's the issue of awareness of the pistol and sitting in a car or any kind of seat is gonna be uncomfortable. It seems more difficult to draw from concealment when the pistol is behind you and reholstering where you can't see what you're doing is also not a good idea. Seems my choices are 3 o'clock or appendix.

Material. I have not and don't intend to consider anything other than IM plastic or kydex. A friend has a hybrid leather pancake with kydex 3/4 shell but I can't say I like it, I want to hear that click as the holster says hello to the trigger guard.

Do I need the retention to be adjustable?

Injection molded versus kydex heat formed. Not so sure about this, IM should be more consistent to manufacture but as I'm only buying one or two why should that matter to me? I get with kydex I could use a heat gun and tweak the holster but I don't want to need or be wanting to do this. If it doesn't fit my needs out of the box I'd rather return it and as a carry piece of kit, I don't want to think about the litigation of changing it if something should go pear shaped and I have to use the gun.

Lastly, I've pretty much reduced my choices to a Raven Eidolon or something from Dark Star Gear. While Raven aren’t I'd like to buy from a site supporter, it seems the right thing to do.

What have I missed? What did I get wrong?

[orionz06]

The Morrigan, for IWB and not AIWB would be a better choice, in my eyes, than the Eidolon. While I do think my IWB might be better yet it's also more money and won't be in the mail tomorrow morning. A Morrigan from Austere Provisions will be at your door in a few days. It will also serve as a solid starting point and basis of comparison for other stuff because no matter what you're gonna wind up with more holsters.

[hiro]

Thanks for the suggestion Tom, you're right, I will end up with a few holsters...

What is your current turn around and which of your models would you say fits my needs from the above info?

[blues]

Lastly, I've pretty much reduced my choices to a Raven Eidolon or something from Dark Star Gear. While Raven aren’t I'd like to buy from a site supporter, it seems the right thing to do.

I purchased a holster from Tom / Dark Star Gear because I wanted to have something to compare to my "George" from Tony at JMCK, (which is a very good holster indeed), and because I wanted to support DSG because of their unselfish support of the site and its members. I haven't been disappointed in the least with that decision and I don't think you would be either. Worth the wait and the asking price, imho.


Edit to add:

It's the same holster that Tom links to in the following post. I only have the belt clip and not the soft loops. Very convenient on / off and very secure. I've taken a hard running fall on gravel with mine AIWB and neither the gun nor holster were damaged or dislodged. I still might ask Tom to send me a pair of the loops one of these days just because. (Holster is used with G19 and G26.)

[orionz06]

Thanks for the suggestion Tom, you're right, I will end up with a few holsters...

What is your current turn around and which of your models would you say fits my needs from the above info?

This model: http://darkstargear.com/product/g17-aiwbiwb/

Without the claw for IWB, with the claw for AIWB. I have a bunch in progress and the current struggle is packing/shipping. That's the one task I've yet to get assistance on and it's become a bit of a bear as things have ramped up. I'd say a week or two at most though, assuming nothing pops up.

[SLG]

That does look like a well thought out holster.

[orionz06]

That does look like a well thought out holster.

Thanks!



I've not done a coupon or sale in over 8 years, other than the one time I did a Serpa trade-in. Use the code: soonisnow for $20 off this holster. Takes it closer to the Morrigan in price. I'll leave it up for at least a few days and will post before I yank it. If you're reading this and placed an order recently I'll adjust. (7 days for bookkeeping purposes)

[olstyn]

Anything further round than 3 o'clock seems daft for everyday carry. There's the issue of awareness of the pistol and sitting in a car or any kind of seat is gonna be uncomfortable. It seems more difficult to draw from concealment when the pistol is behind you and reholstering where you can't see what you're doing is also not a good idea. Seems my choices are 3 o'clock or appendix.

Don't assume that your choices are limited to just those two options. I carry at about 4:15 or 4:30 IWB, and the only thing you list that's an issue for me is the "awareness of the pistol" one, and in practice, that's fairly minor, for me at least. Whether car seats are comfortable or not is going to depend on your body shape, the seats, your holster/belt combo, and your gun, but assuming it's just impossible for that position to be comfortable is incorrect. It's also definitely possible to look the gun into the holster as far back as 4:30 for me. YMMV on that one, as it's somewhat flexibility dependent, but again, not impossible. The draw from there, again, is not that difficult; once you get some practice in, you get used to where your hand needs to go.

[The Apprentice]

Thanks for the discount code. I've been wanting to give one of your holsters a try and couldnt pass it up.

[hiro]

Don't assume that your choices are limited to just those two options. I carry at about 4:15 or 4:30 IWB, and the only thing you list that's an issue for me is the "awareness of the pistol" one, and in practice, that's fairly minor, for me at least. Whether car seats are comfortable or not is going to depend on your body shape, the seats, your holster/belt combo, and your gun, but assuming it's just impossible for that position to be comfortable is incorrect. It's also definitely possible to look the gun into the holster as far back as 4:30 for me. YMMV on that one, as it's somewhat flexibility dependent, but again, not impossible. The draw from there, again, is not that difficult; once you get some practice in, you get used to where your hand needs to go.

Do you find it "easier" to sweep those around you as you draw the pistol from 4:30 and bring it to the front? How fast can you get a first shot from concealed?