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Thread: AIWB Holster List

  1. #1
    Supporting Business Dark Star Gear's Avatar
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    AIWB Holster List

    Most folks here should know how Pistol-Forum is tied into modern appendix carry, but if you're not, it's worth digging into. What I'm seeking is a list of holster makers that, early on in this, were making AIWB specific holsters with AIWB specific features or novel ideas that help establish where we are today. Both leather and plastic, or any material is of interest, as well as changes along the way that were brought on by the changing cost or access to technology and materials.


    I'll start with a few baselines...

    The Custom Carry Concepts Shaggy was the first wedge based AIWB, stemming from discoveries using the CCC Looper.
    The Garrity Invictus was one of the first holsters to add a muzzle feature that pushed the muzzle out and consequently the grip in.
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  2. #2
    banana republican blues's Avatar
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    Dave Elderton (Ky-Tac) made me a couple of kydex holsters for G19 and G26 specifically for appendix carry back in the mid 90's...but they did not incorporate wedging or rotational devices at the time. Still, they served me well until I bought my first "modern" holsters here in 2016, the JMCK "George", followed by your "Orion".

    Don't have images readily available.
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  3. #3
    Member orionz06's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blues View Post
    Dave Elderton (Ky-Tac) made me a couple of kydex holsters for G19 and G26 specifically for appendix carry back in the mid 90's...but they did not incorporate wedging or rotational devices at the time. Still, they served me well until I bought my first "modern" holsters here in 2016, the JMCK "George", followed by your "Orion".

    Don't have images readily available.
    Were they AIWB, or just straight drop IWB?
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  4. #4
    banana republican blues's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by orionz06 View Post
    Were they AIWB, or just straight drop IWB?
    To be honest, Tom, back then I had never seen anything specific for AIWB and when I told him what I wanted he built them to the best of his vision of what would work. (Prior to that I was using cordura holsters from Assault Systems (and related outfits) for AIWB, but they were just gun pouches with metal clips.)

    I don't think it would be fair to say that Dave invented any particular devices for AIWB carry, but rather tried to incorporate the best features of his previous work into something that would work in that location.
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  5. #5
    Are you looking for the timeframe where Pistol-Training.com was helping AIWB become more mainstream, leading to purpose-built AIWB holsters? The CCC Looper is the first one I remember ToddG writing about on the blog. The Raven Concealment Systems Eidolon was the first holster I saw combining a wedge on the body side with some kind of wing or claw to lever the grip.

    If you’re talking about even before that, there’s the original Summer Special as Bruce Nelson specc’ed it. He wore it as an AIWB holster but I don’t think it had any of the purpose-built grip tucking features.

  6. #6
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    Dale Fricke added a piece rotate the grip of the pistol closer to the body to his Archangel holster in maybe 2013. I think he called it the "butt tuck adaptor." The AA is a straight drop holster and would work okay for IWB at 4:00, but the mouth of the holster is not ideal for allowing the gun to move easily forward (in my opinion). It was marketed as an AIWB holster when I became aware of it in 2010 or 2011.

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  7. #7
    I really like 5 Shot's SME. I have four of them and they all work really well. 1911; B92, HK45C, G19

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  8. #8
    Member orionz06's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WobblyPossum View Post
    Are you looking for the timeframe where Pistol-Training.com was helping AIWB become more mainstream, leading to purpose-built AIWB holsters? The CCC Looper is the first one I remember ToddG writing about on the blog. The Raven Concealment Systems Eidolon was the first holster I saw combining a wedge on the body side with some kind of wing or claw to lever the grip.

    If you’re talking about even before that, there’s the original Summer Special as Bruce Nelson specc’ed it. He wore it as an AIWB holster but I don’t think it had any of the purpose-built grip tucking features.
    In large, just the modern (2008-2009) beginnings of the wide market we have now. Most of that is P-F/PTC heavy, with some sprinklings of some over overlapping circles.

    The first thing I became aware of was the Looper, leading to the Shaggy, and the RCS ACR somewhere along with it. The Summer Special is its own creature, and not entirely outta the scope here, but not the main focus.


    Cane and Derby, Persec Systems, and many other names are kinda what I'm looking for. Dale Fricke is on my list already, along with some other obvious ones. I just wanna make sure nothing is missed.
    Think for yourself. Question authority.

  9. #9
    Member MVS's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pangloss View Post
    Dale Fricke added a piece rotate the grip of the pistol closer to the body to his Archangel holster in maybe 2013. I think he called it the "butt tuck adaptor." The AA is a straight drop holster and would work okay for IWB at 4:00, but the mouth of the holster is not ideal for allowing the gun to move easily forward (in my opinion). It was marketed as an AIWB holster when I became aware of it in 2010 or 2011.

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    Definitely the first Kydex Appendix specific holsters I was aware of were by Dale. Those were probably all I had for the first 5 years or so of AIWB starting in around 2009-2010. I stuck with him because of his great customer service and namely nobody else I was aware of would do lefty on quick turnaround. I still like his holsters though I now use a DSG Hitchhiker? for my EDC 365XL. I also just Purchased a Phlster Pro for my Sig Carry Legion, again because Lefty.

  10. #10
    Keepers was the first I saw with a muzzle pad.

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