For those who have actual experience using holsters to carry your firearm, please post the type of carry (IWB, Appendix, strong side etc), the brand of holster, model, pricing and most importantly, what has been your experience using it.
Hopefully this can serve the community to help weed out the Good, Bad & Ugly for anyone who needs to find a good product.
This is not an endorsement of any Holster, simply sharing an experience with what I have used.
I started carrying daily a couple of years ago and wanted IWB Strong Side for my Springfield Hellcat. There are hundreds, if not thousands of holsters out there.
I finally tried out a brand called Vedder Holsters and thankfully it has worked well for me. The one I picked:
ProTuck™ Kydex .080 IWB
Fully adjustable retention and two points of contact to your body.
Price $89.99
Note: I periodically need to readjust the retention catch and I added some threadlock compound to the screws which hold my belt clips. Overall, it has held up pretty well over the past year of use.
We have a list of holster makers we recommend who all make quality products that will work for years: http://activeselfprotection.com/holsters
I have been very pleased with holsters from three on ASP's list: Henry Holsters, JMKydex, and PHLster. I use each of them regularly. From PHLster I have a couple of Enigmas, as well as a couple of Skeleton AIWB holsters.
I carry AIWB with each.
I'm an absolute geek about concealment.
Due to my body shape and the longer barrel on the HK P30L, I had to do some wardrobe adjustments, and went through several iterations of experiments before settling on my daily wear.
My configuration:
⠀•⠀PHLster Enigma
⠀⠀⠀·⠀JMKydex holster (no "Express" kit for P30L)
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Sport Band option
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Fixed Retention kit
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Extra Wedge Kit (wound up only using the base velcro but worth it)
⠀⠀⠀·⠀The pressure point from a Hernia band (most comfortable and effective wedge)
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Rego Concepts leg leash
⠀•⠀Custom grip heel
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Made from Super Sculpey II !!
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Prevents scrapes on belly from the "notch" in the grip.
⠀•⠀Athletic Supporter with cup
⠀⠀⠀·⠀No more squishee/pinchee (Ouch!!)
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Probably wouldn't need this if I hadn't gotten the longer barrel
⠀⠀⠀·⠀... or lost weight so I wouldn't have to carry so deep
⠀•⠀Sports Capri w/Kneepads
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Sewed mini belt webbing strip onto outer right leg
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Keeps the leg leash from dropping
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Goes over cup, under jeans
⠀•⠀Flat cloth/webbing horizontal mag holders
⠀⠀⠀·⠀One on sports band for competitions
⠀⠀⠀·⠀One on external belt for EDC
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Contemplating adding flat magnet for improved retention
⠀•⠀Jeans
⠀⠀⠀·⠀+2 Waist size to fit EDC
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Working on "Shorts" variant; likely replace Capris with Boxers?
⠀•⠀Suspenders
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Jeans block optic on draw so I bend jeans and belt around it
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Belt won't hold that configuration up
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Yes, "Belts and Suspenders", sort of
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Belt merely holds spare mag and other EDC gear
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Suspenders hold up the pants
⠀•⠀Polo
⠀⠀⠀·⠀Hides suspenders, belt, mag, and P30L grip
Total price may have been in the $300 range? Not sure; kinda' lost track with all the other stuff I bought that didn't work out. Most people have a box of holsters; I have one holster and a box of clothing accessories. Things I've tried include:
⠀•⠀C-Section padding
⠀•⠀Hernia belly bands (yes, tried multiple style)
⠀•⠀Magnetic utility belt attachments for magazines
... amongst others.
Excellent & thorough explanation!
Does anyone have experience with shoulder holsters? Is there something fundamentally right or wrong with them? I wear a suit jacket with a tucked shirt everyday and I can just imagine drawing from a tucked-in position adds challenges compared to just under your jacket.
Yes and no. A shoulder holster can have a place but it’s a limited one and with the improvement in choices like the Enigma they’re generally a better choice.
I don't have a working suit solution yet so I would love to hear what you have that works for you and learn from your lessons.
My wife carries primarily shoulder -- we found a quality one which works really well for her, but it wasn't cheap. I don't remember her DTFS. She carries vertical.
We both see advantages of horizontal carry, but it... feels awkward. To both of us. Plus you are then by definition painting everyone behind you at all times. : : shudder : : Vertical carry, thank you very much.
(The one time painting the guy behind you would be great is to ward off a rear naked choke hold, but we'd have to practice the ever loving daylights out of that -- talk about dangerous shots! [I can hear John cringing at me in the background LOL])
I have a cheaper shoulder rig I'd meant to use when wearing a suit or driving in the RV, but it doesn't work well, so it basically lives rolled up in a ranger band in my transport Vault just in case somehow that's the solution I need someday.
Planning to get one from the same manufacturer she uses, but it hasn't been a high priority so we haven't dished out the bucks yet. I've gotten the Enigma dialed in so well I often forget I have the thing on, and that includes whilst driving. But 6-10 hours of nonstop leisure driving might still warrant a shoulder rig. I ain't gettin' any younger and my circulation ain't gettin' any better LOL.
Anyway, looking forward to learning about your suit solution (and the evolution of it). Tux I got; the cummerbund covers the grip nicely. But regular suit? I don't have an "untucked shirt" option, and I'm an absolute geek about concealment.
Very much looking forward to hearing what you've come up with. I'm floundering a bit.
I think if I were in a driving profession like Trucking, Ubering etc, this would make more sense. When I used to shoulder carry, (RHD) I would wear a basic T shirt, then put my shoulder rig on & cover the whole thing with a larger work shirt, (like a flannel shirt with collar. I wouldn't button the outer shirt unless I was going to be out in a windy location. It provided good concealment.
I'm sure there are better ways to carry these days, but for extended seating, yeah, shoulder was a good option.
John. May I ask what holster The Range Monkey uses with her LTT PX-4 Carry Compact?
I got an idea. How about everyone sends me their un-wanted holsters/accessories and I'll catalog them. For every item you send me, you get to buy anything in inventory for $10 plus shipping. I've already got a pile of about 20+ holsters of my own that I've never/seldom used, including an Enigma.