I am interested in learning the basics about holsters- so I can try ipsc and idpa. Is there a web site that goes over the basic differences between holster styles? (I'm getting confused.) What exactly is a paddle holster, a IWB, a rig, etc., etc. Thanks for any assistance.
newbie: need help with holsters, please
- Thread starter RM
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DDGator
Member
I will try to help until I get tired of typing. Someone else will fill in where I miss.
A few of the diffent types and abbreviations:
Outside the Waistband (OWB) -- a generic term for all belt type holsters that ride outside the waistband of your pants. OWBs include paddle holsters, slides, pancakes, duty holsters, etc.
Paddle holsters are held up by a leather or plastic paddle attached to the holster. The paddle goes inside your pants, up against your body and sits down on top of your belt or waistband, so the paddle is inside your pants and the holster is outside. You dont need a belt for this type of holster (although a belt ALWAYS helps) and it is easy to take on and put off without taking off your belt.
Slide or Belt Slide Holsters are small, minimalist kinds of designs that cover the trigger guard and not a lot more -- the barrel hangs out the bottom and the grip if fully exposed. Its just enough leather to hold the gun secure. These are versatile holsters because they fit particular guns without regard to barrel length.
Pancake holsters have belt slots at each end and are designed to pull the gun in close to the body for best concealment. Pancake holsters usually enclose the full length of the barrel.
Duty holsters or hip holsters are the kinds of things your normally see cops wear. They are usually larger, bulky things not designed for concealment and usually have some kind of retention device -- like a retaining strap.
Inside the Waistband (IWB) holsters are worn inside the waistband and attach to your pants or belt with a clip or attach to your belt with loops. On the traditional kinds, most of the gun is concealed inside your pants, but the grip is exposed. Therefore, you need a cover garment of some kind. Newer kinds are "tuckable" where you can tuck in a shirt around the fastening system to cover the gun, or some are actually UWB -- under the waistband types -- where you see only the clip and everything else is inside the pants under the waistband.
There are also a number of other kinds of deep concealment holsters like shoulder holsters, pocket holsters, ankle holsters, belly band holsters, and Smart Carry/Thunderwear (worn in front inside the waistband with a support strap that does not connect to you pants in any way).
Whew. What was the question again?
Duane
www.kdholsters.com
A few of the diffent types and abbreviations:
Outside the Waistband (OWB) -- a generic term for all belt type holsters that ride outside the waistband of your pants. OWBs include paddle holsters, slides, pancakes, duty holsters, etc.
Paddle holsters are held up by a leather or plastic paddle attached to the holster. The paddle goes inside your pants, up against your body and sits down on top of your belt or waistband, so the paddle is inside your pants and the holster is outside. You dont need a belt for this type of holster (although a belt ALWAYS helps) and it is easy to take on and put off without taking off your belt.
Slide or Belt Slide Holsters are small, minimalist kinds of designs that cover the trigger guard and not a lot more -- the barrel hangs out the bottom and the grip if fully exposed. Its just enough leather to hold the gun secure. These are versatile holsters because they fit particular guns without regard to barrel length.
Pancake holsters have belt slots at each end and are designed to pull the gun in close to the body for best concealment. Pancake holsters usually enclose the full length of the barrel.
Duty holsters or hip holsters are the kinds of things your normally see cops wear. They are usually larger, bulky things not designed for concealment and usually have some kind of retention device -- like a retaining strap.
Inside the Waistband (IWB) holsters are worn inside the waistband and attach to your pants or belt with a clip or attach to your belt with loops. On the traditional kinds, most of the gun is concealed inside your pants, but the grip is exposed. Therefore, you need a cover garment of some kind. Newer kinds are "tuckable" where you can tuck in a shirt around the fastening system to cover the gun, or some are actually UWB -- under the waistband types -- where you see only the clip and everything else is inside the pants under the waistband.
There are also a number of other kinds of deep concealment holsters like shoulder holsters, pocket holsters, ankle holsters, belly band holsters, and Smart Carry/Thunderwear (worn in front inside the waistband with a support strap that does not connect to you pants in any way).
Whew. What was the question again?
Duane
www.kdholsters.com
kotengu
Member.
Gator gave a great review - I guess the best place to start is to ask
what kind of gun you have, and what you want to do with it. Then members can chime in with their preferences and you can take a look at them and decide for yourself. You'll probably buy a few before you figure out which works best for you.
For example - I shoot a Glock 30 (compact .45) and use a Sidearmor IWB belt loop holster at a 15° cant. I like it because it never moves on my belt, holds the gun very securely, yet still is very fast and easy to draw the gun, all while being very easy to conceal. I bought a holster I could use for CCW, but I use it for shooting IDPA and 3-gun matches (train like you fight).
http://sidearmor.net/
what kind of gun you have, and what you want to do with it. Then members can chime in with their preferences and you can take a look at them and decide for yourself. You'll probably buy a few before you figure out which works best for you.
For example - I shoot a Glock 30 (compact .45) and use a Sidearmor IWB belt loop holster at a 15° cant. I like it because it never moves on my belt, holds the gun very securely, yet still is very fast and easy to draw the gun, all while being very easy to conceal. I bought a holster I could use for CCW, but I use it for shooting IDPA and 3-gun matches (train like you fight).
http://sidearmor.net/
DDGator
Member
My fingers rested up a bit.
I shoot IPSC and IDPA. I prefer to use an OWB belt slide holster. Right now I have a couple of Don Hume First Agent holsters -- they work well, are well made, and very inexpensive.
You can order from Done Hume but it is slow. You may be better of ordering from a stocking dealer.
I dont use an OWB for my regular concealed carry because of my mode of dress -- I normally use a pocket holster (my own!) or a Smart Carry.
I shoot IPSC and IDPA. I prefer to use an OWB belt slide holster. Right now I have a couple of Don Hume First Agent holsters -- they work well, are well made, and very inexpensive.
You can order from Done Hume but it is slow. You may be better of ordering from a stocking dealer.
I dont use an OWB for my regular concealed carry because of my mode of dress -- I normally use a pocket holster (my own!) or a Smart Carry.
Order a KyTac Sooper-Hooper. It'll get you through both IPSC and IDPA in fine form.
www.kytac.com
If you wear jeans (or any pants with a belt loop right at the pont of your strong-side hip), order it with the Belt Loop Capture Mod so you can capture a belt loop and get the holster right at 3:00.
- Gabe
www.kytac.com
If you wear jeans (or any pants with a belt loop right at the pont of your strong-side hip), order it with the Belt Loop Capture Mod so you can capture a belt loop and get the holster right at 3:00.
- Gabe
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Thanks all for your replies. I appreciate your taking the time. I have a 9mm Browning High Power MKIII. I plan to start with IDPA, because I saw it recently, and it seems possibly slower and easier for a novice. (and requires less mags.) Later, I will probably want to try IPSC. My interest is in having fun- not in being a serious competitor.
I am left handed, so that does make holster selection more limited. From reading previous posts about holsters, I think I want to go with a leather holster rather than Kydex. There were a number of posts about how Kydex ruins gun finishes much more than real leather. And my gun finish is in nice condition and not hardchromed. I would like to avoid buying a top-end expensive holder, since I am new and don't know much. Please reply if you have any further thoughts or suggestions- and thanks again. It does look like alot of fun.
I am left handed, so that does make holster selection more limited. From reading previous posts about holsters, I think I want to go with a leather holster rather than Kydex. There were a number of posts about how Kydex ruins gun finishes much more than real leather. And my gun finish is in nice condition and not hardchromed. I would like to avoid buying a top-end expensive holder, since I am new and don't know much. Please reply if you have any further thoughts or suggestions- and thanks again. It does look like alot of fun.
kotengu
Member.
Not trying to change your mind, but in my opinion it's the opposite (leather vs. kydex). The only way kydex could possibly hurt your finish is if you got sand stuck in there (on the inside of the holster), and you drew/reholstered about a thousand times before you thought to clean it out.
Leather, on the other hand, will hold moisture and salt, which are both not good for metal and corrosion. While leather may be "softer" than kydex, it can hold sand and grit as well, if not better, than kydex.
That being said - I use kydex (specifically sidearmor) more because it can more easily hold the gun securely while not being hard at all to draw. The leather holsters I've tried either have a death grip on the gun so you can't draw it without pulling you pants up to your armpits, or are so loose it takes an extra retension strap to hold the gun in there, and it still jiggles around. My Glock is ugly anyway, so a little holster wear just adds character (and the tenifer finish makes sure that'll take years to happen).
Before somebody says my "non-retension strap" holster is a dropped gun waiting to happen - I can do a handstand and hop up and down on my hands without the gun falling out. Weapon retension is another thing, but if it's concealed right nobody will even know you have it to grab.......
Leather, on the other hand, will hold moisture and salt, which are both not good for metal and corrosion. While leather may be "softer" than kydex, it can hold sand and grit as well, if not better, than kydex.
That being said - I use kydex (specifically sidearmor) more because it can more easily hold the gun securely while not being hard at all to draw. The leather holsters I've tried either have a death grip on the gun so you can't draw it without pulling you pants up to your armpits, or are so loose it takes an extra retension strap to hold the gun in there, and it still jiggles around. My Glock is ugly anyway, so a little holster wear just adds character (and the tenifer finish makes sure that'll take years to happen).
Before somebody says my "non-retension strap" holster is a dropped gun waiting to happen - I can do a handstand and hop up and down on my hands without the gun falling out. Weapon retension is another thing, but if it's concealed right nobody will even know you have it to grab.......
BerettaNut92
Member
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Oh yeah? I can do a one handed handstand and spin a basketball in the other
RM, do you have a CCW? (i'd assume not because you don't have a holster yet?)
RM, do you have a CCW? (i'd assume not because you don't have a holster yet?)
kotengu
Member.
Alright now - don't go sharing all my secrets!
Dropped an 80mm on anyone lately??????
Dropped an 80mm on anyone lately??????
PCRCCW
Member
"That being said - I use kydex (specifically sidearmor) more because it can more easily hold the gun securely while not being hard at all to draw. The leather holsters I've tried either have a death grip on the gun so you can't draw it without pulling you pants up to your armpits, or are so loose it takes an extra retension strap to hold the gun in there, and it still jiggles around. My Glock is ugly anyway, so a little holster wear just adds character (and the tenifer finish makes sure that'll take years to happen).
Before somebody says my "non-retension strap" holster is a dropped gun waiting to happen - I can do a handstand and hop up and down on my hands without the gun falling out. Weapon retension is another thing, but if it's concealed right nobody will even know you have it to grab......."
************************************************************
I make leather holsters and use Kydex also for certain applications.
ANY PROPERLY MADE HOLSTER will retain the gun and not require a death grip to draw the gun....new top quality leather holsters will be tight , some very tight at first..but thats the nature of the product.
Do you really think there are a zillion and a half good leather holsters out there in ALL configurations and applications, because they are so tight you cant draw the gun or they are so sloppy you need a thumb break?
I would probably rethink that one..............
Anyone who says your non retention strap is a "dropped gun waiting to happen" is an idiot".
I can take an IWB holster, which doesnt have that much tension/molding built into it and turn it upside down..the gun will not fall out. Now put it inside of a belt for "great retention" and secure carry and the gun will draw every time just like you need it.
Shoot well
Before somebody says my "non-retension strap" holster is a dropped gun waiting to happen - I can do a handstand and hop up and down on my hands without the gun falling out. Weapon retension is another thing, but if it's concealed right nobody will even know you have it to grab......."
************************************************************
I make leather holsters and use Kydex also for certain applications.
ANY PROPERLY MADE HOLSTER will retain the gun and not require a death grip to draw the gun....new top quality leather holsters will be tight , some very tight at first..but thats the nature of the product.
Do you really think there are a zillion and a half good leather holsters out there in ALL configurations and applications, because they are so tight you cant draw the gun or they are so sloppy you need a thumb break?
I would probably rethink that one..............
Anyone who says your non retention strap is a "dropped gun waiting to happen" is an idiot".
I can take an IWB holster, which doesnt have that much tension/molding built into it and turn it upside down..the gun will not fall out. Now put it inside of a belt for "great retention" and secure carry and the gun will draw every time just like you need it.
Shoot well
Just wanted to say thanks to all of you who took the time to answer my question- (especially DDGator). Your assistance is appreciated. I ended up ordering a Don Hume JIT slide holster- looking forward to trying it out at the end of September!
DDGator
Member
Good choice RM. Glad I could help.
Of course -- holsters are like potato chips -- its very hard to stop with just one.
Of course -- holsters are like potato chips -- its very hard to stop with just one.
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