Holster Reviews from My Gun Culture
We're holster geeks. In fact, we've written a book about holsters. And we're busy working on the expanded edition. Check here often for the latest in real-world holster reviews. We're open to testing all styles: OWB, IWB, Ankle, Shirt, off body carry, belly bands, ladies-only holsters, and more. If there's a holster stye we haven't tested, let us know and we'll get one on the trial list.
Hopefully we'll help you narrow the thousands of choices on the market to a select few that are appropriate for your specific needs.
An Elegant Ladies Gun Holster: The Looper Marilyn
Here's a gun holster specifically for the ladies. It's featured in my most recent book, The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters. When you’re going to dress like a movie star, you ought to have a holster named after one. The Marilyn is designed for access from the top, rather than the bottom like the Flashbang. So those long, flowy evening gowns are appropriate carry garments after … [Continue this holster review]
El Paso Saddlery Pocket Max Gun Holster
Here's another fine holster featured in The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters... El Paso makes an excellent pocket holster. Here’s why. The El Paso Pocket Max is constructed from horsehide, which tends to be stronger and more rigid than cowhide. It uses an inside-out construction so the rough side of the leather “grips” the interior of your pocket. This helps ensure that the … [Continue this holster review]
El Paso Summer Cruiser Gun Holster – A Hand Boned Delight
Here's another holster featured in our new book, The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters: El Paso Saddlery has a deep and storied tradition of holster craft. Literally. Peruse their online catalog and you’ll see holsters like the John Wayne, Patton, Jesse James and Doc Holliday to name a few. The interesting thing is that El Paso didn’t just name these holsters — they made them … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirt
We're just days away from the release of our new full-length book - The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters. We hope you enjoy this excerpt: Some thoughts on Holster Shirts There’s something sexy about those spandex-y undershirts that are all the rage now. Whether you’re cut like The Situation from Jersey Shore, or built more like Paul Blart, Mall Cop, wearing one of these shirts … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: N82 Tactical Concealed Carry Holster
Let’s clear something up right off the bat. How do you say “N82 Tactical?” The “tactical” part is pretty easy, so we’ll focus on the “N82” part. En - eight - two? Nope. En - eighty two? Nope. Nate two? Nope. It’s “Nate Squared.” We know this because we met a whole slew of Nates at this years SHOT Show - and they were all holster makers. In fact, it seemed … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blackhawk! Serpa Concealment Carbon Fiber Finish
The internet is an empowering place when it comes to guns and shooting. If you can type, you're an expert. If you have broadband internet service, you're a guru. If you own an X-Box, you're a genuine strategy, tactics, and equipment ninja. While we would never want to disrespect a well-trained internet ninja, we've heard lot's of opinions about Blackhawk! Serpa holsters. Some great. Some awful. … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Pretty Dangerous Accessories Ladies Gun Holster
Shhh. It's our secret… That's the very appropriate tagline advertised by Pretty Dangerous Accessories. While Pretty Dangerous Accessories offers innovative jewelry designs and clothing for shooting women, we elected to take a look at their holster line. We had to solicit the skills of our female staff for this assignment because, well, let's face it, men have the fashion sense of … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blackhawk Leather Dual Magazine Pouch / Carrier
We've gotten pretty attached to this particular piece of gear. Or maybe it's the other way around... The standout feature of the Blackhawk Leather Dual Magazine Pouch is convenience. As you can see from the photo, there are numerous ways to attach this magazine carrier to your body. The back flap is closed at the top by two sturdy snaps - allowing you to simply slide the back panel … [Continue this holster review]
Galco SB3 Dress Belt / Gun Belt
The Galco SB3 Dress Belt is another great example of a durable and purpose built gun belt. Constructed from premium saddle leather, the Galco belt looks more the part of a true dress belt than other models on the market. With a 1-1/2” width and sturdy construction, this belt does a great job of supporting even full size guns. We’ve had two - one each in black and brown - for years and they are … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: DeSantis Cozy Partner Holster
Our test model for the Cozy Partner fits a Walther PPK or Walther PP. It’s got solid snapping belt loops and a screw adjustment for setting your preferred retention strength. This model also features a memory band that holds the holster mouth open to ease one-handed re-holstering. It’s a very stable holster as the bottom section features a near circular and very generous leather pad … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blackhawk Leather Magazine Pouch
The Blackhawk Leather Magazine Pouch is one nifty, handy, dandy accessory. Available in single stack and double stack magazine sizes, it’s insanely adjustable like many other Blackhawk products. The basic idea behind this model is configurability. It features a sewn-on leather belt loop which can accommodate belts up to 1 3/4 inches wide. That’s pretty standard. Where things get … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Galco King Tuk IWB Holster
While neither CrossBreed nor Galco invented the idea of marrying large amounts of leather support with a kydex shell to hold the gun, both have done a stellar job of implementation. The Galco KingTuk inside the waistband (IWB) holster offers a huge leather panel that separates you from your hard and uncomfortable gun and a kydex gun pocket for smooth and quick draws. One important difference … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blackhawk Leather Check-Six Gun Holster
Our Holster Review of the Blackhawk Leather Check-Six Holster The Blackhawk Check Six holster can tell time. The “Six” in “Check Six” refers to the six o-clock position in reference to the circumference of your waist. This is otherwise known as a small-of-the-back holster design. It can be worn on the belt, outside the waistband, right in the center of your back. Hence the Six … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blackhawk Leather Speed Classic Holster
Sometimes the simplest things can amaze. The Blackhawk Leather Speed Classic holster amazes. Not for one specific reason, but because the sum total collection of details make this holster work. The Blackhawk Leather Speed Classic Revolver Holster demonstrates outstanding concealability, excellent retention, fast draw time, and surprising comfort. Inspired by the famous Berns Martin design, the … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: VersaCarry Gun Holster Fightin’ Words
Controversy keeps things interesting. And entertaining - if you’re one to thrive on raised voices and the occasional sucker punch. Fortunately for spirited conversation, the gun holster industry continues to produce designs that result in fightin’ words. Some folks absolutely love the VersaCarry gun holster and others absolutely hate it. We stayed out of the internet commando debate until … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blackhawk Leather Magazine Pouch
The Blackhawk Leather Magazine Pouch is one nifty, handy, dandy accessory. Available in single stack and double stack magazine sizes, it’s insanely adjustable like many other Blackhawk products. The basic idea behind this model is configurability. It features a sewn-on leather belt loop which can accommodate belts up to 1 3/4 inches wide. That’s pretty standard. Where things get … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blackhawk Sportster Standard Concealment Holster
Like the Blackhawk Serpa, the Blackhawk Standard Concealment holster comes with two mounting options - a belt loop system and a paddle. Both gun holsters are insanely configurable. Cant is adjustable in two positions forward and two positions backward in addition to the default straight drop. The belt mount can be sized to fit belts from zero to 2.25 inches. So, in theory, if you wanted to mount … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: 10 Things You Can Do While Carrying A Gun With The Galco Ankle Glove
Holster Review: Galco Ankle Glove Holster First Impressions The Galco Ankle Glove is the Cadillac of ankle holsters. As if anyone could ever make that analogy. The foundation (the part that actually wraps around your ankle) is made of thick neoprene material. This is the same material that’s used to make wetsuits for divers and cold water surfers. It’s thick, cushy, durable, and … [Continue this holster review]
Gear / Holster Review: 5.11 Tactical COVRT Z.A.P. 6 (Zone Assault Pack)
Here’s an interesting option for “Off Premises Parking” concealed carry. The 5.11 COVRT Z.A.P. 6 (Zone Assault Pack) is a single strap, small and portable backpack that is configured with the 5.11 Tactical BBS (Backup Belt System) option. The BBS system offers standardized holsters, mag pouches, mace / flashlight pouches, baton, and handcuff pouches – if you’re into that sort of … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blade-Tech IDPA Competition Pack with SRB (Sting Ray Belt) Holster
This is our favorite Kydex oustide-the-waistband holster. For concealed carry, it’s rock solid and adjustable to your belt width – anywhere form 1 1/4” to 2 1/4”. This prevents any wobble on the belt, assuming your belt fits within the holsters’ adjustable range. Gun retention is excellent while the draw is still silky smooth. A great fit from carefully molded kydex combined with … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe Holster
This holster is my soulmate, but don’t tell my wife. I might even get one bronzed like my old baby shoes. The large leather backpanel stabilizes your gun, distributes the pressure over a broad area, and provides a large shield between your gun and bare skin. The Kydex sheath is thin which helps with concealment. The whole mess is incredible adjustable. You can adjust depth and cant. In … [Continue this holster review]
Rockin’ Video Preview: Galco Ankle Holsters
We’re doing an exhaustive torture test of three Galco ankle holster products: Galco Ankle Glove Galco Ankle Lite Galco Ankle Glove Calf Strap While that’s going on, we thought we’d post a quick video preview set to a hoppin’ Elvis theme song. This video will: Prevent you from making a fool of yourself when you call Galco Eliminate the need for you to read the enclosed … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Blade-Tech Looper Gun Belt (An ‘almost year’ of abuse in the rainforest)
About 10 months ago at SHOT Show 2011, I happened to stop by the Blade-Tech booth. Mainly because they had boatloads of really cool stuff on display. Holsters, magazine carriers, flashlight holsters, Taser holsters, and a whole assortment of tactical things designed to carry other tactical things safely and securely. After discussing a Sting Ray Belt holster (which is IDPA approved) for a … [Continue this holster review]
Holster Review: Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster
The Good Does most of the things a pocket holster should do: protects the trigger, hides the outline of your gun, keeps pocket junk out of the action, and generally stays in the pocket when you draw. The Bad The material is too soft. With a magazine heavy semi-automatic, it tends to bend and rotate in your pocket. The Ugly It can be really difficult to draw when your gun, … [Continue this holster review]
Defensive Decolletage
One of my more embarrassing moments at the NRA Annual Meeting was interviewing Lisa Looper of Looper Brand, makers of the new Flash Bang line of 'naughty holsters.' By the way, 'naughty holsters' is my description, not hers! I'm a happily married guy, and here I am talking to Lisa, closely examining a mannequin of a woman's breasts, complete with a pink brassiere. With hundreds of tough lookin' … [Continue this holster review]
One Nun with a gun. This product needs a good ruler smack on the knuckles.
Two Nuns. Not bad but a little 'correction' for its own good would make it just fine.
Three Nuns a shooting. This is good, solid, and generally respectable stuff worthy of commendation.
Four Nuns with guns. Our highest rating. After all, who in their right mind would challenge 4 armed nuns?
