The 007 Life: Walther PPK/S SD and SilencerCo Spectre 9
I’m glad to see new variants of this classic pistol coming back, especially the threaded models. I’ve got a few Walther PPK-family pistols, including a Manurhin PP, which is an exceptionally well-made gun.
Cessna to Red Square: The Teen Peace Pilot Who Embarrassed the USSR
Teen pilot Mathias Rust flew a Cessna into Moscow’s Red Square in 1987, crippling Soviet defenses and reshaping military leadership—all in a single flight.
Home and Mobile Defense: The Right Tool for the Job
The importance of using the right tools absolutely applies to the defensive application of handguns. Sure, you can carry a full-size duty gun, but you’re adding extra weight to your daily routine. The odds get better over time that you’ll get lazy and decide not to carry it for that quick trip to the store or the local stop-and-rob for a gallon of milk.
The Shadow Systems CR920XP
I also carry a gun whenever I’m not asleep or in the shower, so comfort is a legit consideration. Shadow Systems calls their new compensated CR920XP a crossover. This is the elusive, effective tactical compromise.
SAR USA PIstols: Locked, Loaded, And Laser-Focused
We’re going to be taking a closer look at some of the latest handgun products from the SAR USA team over the next four weeks. Will Dabbs, MD, will be bringing us a story focusing on the SAR9 Full Size, and Frank Jardim will bring us the SAR9 Subcompact. I’ll be back in week four with more details on the SAR9 SOCOM and SAR9 Compact.
Shooter’s Choice Universal Cleaning Kit
This kit is an OCD delight. I know because I’m the kind of guy who (usually) maintains an organized workbench and folders all his thousands of emails by topic. Yes, really.
| 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, and the holster, have both turned upside down. |
| Our Rating |
 One Nun. |
The Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster
Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster
Suggested Retail Price: $12.95
We wanted to like this pocket holster. It’s soft and squishy, feels great, and is really comfortable in the pocket.
But we didn’t. Like it, that is.
The Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster takes a universal approach to size and fit. It’s offered in four different sizes as follows:
18744-1Small autos (.22 – .25 cal.)
28744-2Most .380s
38744-32″ 5-shot revolvers; Sigma .380
48744-4Most sub-compact 9mm/.40 autos
So there is no custom fitting for a particular gun. You take your best guess at the right size and go from there.
The material is fairly thick and has a rubbery-suede feel. Is that even a valid description? We’re not sure, but that’s what it feels like. It’s an open top, sealed bottom design and there is a band of non-slip material at about the half-way mark to help the holster remain in your pocket when you draw.
On the plus side…
- The material is sturdy enough that we’re confident the trigger is protected
- The bottom (on our model for mid size semi-auto’s like the Walther PPK) is sealed and does a perfectly acceptable job of keeping pocket lint and leftover Tater-Tots out of the action of the gun. And no, we really don’t keep Tater-Tots in the same pocket as our gun! We store them in our other pocket of course! Duh.
- It’s comfortable. The gun is protected and it feels good in the pocket.
- We had no issues with sweat, or spilled Coke, penetrating the holster material. So hit all the drive-thrus you want – no problem.
On the not-so-plus side:
- This holster, like other Uncle Mike’s models, has very little structure. You wouldn’t think that’s a big requirement for a pocket holster, but when it folds from the weight of the gun, you can have trouble with the whole rig rotating in your pocket. We did most of our testing with a Walther PPK, which, as a steel gun, has some weight to it. Add a full magazine and you have a strong tendency for the grip end to want to follow that gravity rule and find its way to the bottom of your pocket. Not good. In fairness, this problem would not be as severe with a polymer gun like the Kel-Tec or Ruger LCP.
So all in all, we would elect to pass on this one and spend a few more bucks on something a little more substantial. In our next pocket holster review, we’ll be taking a close look at the DeSantis Nemesis Pocket Holster.
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| The instability issue really caused me to fear for my manhood. I found that with normal day-to-day activity, in a variety of pocket styles, the holster had a tendency to rotate so my gun was pointed right at, well, my gun. | I tried it in my purse and didn’t have great success. The non-slip band was not tacky enough to keep the holster in the purse pocket when I tried to draw. I do realize the holster was not designed for this use, but wanted to offer up the feedback to my lady friends out there. |
Read about more carry styles and over 120 different gun holsters in The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters – available at Amazon.com! Learn more about our Insanely Practical Guides!
