My Journey to the Perfect Holster

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By Fridge Operator

Since my early days of shooting, I’ve always felt like it was a struggle to find holsters for the guns I used daily. This issue started for me when I was 11 years old shooting in IDPA and USPSA. I was shooting an HK USP Compact and since it was 2003, the holsters were crude kydex style plastic or leather holsters mostly. I used a Fobus for the first few years because I thought it was better than leather. It turned out the holster  wasn’t very well made and beat up my gun up overtime. This issue is a journey many people go through when they begin shooting and the more advice I give to people, the more I wish I could set people in the right direction. This article will hopefully help people in the beginning of their journey, so they dont waste time and money like I have.

    Fast forward 16 years, now I am finally happy with my setup and I’m very confident in how I carry my gun daily. I’ve gone through leather, Kydex, cloth, shoulder, and every other type of holster you can try. I have finally settled on Inside the waistband  kydex holsters. Now this is a really popular choice to pick when it comes to holsters but not everyone decides to go with this set up. I personally am a huge fan on ANR Design LLC when it comes to Kydex holsters. They provide high quality holsters that last. I have met a number of guys across the pond who absolutely love ANR holsters and carry them when they are deployed. There has been several movies as well that go to ANR Designs to find a custom fit for their actors in the movie. Peppermint with Jennifer Garner is one example where they needed a form fitting holster for Garner in the movie so they called the owner of ANR for his help. There are several other companies that make high quality products but I personally trust those guys to make all of my holsters.

A lot of people in the shooting world love leather holsters , and that’s not a bad thing at all. Usually the people who use mostly leather holsters  are older shooters and concealed carriers. Leather isn’t a bad option, but it can be temperamental at times. When you first get a leather holster, it can be really tight on the gun to the point where it wont fit. There’s a break in period before the gun will properly fit. If you get creative you can typically  break in a leather holster between two or three days with the right tricks. Leather holsters can be supportive and sturdy for a long time but once they become worn out they are not a viable option anymore. That’s the only downside when it comes to leather holsters because without that stiffness from the leather, the gun does not have proper retention. There have been some incidents where people have had their guns fall out of the leather holster. This is worst case scenario when it comes to concealed carrying and with the introduction to Kydex into the market, I am not willing to take the risk with leather.

Personally, it took me a very long time to figure what exactly I wanted when it came to a concealed carry holster. I have been through the search for holsters and went through each style to see what one is best for me.I personally decided on Kydex because it has more advantages without the disadvantages of leather or cloth. In my mind, I think the option to include a light or laser attachment onto a daily carry is a huge advantage. Leather and cloth holsters do not have great retention when it comes to accessories, and it’s really hard to find the right holster with each attachment if you look for leather and cloth. Overall I think Kydex will continue to grow and become the standard for holsters in the near future. If this entry can do anything, I hope it can help people figure out what would work best for them, without wasting money and time on inferior products that won’t fill the individual’s needs. If you guys have any more questions on the matter feel free to email me or comment below, and as always stay safe out there!

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