A company that outsources holster production to Mexico or Asia may not have the best control over its manufacturing processes and quality control. A holster designed and made in a one-man shop by a guy with two years of shooting experience who has had a CCW for only six months may not be the way to go. There are many quality holsters out there, and there are lots of holsters that can quite literally get you killed Barham says.

Given his tenure at Galco, Barham knows the ins and outs of all the holster options and provides some suggestions of what you should consider when you are shopping for an off-duty concealed or plain-clothes duty carry holster.īarham suggests you always consider: 1. Officers know to check with their agencies before buying an off-duty carry firearm to make sure it is approved, but they may also need to check with the department to see if there are any expectations such as having some form of retention, whether a simple strap or otherwise, in an off-duty holster or even a plain-clothes carry holster for duty.ĭepartments may have required characteristics for a holster work for plain-clothes duty or even off-duty carry. “Things have just changed and evolved so I think a lot of people just sort of stick with what they're comfortable and familiar with, which probably accounts for a lot of our leather sales.”

People who have come into shooting in say the last 10 years, a lot of them have really only known Kydex,” he says while pointing out others are loyal to leather holsters. “That's a little bit hard to pin down and I think there are some generational considerations there. So, what officers choose which type off-duty holsters? Of course, Galco for a long time has been known for producing leather holsters, but Barham points out that now the company has a “very strong presence” in both the Kydex and the hybrid holster markets. Here is our current list of the best horizontal and scout carry knives in 2023: Bradford Knives Guardian 3. So Kydex is just sort of the way it is and the way it's always going to be, whereas a lot of people find leather or a hybrid holster more comfortable.” “If you look at the inside-the-waistband (IWB) designs that have a Kydex holster pocket and then either a leather or nylon backing plate that's against your body, those tend to conform better to the curvature of your individual body far more than something like Kydex will do,” Barham points out.

Middle finger quick draw holster