in the trousers holsters
I am interested in what would be a good sturdy in the trousers holster for medium framed pistols (Smith 908 or SIG 239). Most of the ones I have seen on line don't appear to have any way (strap) to retain the pistol in the holster which is crucial because I do a lot of hiking on rough trails and take my share of spills. The other one would be for conceal/carry. Also, I have heard that some of the "hard" holsters can damage the finish of a pistol and or, chafe against the skin which would be a problem while hiking (I average 9 to 12 miles for afterwork hikes). Thanks for the advice.
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For hiking I would think strong side belt carry would be your best bet. Anything inside your waist band is going to rub causing you problems in the long run.
There are some good IWB holsters on the market. I dont use them so I can not suggest one. I will say you want one that the "mouth" stays open so that you can reholster one handed.
As far as "hard holsters" I assume you are talking about the Kidex style. I have a few of them and have not had any wear troubles with them and stainless finish or Glock finish. I did have a blued 1911 that showed wear very fast on a thumb break holster where the snap was [V]0 -
Nwcid: thanks for your post. I appreciate it. I was kind of afraid that an in the trousers holster was not realistic for hiking as I go up and down lots of hills. The problem with a belt holster is one that sits up high enough so it is not visible. It seems like all the jackets I have bought at Cabelas and so forth are waist length and don't always do the job (except for a XXL brown lined denim jacket). How does Kidex wear as far as comfort goes? I have a SIG, would it wear on that? Again, thanks for the help (I was packing the small "trail" gun in a pocket. 0 -
I use a Kramer #3 most of the time. Sometimes I carry a Milt Sparks Exec. Companion. Both are very comfortable, as I'm up and down from a chair a lot. I carry a Kahr P-9 in the Kramer and a Kahr P-45 in the Milt Sparks. 0 -
A shoulder holster would be out of the way yet very accessible on rough trails and mountain climbing. It doesn't impair your mobility and is less likely to get snagged or get you or your handgun damaged in slips and falls.
When terrain was too rough in the Army to carry a rifle or carbine I carried a 1911A1 in the issue shoulder holster.
I'd recommend something on the Army style that isn't in the armpit but over the left chest.
Think of the kind of falls you've taken in the woods or hills. You wouldn't want a gun to be between you and the ground.0 -
This is a True story...some years back a Very Old and Dear Friend decided that He wanted carry concealed...He asked what I thought about carrying in a Back Holster in the Front of His trousers...Told Him IT would'nt be one of My better choices.......Rather Pack on the Side, Aft,between Front Pocket and Rear Pocket...Jumping ahead a few Months when One of His Sons called to tell us of a terrible Accident that occurd to His Dad...Seems a Dog came out of No Where and attacked Him....Uncle 'X' Grabbed for His Iron and in His haste Thumbed the Hammer Back on His S&W and pulled the Trigger before clearing His Trousers and Belt...He shot WINKIE and His Two Buddies....and then the Bullet entered His Leg and exited just before Blowing His own Leg off above the Knee....The Dog escaped and was never seen again...and 'X' died a week or so later...I'm still Packing My 1911...and never had any problems clearing the Tilt Holster..Think on it...I wish You well...Best.....Captain Kirk 0 -
dcs shooters: Thanks. I have a Kahr MK40 and it is the easiest to hide. Where I hike, I have encountered poachers on county land that is very posted. I am often out by myself (the trail is about 11 miles from start to finish) and I go when some folks think the weather is bad (i.e. cold, wet, raining, snowing...what I love best) and am on my own. I can't prove it, but I believe some of the shots fired near the trail way in the back were on county property and a bit too close for comfort. Back there I carry a Witness in .45 acp. It is a medium sized gun but on the heavy side and hard to conceal. Thanks for the help. 0 -
v35: Okay, that is really good advice. You couldn't be more correct. I fell the other day even though I have a walking stick. It had gone from 22 degrees to 60 degrees in 2 days. The ground was dry on top but still melting underneath. Slippier than ice. The ground went out from under me and so did I. I usually fall on the butt or the right or left hip and side. So you nailed it. I have a holster but the weight of the Witness pulls it down after 3 or 4 miles and it starts to protrude from under the jacket. A shoulder rig is what I will explore! Thanks a million 0 -
Good advice already given.
If you are hiking, there are probably better carry methods than IWB. Not that IWB couldn't work, but it would be uncomfortable with that much walking, and falls could be even more so.
In general, I'd avoid any "hard" IWB holster altogether. "Hard" holsters and "inside the pants" do NOT go together.
In general, I'm not a fan of hard holsters, but that's a question of personal preference. These do have certain advantages such as ease of draw and reholstering. Of course harder holsters will wear your gun's finish faster, but ANY holster (even leather) will wear a finish, particularly a blued one.
Still, if you have a "working" type gun, especially a stainless steel one, then why worry about the finish?
Obviously, you want to avoid unnecessary wear to the extent possible, but if I were concerned about putting wear on a guns finish, then that isn't the gun I would choose to carry around with me all day, certainly not while hiking when I know I'm likely to take a few spills. Conversely, were I selecting a gun for carry in the woods (or elsewhere), I'd pick one where I wouldn't worry about a little external wear and tear.
Lastly, I'd add that the ability to holster a pistol one-handed with an IWB holster is over-rated. That can be useful if you are doing practice drills and need to reholster the gun multiple times.
In the "real world" IWB is almost exclusively for concealed carry, and you're not going to be drawing your gun unless in you're in a life-or-death situation. In that case, what the heck difference will it make if AFTER that situation is over it takes you both hands or a few more seconds to holster your gun?
If you can reholster your gun one-handed, great, but comfort is important too. If your favorite holster is so soft it collapses after the gun is drawn, I wouldn't worry too much about it, so long as the holster was otherwise OK.0 -
Just a note to add to the fine advice already given. I have two IWB holsters from High Noon Holsters and love them. They are comfortable and secure at all times. High Noon has a WIDE selection of IWB and other types of holsters, all very reasonably priced. 0 -
Since my last post, I came across Army issue holsters advertised in SG News.
I noted there were two for the 1911 but don't recall which we had. Ours fit over the left chest and had a piece of stiff, flat leather between pistol and chest. A strap over the grip safety retained the gun.
An armpit location might be second best but you wouldn't want to fall on it or swing your arm over it for those long hikes.
Either way, letting the upper body carry the weight of a service pistol over long hikes beats belt carry.0
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