anyone using cheap nylon hip holster
- Thread starter Todd75
- Start date
22-rimfire
New member
Very hard to conceal a handgun with you basic nylon (or leather) belt holster. Essentially you have to have a loose shirt or jacket/coat over the gun. I use a Bianchi nylon holster for my Glock 23, but I rarely carry it concealed. Some of the tactical shoulder holsters should work if that is how you want to carry your firearm. Me, I carry mostly in my pocket.
The problem with "cheap nylon" is that since it will fit almost any pistol, then it won't fit any one pistol well.
With concealed carry, just "carrying" isn't enough. If it was, you could just stick your pistol down the front of your pants ("Mexican" style") and take to the streets.
There are several really important considerations for a concealed carry pistol.
1. It has to secure the pistol so that it won't come out of the holster if, for example, you trip and fall over a curb. It would be quite a scene for you to be chasing your pistol before it disappeared down a sewer drain in a crowded street.
2. It has to KEEP it not only secure, but securely positioned so that the holster (and pistol) won't shift or tilt or ride up or down when you sit. It needs to be, and stay, where you put it when you got dressed earlier.
3. It has to be easy to draw from, meaning it needs to be positioned on you for quick access and you have to be able to draw quickly AND safely.
I would argue that none of the cheap nylon holsters will do any of the above.
For concealed, a good leather holster shaped to your particular pistol is best, and leather is also the best for concealment whether you get an IWB or OWB holster (of course, IWB will always conceal better).
Think of it this way; you aren't carrying a "pistol", you are wearing a "rig" which is the sum total of the pistol, holster and a good gun belt, as well as the clothes you choose that will conceal well and still allow you to draw effectively (i.e., sure, safe, and fast).
It takes a well thought out "rig" to give you what you need if you are truly serious about self defense.
Carter
With concealed carry, just "carrying" isn't enough. If it was, you could just stick your pistol down the front of your pants ("Mexican" style") and take to the streets.
There are several really important considerations for a concealed carry pistol.
1. It has to secure the pistol so that it won't come out of the holster if, for example, you trip and fall over a curb. It would be quite a scene for you to be chasing your pistol before it disappeared down a sewer drain in a crowded street.
2. It has to KEEP it not only secure, but securely positioned so that the holster (and pistol) won't shift or tilt or ride up or down when you sit. It needs to be, and stay, where you put it when you got dressed earlier.
3. It has to be easy to draw from, meaning it needs to be positioned on you for quick access and you have to be able to draw quickly AND safely.
I would argue that none of the cheap nylon holsters will do any of the above.
For concealed, a good leather holster shaped to your particular pistol is best, and leather is also the best for concealment whether you get an IWB or OWB holster (of course, IWB will always conceal better).
Think of it this way; you aren't carrying a "pistol", you are wearing a "rig" which is the sum total of the pistol, holster and a good gun belt, as well as the clothes you choose that will conceal well and still allow you to draw effectively (i.e., sure, safe, and fast).
It takes a well thought out "rig" to give you what you need if you are truly serious about self defense.
Carter
azredhawk44
Moderator
This sounds more like an open carry situation to me, even the long road trip situation.
On road trips I have a handgun with me, in holster, in the vehicle. Not necessarily on my hip... just available.
When hiking/hunting, I have a handgun with me openly displayed... It can come off at camp for comfort occasionally and sit on the ground or table next to me.
I used to use a cheap-o nylon "fits all, fits none" holster with spare mag carrier built in for my Glock 21. I realized several problems with this particular rig.
1. It was heavy. The extra mag holder made it more so, and the gun's balance in position was dependent on the mag weight from the extra mag holder.
2. The mag carrier was on the wrong side. I carry strong side, and the mag was strong side. My off-hand would have to cross my body to get to the mag.
3. The pistol shifted a lot. Tilt changed a lot, and the cheap belt loop slid all over the place.
For open carry backpacking, I suggest leather. I have purchased a redhawk 44mag since my experiences with the G21, and I carry a Hunter-brand holster and gunbelt for it. Sort of cowboy-style, but there is a lot of sense in that style. The drop-loop stops the holster from shifting around. The cartridge loops keep spare ammo handy if needed, but distribute it all over the belt's length. The belt is wide and well built. The whole rig wears well on me.
I have a similar setup for the Glock now, minus the cartridge loops. A nice thick belt with a holster specific to the gun. Spare mag carrier on opposite side, removable if not wanted.
You get what you pay for with those junk holsters. I used to read posts about guys who had drawers full of holsters they hated, and I understand why. They kept spending $10-$20 on a holster they thought was "good enough most likely" rather than getting the one they wanted and fit them well for their purposes.
Just bite the bullet and spend $100 on a good holster and belt.
paramedic70002
New member
Yep. Despite the fact that I am committing heresy to admit such.
I use an open top, IWB nylon holster. It is low ride, conceals well, as stated, under a loose shirt. My body type demands nothing less. With the belt tight enough to stop gravity's pull against the weight already in my pockets, it will be extremely difficult for my sidearm to go anywhere by accident. This is not my only carry method, but works well when I am tasked with picking up some groceries or dinner on the way home from work, as I cannot carry at work anyway.
I use an open top, IWB nylon holster. It is low ride, conceals well, as stated, under a loose shirt. My body type demands nothing less. With the belt tight enough to stop gravity's pull against the weight already in my pockets, it will be extremely difficult for my sidearm to go anywhere by accident. This is not my only carry method, but works well when I am tasked with picking up some groceries or dinner on the way home from work, as I cannot carry at work anyway.
WSM MAGNUM
New member
Todd75, if you do some research on selecting holsters, it`s not a good idea to get someting that is cheap. Look over these links from this website and see if you agree. As they say, buy good quality holsters to avoid having a shoebox collection of holsters you won`t use.
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Downloads\The Armed Citizen Solution - Part 5.mht
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Downloads\The Armed Citizen Solution - Part 5.mht
Yes, I do frequently use and am satisfied with cheap, nylon holsters; two, actually. For some years now. I'd rather have a better, proper holster; just not readily available or reasonably-priced for my unusual weapons......Spend the money to do it right, especially if you're new to it; time will reward you.
Like Paramedic, I confess... I use a cheap nylon on a regular basis.
Wait... That's not quite right... All the time.
Now, I don't use an OWB style, but an IWB made by "Passport" to carry an Airlight J frame. It was, I believe, less than $10, and when I bought the revolver, I didn't have much spare cash but wanted something.
It does the job, I'm a beefy lad so when worn inside my pants, it gets squeezed in there pretty well. Sometimes, I'll use it as a sort of generic pocket holster, either hooked on the outside with the handle exposed, or just drop the whole thing in there.
Its certainly not the right answer, but it seems to work well enough I haven't had a reason to replace it, but I notice after a year its starting to sort of lose its grip, or something. I do believe I'll be replacing it, but I just haven't felt like ponying up the dough for a decent one, there's always some other purchase more pressing than it, as it _does_ work good enough for me.
On the other hand, I was at the store today, and wanted to find something to occasionally carry a 4" 681 in. The closest leather holster they had was brown leather and had a top break, both of which made it no deal. I did look through the Uncle Mike's stuff, and realized I wouldn't do that to myself or my beleagured revolver. There's a time and a place for those nylon holsters, and I do believe that I'm smart enough to know it.
gfen, mildly tempted by an Uncle Mike's nylon pocket holster, though.
Wait... That's not quite right... All the time.
Now, I don't use an OWB style, but an IWB made by "Passport" to carry an Airlight J frame. It was, I believe, less than $10, and when I bought the revolver, I didn't have much spare cash but wanted something.
It does the job, I'm a beefy lad so when worn inside my pants, it gets squeezed in there pretty well. Sometimes, I'll use it as a sort of generic pocket holster, either hooked on the outside with the handle exposed, or just drop the whole thing in there.
Its certainly not the right answer, but it seems to work well enough I haven't had a reason to replace it, but I notice after a year its starting to sort of lose its grip, or something. I do believe I'll be replacing it, but I just haven't felt like ponying up the dough for a decent one, there's always some other purchase more pressing than it, as it _does_ work good enough for me.
On the other hand, I was at the store today, and wanted to find something to occasionally carry a 4" 681 in. The closest leather holster they had was brown leather and had a top break, both of which made it no deal. I did look through the Uncle Mike's stuff, and realized I wouldn't do that to myself or my beleagured revolver. There's a time and a place for those nylon holsters, and I do believe that I'm smart enough to know it.
gfen, mildly tempted by an Uncle Mike's nylon pocket holster, though.
I have not seen a nylon holster with a Body Shield which is very important to me. It shields the gun from sweat, it shields your body from irritation from the protrudung parts of the gun, Hammer, Beavertail etc. It greatly assists in keeping the thumb safety in the safe position. The strength of the leather also helps protect from irritation and pinching from the gun too, the barrel will often pich or poke in a very uncomfortable way. The improved retention is also a big factor for me. The great appearance of a fine piece of leather, superbly crafted, ergonomically and thoughtfully designed with features intended to maximize the pleasure of carrying a gun is esthetically pleasing to me too.
One thing about nylon, you let yourself in for Velcro. To Hunter's credit they don't use it. Their nylon hip holsters are horrible but it happens I use their nylon shoulder rig which works well after you sew it into place, for their selling angle is to have interchangeable holsters for it. It also has loops for six rounds, which I haven't see alsewhere in a shoulder holster rig.
I'm using a cheap nylon Uncle Mike's holster for my CCW (XD sub). It suits me fine. It's IWB open top w/large plastic clip. I wear it at 3 o'clock, slight forward cant. I bought it as a basic trial holster until I settled on a "better quality" unit, but I found that this little nylon baby works just fine for my CCW needs.
I can always upgrade, but see no reason to at this time.
I can always upgrade, but see no reason to at this time.