Thumb break or open top?

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parrothead2581

New member
I picked up a SW 1911 this morning, and it's going to become my carry gun, when my permit gets in. Now, this will be my first carry gun, and I'm curious, do you prefer a thumbreak strap or an open top design? Obviously it comes down to personal preference, but I'm curious what the folks who have been carrying for some time, particulary 1911;s "cocked and locked" prefer. I'm thinking IWB style. With all of the holster makers out there, this is going to be a tough decision.
Right now I'm looking hard at Galco and Bianchi, among a couple of others, so anyone with experience on the fit of those two makers would be appreciated as well. :)
 
Been carrying a 1911 for over twenty years. Open top; cocked and locked. Never a problem. Don't have any use for thumb break models. They just get in the way.
 
I used to be afraid of carrying like that, so I always used a thumb break. Then I found a better made holster, and tried it out with an empty gun several times, until I felt certain it was just as safe. Now I won't go back to the hindrance of a thumb break again.
 
Here are my thoughts behind the thumb break. I haven't seen many IWB holsters that would protect the safety for me. I'm left handed so the safety will be away from my body rather than next to my body. I'm concerned that during the course of the day, the safety may work itself loose. I obviously can't just check it anywhere; I could duck into a bathroom stall or check it in my car if need be. I likely wouldn't snap the thumbreak, just use it to protect the safety.
I am thinking about either the MacDaniel II, with thumbreak, plain finish, with the rough side out from Andrews cusom leather. I am also considering the Executive Companion from Milt Sparks and the #1 Heritage from Milt Sparks.

Thanks :)
 
Most of my holsters are thumbreak, I prefer them for retention since I believe in general you are more likely to drop your piece than draw it, (that said, I myself have done a fair amount of both). Practice makes your draw smooth. If you use an extended safety, you may want to "bone" the leather a bit to help keep the safety on with a thumbreak. Without a thumbreak or sweat pad, your body/holster combo might be prone to pushing the safey off, and there would not be much to be done about it. It would also allow the gun to poke at you as well. Also, for 1911's without a firing pin lock, the thumbsnap also provides a barrier between the hammer and firing pin.

Personally, I have not had good experiences with custom holster makers, I usually buy used ones for those. I really like Galco and Bianchi holsters, they make solid decent holsters and I have had good experiences with their customer service.

I also carry left handed, and I think you are more likely to disengage the safety from the body side (leather or body rubbing against the safety) than the outside, unless you are constantly hitting stuff with your gun, which is a bad habit. You are not using an ambi safety? Sometimes you just have to try it out and see what happens, everyone is built differently.

Personally, I find it pretty easy to check my safety, I just reach over crossdraw and act like I am scratching or reach into my jacket pocket and feel through the cloth.

k
 
It's a SW 1911 without the ambi safety but there is a firing pin blk safety. I'm curious, typically how snug of a fit are the custom holsters? I'm thinking Milt Sparks. If I turn it upside down, is the pistol going to fall out?

Thanks :)
 
Ok, I didn't think it would. Having never carried, I was just trying to figure out how they managed to fall out with some people.
Click to expand...

oh...sleeping and rolling over, jumping down from a tree, jumping over a fence, getting out of the car and catching it on a seat belt, sitting down in a chair and catching the butt on the chair back, getting thrown into a lake, etc. The older I get, the more I like a nice tight-in hi ride pancake strong side with a thumbbreak. I have noticed some of my friends starting to agree. But the thing is you have to decide what your activity level is and go with what works. An IWB placed right should work fine since it is tucked in tight, and you can tension it with your belt at least.

In the old days, holsters were usually tight and had to be broken in, both custom and factory, these days a lot of holsters seem to be looser (but I guess they are more likely to have an adjustable tension device). Some holster makers still make them tight though, Kramer being a notable example.


k
 
I use a Brommeland Max Con V, an open top. I consider a thumb strap to be totally unnecessary and in fact, an impediment to the draw. My Max Con V's secure the thumb safety with the Body Shield and as for retention, a gymnast could do everything he knows and the pistol would still be where it was when he started, yet be easy on the draw.
 
I use to be like everyone else thinking open top is the ONLY way to go. Then a situation happen to me at Mc Donalds. My son would not come out of the play tubes, so I went in after him and by bright stainless 9mm fell out of the holster. To the horrified dismay of the freightend mothers and myself, all was good when I recovered my gun, with no new scrathces, but the other parents were all very scared, so I left before some idiot call the cops saying I was threatening their kids with a gun. From now on no open tops unless it is a FORM FITTED KYDEX rig. Just my opion.:o
 
hknut,

I wasn't able to find a website for Minute Man Holsters although a Google search did turn up a couple of references. Is the holster molded to conform to the shape of your specific pistol and does the holster retain the pistol tightly, even when held upside down and shaken?
 
left hand concerns

I prefer wearing revolvers butt-forward on my weak side, but I'm a bit more cautious with a 1911 (Galco Royal Guard, but my others are OTB from Sparks--the wait is SO worth it).

Think this: "grip safety".


Good gun, good holster, use good ammo.
 
Don, this holster was medium grade leather (kind of thin) and would not hold a pistol if shaked upside down. However it was in the early 90's, so alot of change has come our way since then. Once bitten, twice shy. Oh by the way I have never gone back to that Mickey D'S either!!
 
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