A Drawer full of holsters…

So… you’ve finally decided to get your concealed carry permit.

After going back and forth on which guns you own to put on that permit you decided to use this as an opportunity to do what?

Buy another gun.

Awesome.

In fairness,… putting one of your pearl handled .45 long colt single action six shooters might seem like a cool idea in theory…

In practice though it might be hard to satisfy that whole “concealed” thing.

So you’ve opted for a Glock, or and M&P, or a Sig…. something semi-automatic that will allow for a decent “closeness” to your body so you can easily conceal.

Now it is time for a holster.

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Get ready to start spending money… and don’t be surprised if what you end up liking has in inverse relationship to price.

Most of us will go through a slew of holsters and different methods of carry.

Our “holster drawer” can attest to this.

Also, differing body sizes will alter your carry position, and the second you alter that carry position the holster you loved may not do the deed anymore.

A brief note on that last sentence…. I’ve written before that if you are going to carry a firearm, you need as a goal mastery of “skill at arms”. This is a holistic endeavor. One part of which is making sure that your primary weapon system… YOU… is up to snuff.

This means if you have… let’s put this delicately… a fair amount of “tactical padding” overlaying your muscle tissue, you may want to seriously consider body smithing yourself into more of the classical warrior physique.

This also means that over the next few months your body is going to go through some fairly dramatic physical transformations.

The holster you wear today may not be the holster you wear tomorrow.

Most of us… though not all of us too be sure… wear our firearms on our hips.

Some prefer IWB or “In the waist band” holsters. These mount inside the pant waist band and use the pants themselves as part of the concealment garment.

Many report them to be unbelievably comfortable, they allow for a greater degree of clothing options, and come in a variety of sizes.

I hate them.

I own three or four, and for my unique body type they seem to be overly cumbersome and uncomfortable.

Honestly… it is not them, it is me.

The type I wear is an OWB or “Outside the waistband”.

These are your traditional holsters that you see exposed on the belt, and are concealed using a cover shirt.

Remember though folks… it is not just about carrying the firearm… you better have a system to carry that extra ammo too!

This is usually done with mag pouches carried on the support side waist to allow easy access with your support hand when doing a combat or tac load.

Oh yeah… you gotta conceal that too!

I’ve owned everything from $200 custom leather holsters to $40 kydex jobs. There is no rhyme nor reason to the comfort or efficiency of the holster… each one is what it is.

I currently use zzz custom holsters (www.zzzcustomholsters.com).

I like them… they are high quality and they are able to effectively conceal that full frame 1911 I carry.

Here is the thing…As you fret on what type of holster to buy, having multiple web browsers open and comparing and contrasting five different brands…remember: The odds are that in a few months you will be putting that holster in the drawer and getting another one anyway.

You have to experiment until you find the one that works for you… and the only way to really find out is to wear it for a while.