10 years of daily carry: holsters, etc.

Bare in mind I'm not presenting this as "Fact" but as personal conclusions I've come to. Yours may be different.Most of the posts on here are "How do I conceal x with y?" I think many of the new carriers may find this realistic, helpful and save you some money on a box of unused holsters and frustration. I think some people are searching for an invisible and comfortable gun setup. They don't really exist, like most consumerism pursuits, the search for some illusive perfection you can't achieve keeps you coming back again and again. The next holster you get, it will suck too.GUN SIZE, SHAPE, WEIGHT, AND FOOTPRINT:Small guns are more concealable, NOT NECESSARILY more comfortable.A small gun, like a like a glock 26, is kind of like sticking a lacrosse ball into your belt line. No matter how you shift, your belt is pressing it into you in that one small spot you carry in.A large gun is more like putting a book into your belt line. The compression against you is spread out on a wider foot print. The top of the legs, and the bottom of the torso will absorb some of the compression reducing the feeling of a "pressure point."The width of a gun will make it's weight seem heavier. It makes it feel like it's swinging or pulling away from you. You will subconsciously start to compensate for the "swing" in your movement. A thinner, heavier gun that rides tighter may seem lighter at the end of the day.A subcompact single stack (there's a lot to pick from) will disappear even with a crap holster. This may be your only option depending on your occupation. It's also about the same as carrying a folding knife into a sword fight. Better than nothing.Guns with longer barrels/slides tend to stay in place better than shorter barrels in slides. Maybe the barrel/ slide has more bite and friction into your leg/thigh meat or acts as a balance due to weight.​HOLSTER TYPES:​There's only two types of belt holsters. Ones that have one belt clip or point of contact. And those that have multiple points of contacts, spread around the waist.Single point of contact holsters (like the Vedder Light Tuck) try to stabilize all types of movement from rotation, shifting, swinging, general mobility etc, with a single point of contact on the belt. The clip is centered in the middle of the gun at it's thickest point. How well this works depends on the balance of the gun itself, the belt, the cant, and the "spring clip" fitment to the belt as well as the age of the clip and how strong the tension is over time.Multiple points of contact holsters include the "hybrid" holsters that have belt clips about 6 inches apart. AIWB as well as paddle holsters that spread it around the belt line (whatever with width of the top of the paddles is - about 4 inches?). Some smaller holsters that have a belt loop on each side of the gun, not at the center of the gun, but a couple inches apart. How well this stabilizes depends on how stiff the belt is. Movement is less likely to cause it to flare out, rotate, or shift because it isn't rotating on a single axis.Some people like a holster that moves and shifts with them, some people like a holster that is glued to them and doesn't shift. It comes down to preference, comfort, and body type.MATERIALS Pro's and Con's:​Leather. The argument that it mildews, stretches, and gets deformed over time to the point it will cause a gun to discharge has not proved true for me. Personally I think good leather is more comfortable for IWB except on very hot days when they create a sweaty spot. Leather also grips your gun, when you add compression with your belt in an IWB format. This can slow your draw but also creates a secure retention. They tend to form to you over time and become more comfortable.Kydex/ ABS/ Proprietary Polymer Blends. For all intent and purposes, it's hard plastic. Passive retention kydex holsters usually have a rubber compression pad that can be compressed or uncompressed to adjust retention strength. The retention is created by the compression creating a friction grip around a single point ( usually the trigger guard). This creates the positive "click" noise when you draw. This retention is less effected by the tightness of your belt and this creates a consistent draw. If you break this retention by running, moving, or bumping against something (like a car seat), you have a loose gun in a very slick bucket of a device. Most kydex holsters also "push" the gun out when retention is broken, some may expose a trigger. This happens, and sometimes you don't hear the click under clothing and ambient noise. The heavier your gun is, the less secure your gun is with a passive retention system, see: inertia. Jump up and down or chase your kids across the street with a full steel gun in a passive retention kydex holster. An OWB kydex holster with passive retention is best kept in the competition world. An OWB kydex/plastic/whatever holster with active retention like a Safariland would be a better idea for a defensive OWB use. via /r/CCW https://ift.tt/2LfkKp3