Opinions of pros and cons of holster designs

[Derek33]

Lately I've been making my own holsters. Full kydex and a leathet kydex hybrid.

I was curious of your opinions and personal experiences with holster designs to give me ideas for my next holsters.

For example, but not limited to, whether or not you prefer the mag release to be covered or accessable. Some say open may cause an accidental release, others say open allows ease for a 1 handed reload.

Opinions?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[WoodLark]

I prefer the mag release covered (I have one kydex holster for my Shield where the magazine popped out on two occasions getting out of my car because the release was exposed).

I also like to be able to specify the cant. There is a leather holster maker whose owb holster I really like except that he makes it with a 14 degree cant. I prefer 0 to 5 degrees.

I also much prefer a holster with one or more tension adjusting screws (even on kydex holsters).

[Mike1956]

My mag releases are uncovered. The advantage is being able to top off with a full mag after firing, and re-holstering while remaining holstered.

[MNBurl]

All of my holster designs do not cover up the mag release unless you really like one shot handguns OR no shot if yours has a mag release safety.

[StevePVB]

My mag release is uncovered. I don't want a holster that doesn't cover the trigger guard.

[chiefjason]

The holster material is the most likely culprit for releasing a mag at the wrong time. My mag releases are all uncovered, but sit pretty close to the body shield. It would take a lot to get something in there and push it. It would take much less for the holster material to push it if it was covered.

[rednichols]

I prefer the mag release covered (I have one kydex holster for my Shield where the magazine popped out on two occasions getting out of my car because the release was exposed).

I also like to be able to specify the cant. There is a leather holster maker whose owb holster I really like except that he makes it with a 14 degree cant. I prefer 0 to 5 degrees.

I also much prefer a holster with one or more tension adjusting screws (even on kydex holsters).

A wise man doesn't learn from his mistakes; he learns from other people's mistakes. And my mistake was allowing the pressure from a client's customer -- the CHP -- to cover the mag button in a holster I developed for them. Even though I knew better. I reasoned that the client would do it with or without me. And there was an accident. And both the client's company and mine were sued. And we lost. And his insurance didn't cover my company.

Accidents do happen with mag buttons, and a wise designer will always expose them, not least because they allow mag changes in the holster.

There's a lot more to answering the OP's question than mag buttons, too much, really. I'm working on a book.

[Bardo]

A wise man doesn't learn from his mistakes; he learns from other people's mistakes. And my mistake was allowing the pressure from a client's customer -- the CHP -- to cover the mag button in a holster I developed for them. Even though I knew better. I reasoned that the client would do it with or without me. And there was an accident. And both the client's company and mine were sued. And we lost. And his insurance didn't cover my company.

Accidents do happen with mag buttons, and a wise designer will always expose them, not least because they allow mag changes in the holster.

There's a lot more to answering the OP's question than mag buttons, too much, really. I'm working on a book.

How did you get sued over a mag button malfunction accident? Did the client fail to get a shot on target and thus was shot himself? Sounds like a shaky case to me.

[WoodLark]

A wise man doesn't learn from his mistakes; he learns from other people's mistakes. And my mistake was allowing the pressure from a client's customer -- the CHP -- to cover the mag button in a holster I developed for them. Even though I knew better. I reasoned that the client would do it with or without me. And there was an accident. And both the client's company and mine were sued. And we lost. And his insurance didn't cover my company.

Accidents do happen with mag buttons, and a wise designer will always expose them, not least because they allow mag changes in the holster.

There's a lot more to answering the OP's question than mag buttons, too much, really. I'm working on a book.

Red, I can see where a covered mag button could be a problem on a leather holster. However, I usually wear kydex holsters and if the kydex is formed properly, there is no way it is going to accidentally actuate the mag button. In the case of the holster I was describing, something in the car (seat belt I think) actuated the mag button as I got out, and my magazine ended up on the Walmart parking lot. Luckily, no one noticed and freaked out.

[GH]

My mag release is uncovered in all of my holsters & I never had an accident. I'm not much of a holster snob. If the gun fits tight enough for the gun not to fall out but loose enough for an easy draw, has no thumbreak or mechanical locking device, is comfortable (but even my "uncomfortable" ones I've gotten used to), covers the trigger & it's relatively concealable I'm happy. I don't like extreme cants but almost anything from straight up & down to a medium cant can be adjusted to by me by changing the positioning on the belt. Obviously I make a few practice draws after putting it on.

[rednichols]

How did you get sued over a mag button malfunction accident? Did the client fail to get a shot on target and thus was shot himself? Sounds like a shaky case to me.

Really? Your were there, looking over the cause of action? In this case, CHP officer returning fire, mag had ejected from the pistol while in the holster, so only the round in the chamber available to him, then click, then shot by opponent.

What do you think, OK with you?

[rednichols]

Lately I've been making my own holsters. Full kydex and a leathet kydex hybrid.

I was curious of your opinions and personal experiences with holster designs to give me ideas for my next holsters.

For example, but not limited to, whether or not you prefer the mag release to be covered or accessable. Some say open may cause an accidental release, others say open allows ease for a 1 handed reload.

Opinions?

Not an opinion, but hard-earned wisdom, in a single pic:

24 deg.jpg

Missing are the exacting considerations of ride height and what I call "twist". Viewed from above, the pistol can be rotated or "twisted" with a biasing of the grip towards the body, or the rear sight, or a balance. I favour a balance, but many designers are so focused on the profile view of a holster that they haven't worked out what they need to do to control, or invoke is a better word, the ideal twist. Suspension designers would call this camber. What they would call caster would be the balance of the top of the gun vs the muzzle of the gun against the body; these, too, are controllable despite which ride height is chosen. More on these concepts another time.