FIST kydex pocket holsters.

[Wasabi]

In my never ending attempt to drain my bank account and to satisfy my holster addiction, I've been thinking about getting a thin kydex pocket holster for my PM9. FIST offers one:
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Has anyone tried this holster and can offer an opinion?

Thanks for any input.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[T Bone]

Been thinking the same thing. I think RetSupt99 has one? Haven't seen him around here recently come to think of it.... Anyway, he's never had a bad thing to say about a Fist holster. Do a search on the Fist pocket holsters here, I remember a few really praising the thumb push (leather or Kydex, they both have that feature).

[Wasabi]

Thanks,

Yeah, from what I've read, RetSup99 loves the FIST holsters. I did find an earlier thread about the #K5 after I posted that. I've actually been looking at a #K5 for a while now. I'm going to give one a try. It seems to have a lot of good reviews out there and @ $35 it's VERY reasonably priced. I want to go kydex with this one for the extra thinness.

[OhShoot]

Might I suggest you take a look at this one, too?
Can't get much thinner and still contain the gun. Extra mag containment at no extra size is really nifty. (stellarrigs.com)

- OS

[Wasabi]

Thanks I'll check the stellarrigs out. I'm not sure I want a mag holder with my PM9 pocket holster though. That might be too much for one pocket and defeat the purpose of having a compact, ultra thin holster.

Speaking of keeping it ultra thin, has anyone tried the K5 as a hybrid with leather or ultrasuede? Would either add too much to the thickness? The leather is a pricey upgrade @ $40 extra but the ultra suede is only an extra $25. Will going with a hybrid help with any possible cracking? I was thinking the ultrasuede may help it stay in my pocket better when drawing the gun. Maybe I should just stick with the KISS principle here and just go with the kydex only. I'm going to give FIST a call this week but was just wondering of any actual user opinions.

Thanks again for the input.

[randyc74]

Might I suggest you take a look at this one, too?
Can't get much thinner and still contain the gun. Extra mag containment at no extra size is really nifty. (stellarrigs.com)

- OS

IMHO, I would prefer to have the magazine holder at the front of the holster. It would be impossible to get a good full grip on the pistol while drawing from the holster.

[OhShoot]

IMHO, I would prefer to have the magazine holder at the front of the holster. It would be impossible to get a good full grip on the pistol while drawing from the holster.

Looks that way, doesn't it?
But a soon as first of your fingers starts under grip, there's a little play there and gun pops right up into your hand. No retention of the holster is required.
And if you look at the dimensions, the mag holder doesn't add anything to xy dimensions.

If the mag part were in front of holster it would almost double the width of the holster counting gun + mag.

- OS

[OhShoot]

Thanks I'll check the stellarrigs out. I'm not sure I want a mag holder with my PM9 pocket holster though. That might be too much for one pocket and defeat the purpose of having a compact, ultra thin holster...

Look at x y dimensions of holster and butt of gun. They are the same with or without the magazine part. It adds nothing to overall length and width of the "rectangle".

- OS

[Wasabi]

Look at x y dimensions of holster and butt of gun. They are the same with or without the magazine part. It adds nothing to overall length and width of the "rectangle".

- OS

True for the area of the holster where the grip is. It adds something (bulk) in the area below the grip where the mag is. I am trying to avoid adding more bulk. If you look at the K5, there is nothing in that area below the grip (not a true full rectangle, more like a wedge):
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Also, as other posters have noted, it may make it difficult to draw the gun (IMO as well).

Back to my choices with the K5. I'm leaning towards going au natural and skip any hybrid action. Keep it simple and thin.

Thanks for the input.

[T Bone]

Seems sound. The thumb push should make it unnecessary to worry about the holster coming out with the gun.

[Ex-MA Hole]

I have a FIST for my J-Frame and carry with it daily. It works really, really well. I've had it for two or three years, and it works the same as it did on day one.

I had a leather pocket holster from a rather well known vendor, and the fit and finish was awesome, but after a year of so, the leather strethed, and the gun fell out of my pocket while sitting in a (fortunately empty) Doctor's office. It's still looks really nice, but there is zero retention left.

The FIST is ugly, but it works really well.

I'd buy one again in a heartbeat.

[Wasabi]

I'm still looking for those who have upgraded their FIST holsters to a hybrid (ultrasuede, leather or latigo leather). Does going with a hybrid add too much thickness and defeat the purpose of the ultra thin kydex? Are the FIST holsters (especially pocket carry) easily prone to cracking? Will a hybrid help avoid this? I was thinking the ultrasuede may actually help the pocket holster stay in (grip) my pocket better.

Thanks for any input.

[Sanjman2]

I have several high quality leather pocket holsters and they're all too thick for me.

I have two FIST #K5 ultra thin kydex pocket holsters and they are pretty awesome. Super thin, great retention and very high quality. Can't get much thinner and the thumb push works great. But for my next #K5 I'm going to ask Jim to set the thumb tab lower, directly in alignment with the tang of the pistol. That would put it in alignment with the tip of my thumb as my fingers touch the frontstrap to acquire a grip. Then I could keep my thumb straight as I draw my fingers inward to my hand. This will "pluck" the pistol from the holster. With the tab in alignment with the slide, I have to sweep down with my thumb to push the holster away. Just a thumb/hand thing for me.

[Captain38]

Stellar Rigs offers the same holster WITHOUT the attached mag pouch and I use and prefer it over the combination one. I have their pocket holsters for both MY Kahr PM9 AND my Rohrbaugh R9s.

[Sanjman2]

Top row: #1 for a PM9 in brown leather, #K5 for a P3AT, #8 in black leather for a Glock 23.

Bottom row: #9 in black leather for a PM9, #K5 for a PM9, #K7 with split leather loops for a PM9.

FIST holsters are all top top quality. After more then a couple of decades carrying concealed, I'm still not a big fan of IWB but the #K7 in ultra thin for my PM9 is by far the thinnest and most comfortable IWB holster I have and wear. Second most comfortable IWB is my Milt Sparks Watch Six talon in horsehide for a SA 1911 Compact. Thin is the way to go IWB for me. My VM II, two Galco IWB and even the FIST #1 in leather are too thick for my all day comfort.