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Desantis or Galco ??

10K views 23 replies 21 participants last post by  C Paul Lincoln 
#1 ·
Hi everyone as you can see i'm new to this site,

And i'm trying to find a new carry holster for my ruger p94< I have been using a bianchi paddle holster that I got when I bought the gun new. I have never really been into carrying, I have mainly always just had it in what ever vehicle I was in.

But now I want to start carrying when ever possible and the paddle holster keeps the gun to far away from my body for concealment.

I was looking at these 2 cause I'm not to sure how my big boy frame would do with a iwb 6'6 290lbs.

Galco holsters; Holsters; Gun holster, pistol holsters, western holsters, shoulder holsters, leather holster and Glock holsters

Commerce Storefront B2C

I also am planning on gettin a better belt to help hold them.

Thanks for your time and help
 
#3 ·
I own a Galco CCP, for my Glock 23. It was my first holster...I have since moved on to several other brands and types. Galco in my opinion make the best leather "off the shelf" holsters out there. Desantis is OK, but I agree with Paco...go with Galco. BTW I am 6'3", and 275 lbs....so I understand trying to conceal a gun on that size frame.
 
#4 ·
I had a Desantis but gave it to a friend till he could find a better one. I didn't like it as the finish deteriorated rapidly.

I have been using Galco's Summer Comfort IWB for the past year 16 hours a day and am quite pleased with it.

I am not as large as you but not a small thing either. (6' 2" 260#)
 
#6 ·
My experience with DeSantis holsters has been less than satisfactory. Their leather is generally too thin and flexible, and quickly loses its shape. In all honesty, I can't recommend them.

GALCO has greatly improved the quality of their holsters over the years. I think they are one of the best values available for a mass produced holster.

I carry my Colt Commander in a GALCO Concealable belt holster. I'm completely satisfied with it.

 
#7 ·
Though I am not quite the "big boy" as the original poster I am 6'3" and weigh 260 and live in the "big boy" neighborhood. The OP states----
I also am planning on gettin a better belt to help hold them.
I suggest that the place to start is the belt. A good gun belt will make any holster work better. Just a thought:duh:
 
#8 ·
I had a Galco OWB concealment holster that was great, I just didn't like OWB. I forget the specific name, but it was well made, and fit the gun perfectly.

I would recommend Galco.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for all the replys guys,

As far as the thumb break my paddle holster that I have now is thumb break and thats kinda what i'm used to. and on the other side of the coin carrying a ruger P94 there is just not a huge list of options out there, Not when compared to the 1911 based guns, Glocks and such,

I just like my P94 it's never given me any trouble other than stove piping some when I first got it and I was limp wristing then .(according to the range guy that helped me after the 3rd stovepipe.)

Locked the wrist and she just bangs away
 
#10 ·
Ideally, it would be great if you could find these and test them first although I know it’s usually not possible. Anyway, between the two you’re considering, I like the Galco.

BTW: I absolutely hate selecting holsters! I have never liked a holster for more than a few weeks after purchasing, and they’re almost always overpriced for what they are. The Thunderwear I’m using now is the least expensive and most used device I have.
Regards,
 
#12 ·
Of the two I personally would go w/ Galco. I've never owned a Desantis, but the quality I've seen in looking at various items leads me to believe that Galco is generally better quality. I had a thumbreak OWB holster when I first started out , but have moved on to IWB w/ all my pistols. It took me finding the right holster before IWB worked for me, but it's night and day as far as concealment goes at least for me.

My recommendation would be to see if any local gunshop has a decent IWB for your Ruger that you could try on for size before making an assumption that IWB doesn't work for you. I only have one type of OWB holster that has ever worked well for me and that is the snap type holsters such as Alessi's CQC-S.

Best of luck on your decision.
 
#14 ·
The Fletch is one of the most comfortable and capable holsters I've used. I passed one of mine on to my son to use and he also likes it. I currently use a Concealable, also a very good holster. I recommend either, the Fletch if you need or want retention, the Concealable if not.
 
#17 ·
In answer to your question, Galco produces a far superior holster. I have owned both and Galco has better workmanship, a higher quality leather and with minimal care will last forever. Galco makes very high quality belts also. Some of my Galco belts are over 20 years old and stll look like new.
One item for thought however, is why limit yourself to these two choices? At the top of the page is "related links". Click on this for access to a multitude of holster makers. You can check out their products and fine tune your choice.
 
#19 ·
since I carry a p94 ruger my choices seem to be limited and i really don't like the bianchi paddle holster that i'm using. It is really a pain to try to conceal that one. i was looking for one that I could get now, and then I can start looking at some of the custom one's.
 
#18 ·
I'm also relatively new at concealed carry. I did quite a bit of looking around the local gun shops and decided that the Galco holsters appeared to have much thicker and better quality leather the DeSantis ones. None of the local shops had the particular Galco holster I wanted in stock, so I began searching online. I ended up finding what I wanted at Opticsplanet and got it for a bit less than $75 with free shipping. I was very pleased with their service and have subsequently purchased a Galco holster for my wife and Galco belts for both of us. By the way, Opticsplanet has other brands of holsters as well, but I like the Galcos. Just MHO.:yup:
 
#23 ·
For the price you will pay to get a decent holster from Galco or desantis, you could pay the same or maybe even less and get a even better holster from Fist. HOLSTERS
 
#24 ·
Between Galco and DeSantis, I agree with the majority here that Galco is superior. I have some Galco holsters, and they are good quality for the price.

Another option is Don Hume Holsters -- Ruger P94 : Don Hume Leathergoods, manufactures high quality leather and nylon goods.

Don Hume makes several holsters for the P94, but not my favorite, the Agent 711. One of my complaints about the Galco Fletch and Concealable is the mouth of the holster isn't reinforced, so reholstering can be difficult. The Agent 711 has a reinforced mouth -- I didn't look at the other DH models to see if any for the P94 are reinforced.

Good luck, and don't expect your first holster to be your last (like the others, I have a drawer full).

C Paul Lincoln
 
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