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Ben,
I gotta chip in my vote for the Alessi CQC/S as well. It IS expensive and you DO get what you pay for. I know the price seems high when there are so many perfectly good alternatives out there for less. I felt the same way and have the proverbial box full of holsters to prove it.
As the ultimate counter point to the Alessi, consider the Fobus paddle holsters (@ $15-20 dollars). They are cheap, they work very well (i.e. retention, comfort, speed of presentation), and they are durable. I LOVE mine (have the Glock and BHP/G'ovt model ones). They do not, however, conceal very well. Great for range or under-heavy-layer use but not so good for light-cover CC. The Galco Fletch paddle I have for Glocks is a higher end product (quite pricey actually) and is still too bulky for convenient light-cover CC. It's got some neat features and seems well enough made, but it isn't much more useful than the Fobus.
The CQC/S, on the other hand, is designed to pull the butt of the pistol into your side. The pistol is held firmly and yet releases smoothly. The snaps operate with surprising ease and yet never seem to open on their own (I've tried pretty rigorously to get them to do this). In short, the CQC/S is sleek and slim, performs very well, and is backed by Lou Alessi's service. If you want some variation on the basic design, just ask him and he'll go out of his way to accommodate your needs. I am constantly shocked at the level of support he offers. The CQC/S for my P7M8 has become my primary holster for carry and competition. I am so impressed that I have one for my PSP and one on order for both my Kahr P9 and my SIG 225. For me, the $90 spent on Lou's work saves me the $100+ in unsuccessful experiments. Having said this, I would think that designs from Sparks would offer a similar level of quality and be equally worth the higher per-unit cost. I'm just not as familiar with their stuff. I know they have some designs which provide the level of convenience you are after and have heard nothing but positive remarks about their stuff.
Hope my babbling helps a bit.
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Best,
- Jawper
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