CCW Holster question?

Russ93YJ · June 7, 2005, 06:03 PM

I recently bought a SA XD_9 4" service model pistol and I'm very happy with it. It came with the XD holster, I like it but I couldn’t use it for CC, I would like to use my XD for CC and was wondering if you all had any holster recommendations, keep in mind that its rather hot year round here in NC, I like the Idea of the IWB holsters but would be open to anything. I’m 6'1 and 170 lbs. If I’m not able to conceal the XD I will probably end up getting a small Kel-Tec to put in my pocket. Thank you for your suggestions.

camaroman · June 7, 2005, 06:34 PM

For IWB this looks like an awesome holster:
http://store.yahoo.com/rlcompanyusa/answer.html
some pics in use on GT:
http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=353524

That will be my next holster purchase for a Glock. Im not sure if there is a model for the XD but I would imagine so.

Milt Sparks has great holsters too:
http://www.miltsparks.com/

Kjott21 · June 7, 2005, 08:46 PM

LOL. That is me in the pictures. So that kind of gives you my response. I can't believe I am being used on another forum. BTW The Answer by Tucker Gunleather is the most comfortable holster I have tried so far.

camaroman · June 7, 2005, 09:02 PM

Hey Kjott21, Hope you dont mind. Those pics made my mind up on the next IWB holster. Thanks for taking the time to do the pics.

Russ93YJ · June 7, 2005, 09:12 PM

looks good i will probally go with something similar, it still prints too much for me to use with a t-shirt but with a long sleeved untucked dress shirt it should work well. i have been on copsplus.com and i like a lot of what i see there. any other recomendations i would deffinatly be open to, thanks for the suggestions so far.

Kjott21 · June 7, 2005, 09:25 PM

Here are the links to the holsters that I have tried and liked.

The Answer by Tucker Gunleather:

http://store.yahoo.com/rlcompanyusa/answer.html

It is a bit pricy but I think that it is one of the most comfortable that I have tried. The other thing that I like about it is that if you get one you will be able to fit any 9/40 Glock in it just in case you want to go for the 27 or 23 one of these days.

C.-T.A.C. by Comp-Tac

http://www.comp-tac.com/ct_ctac.html

It is the one that I loaned you to try out. It is nice but I think having the all rigid holster gives you hip pain sometimes. You can get the slide version that will accept all the 9/40 Glocks as well.

Watch Six by Milt Sparks

http://www.miltsparks.com/

That link won’t take you to the holster directly. Their webpage is set up differently somehow. I had one for my 27. It was very comfortable. And the price isn’t bad on it either. The only negative that I have seen with it is that you cannot tuck in your shirt with it.

Versa Max 2 by Milt Sparks

Same link as above

This one I have not actually tried out because it is rather pricy too and have not been able to find a used one cheap yet. It seems to be the Cadillac of leather IWB holsters. It has a metal reinforced lip so that you can reholster one handed and if you get the optional kydex clips you will able to tuck with it.

Everyone that asks what holster to buy on Glock Talk gets one of three answers over and over: Versa Max 2, C-TAC, or the Answer.

One more link for you:

http://www.rigrate.com/

This site has a search engine that lets you plug in what options you want the holster to have and then gives you several options that people have reviewed. It was interesting to see what other options you have when looking for a holster.

If price was no problem I would get the Versa Max 2 from Milt Sparks with the optional clips. There is a site that stocks Milt Sparks holsters so that you don’t have to wait the 12-16 weeks for them to make it. You have to pay extra but you order and get it in like 3 days instead of 3 months. That lets you know how popular the holsters at Milt Sparks are. Here is the link for them: http://www.lasports.biz/products.htm

payne · June 7, 2005, 09:56 PM

Russ, you're built bout like me. I'm 6'1" 183lbs. I carry my XD-40 4"service mod in the small of my back IWB with a protech outdoors holdster. It's a little crappy thing but works perfect for me. I conceal the gun fine with even just a t-shirt on. that's in the summer too. Only thing is, with just a T on bending over ya need to be mindful of your gun and not bend at the waist so the shirt doesnt come up and expose your piece. If it doesn';t work out still. I found the Keltec P11 is a great little summer carry gun. It's 9mm so you don;t gotta worry bout, "Am I carrying enough power?" has a 10+1 ammo advantage also. Good luck with the Great XD!

exprt9 · June 7, 2005, 10:16 PM

FIST makes a hi-ride belt holster and it rides pretty good for with my pt140 pro and pt111 pro. It also has a tension screw. i bought mine from gunnersalley.com.

Eric Larsen · June 8, 2005, 10:26 AM

Many people conceal the 4" XD. Ht and weight dont always give the indications of whether it will work or not, or how it will conceal generally.
Alot of times 5-7 degrees more cant or just shifting the gun can help it conceal better or be more comfy. Each person is different so its not an easy thing so say........."yes, it will work for you"...............................
Find a good maker and get a holster you think will work.......go from there.
Shoot well.......

chaim · June 8, 2005, 11:28 AM

I have a "Hidden Ally" from High Noon Holsters for my Taurus PT140 Millenium Pro. I don't live in a CCW state so I don't carry it much (just around the house thus far, I haven't been out of state with it yet) but I like it a lot and the prices are great ($34.95 plus shipping). However, I have found that my PT140 Pro is just a tad wide for IWB tucked, and I suspect the XD will be too. If that is the case save $10 and go with the $24.95 "Mister Softy", the exact same holster but not tuckable. These are both pretty soft leather, they do have other more expensive holsters that are stiffer and more molded to the gun if those would serve your needs better, but they are still priced very reasonably.

Another place you really need to look is "Holsters By Eric" (HBE), our very own Eric Larsen. I haven't bought one of his custom holsters yet, but I will once I can carry more often (maybe before then). I've heard great things from his customers, I've never heard of anyone being anything but fully satisfied.

Here are the links:
http://www.highnoonholsters.com
http://hbeleatherworks.com/

racinstylez · June 8, 2005, 01:12 PM

I just orderd the Glaco Matrix for my XD40. Should get it by the end of the week. I will let your know what I think soon as I get some time to try it out.

Dog Confetti · June 9, 2005, 12:22 AM

I only carry IWB on the hip and nothing I own is too wide for comfort (a Walther P99 is probably the widest). Mostly I use those $10 Uncle Mikes nylon holsters (NOT kydex...that would hurt), but something with a belt-loop is probably better because you don't have to worry so much about pulling the holster out with the weapon if you happen to grab both...as cool as I look when it happens. Bianchi makes a nice simple IWB (I don't rmember the number) but I don't think it'll fit an XD. I just ordered a Don Hume IWB for a PT-145 (~$45)...we'll see how it goes.

Russ93YJ · June 9, 2005, 07:50 AM

This is all very helpful info, and i greatly appreciate it, thanks for all the input so far, these links to holster places are great.

dickfunk · June 9, 2005, 08:15 AM

I use the M9 S.O.B. by Brigade Gunleather. Never has let me down.

kgpcr · June 10, 2005, 01:49 AM

I have several of thier fanny packs. www.gungear.com i love them. some times i am in a tshirt without sleeves and shorts so i carry this way

GLP Standard · December 27, 2005, 02:35 AM

Quote:

looks good i will probally go with something similar, it still prints too much for me to use with a t-shirt but with a long sleeved untucked dress shirt it should work well. i have been on copsplus.com and i like a lot of what i see there. any other recomendations i would deffinatly be open to, thanks for the suggestions so far.

Dont order from Copsplus.com no matter what you do. If you need an explanation of why not, Ill be glad to explain, but theyre not worth the hassle. I think theyre crooks

FLJim · December 27, 2005, 10:25 AM

Russ93YJ,

Milt Sparks' Versa Max 2 is perhaps the most oft-recommended IWB concealed carry holster on the market today. They're a bit pricey, and the wait time can be long, but just about everybody I've ever seen comment on them says it was worth both the money and the wait.

I tried a buddy's VM2's with both a SIG P229 (SIG calls that "compact," but it isn't all that "compact" IMO) and a SIG P239. I had on shorts and a t-shirt. I wanted to try the IWB while sitting in the car, and my friend didn't want it visible while I was walking outside, so I just un-tucked my t-shirt and asked "How's that?" "Good enough," he replied. When I bent over to put on and lace my shoes a thought hit me. I bent over like that again and asked him how badly it was printing. Much to my surprise: Hardly noticable! It actually printed worse after I stood up, because he had Hogue rubber grips on his SIGs and they're kind of "sticky," so the loose t-shirt kind of stuck to the grips. A brief, "I'm carrying tug"

cleared that.

The other thing you have to consider is the belt. I suspect many people have more trouble with concealed carry than they have to, just because they didn't give proper attention to the belt. A good-quality belt, properly sized and properly fitted to the wearer and the holster, is every bit as important as the holster. I'm thinking of giving Josh Bulman's UGBS line a try. Again, like Milt Sparks' holsters: Kinda spendy, but good gunleather costs good money and will last you a lifetime. (IIRC, Bulman makes a VM2-like holster, as well.)

If you want to save a buck or two on the belt, you might consider The Beltman. His belts can be considerably less expensive than others, and the comments I've seen in firearms forums have all been positive so far.

The thing you have to be aware of, if you're buying belt and holster from different makers, is that you're taking a chance that the belt and holster combo you choose may not work as well together as you'd need/like.

June 7, 2005, 06:03 PM	#1
Russ93YJ Member Join Date: April 6, 2005 Posts: 16	CCW Holster question? I recently bought a SA XD_9 4" service model pistol and I'm very happy with it. It came with the XD holster, I like it but I couldn’t use it for CC, I would like to use my XD for CC and was wondering if you all had any holster recommendations, keep in mind that its rather hot year round here in NC, I like the Idea of the IWB holsters but would be open to anything. I’m 6'1 and 170 lbs. If I’m not able to conceal the XD I will probably end up getting a small Kel-Tec to put in my pocket. Thank you for your suggestions.

June 10, 2005, 01:49 AM	#15
kgpcr Senior Member Join Date: May 23, 2005 Posts: 955	Try this I have several of thier fanny packs. www.gungear.com i love them. some times i am in a tshirt without sleeves and shorts so i carry this way

June 7, 2005, 06:34 PM	#2
camaroman Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2001 Location: Clear Lake, Texas Posts: 115	For IWB this looks like an awesome holster: http://store.yahoo.com/rlcompanyusa/answer.html some pics in use on GT: http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=353524 That will be my next holster purchase for a Glock. Im not sure if there is a model for the XD but I would imagine so. Milt Sparks has great holsters too: http://www.miltsparks.com/

June 7, 2005, 08:46 PM	#3
Kjott21 Junior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Posts: 9	LOL. That is me in the pictures. So that kind of gives you my response. I can't believe I am being used on another forum. BTW The Answer by Tucker Gunleather is the most comfortable holster I have tried so far.

June 7, 2005, 09:02 PM	#4
camaroman Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2001 Location: Clear Lake, Texas Posts: 115	Hey Kjott21, Hope you dont mind. Those pics made my mind up on the next IWB holster. Thanks for taking the time to do the pics.

June 7, 2005, 09:12 PM	#5
Russ93YJ Member Join Date: April 6, 2005 Posts: 16	looks good i will probally go with something similar, it still prints too much for me to use with a t-shirt but with a long sleeved untucked dress shirt it should work well. i have been on copsplus.com and i like a lot of what i see there. any other recomendations i would deffinatly be open to, thanks for the suggestions so far.

June 7, 2005, 09:25 PM	#6
Kjott21 Junior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Posts: 9	Here are the links to the holsters that I have tried and liked. The Answer by Tucker Gunleather: http://store.yahoo.com/rlcompanyusa/answer.html It is a bit pricy but I think that it is one of the most comfortable that I have tried. The other thing that I like about it is that if you get one you will be able to fit any 9/40 Glock in it just in case you want to go for the 27 or 23 one of these days. C.-T.A.C. by Comp-Tac http://www.comp-tac.com/ct_ctac.html It is the one that I loaned you to try out. It is nice but I think having the all rigid holster gives you hip pain sometimes. You can get the slide version that will accept all the 9/40 Glocks as well. Watch Six by Milt Sparks http://www.miltsparks.com/ That link won’t take you to the holster directly. Their webpage is set up differently somehow. I had one for my 27. It was very comfortable. And the price isn’t bad on it either. The only negative that I have seen with it is that you cannot tuck in your shirt with it. Versa Max 2 by Milt Sparks Same link as above This one I have not actually tried out because it is rather pricy too and have not been able to find a used one cheap yet. It seems to be the Cadillac of leather IWB holsters. It has a metal reinforced lip so that you can reholster one handed and if you get the optional kydex clips you will able to tuck with it. Everyone that asks what holster to buy on Glock Talk gets one of three answers over and over: Versa Max 2, C-TAC, or the Answer. One more link for you: http://www.rigrate.com/ This site has a search engine that lets you plug in what options you want the holster to have and then gives you several options that people have reviewed. It was interesting to see what other options you have when looking for a holster. If price was no problem I would get the Versa Max 2 from Milt Sparks with the optional clips. There is a site that stocks Milt Sparks holsters so that you don’t have to wait the 12-16 weeks for them to make it. You have to pay extra but you order and get it in like 3 days instead of 3 months. That lets you know how popular the holsters at Milt Sparks are. Here is the link for them: http://www.lasports.biz/products.htm

June 7, 2005, 09:56 PM	#7
payne Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: SE US Posts: 519	Russ, you're built bout like me. I'm 6'1" 183lbs. I carry my XD-40 4"service mod in the small of my back IWB with a protech outdoors holdster. It's a little crappy thing but works perfect for me. I conceal the gun fine with even just a t-shirt on. that's in the summer too. Only thing is, with just a T on bending over ya need to be mindful of your gun and not bend at the waist so the shirt doesnt come up and expose your piece. If it doesn';t work out still. I found the Keltec P11 is a great little summer carry gun. It's 9mm so you don;t gotta worry bout, "Am I carrying enough power?" has a 10+1 ammo advantage also. Good luck with the Great XD!

June 7, 2005, 10:16 PM	#8
exprt9 Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2005 Location: Buckeye State Posts: 286	FIST makes a hi-ride belt holster and it rides pretty good for with my pt140 pro and pt111 pro. It also has a tension screw. i bought mine from gunnersalley.com.

June 8, 2005, 10:26 AM	#9
Eric Larsen Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2001 Location: Bountiful....Ut. Posts: 3,226	Many people conceal the 4" XD. Ht and weight dont always give the indications of whether it will work or not, or how it will conceal generally. Alot of times 5-7 degrees more cant or just shifting the gun can help it conceal better or be more comfy. Each person is different so its not an easy thing so say........."yes, it will work for you"............................... Find a good maker and get a holster you think will work.......go from there. Shoot well.......

June 8, 2005, 11:28 AM	#10
chaim Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,100	I have a "Hidden Ally" from High Noon Holsters for my Taurus PT140 Millenium Pro. I don't live in a CCW state so I don't carry it much (just around the house thus far, I haven't been out of state with it yet) but I like it a lot and the prices are great ($34.95 plus shipping). However, I have found that my PT140 Pro is just a tad wide for IWB tucked, and I suspect the XD will be too. If that is the case save $10 and go with the $24.95 "Mister Softy", the exact same holster but not tuckable. These are both pretty soft leather, they do have other more expensive holsters that are stiffer and more molded to the gun if those would serve your needs better, but they are still priced very reasonably. Another place you really need to look is "Holsters By Eric" (HBE), our very own Eric Larsen. I haven't bought one of his custom holsters yet, but I will once I can carry more often (maybe before then). I've heard great things from his customers, I've never heard of anyone being anything but fully satisfied. Here are the links: http://www.highnoonholsters.com http://hbeleatherworks.com/

June 8, 2005, 01:12 PM	#11
racinstylez Senior Member Join Date: May 23, 2005 Posts: 240	I just orderd the Glaco Matrix for my XD40. Should get it by the end of the week. I will let your know what I think soon as I get some time to try it out.

June 9, 2005, 12:22 AM	#12
Dog Confetti Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2005 Location: New Mexico Posts: 212	I only carry IWB on the hip and nothing I own is too wide for comfort (a Walther P99 is probably the widest). Mostly I use those $10 Uncle Mikes nylon holsters (NOT kydex...that would hurt), but something with a belt-loop is probably better because you don't have to worry so much about pulling the holster out with the weapon if you happen to grab both...as cool as I look when it happens. Bianchi makes a nice simple IWB (I don't rmember the number) but I don't think it'll fit an XD. I just ordered a Don Hume IWB for a PT-145 (~$45)...we'll see how it goes.

June 9, 2005, 07:50 AM	#13
Russ93YJ Member Join Date: April 6, 2005 Posts: 16	This is all very helpful info, and i greatly appreciate it, thanks for all the input so far, these links to holster places are great.

June 9, 2005, 08:15 AM	#14
dickfunk Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2005 Posts: 160	I use the M9 S.O.B. by Brigade Gunleather. Never has let me down.

December 27, 2005, 10:25 AM	#17
FLJim Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2005 Location: S.E. Michigan Posts: 219	Russ93YJ, Milt Sparks' Versa Max 2 is perhaps the most oft-recommended IWB concealed carry holster on the market today. They're a bit pricey, and the wait time can be long, but just about everybody I've ever seen comment on them says it was worth both the money and the wait. I tried a buddy's VM2's with both a SIG P229 (SIG calls that "compact," but it isn't all that "compact" IMO) and a SIG P239. I had on shorts and a t-shirt. I wanted to try the IWB while sitting in the car, and my friend didn't want it visible while I was walking outside, so I just un-tucked my t-shirt and asked "How's that?" "Good enough," he replied. When I bent over to put on and lace my shoes a thought hit me. I bent over like that again and asked him how badly it was printing. Much to my surprise: Hardly noticable! It actually printed worse after I stood up, because he had Hogue rubber grips on his SIGs and they're kind of "sticky," so the loose t-shirt kind of stuck to the grips. A brief, "I'm carrying tug" cleared that. The other thing you have to consider is the belt. I suspect many people have more trouble with concealed carry than they have to, just because they didn't give proper attention to the belt. A good-quality belt, properly sized and properly fitted to the wearer and the holster, is every bit as important as the holster. I'm thinking of giving Josh Bulman's UGBS line a try. Again, like Milt Sparks' holsters: Kinda spendy, but good gunleather costs good money and will last you a lifetime. (IIRC, Bulman makes a VM2-like holster, as well.) If you want to save a buck or two on the belt, you might consider The Beltman. His belts can be considerably less expensive than others, and the comments I've seen in firearms forums have all been positive so far. The thing you have to be aware of, if you're buying belt and holster from different makers, is that you're taking a chance that the belt and holster combo you choose may not work as well together as you'd need/like.