Thumb break, anyone?

[dyl]

Does anyone use a thumb break OWB leather holster? - Aside from police department requirements. I've got a couple all steel pistols that I feel deserve something a little classier than Kydex, and I'm trying to decide between a leather open top holster with comfort shield/sweat guard, or thumb break.

It would be at 4:30, modest forward cant.

Care to share your experiences either for / against?

[5whiskey]

I use primarily leather owb thumb break holsters. Which, to be fair, I’m a cop.

If I carry iwb it’s an open top. Owb it’s a thumb break. Even if I conceal with an over shirt, I like retention when carrying owb. It’s a little bit of insurance in case your shirt slips up accidentally and someone goes for your weapon. Plus if you choose to OC, you’re covered.

This comes, of course, with a price of a few 10ths of a second on the draw.

[JERRYS.]

what post #2 said.

[burrhead]

I have an old Tex Shoemaker OWB thumb break that I sometimes use for a field holster for my Colt Government. I liked the security if I'm tramping around or riding a four wheeler but it's not a "fast" holster. If I carry that gun in town I use a Summer Special.

[azretired]

I only use leather holsters. I hate kydex. However all my concealment holsters are pancake style with no thumb breaks. Passive retention only..

[Jeff22]

I like leather OWB holsters with thumb breaks for concealment purposes.

I have a bunch of Kydex holsters too, and I like them as well BUT I do feel a little more secure having more positive retention.

[10-96]

I've always been partial to leather, and I've been blessed to live in a place where humidity doesn't cause me worry. I've never gotten into the IWB thing, seems being born without a butt causes my waistband and belt to work extra hard at keeping my breeches up- thus, no room for much else in my chonis y pantalones besides me. I miss the quality of the old South African Ross holsters, but make due with the De Santis leather paddle styles with the thumb breaks. Speaking of De Santis- does anyone else suspect their leather quality went downhill a tad somewhere in the last 10-15 years?

[Tom-R2]

I have several IWB, all are open top. I have an assortment of OWB, some are thumb break, some are open. I prefer the thumb break for the reasons others have said above. I'm retired law enforcement too. It's a little inconvenient to move back and forth between the with and the without, you might try to pull it out, and find it's 'locked' in place. I have a very nice leather holster for one of my pistols (OWB) that has stretched enough it isn't a secure hold. I may use it around the house, but I won't use it out in public. I did recently find that a different model from the same pistol manufacturer fits it much tighter since the dimensions of that pistol are slightly different. I don't mind the IWB so much, my belt provides much better tension.

[Don Fischer]

I love OWB leather thumb break holster's. But only with concealed guns. Best one I ever had was a lined Safariland one. I put them on with my belt coming from the back and over the top of the holster, hold's it closer to my side. I've never noticed working the thumb break to get the gun out, just naturally breaks! Love'em!

[Wagonman]

I converted from leather to kydex years ago...The better ones have a tactile click when properly seated that I like. The only leather holsters I have are an off duty Desantis for my 220 that I almost never carry. I love my S&W Shield...until a VP9 single stack is released

[moose fat]

I have two El Passo Saddlery pancake holsters w/floral carving, beautiful holsters, thumb breaks. One for my 1911 and the other for my Glock 36.

[Don Fischer]

Something I noticed about thumb breaks over the years is there has never been a time when I was taking out a gun that I had to make any effort at all to open the thumb break. Just naturally comes open when you draw the gun!

[Prof Young]

I use a leather thumb break with my sig p238. I like it that the thumb break would stop the hammer fall in an accidental discharge. (Yeah, I know the likely hood of that happening is nearly none.) Anyway, I don't carry OWB much, and prefer a vest carry. But, when I practice with the sig in the OWB with thumb break it seems like a fairly easy draw.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[TheGunGeek]

I mostly carry OWB with a leather holster, and I use both retention types. Most days it's open top, however if I'm going to be involved in active activities, then I like the additional security of a thumb break.

[1MoreFord]

No, give me an Askin's Avenger style holster any day and a cover garment.

A lot of folks can't handle a thumb safety and I can't abide a thumb break holster. I wear holsters under cover garments so I'm less likely to have problems with theft.

[4V50 Gary]

I like thumb breaks as a retention for the holster, not as a safety. Safety is between the ears that screams to the hand, finger off the trigger and muzzle control.

My duty holster was the Safariiland SS III with triple retention. Thumb break, middle finger break and push down and rock back to draw. Great for wading into a crowd. Guess I'm just used to thumb breaks.

[cw308]

dyl
Went down that road , having a box of holsters that just didn't work . I carry a Colt New Agent in 45 ACP it's a 3" job but It's my favorite carry . After reading articles , videos and magazines , I checked out custom holsters and went with R.Grizzle Leather , the open top holster I ordered was the " Country boy" doesn't look like it sounds in burgundy , it's a beautiful holster and fits the pistol like a glove , no need for a top strap . I was so pleased with the holster I called the company and told them if I sleped with a belt I'd be wearing it. Check them out you won't be disappointed. Hope I Helped in some way.

Chris