All posts in Desantis holsters

Nylon, Leather and Kydex holsters from Desantis Leather?

Desantis holstersWith so many changes taking place to firearms these days, it’s hard to keep up with all of the gun designs, Desantis Holsters has options for full size, medium size autos and many of the popular .380 CCW guns. The firearm industry has grown so much in regards to concealed carry and holster  makers have had to really stay on top of the demand for .380 caliber pistols.  We are a stocking dealer for Desantis holsters and our most popular Leather gun holsters.   Desantis has a holster for you if you are carrying a small compact firearm like the Ruger LCP or if you are looking for a traditional leather shoulder holster.

The Desantis Scabbard with thumbreak is still a popular holster for Law Enforcement and Under Cover police.   The Speed Scabbard is basically the same holster without the thumbsnap retention.   Desantis inside the waist holsters are also available in Desantis holsters  in different types of material.  Desantis also has ankle holsters and Kydex holsters.   Large frame guns like the Beretta 92 might need a paddle holster and even though we highly recommend Desantis leather products, Kydex does have it’s place in the halls of concealed carry.   The military has moved from nylon holsters to the Blackhawk Serpa so it’s very much about dealing with the environment and what your firearm and preferences are.

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Leather look and Professional appearance at work

desantis holstersKydex holsters are very good for their intended purposes but you really can’t walk away from leather holsters.   Not only do leather holsters especially the Desantis holsters that we sell look so nice, but the product line is so big that just about any type of holster, IWB holsters, Paddle holsters and even the Desantis Scorpion holster which is Kydex and not something you would have thought a Leather holster company made.  We have seen many leather holsters in our lifetime but even if you think you can get a good once for less money, you won’t have the durability and proven quality that Desantis Products has.

Much of our Law Enforcement product line has expanded our leather goods and Desantis is number one on our list.  I have a ton of holsters in my closet but the ones I use the most when I’m going  out at night are the ones that look the best and the Desantis holsters that we sell are the best looking holsters with style and durability.   We’ve had several leather holsters in our store from Galco leather to Don Hume and although each product line has it’s good points and their weaknesses, the current majority of our Law Enforcement and Detectives our using the thumb break speed scabbards instead of the Blackhawk Serpa holsters just based on the professionalism and look of the holster.

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Retention holsters leather vs Serpa

We recently  had a customer in here that asked me if people still “use these” and picked up a Desantis thumb break scabbard holster.  I laughed and told him we only carry things that we sell.   What he meant to say is do people still use thumb breaks over the Blackhawk Serpa.   I then pointed to the Safariland ALS holsters and showed him that a thumb is a very useful way to open a retention holster.  After that I showed him the Elite Survival Nylon holsters we have and then he comprehended what i was saying.  Some guys think that the Blackhawk Serpa holster is some type of advanced holster design when it’s really just another optional holster design.   There are many ways to retain a firearm in a holster and we sell most of them.

I have several types of holsters for each firearm I own and sometimes I just feel like a certain type of holster would be more comfortable.  I still find the Desantis holsters to be the best leather product line because they do everything from wallet ID badges, leather belts, and even some kydex designs.   While many of these debates about who makes the best leather are really about preference, some brands have their best designs and do something a little better than another person for certain modes of carry.  It’s not always just the leather, its the quality of the snaps and the screws that make it a good fit.

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Crossbreed holsters vs Galco Kingtuk and the Desantis holsters

I am always looking to carry a larger firearm but in a more comfortable manor.   Several years ago I found  out about the Crossbreed holsters and at first, they seemed very large and I didn’t understand how they could be more comfortable.   Like I always do, I ask around amongst my friends to find out if you they ever heard of something before I spend a dime on it.   Asking questions at a gun club or asking someone if you can try their firearm out is always the best way to get the feel of something.  I heard about Trijicon ACOGS for years before I ever looked through one and my first impression was that I didn’t think a 4x optic was worth $800.  They cost even more than that now.

I’ve tested a few of the Desantis and the Galco versions of these holsters and I have some  pretty consistent feedback.  I started out with the Desantis holsters that we stock so much of an I’ve known for years.  We tested out the Desantis Scorpions and the Galco Kingtuk holsters for the Glock 19 and this is what happened.   After about 3 months the Desantis Scorpion belt straps which are made of kydex broke.  The following week a customer walked back in the door and told me they broke in his XD holster.   We noticed that the Galco Kingtuk holsters all have metal clips and not  one of them has broken.  Desantis was nice enough to send us replacements but the replacements were all kydex.  It’s time for a redesign.

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Kydex holster options from Leather Holster Companies?

I’ve seen several places online where people are offering customer kydex holsters and although I know that is a niche industry that people can excel at, I’ve had too many fit and quality control issues to want to deal with it.  There are also customer leather makers but that is even more expensive.   Now that so many people a running lasers or lights on their .380 pistols or their duty guns.   Gun holsters can get very complicated.  I have had issues with the depth of holsters and also what I call “holster flop” and that is the reason I have so many holsters sitting in a box in my walk in closet.   Some larger frame or even medium frame semi-auto guns like the Sig 228 are difficult to put in those Don Hume Hit holsters, but the Desantis Speed Scabbard offered a little bit more sturdiness.

We are looking at bringing in more blue guns for people to try out in our Broomall, PA showroom because so many people want to know the fit and feel of a holster.   There are new holsters designs from Desantis holsters like the Scorpion and the Desantis Intruder.  There give you more comfort for larger size firearms.  This contoured paddle holster design is something I have worked with for  years and it really does make it more comfortable to wear.   At first it may seem bulky and hard to get on, but it’s something you just need to learn to adapt to.  You won’t get the bruising that many kydex will give you if you are bending over to your side.  Sig 229 and Glock handguns like the Glock 17 work really well in this holster design.

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Yes, there is a difference between Gaclo, Don Hume and Desantis

When we got the Galco and Desantis holster catalogs we were pretty overwhelmed by how much stuff they had in there and it was really hard to figure out what we should start bringing in.  First, I can’t say that one is better than the other because each has certain products that are tried and tested and look at function well.  The Miami Classic shoulder holster is still very popular with Law Enforcment because it has that “look” that some professionals want.   Most major companies like Galco, Don Hume and Desantis have very consistent quality products and we never get complaints about fit unless it’s a novice gun owner that doesn’t  know they need a break in period.

There are many differences in hand sizing and not every ones fingers are going to reach.   There are tuckable Desantis Holsters that have caught on with many white color concealed carry holders.   Not all pocket holsters are the same and each holster may have an edge functioning with you with a certain type of firearm.  I’ve got Don Hume Jit holsters for many of my medium frame guns but it didn’t work quite so well with my Glock 19. It was something about the balance and the depth of the holster but for my Sig 239 and my Smith & Wesson 38 Special, it’s actually my favorite firearm holster for the majority of my guns.  You probable won’t know until you tried them though.

 

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Be careful what you decide on for a pocket holster

They are not all the same even though they are probable all under $20.   We have several people coming in here and looking at the various pocket holsters and giving us some feedback.  I personally have a stockpile of Uncle Mike’s holsters that I picked up at gun shows and and ended up retiring them for something a little bit more sturdy.  Not that Uncle Mike’s products are crap, but they aren’t the best product for the buck.   I have carried Taurus revolvers in the past with clip on inside the waist band holster but the belt clips did not hold up when you bent over.  A good gun belt like The Wilderness or an Elite Survival Systems belt namely the Cobra Belt are great options to reduce this, but why not do something more secure.

The Uncle Mike’s holsters I have that were pocket holsters had a small piece of fabric that is suppose to cause some friction when the gun is drawn, but it’s not that good.  We have leather, nylon and kydex holsters here but the Desantis holsters that we sell a lot of are the Desantis Nemesis pocket holsters.  They have more friction material covering the outside of the  holsters, but they are closer to $20.   The Elite Survival Systems pocket holsters a huge seller because they are just as good and about $50 cheaper.   The Woolrich Elite Chino pants that we sell are probable a big hit in store, because the pocket holster shoppers are always looking for concealed carry pants that work for them.

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Desantis makes more than just leather holsters

We have the Desantis holsters catalog and we’re really blown away at how much stuff they really sell.  We were looking for a product line that would help us get our foot in the door of the law enforcement and police supply product lines.  They have some really nice tactical bags, handcuff holsters, and the long list of tuckable and IWB holsters that have made Desantis a king of the leather holsters world.  The one thing that really struck me is they seem to be really on top of what concealed carry holsters can be made of.  I never thought of Desantis when I was shopping for a kydex holster but I found one in the Desantis holsters catalog.

I am presently a Glock guy but it was after a very long evolution of having firearms become too bulky, too heavy or I just felt underpowered.  The Glock 19 with the Desantis holsters like the Scorpion are modern concealment in a very comfortable package. This is the most comfortable IWB holster I have ever used and even the square looking Glock 19 does not feel like it did when I first used another kydex and soft gun holster.  These are kind of pricey but I don’t think I’m going to  have issues with breakage.

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Spring and Summer holsters, time to ditch the leather?

That is something that I had to learn the hard way after I damaged several of my Sig Sauer pistols with using leather holsters in the summer that caused the inner side of the gun to rust.   I don’t know why Sigs aren’t made with a better finish, but I have learned to switch to Glocks in hot weather just because I know the guns won’t rust.   It’s taken me awhile to get use to them, but the higher capacity and a couple ounces lighter of a gun actually makes life easier in the Summer heat.  Kydex holsters are pretty much the standard now because re holstering is also easy  under stress.

I really do like the Don Hume holsters, Galco and especially the Desantis holster line.   There are big differences in the cost of these leather holsters and the Desantis holsters are somewhat pricey but they really do look good and have a very nice finish.   One thing that I did not like about some of the IWB holsters that are leather is they do start to flop with age and re-holstering under stress is something that can be a problem.  The IWB tuck-n-go holsters are difficult to re-holster. I actually suggest taking the holsters off for safety sake.

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Something new and interesting from Desantis

We had a special order for a product that we don’t normally carry called the Desantis Rail Ryder.   When we get requests for products that we don’t stock we usually evaluated the product first, ask the customer why they want it and usually ask them to give us a review after that have used it for awhile.  When we first saw the images for the Desantis Rail Ryder we didn’t understand what it was all about but after playing around with it for a few minutes we got it.   This is a HD holster that you can quickly put on if you had to go around your house.

One reason I have often suggested IWB holsters that are made out of kydex is because you have to be realistic, if you are ever in a gun fight, you will want to be able to reholster the gun with ease and possible under stress and leather holsters tend to collapse or fold in on themselves.   This is a very unique product from Desantis holsters that is very practical.   There is no real way to holster a firearm without having a holster on already if you had to get up in the middle of the night.   You could quickly move about your house and if need be the gun is already to be attached to a belt.

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