Glock 43 Holsters!

Matt Landfair

Matt Six Actual
Staff member
Administrator
http://www.recoilweb.com/glock-43-holster-roundup-part-i-64241.html

Glock 43 Holster Roundup Part I

David Reeder
May 1, 2015


VanGuard 2 man almost exclusively since the VG2 came out; when not using the VG2 I’ve recently been running an Eidolon (also Raven) to review and I sometimes still carry a Bloodline from Pitbull Tactical depending on who I’m on the range with. My various minions have their own preferred holsters, so I’m often switching things around.

When looking for a G43 holster this time I thought I’d cast a wider net and see who else/what else was out there. So, I asked around and received a number of suggestions from friends and peers in the industry. The first ‘wave’ of holsters for the comparison-roundup arrived yesterday. I’ll provide a brief overview of each and explain further after I’ve had time to try ‘em out. Some of these holsters are not yet available on the respective companies’ websites for purchase, so I have not always been able to provide a direct link.

The first one to arrive was this Kydex holster from Tulster. It actually didn’t come in the mail – Steve Aryan of Greyfox Industries dropped it by the office. Tulster (online here and on Facebook here) is headquartered in Jenks, OK, a suburb of Tulsa. This is their Profile model IWB holster. They’re available in 20+ colors, right or ‘wrong’ handed (their terminology, not mine), for several models of handguns. Normally I’m leery of trying gear from a Kydex company I haven’t tried before. Contrary to what some people say, there’s more to it than just ‘form fitting Kydex’ to a weapon or tool – bad holsters abound. That doesn’t seem to be the case with this Tulster rig, however – it’s got a good, crisp snap when the weapon is holstered, fits very well and has a very nicely finished, clean exterior. It does not provide any mechanism for adjusting fit, cant or ride (which would be a deal-breaker for some people). We’ll see how comfortable it is in the coming weeks.


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The first mailed package to hit my porch was from the well know Springfield, MO manufacturer Crossbreed. There were 2 holsters in it – a modular, hook-and-loop backed Kydex holster and belly band and another AIWB Kydex-and-leather holster rig almost identical to the MiniTuck, but with just one belt hook where the MiniTuck and SuperTuck have 2. Construction looks good at first glance and I’m looking forward to trying out the mixed leather and Kydex (I haven’t tried one of those before). Fit on both is good, though without the same tight snap of the Tulster, and while I’m not someone who ever uses a bellyband by choice I know CCW carriers who do – and the modularity of the holster piece means I can move the weapon to a courier back, the Velcro on my soft armor, etc. even if I’m not using the bellyband proper. In addition to the actual gear, the Crossbreed pieces arrived with some “care and feeding and adjustment” instructions as well as a $25 membership coupon for the NRA, a nice touch.


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Crossbreed-Glock-43-04-671x450.jpg
The final package to arrive came to me courtesy of Predator Intelligence (which is, incidentally, one of the places I order gear if doing so online). It contained a couple of holsters from DeSantis Gunhide. The holsters in this package were the SOF-TUCK IWB holster and a Superfly pocket holster – I think it’s pretty interesting that we’ve come to the point that only one of a dozen holsters I’ll be trying out is completely leather, and having worn nothing but Kydex for several years now I’m interested to see what I think now of something I once (a long time ago) used exclusively. The SOF-TUCK has nowhere near the passive retention qualities of a Kydex rig, of course, but there are many people who find a leather holster far more comfortable (which means they’re more likely to actually carry their gun). The pocket holster is also a welcome addition to the lineup because I do on occasion ‘pocket carry’ (though admittedly until now it’s always been a S&W 37-2 snubby in my pocket rather than a semi-auto). The Superfly’s exterior is a rubberized fabric that (so far) has held it firmly in place and a reversible flap designed to help disguise the shape of the holster once it’s in the pocket – we’ll see if the extra bulk it adds is worth the tradeoff.


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Stand by for further. There are other holsters inbound from the inestimable PHLster, Blackpoint, Delta Concepts and Raven Concealment Systems, and some Taran Tactical goodness too.


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1. Crossbreed modified MiniTuck.

2. DeSantis Gunhide SOF-TUCK.

3. DeSantis Gunhide Superfly.

4. Crossbreed/I.C.E. Bellyband.

5. Tulster Profile.



Read more: http://www.recoilweb.com/glock-43-holster-roundup-part-i-64241.html#ixzz3ZJqXCZiC
 
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Matt Landfair

Matt Six Actual
Staff member
Administrator
http://www.recoilweb.com/glock-43-holster-roundup-part-ii-64291.html

Glock 43 Holster Roundup Part II

David Reeder
May 5, 2015


before in Part I I’m going to be doing quite a bit of shooting with the new single stack 9mm Glock 43 over the coming months so I’m going to take the opportunity to check out some different holsters (if for no other reason than there isn’t a VG2 in wee size yet). I spent the past weekend at a Sage Dynamics course at USSA and worked my way through some of the gear that came last Thursday (which you saw in Part I), as well as some of those that arrived on Friday. Among the latter was a whole series of holster and magazine options from Blackpoint Tactical and PHLster.


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In addition to a very nice snubby rig I need for another project (more on that later), Philadelphia-based PHLster shipped a G43 Skeleton holster and their dedicated mag pouch. PHLster magazine pouches for G42 and G43 are built differently than those for other models because of the size (they also offer the Access for the G43 and are currently finishing up pre-orders, with new orders subject to their standard wait times. The Skeleton is a nice minimalist IWB design that uses an injected molded strut from Raven Concealment to make it adjustable from right to left handed (ride height can also be adjusted). I wore mine AIWB but it could certainly be worn in a different position. The quality of my Skeleton’s construction was exactly what I expected from PHLster. They also sent a kit used to further modify how the holster wears should a buyer desire it, but I haven’t yet messed with that yet.


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The mag carrier system PHLster sent is particularly intriguing. It’s set up so it can be ‘mounted’ in a number of different positions, including IWB, bag or pack or down in a pocket. I used it for about half a day Saturday down in a pocket, then all day Sunday from the IWB position in a center position in line with my navel (at Aaron Cowan’s suggestion). More on that later, but I really like it – in fact I’m wearing it as I type this.


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Georgia-based Blackpoint sent a representative selection of their whole damn lineup, not just the Mini-Wing (which was my original request), but a hybrid, a Leather Wing for pistol with WML, a couple different methods of carrying mags (IWB and OWB) and a Modular Accessory Pouch (MAP).


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The MAP is an extremely modular and customizable method of carrying assorted ‘necessaries’, and not just pistol magazines. It combines Kydex and leather, much as the Blackpoint ‘Wing’ holsters that preceded it. Blackpoint describes the Leather Wing as their best selling holster, which seems understandable. I prefer a Kydex holster, but the leather back does add to a level of comfort. The combination of the two materials is a good alloy and one a couple of my friends took an immediate liking to. I only spent about half a day using the Mini-Wing but so far I like it. As an aside, gun carriers with a particular interest in sartorial matters will be happy to know Blackpoint offers a wide range of leather- and Kydex-color combinations. This won’t matter unless you’re an open carrier, but even concealed aesthetics are understandably important to some people.


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The final bit of kit to arrive last Friday were mag extensions from Taran Tactical Innovations (technically a TTI Firepower Base Pad). Obviously one drawback of the Glock 43 is the limited magazine capacity. Although I don’t find that to be nearly as significant an issue (for my purposes) as some people seem to, there’s certainly nothing wrong with plussing up a couple rounds. I’m sure it’ll be good to go, but we’ll make sure after a some more range time.


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Ultimately the choice of a holster is a matter of individual taste, preference and experimentation. This is particularly true when it comes to the selection of an AIWB holster because so much depends on ride height, cant, material, placement, etc. I’ll provide more feedback as I have more time to wear the different breeds and styles.

There are some other holsters still on their way, I think, and a Galco rig has already arrived. I know I need to look at Zorn’s Skinny Rig, I’ve heard good things about Alien Gear and I know a lot of folks run holsters from Off the Grid Concepts. Keepers Concealment does good work of course. There were also some good suggestions after I ran Part I. Lemme know if you think there’s another brand I should try.

More to follow. That’s all I have now – go forth and conquer.

You can find PHLster on Facebook here; Blackpoint is on Facebook here and Taran Tactical here.



Read more: http://www.recoilweb.com/glock-43-holster-roundup-part-ii-64291.html#ixzz3ZJqmmgel
 
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avtech850

Amateur
My wife uses a Tulster for her 43/Trl6 combo. I was honestly worried about a holster ordered off of Etsy or whatever the chic website for women is these days. At first blush though it wears like a champ and has acceptable retention without unneeded bulk. It's not designed for AIWB carry, but it could fill the roll without any issues.
 
currently using a Blackbeard Tactical holster with Comp-Tac IWB belt clips for my G43. Works well...but if had to do it over again, I would have just bought the Comp-Tac Flatline holster.
 

avtech850

Amateur
I forgot to add that the particular Tulster used for my wife's 43/TRL6 can be adjusted for cant but not ride height.
 
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