I will not here be advocating, necessarily, for any specific manufacturer or even type of concealed carry holster but rather give you some information so that you can know what to look for in a quality holster. What works for me and my body type and lifestyle, may not work for you. But these principles can help you make an informed decision when you purchase your equipment.
I gleaned this information from Paul Carlson at Safety Solutions Academy on the Gun Nation Podcast. Paul is a competent firearms instructor and has come up with the acronym RAGTOP to help shooters wade through the holster market.
RAGTOP – finding a holster
that can safely, comfortably, and securely carry your firearm on a daily basis...
R – Retention –
the holster need to retain the gun, until you want/need to draw the firearm,
and then it should come out relatively easily.
It needs to be retained while twisting, crawling, cartwheeling,
wrestling, etc…
Retention is generally achieved through friction – rather than
a mechanical device. Mechanical
retention should be reserved for duty/open carry holsters.
A – Application –
What is the application? (concealed
carry, open carry, competition, duty, range, etc.)
G – Gun Fit – What
gun is the holster designed for? A “one-sized-fits-many”
holster will not fit/hold ANY gun very well. Get a holster that is designed for your specific make and model of firearm.
T – Trigger Guard
Cover – the trigger guard needs to be covered front to back, top to bottom, side to side. This mean the trigger cannot be accessed
while the gun is in the holster.
O – Open Top – a
holster mouth that stays open when the gun is drawn. This allows for one-handed re-holstering, and
allows the firearm to be easily holstered without having to angle the gun
toward or away from your body in order to get into the mouth of the holster.
P – Position – a holster
that is designed to be carried in the position that you intend to carry
it. Examples: inside the waistband (iwb);
outside the waistband (owb); ankle carry; shoulder; appendix iwb; 3/4/5/6 o’clock
iwb; bra; pocket; etc.
Also
when it comes to position, the holster and gun should stay in position. Belt-loops/clips should match your belt size. Some iwb holsters use friction to keep the
system between pants waist and your body.
These types are notorious for moving position and/or falling out of the
pants completely.
One more thing to note also, when you make the decision on a holster, I would encourage you to truly give carrying it a solid try. I've heard it said that carrying a gun is not comfortable but rather comforting. There is some truth to that but I have also found that it can take some time to get used to most any holster. Give it a week or two of carrying your gun for at least eight hours a day before you decide to give up on the holster and look for another option. You may find that you begin to get comfortable with the set up you have.
