Buying my first holster

April 15, 6:05 AMCleveland Gun Rights ExaminerDaniel White

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My recent experience wearing a kydex holster got me to thinking back to when I bought my first holster. They say most people who carry a gun for personal protection have a box full of holsters that didn't work. For me, I kind of lucked out because I hit a home run on my first swing.

Back in 2003, passage of a concealed carry law in Ohio was still almost a year away, but the signs were there that it was imminent. Of course, the city made me take down the signs as they were a "public nuisance." I digress.

I had done a lot of research on the internet while my boss was on vacation, and learned all about the pitfalls which could lead to the proverbial box o' holsters. I learned about the different types of materials and the pros and cons of each. I decided that an inside-the-waistband (IWB) type was right for me as they tend to be more concealable and less prone to accidental exposure.

I read about the hazards of retention straps due to the possibility of hang-ups while drawing and the difficulty in releasing them from under concealment. I learned how a wide footprint for the holster can help spread out the weight of the gun as well as decreasing the "print" of the gun.

After considering my options, I decided to go with the Milt Sparks Versa Max 2. It was a good thing Ohio's concealed carry law was still a ways off, because there was a good chance Gadot would show up before the holster. Milt Sparks does excellent work in creating these hand-made holsters that are custom fit for a specific model of handgun, but the wait time was in excess of 13 weeks. I hear it is even longer now.

My plan was to have the holster arrive in time for me to practice for a while before wearing it on the street. I knew that it could take a while to get used to wearing a holster, and that a lack of familiarity is part of what leads to the feeling of self-consciousness many people experience when they carry for the first time.

So, when my new holster finally arrived, I felt I was ready. I tried wearing the empty holster first. I had heard that you need to buy pants a size or two larger to accommodate an IWB holster, but that turned out to not be true for me. Positioning the holster behind my right hip seemed to be the most comfortable position for me. Exact placement was up in the air, though. I had read that the best spot was to line up the rear sight of the handgun with the seam of my pants. It turned out that due to the spacing of the belt snaps, I was able to snap one on each side of two of my belt loops. It seemed to me this would produce extra stability, and it ended up being the perfect spot. I carry it that way to this day.

One of the reasons I chose the VM2 holster was because of posts on the Beretta Forum raving about how comfortable it was to wear. When I added my gun, though, I immediately sensed a problem. If this was supposed to be more comfortable, then I had been seriously misinformed. My belt was cutting into my side with every step.

At first, I thought the holster wasn't as good as advertised , but then it occurred to me that the problem was the belt itself. I was wearing a thin 3/4" leather belt that wasn't providing the proper support for the holster. I decided to go the full mile and get a gun belt from Milt Sparks as well to match the holster. This order didn't take nearly as long since the belts aren't custom to the gun, and I was glad I bought it. The belt ended up being about twice as thick as I was used to as well as 1-1/2" wide. Proper gear made all the difference in the world, as my carry rig is extremely comfortable and is still in excellent condition 6 years later.

The price is a little steep at $105 for the holster and $90 for the belt. But, I've never thought it made sense to put a $500 gun in a $15 holster hung from a $5 belt. Your carry gear protects your gun and ensures it remains where you put it. The more comfortable it is, the more likely you'll actually carry your gun. So, to me, it was worth the price.

So, the moral of the story is that I highly recommend buying a quality belt and holster for your gun. If you do a little research before you buy, you can end up saving money in the long run by not wasting it on holsters that don't work for you.