For anyone with a photographic memory, you might recall that I may be moving to California sometime soon. I have been looking into things and hoping that I will be able to secure a Concealed Handgun License when I get there... but I figured it might be a good idea to make other arrangements in case that is not able to happen, since parts of California even have a tough time allowing Law Enforcement to carry guns. Ok, not really, but you get the point! Anyway, I believe wholeheartedly in miracles, but am also a bit of a pragmatist... I know, opposing forces in the same person. I think it keeps me balanced. Ok, back to the topic.
If I cannot obtain my CHL, then I will at least carry loaded while at home and at work (my job would allow it most likely), which is legal in California as I understand it. The problem with this is that if I were to step off my property and onto the sidewalk while carrying loaded, I would instantly be committing a felony. If either work or home were in a school zone(1000 feet from a school), I would be committing at least one more state felony, and then at least one federal felony as well. And if the gun were concealed at all, I would be committing another state felony. I might find myself in a cell with a murderer for either a long time or since California has a stringent 3 strikes law, the rest of my life. None of that sounds appealing (nor very constitutional either, but that discussion is for a different place.) to me! If I were to carry my SR9 around my house and work, in a good/comfortable concealment holster like a Crossbreed Supertuck; knowing myself, I might forget that I was wearing my firearm and that could spell big trouble! So, I figured it was time to go get an over the waistband holster that would more prominently remind me that I need to put "something" away before stepping off my property (and to test my ability to remember I was carrying around my house, before it becomes a lifelong offense). Well, that and the fact that unloaded open carry is both legal and practical outside of most California city limit areas... and I would definitely do so if I were camping/backpacking and such!
So, I went down to one of our many local gun shops. I went to the big shop in town... which was also where I bought my SR9. They had an entire grocery store aisle stocked full of holsters. And get this, they did not carry one "custom" fit, OWB, LE style Kydex holster (which was what I was looking for) for any SR series gun... Though there were tons for other makes and models. I was floored... especially because the clerk told me that I was not the first SR owner asking for one. Part of the problem was that they carried a lot of Uncle Mike's products. We checked the website and Uncle Mike's doesn't make a fit Kydex SR series holster. They did have other Kydex OWB holster manufacturers, but carried nothing for the SR series. I think it is because most people who purchase a SR series gun and decide to holster and carry it, do so inside the waistband and not outside.
I thought about ordering something on-line, but really did not want to spend too much money (or time) either way for a holster I hopefully will not need to use but want to be prepped to use should I need to. So, the clerk showed me the Uncle Mike's Sidekick Ambidextrous Hip Holster. You can view the manufacturer website and description here:
http://www.uncle-mikes.com/products/sidekick_ambidextrous_hip_holsters.html
Here is a referrence pic of the holster taken from the weblink above.
It is made of thick Kodra Laminate Nylon. Remember that, it will come into play later in this review. Mine fits any large Semi with a 3 3/4 to 4 1/2 inch barrel. The holster is open toward the muzzle end, which is fine with me as the Kydex holster I was originally looking for would have been as well. The Kodra material is waterproof, and extremely rugged. The holster actually feels like they took a brand new soft case, and cut it out/modified it to be a holster. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that was how they engineered the holster. The thickness seems to come from padding within the Kodra, as well as the thickness of the material itself, and adds to the soft case feel. Really, the holster makes you feel like you are carrying your gun in a holster and have it protectively in a case at the same time. I really like that part of it! My specific holster has a place for an extra mag... which I really liked because if I have to do unloaded open carry in the back country, having the magazine right there will be a huge plus. If you were to hold/point the gun normally (like you were going to shoot it) while the gun is still in the holster, the mag slot sits on top of the slide, though on the outside of the gun slot of the holster. This is good design as the mag slot does not add to the horizontal thickness of the holster and keeps the placement of the mag slot the same for whatever side of your body you decide to wear the holster.
Both the mag slot and the gun slot have retention straps. The mag strap is a thin but sturdy nylon strap that goes over the top of the mag and secures with Velcro. With time, the mag retention strap may be a necessity, but right now, neither retention straps are totally necessary. Both the mag and the gun fit very snug into their respective slots. Actually at first, the gun slot was too snug, but the Kodra has seemed to contour to the specifics of my SR9 a bit already. The draw is smooth and so is the return, and I doubt the Kodra material will ever scratch the finish even after years of use.
The other holsters I was looking at would be ones that you would need to thread a belt loop through. This was actually a drawback for a home/office only holster because sometimes at home I wear athletic shorts with a draw string... no belt. This Uncle Mike's holster has a clip (like the clip from a money clip) that it uses to attached to clothing. I am in fact wearing it right now attached to a pair of drawstring athletic shorts.
As is stated, the holster is ambidextrous. It uses industrial grade type Velcro to allow for ambidexterity with regards to the "plastic", thumb break, retention strap for the gun. A smooth ruler allows you to wedge the Velcro portions of either side of the snap strap into the tightly enclosed Velcro slot on either side of the holster. Once the ruler is removed, the strap is nearly impossible to adjust without the ruler, let alone remove from the slot. This allows the owner to put the thumb break of the retention strap where they need it for either being left handed or right handed as well as to adjust to the length and thickness of the different guns this holster was designed to carry.
The clip that attaches the holster to your clothing can also be moved from one side to the other, and it secures in place by a notch that catches the bottom end of the Velcro slot. It really is very good, solid design. So much so, that it created a feature I missed when purchasing it.
As a right handed shooter, I want the attachment clip in the left side of an OWB holster. As a left handed shooter, I would want the attachment clip on the right side of an OWB holster. But the attachment clip being on the right side of a holster is also the set-up for a right handed IWB holster and vice versa. So, the holster is not only ambidextrous, but multifunctional; as it can be used inside or outside the waistband.
But that brings me to the holsters only real downside so far. It's positives as a wonderfully protective OWB holster becomes its drawbacks as an IWB holster. Remember my comment above about the thickness of the holster, even without my relatively thin full size 9mm in the holster, this holster is thick. It adds a 3 - 4 inch tumor looking bulge to any part of my pants that I try to go IWB in. I tried it in various locations and the bulge makes concealment difficult... but not impossible. This would be a decent IWB holster in cold and rainy weather (especially for protecting the gun from the elements) where big clothes and jackets are to be worn. And, there is no ability to adjust for cant with-in the holster design, so printing may be a concern for those looking to CC.
Having said that one negative, for a price around 20 some dollars or so out the door... cheaper at Cabelas... I have to give this holster a pretty high rating.
If I cannot obtain my CHL, then I will at least carry loaded while at home and at work (my job would allow it most likely), which is legal in California as I understand it. The problem with this is that if I were to step off my property and onto the sidewalk while carrying loaded, I would instantly be committing a felony. If either work or home were in a school zone(1000 feet from a school), I would be committing at least one more state felony, and then at least one federal felony as well. And if the gun were concealed at all, I would be committing another state felony. I might find myself in a cell with a murderer for either a long time or since California has a stringent 3 strikes law, the rest of my life. None of that sounds appealing (nor very constitutional either, but that discussion is for a different place.) to me! If I were to carry my SR9 around my house and work, in a good/comfortable concealment holster like a Crossbreed Supertuck; knowing myself, I might forget that I was wearing my firearm and that could spell big trouble! So, I figured it was time to go get an over the waistband holster that would more prominently remind me that I need to put "something" away before stepping off my property (and to test my ability to remember I was carrying around my house, before it becomes a lifelong offense). Well, that and the fact that unloaded open carry is both legal and practical outside of most California city limit areas... and I would definitely do so if I were camping/backpacking and such!
So, I went down to one of our many local gun shops. I went to the big shop in town... which was also where I bought my SR9. They had an entire grocery store aisle stocked full of holsters. And get this, they did not carry one "custom" fit, OWB, LE style Kydex holster (which was what I was looking for) for any SR series gun... Though there were tons for other makes and models. I was floored... especially because the clerk told me that I was not the first SR owner asking for one. Part of the problem was that they carried a lot of Uncle Mike's products. We checked the website and Uncle Mike's doesn't make a fit Kydex SR series holster. They did have other Kydex OWB holster manufacturers, but carried nothing for the SR series. I think it is because most people who purchase a SR series gun and decide to holster and carry it, do so inside the waistband and not outside.
I thought about ordering something on-line, but really did not want to spend too much money (or time) either way for a holster I hopefully will not need to use but want to be prepped to use should I need to. So, the clerk showed me the Uncle Mike's Sidekick Ambidextrous Hip Holster. You can view the manufacturer website and description here:
http://www.uncle-mikes.com/products/sidekick_ambidextrous_hip_holsters.html
Here is a referrence pic of the holster taken from the weblink above.
It is made of thick Kodra Laminate Nylon. Remember that, it will come into play later in this review. Mine fits any large Semi with a 3 3/4 to 4 1/2 inch barrel. The holster is open toward the muzzle end, which is fine with me as the Kydex holster I was originally looking for would have been as well. The Kodra material is waterproof, and extremely rugged. The holster actually feels like they took a brand new soft case, and cut it out/modified it to be a holster. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that was how they engineered the holster. The thickness seems to come from padding within the Kodra, as well as the thickness of the material itself, and adds to the soft case feel. Really, the holster makes you feel like you are carrying your gun in a holster and have it protectively in a case at the same time. I really like that part of it! My specific holster has a place for an extra mag... which I really liked because if I have to do unloaded open carry in the back country, having the magazine right there will be a huge plus. If you were to hold/point the gun normally (like you were going to shoot it) while the gun is still in the holster, the mag slot sits on top of the slide, though on the outside of the gun slot of the holster. This is good design as the mag slot does not add to the horizontal thickness of the holster and keeps the placement of the mag slot the same for whatever side of your body you decide to wear the holster.
Both the mag slot and the gun slot have retention straps. The mag strap is a thin but sturdy nylon strap that goes over the top of the mag and secures with Velcro. With time, the mag retention strap may be a necessity, but right now, neither retention straps are totally necessary. Both the mag and the gun fit very snug into their respective slots. Actually at first, the gun slot was too snug, but the Kodra has seemed to contour to the specifics of my SR9 a bit already. The draw is smooth and so is the return, and I doubt the Kodra material will ever scratch the finish even after years of use.
The other holsters I was looking at would be ones that you would need to thread a belt loop through. This was actually a drawback for a home/office only holster because sometimes at home I wear athletic shorts with a draw string... no belt. This Uncle Mike's holster has a clip (like the clip from a money clip) that it uses to attached to clothing. I am in fact wearing it right now attached to a pair of drawstring athletic shorts.
As is stated, the holster is ambidextrous. It uses industrial grade type Velcro to allow for ambidexterity with regards to the "plastic", thumb break, retention strap for the gun. A smooth ruler allows you to wedge the Velcro portions of either side of the snap strap into the tightly enclosed Velcro slot on either side of the holster. Once the ruler is removed, the strap is nearly impossible to adjust without the ruler, let alone remove from the slot. This allows the owner to put the thumb break of the retention strap where they need it for either being left handed or right handed as well as to adjust to the length and thickness of the different guns this holster was designed to carry.
The clip that attaches the holster to your clothing can also be moved from one side to the other, and it secures in place by a notch that catches the bottom end of the Velcro slot. It really is very good, solid design. So much so, that it created a feature I missed when purchasing it.
As a right handed shooter, I want the attachment clip in the left side of an OWB holster. As a left handed shooter, I would want the attachment clip on the right side of an OWB holster. But the attachment clip being on the right side of a holster is also the set-up for a right handed IWB holster and vice versa. So, the holster is not only ambidextrous, but multifunctional; as it can be used inside or outside the waistband.
But that brings me to the holsters only real downside so far. It's positives as a wonderfully protective OWB holster becomes its drawbacks as an IWB holster. Remember my comment above about the thickness of the holster, even without my relatively thin full size 9mm in the holster, this holster is thick. It adds a 3 - 4 inch tumor looking bulge to any part of my pants that I try to go IWB in. I tried it in various locations and the bulge makes concealment difficult... but not impossible. This would be a decent IWB holster in cold and rainy weather (especially for protecting the gun from the elements) where big clothes and jackets are to be worn. And, there is no ability to adjust for cant with-in the holster design, so printing may be a concern for those looking to CC.
Having said that one negative, for a price around 20 some dollars or so out the door... cheaper at Cabelas... I have to give this holster a pretty high rating.
