Five proven holsters: gunleather that works

Guns Magazine, Feb, 2003 by Cameron Hopkins

Practical holsters, for our purposes, can be defined as those suitable for carrying a pistol daily in urban America today. Except for the most rare exceptions, this means carrying concealed. Indeed, among the 41 states where it is possible to obtain a CCW, only Arizona allows a citizen to go heeled openly in public.

Good practical holsters, it follows logically, are also good concealment holsters. And it's from this premise we're looking at six great practical holsters from five different makers. Five are for the 1911 Government Model .45 ACP pistol -- the greatest fighting pistol ever designed -- and one is for S&W's .357 Magnum L-frame, a classic revolver.

Our criteria for selection as a great practical holster is three-fold: design excellence, proven performance and overall quality. Design excellence encompasses those aspects of a holster that affect its utility-comfort, concealability, retention of the handgun, and speed of use.

By proven performance, we refer to a track record, time in the saddle, the holster's reputation. Lastly, we look at overall quality, the leather itself and how well the leathermaker demonstrates his skill in fashioning it into a holster.

Kirkpatrick Yaqui Slide

The Yaqui slide holster came to prominence primarily through the writings of Col. Jeff Cooper who liked the simplistic practicality and versatility of a holster that retains only the trigger guard portion of a handgun. With nothing to hold a barrel, any length barrel can be carried in the same Yaqui slide, from a two-inch Model 19 to a six-inch K-22.

The Yaqui slide, well... slides on your belt and is contoured to conform to your waist. It conceals the pistol extremely well because it hugs the gun directly into your side.

One of the better things about the minimalist design is that when there's no gun in it, the Yaqui slide doesn't "look" like a holster to casual observers. Even though a CCW may make you perfectly legal, some workplace environments frown on carrying firearms, but a Yaqui slide is so unobtrusive you don't have to take off the holster along with your pistol just to avoid offending a coworker.

Because the 1911 pistol comes in so many slide lengths, the Yaqui slide is an ideal choice for the slab-sided Government Model. We chose the Texas Yaqui Slide from Kirkpatrick Leather Co. of Laredo, Texas, one of the most respected purveyors of classic Western leather since 1950.

Joe Kirkpatrick's rendition of the venerable Yaqui is clean and tasteful, nicely boned and evenly stained an attractive natural leather color. The edges are nicely polished and finished with dark edge stain. The stitching is doubled at the rear welt where the holster attaches to the belt slide. The quality is top notch, especially for what's a great buy. The Texas Yaqui Slide sells for $40 retail.

Kramer Belt Scabbard

Traditionally known simply as a pancake holster, this double belt-looped, body-hugging design has been a longtime favorite of federal agents and undercover cops. The pancake is often found with a thumb-break, an invention of the devil along with flour tortillas and light beer. We much prefer a pancake that relies on a well-boned, proper fit to retain the pistol securely.

We found a great rendition of the classic pancake in the Kramer Belt Scabbard from noted leathermaker Greg Kramer. What sets this rig apart from lesser designs is the rock-solid fit and precise boning that comes from Kramer's use of horsehide. Tougher and more durable than cowhide, horsehide holds its hand-boned fit much better than cowhide.

We tested a Belt Scabbard in black, for a 1911 Government Model .45 ACP pistol. The quality of construction was exceptional, with Kramer using not double, not triple, but quadruple stitching in the crucial holster-belt loop junction.

All stitching was at least doubled in nonstress areas, another sign of quality. The stain was even and carried a subtle matte black color throughout. The holster was non-lined, but the roughout side of horsehide is surprisingly smooth.

The tightly fitted holster needed considerable break-in to obtain a good, fast draw. This is normal of tightly boned horsehide. Having to do several hundred dry-draws is not an altogether terrible thing, after all.

The Kramer Belt Scabbard retails for $85 and is available, like the Model T, in black only. By the way, Kramer's sharkskin belts are superb, so if you pick up a rig, get a belt as well.

Milt Sparks Summer Special

The Summer Special is an inside-the-waist, rough-out design that over the years has come to be recognized as the sign of a true combat cognoscenti. Virtually all the old guard instructors at Gunsite wore a Summer Special tucked in their Levis with a cocked-and-locked 1911 protruding out of their waists.

The Summer Special was invented by Bruce Nelson, a southern California cop who stitched holsters part-time in his garage at night. When Milt Sparks saw the elegantly simple rig designed for the balmy California climate, he asked Nelson if he could offer the design himself. "No problem," the overworked lawman allowed, "be my guest."