Stock the best concealed carry holsters

Shooting Industry, Feb, 2004

While leather holsters continue to sell, for big movers in concealed-carry rigs, think plastic.

Synthetic holsters have taken the lead in the holster market, with those of Kydex and similar materials leading the way. Affordable, functional rigs by Fobus and Uncle Mike's head the low price-point end of the market. Blade-Tech, Ky-Tac, Mach-II and Sidearmor are competing for the high end of the "plastic holster" spectrum.

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Don't neglect Glock's humble polymer belt-slide holster. If you're a typical dealer, Glock is likely your biggest selling handgun brand and this inexpensive little item is a natural sale to every Glock owner.

Many traditionalist customers still demand leather. One holster that will minimize your inventory while maximizing sales is the Yaqui Slide or belt-slide holster. Skeletonized in style, it's designed for the end of the barrel to protrude from the bottom of the holster. This design allows one "1911-size" holster to fit every such auto from a 3-inch barrel shorty, to Commander length, to full-size Government Model, to target long-slide.

The holster design also works for the Glock or Springfield XD customer. The baby-size pocket guns, the compacts, the full size, and the long target models, all fit the same holster. It's the same for revolver models. The benefits are, again: minimum stock requirement, maximum sales potential.

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Alessi, Bianchi, Galco, Gould & Goodrich, Milt Sparks, and Ted Blocker, among others, all have belt slide models as a staple of their lines.