fobus or other plastic holsters question

[dabigguns357]

Now i have been carrying for years now and i have always had leather.Recently i have been to several gun shops and most of them have gotten away from leather and into these plastic feeling things they call holsters.(sorry just my old man opinion)Anyway i asked around for a holster for my wife and they keep handing me these things,my wife doesn't like them nor does she want to wear one.

Here is my big question,whats so great about them.What do they have that a good thumbbreak pancake holster or open top leather high ride doesn't have.

My brother swears by his but when we were down in Nashville,TN and we both were carrying he had to wear a over shirt which made him really hot.I was wearing the same gun but i was wearing my thumbbreak pancake and all i needed to do was untuck my shirt.

Please tell me what the pro's and cons are.

 

[ScottRiqui]

It depends on what you mean by "plastic" holsters. If you're talking about the SERPA-type plastic "tactical" holsters, then I agree with you - I don't like them because they seem to hold the gun further away from my body compared to my Galco Concealable OWB.

But if you're talking about Kydex holsters, where there's a thin plastic shell that's molded to the shape of the gun, I actually like some of those alot. My favorite IWB is a CrossBreed "Supertuck" for my EMP. With the molded shell, the gun practically "snaps" into place, and it's thinner than any leather equivalent could ever hope to be.

 

[azredhawk44]

Fobus are okay as far as having a bucket attached to your hip to dump your gun into... but they pale in comparison to a proper kydex holster.

I've been using a Fobus paddle for my 1911's for a couple years, and I just recently replaced it with a kydex job from Blade-Tech. In the old Fobus, the gun would rattle around. It was never going to fall out unless I did a lot of handstands, jumping jacks and fence-hopping, but it was noisy and not 100% secure.

The Blade-Tech has tension adjustments, holds the gun closer to my body due to thinner plastic and better design of the paddle/holster juncture, and the paddle has a nicer contour against my hip.

Not all plastic holsters are created equal.

 

[dabigguns357]

The first pic is the one everyone is going with around here and thats what everyone keeps trying to get my wife to buy.As for the second pic,we have never seen one like that before.

I'm not totally against something other than leather,i just want some good pro's and cons.

 

[CWPinSC]

In the old Fobus, the gun would rattle around. It was never going to fall out unless I did a lot of handstands, jumping jacks and fence-hopping, but it was noisy and not 100% secure.

IMO, you had the wrong holster for your gun or it wasn't adjusted properly. I will say sometimes Fobus makes a holster to fit A, B, C, and maybe X guns, and they can be a pain. I use Fobus single-gun specific holsters a lot and I like them. I love the "click-click" of drawing/holstering. Once the gun clears the trigger guard bump, it's a frictionless draw. They are easy to modify using a Dremel, hobby knife, and sandpaper.

 

[saltydog452]

One experience isn't a good yardstick to measure all plastic carry options against, but, I like my Fobus Paddle. (Its for a ggglock though, not an artistic creation.)

If the scabbard didn't work, I'd be short 3-4 Lincolns as opposed to a Franklin and Grant, as well as a loooong wait.

Its concealed, not on display.

Bad news is, it just doesn't smell like leather.

salty

 

[Slotback]

I have had good luck with Blade Tech's stuff. They handle the sweat and elements well. Not a fan of Fobus though.

 

[Dfariswheel]

The pros of plastic holsters:

Don't absorb sweat and moisture and rust the gun.
Chemically inert so there are no tanning chemicals to corrode the gun.
Don't stretch out and allow the gun to shift and move in the holster, which wears the finish and fails to retain the gun firmly.
Don't collect grit and dirt. Just wash with soap and water.
Last almost forever. Unless they break or wear through on the heavy wear points, they're good.
The holster itself acts as a retention spring if properly molded.
Only wears the finish on the actual contact areas.
Won't crush shut if you lay or lean on it.
Far more abrasion resistant than leather.
Doesn't get ratty looking like leather that's been used a lot.
Doesn't wick out and absorb lubricant from the gun.
No stitching to stretch, break, wear, or rot.
Good plastic holsters cost less than good leather holsters.
No break-in required. The holster fits and retains the gun the same for the life of the holster.

Cons of plastic holsters.

Not as "warm" feeling as leather.
Not as attractive to some people.
Won't mold to your body and may not be as comfortable to wear.
More difficult to design and build due to the need for rivets or screws to assemble.
Wears the gun's finish faster then leather, but only on the contact areas. The rest of the finish isn't touched.

 

[ritepath]

After buying a few holsters I decided I'd have to make my own if I were to ever get one to fit the way I wanted.

I use Blade-tech paddle's and belt mounts to attach my own kydex taco's.


Raven concealment makes some good looking stuff also...

 

[teumessian_fox]

I especially like the comptac brand. I've got the belt, paddle and adjustable cant.

I also like the Galco concealable. It just depends on my mood.

Fobus is uber cheap imo. I'd just as soon hang a sock on my belt and carry my gun in it.

 

[azredhawk44]

IMO, you had the wrong holster for your gun or it wasn't adjusted properly.

Fobus has no tension adjustment for their 1911 paddle holsters.

And... if their 1911 commander-sized holster does not fit a Colt Commander... something's wrong with their mold.

 

[Caboclo]

I like my Serpa retention holster. I think the index finger release is a bit more intuitive than a thumb-break, although that's a minor point. Over-all, I would say the Serpa is very well-made and useful. It's not pretty, but neither is my gun. I think the point about it holding the gun away from the body is true, but I usually open carry, so that's not an issue for me. Even at that, the holster is concealable with a loose enough shirt. If I really need to conceal, I use and recommend the Cross-breed Quick-tuck. Overall I would say that holster selection is as personal as gun selection. Get a cheap plastic holster and try it for a while. If you like the general concept, then you can look into a little higher-priced model.

 

[booker_t]

One of the biggest differences is cost.

That Blackhawk! Serpa Sportster is under $30 from any online retailer.

A quality Galco or Safariland leather holster, or something made by one of the dozens of high-quality one-man leather shops around the country, might be $70 on up to several hundred dollars and require a 4-8 week delivery time.

For those who are required by their department to wear level II or level III retention, plus a weapon light, it can get expensive to go out buying custom holsters, and the various polymer/nylon options work pretty well.

That said, I love a quality leather holster, especially for a full-size 1911 or Glock.

 

[elad]

I have a Kydex and Leather hybrid IWB holster like pic #2, the leather backing forms to your body and the Kydex makes it thinner than a all leather would be. For me it rides very well at about 3:30 and conceals very well.

 

[MADISON]

plastic holsters question

I have 2 points to make:
Kydex is no more than the water pipe that runs through your house as plumbing.
I have 3 plastic holsters. One is a Glock Sport holster. The other 2 are Fobus.
Each time I use one, I spray the inside lightly with WD-40, to protect the finish when drawing the gun.

 

[Dfariswheel]

Kydex is no more than the water pipe that runs through your house as plumbing

Well, not exactly.
PVC pipe is straight PVC.
Kydex is a blend of acrylic and PVC. It's a "harder" plastic.

 

[raimius]

Kydex can be molded to a pistol better than any leather holster I have personally seen. They are very durable. They are relatively cheap.

I will agree that most Kydex OWB holsters do end up being further from the body than a leather OWB. The C-Tac holster seems OK for IWB (based on a friend's experience). The half-Kydex holsters, the the M-Tac or Supertuck get really good reviews.

Fobus does not use the same material. I much prefer Uncle Mike's or Blackhawk--based on personal experience.