The three most important things to consider with holsters are;
(i) retention (will you lose your pistol or the magazine),
(ii) fit (will it be comfortable or in the way), and
(iii) protection (will it keep crap out).
I don’t like thigh holsters because of the number of people that I’ve seen lose either their pistol or the magazine out of it. I prefer a belt holster and have used several different types over the years. My ultimate test for a holster is to put the pistol in it, turn it upside down and try to shake the pistol out. If the pistol comes out then bin it.
Fobus Belt Holsters
Fobus make fantastic holsters, simple as that. They’re cheap and are used extensively in the real world. I’ve used the belt holster (seen below with a SIG P226) and the roto tactical speed holster (seen below with a G19 and Glock Tactical Light).
The belt holster is a simple plastic holster that can be fitted to a tactical belt with a bit of a push. It was really designed for covert wear so it’s a better fit for a normal trouser belt. It sits comfortably on the hip and holds the pistol high and close to the body. This can be problematic if you use a tactical vest as the pistol may get in the way (it did with a Blackhawk Omega vest and a G19).
The pistol is secured by the holster pinching the trigger guard, a simple but effective retention device. I’ve never known anyone to lose a pistol out of a Fobus belt holster. The pistol can be difficult to get in and out of the holster the first few times that you use it as there is some tolerance in the manufacturing process and the holsters do vary. However, repeated use will provide a nice tight fit that allows a smooth draw whilst retaining the pistol securely. If you use a G19 I would recommend fixing the front sight with glue or something as the first time I used mine I managed to rip the front sight off putting it back in the holster. This is more my fault than a defect with the holster as it was designed to hold real Glocks and I should’ve been more careful. I suspect that this will be a feature common to all airsoft guns so it may be an idea to secure the front sight of any pistol you intend to put into a Fobus holster.
There is a slight rattle (common to all the rigid holsters I have) where the pistol moves about within the holster. This hasn’t been too much of a problem as there are plenty of things that make a noise that you can do little about, such as the creak of your boots. With a bit of care you can still move quietly with this holster on.
As the holster exposes quite a bit of the slide there is the problem of crap getting into it. I don’t use this type of holster in the woods specifically for this reason. I crawl around in the muck a lot and on many an occasion have drawn my pistol to find it covered in mud. Firing it in this condition will damage it and being a tight wad I don’t want to fork out more money than I have to.
The tactical speed holster is designed to hold a Glock with a tactical light attached. I use a KSC G19 with a Glock Tactical Light and this holster is a perfect fit. The version I have is the roto holster type but I wouldn’t recommend it. The roto holster is actually two halves of the belt holster connected by a screw, which allows you to alter the angle of the holster relative to the belt slide. A nice idea in principle but I’ve found that no matter how tight you tighten the screw that the holster will shift if enough force is applied. I’m concerned that a solid knock from a door frame (I’m a clumsy bugger) will alter the pistol draw. Whilst this hasn’t actually happened, I’d be happier if I knew it couldn’t.
The pistol is again retained by the pressure of the holster on the trigger guard and an additional strap has been added in line with police requirements for more than one method of retention. It takes a bit of getting used to the draw with this holster as it needs to come out of the holster backwards rather than upwards (a much more intuitive act). Also there is a short spike in the muzzle end of the holster that fits into the barrel and adds to the retention. This means that you have to practice drawing and replacing the pistol. Wearing my airsoft gear and posing in front of the mirror has never been a problem for me but its always good to have an excuse.
Overall, for urban gaming I would recommend Fobus belt holsters as they are fantastic value for money.
Blackhawk Executive Protection Hip Holster
This was the first holster that I ever bought. Back in the dark days before I discovered the joys of standard magazines and tactical gear, I used to wear my G19 in this holster underneath an M65 jacket with a couple of M4 hi caps in the pockets. Although designed to fit the Glock it actually fits a wide range of pistols, I’ve tried the G19 (in the picture below), SIG P226, Berretta 92 and a 1911 variant. The holster holds the pistol high and close the body with the “wings” of the holster pulling it tight. This holds the pistol so securely that I took off the retaining thumb break. I found the thumb break kept coming undone and was not doing anything useful. I’ve only ever had the pistol come out of this holster once when I was wearing it cross draw and didn’t put the pistol back into it properly. When I got up and started running the motion of my left thigh forced the pistol out. This was my own fault so I wouldn’t class this as a fault with the holster itself, but it does indicate the need to make sure that you’ve re-holstered your pistol properly.
Unlike the rigid holsters there is no audible rattle from the pistol as you move so this is something worth considering when deciding between a cloth or rigid holster. This holster is designed to fit a trouser belt and is ambidextrous in that it can worn either left or right handed. It will fit on a tactical belt but the belt loops on the “wings” won’t so they’ll be flapping about. I used to wear it on a Blackhawk Duty Pants belt with a tactical belt secured over the top. Even when the holster was empty the tactical belt was still secure.
The end of the slide and the barrel are exposed by this holster you will get crap in them. This isn’t a problem if you wear it beneath a jacket like I used to. As it rides high on the thigh it will also get in the way of a tactical vest (I stopped using the holster when I started using a Blackhawk Omega vest).
Overall, this is a good quality universal fit holster for urban gaming. Unfortunately it looks like Blackhawk have stopped making them. Whether another manufacturer’s pancake holster would perform the same is uncertain.
Bianchi UM92 Universal Military Holster
This is the perfect holster for woodland gaming. The UM92 is designed to fit any pistol with a standard barrel length (there is a longer one for larger pistols). It retains the pistol by pinching the trigger guard and having a flap. It is a perfect fit for my KSC G19 but a bit small for my Tanaka SIG P226 (in the photograph below) as it is a very tight fit which compresses the slide against the frame. This doesn’t worry me too much as I only have the pistol in there when I’m gaming but it could be adding extra wear and tear. However, it does mean that there is no way that I’m losing the P226 out of this holster.
The flap is opened by pulling down a metal slide that inserts into a rubber panel on the holster. This is a very secure way of closing the flap but it can be difficult to do this and I’ve found that I’m spending too long re-holstering the pistol. This isn’t a problem for me as I’m usually doing this when there’s no action going on or I’m out of the game. However, it would be a problem if you were under fire. The flap is essential for keeping crap out of the gun so it is a necessary evil.
The holster fits to the belt with a metal clip that is very secure. It can also be switched to the other side so this holster is ambidextrous. As it hangs down onto the thigh it doesn’t get in the way of tactical vests and can be incorporated into your belt kit. There is some rattling with this holster as the plastic D ring for opening the flap bounces around. This can be cured by turning this up under the flap but it does make it harder to open the flap under pressure. However, if you’re in such dire straits that you need a fast draw then I doubt a pistol is really going to do much good for you.
Overall, if you predominantly play in the woods and like to carry a pistol then this is the best holster to get.
Glock Safety Holster
This is the most expensive holster that I own but as my wife bought it for me its not my problem. It was designed as a police duty holster and rides low on the thigh so it doesn’t get in the way of body armour. It has a locking retention mechanism on the trigger guard that can be secured against someone else trying to take your pistol off you. This double retention lock is the most secure of any open ended holster I’ve ever seen. There is absolutely no way that your Glock is coming out of this holster unless you draw it.
As the holster is designed for the Glock 17 and I use it for a G19 there is a bit of rattling as the pistol doesn’t fit properly. This is a problem I’ve noticed with all of the rigid holsters that I’ve ever owned and I suspect that there’s no way round this unless you modify them. It also sticks out from the body more than any of my other holsters and I keep banging it into things (I said I was a clumsy bugger). This doesn’t damage either the pistol or the holster but it does create more noise. I’d put this down as my problem rather than one with the holster.
The holster is attached to a separate belt hanger that fits a tactical belt which is a nifty feature as you can take the holster and pistol off without having to remove your tactical belt or the belt hanger. You can also rotate the holster on the belt hanger for when you sit down but it can be locked into place when you move about. I like this flexibility as I sit down a lot but the holster is firmly fixed in place when secured (unlike the roto holster). As the holster is open ended I wouldn’t use it in the woods but it is perfect for urban gaming, particularly if you use a tactical vest.
Overall, this is a fantastic holster for the Glock user as it is designed and built by Glock to their usual high standards. The downside is the cost relative to the Fobus holsters.
