Tag: holster

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holster

Another Holster From QVO Tactical is On the Way!

My last post mentioned that I’d bought the QVO Tactical 5″ “Secondary” OWB holster. Well, I selected the wrong product for 2011s…that holster is for 1911s. It will not fit 2011s, as the trigger guard area is round on that holster. As well, it will not fit wide guns (2011s are wide in the grip area, just past the trigger guard.

I can still use it for 1911s, so I didn’t return it (I’m not even sure about details around the return policy for QVO Tactical products).

So, what’s a guy to do? I bought the 2011 version:

I splurged a bit on this holster.

I added a paddle mount and also ordered a second one for the 1911 holster that I already have – these may offer quicker mounting.

I ordered a fabric overlay (canvas Koi fish). This was a $20 upcharge, but I’m OK with it, especially since I’ve seen the workmanship on the holsters – remember, I’ve two of them already.

Oh, and this one is for a 5″ 2011 – it’ll hold smaller 2011s without issue if it’s built like my IWB QVO. I believe they state on the product page that the OWB will fit longer and shorter barreled handguns without issue. That means I’ll be able to use the holster with all of my other 2011s.

This holster will not accommodate a WML (weapon-mounted light), though…that’s fine with me, for now. If I decide to use a WML for training courses, I’ll have to order a larger WML and also will have to order another holster that will accommodate the WML I decide to use.

I’m thinking I can finally take a training course in January or February 2025. We’ll see.

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ammo gun belt handgun holster magazines OWB training

I’m Preparing For My Next Pistol Course

December is approaching and I promised that I would take another pistol training class this year. I might not be able to fit it into 2024, sadly, but if not, I’ll try for Q1 of 2025.

That means I’ve to ensure I’m ready. I’ll need ammo and equipment.

I need 600 rounds of range ammo, with 100 of it being frangible.

I already have a duty belt from Wolf Tactical – I received two of them for Chrismas last year. They’re nice belts, too. They’re dual belts with a nice clasp. It’ll accept molle gear, as well.

I also need mag pouches. They can be easily bought from Amazon and I just need something that’ll allow three mags on the belt (whether it’s one pouch or three). I don’t have the mage pouches yet, but I’m thinking of these.

I’m not even sure which gun to take, but it’ll have to be a 1911 or 2011. Why? Because I went ahead and ordered an OWB holster (a requirement for the course) for a 5″ 2011 (it should fit a 1911 as well). Specifically, I bought the QVO Tactical 5″ “Secondary” OWB holster. They’ve what they call a quick-ship version (it’s already built and ready to ship – customization isn’t allowed for those shipments)…it was $100. The holster doesn’t accept weapon-mounted lights, but that’s OK. The holster mounts to the belt via metal angled belt loops.

The current plan is to take m Tisas DS9 since I already have 1000+ rounds through the gun.

If I haven’t yet taken the class by April 2025, I’ll wait a bit because I’m planning on buying two guns this coming spring and at least one will be a 2011. I’m looking at the new Kimber 2K11 – that’s a $2000 gun, so if I get that, I won’t get another. If I opt for something other than the Kimber 2K11, it’ll probably be a Springfield Armory Prodigy DS 5″ with the optic and three mags package, along with the Fusion/Ermox XP Pro. All of those guns are 2011s and should fit in the aforementioned holster. Then again, if I do decide to take whatever I buy in 2025, I’m going to have to postpone the training course until I get enough rounds through whatever I end up buying….I should probably just use the Tisas Carry DS9.

I also have several other compact- and larger-sized guns that I can use for the course. There are guns that I bought over the years that came with their own holsters, and all but the P320 have 3 mags:

  • Sig Sauer P320 Compact – paddle-style holster
  • Sig Sauer SP2022 – paddle-style holster
  • Canik TP9SA (x2) – Safariland-type holsters with paddles
  • Canik TP9 Elite SC – minimal style holster – covers trigger

Of the four above guns, the SP2022 would probably be the one to choose, but I don’t want to be messing with trying to cope with a DA trigger. At one point in time, DA/SA was all I’d carry, but things have changed and I’m now a SA guy – I don’t want to train to use two trigger types, so the SP2022 will be a backup gun for the training.

Or, I could forego that above list and focus on 1911s/2011s. I just didn’t want to bring a 1911 and have issues during the course – I don’t want to be that one 1911 guy that has constant feed issues. The Tisas has only had one fail to feed in like 1200 rounds, so I’m thinking it won’t have issues (I’ll stick with the ammo it’s been eating without fail – Blazer 124-gr FMJ).

Really, the only thing I need to determine now is what frangible ammo to buy. I’ve 50 rounds of Hevi-shot 9mm frangible that’s in the back of my safe, but I’m not sure if the Tisas will eat it (it should – my RIA Commander ate that ammo without issue).

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Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight

I Decided to Carry My SAS II Ultralight Again

I had the choice to continue to carry my Alpha Foxtrot S15 after my SAS II Ultralight was returned to me from Bul Armory after they repaired it.

Although the S15 is thinner (which helps in concealment), I actually missed carrying my Ultralight, so I decided to switch back to carrying the Ultralight. I just need to take it to the range tomorrow and re-zero the RDS.

There’s something about the Ultralight that keeps attracting me to it. It’s only a few ounces lighter than the S15 but it feels much lighter than it is. Maybe it’s the trigger (it’s GOOD). I love the looks of the gun…the lightening cuts and barrel fluting, as well as the black color with the silver accents.

Right now, the RDS is mounted onto the Ultralight. I mounted the Streamlight (TLR-7 X) to the Ultralight, too. It fits in the QVOT holster without issue. I did have to tighten the holster’s retaining screw quite a bit, as the S15’s rail is wide. I also reinstalled grip tape to the gun.

I’ll look for some SD ammo tomorrow at Cabelas or Trojan Tactical. I may settle for Federal or Hornady. I need to buy several boxes of the good stuff, shoot one box to test the ammo, and then use the other box for carry.

I saw that Bul Armory is now offering the original grip module for purchase. That module has far better grip texturing. It’s $149 on their website. I may order it, but I may add it to my Christmas list so that my wife or kids can buy it for me – if I opt to add it to my Christmas list, I’ll have to wait until after Christmas before I can install it.

I need range ammo as well…I’m almost out and I’ve been buying 500 round blocks of Winchester White Box from Cabelas. When shipping is factored into online prices, the prices are roughly equivalent to what I can buy locally from Cabelas (and I don’t do reman ammo). There are no local LGSs that sell bulk 9mm, so it’s either Cabelas or buying online. I can’t stand the $20-30 shipping of ammo, though. I know ammo is heavy, but damn…

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Bul Armory holster SAS II Ultralight Weapon-Mounted Light

The Ultralight and New Holster are Here!

I’m late in reporting but my SAS II Ultralight is back from Bul Armory.

It was delivered yesterday, on a Sunday – was unexpected, as the shipping info stated it would be delivered on Monday, 9/30.

I tested the gun. It is no longer dropping the hammer without actuating the grip safety.

I’m not sure if I’m going to carry it again or wait, but I did check to see how well the gun fits the Streamlight TLR-7 X – it fits extremely well, without having to change keys (it’s still using the same key it came with out of the box).

I tried fitting the TLR-7 X on my AF1911-S15 – it fits but not fully back to the trigger guard. I’d probably need to change the key to get it further back and I’m not sure if that will adversely change the fitment with the Ultralight, so I’m going to leave the light alone and not change the key.

As well, the new holster was delivered today. As I reported earlier, I bought a 2011 holster from QVO Tactical. I tested fitment today. With the Ultralight and TLR-7 X, it fits perfectly. I did drop the holster down to it’s lowest hole settings (it’s using Double Tacware 5-hole clips) so that it sits low in my waistband.

I also test fitted the S15 to the QVO Tactical holster and TLR-7 X. The S15 is a bit taller at the muzzle than the Ultralight, so there is a bit of rubbing inside the holster. I’m able to account for most of it by loosening the retention (I’ve to do this with all the holsters I use with the S15 – it’s rail is extra beefy).

I also attached velcro to the holster so that I could use my pre-cut foam wedge from Mastermind Tactics. With the wedge, the holster being Commander-sized, and the fact that he has an aggressive wing, the S15 is very concealable. This is why I’m probably going to keep carrying the S15 for a while. No, it is not RDS capable (yet) but I shoot the gun just as well as a gun with an RDS.

Oh, and yeah, the empty space around the trigger guard is not an issue – ALL holsters that accommodate WML (weapon-mounted lights) have extra space around the trigger. That’s unavoidable.

I think I should’ve looked at custom holsters a long time ago. Tenicor is great, but being able to tune a holster to your specific needs is a powerful thing.

Categories
1911 2011 holster Weapon-Mounted Light

QVO Tactical More Discreet Holster On the Way!

Two weeks ago, I bought a Streamlight TLR-7 X since I’ve never owned a good weapon mounted light (WML). I bought it during a Labor Day sale at Midway. I wanted a light that would fit my smaller 1911s and 2011s that wouldn’t stick out 3-4″ from the guns’ muzzles. BTW, this will fit on my Tisas DS9 Carry without using any of the extra keys that the TLR-7 came with.

I don’t currently carry with a WML but want to give it a try, so that’s the main reason I bought one. That means I need a holster that accommodates a WML, so…..

I ordered a QVO Tactical AIWB holster. The particular version I ordered was their More Discreet holster for 4.25″ 2011s so that I could use it with both my small and bigger 1911s and 2011s. I asked that the holster accommodate the TLR-7 format.

The only thing I didn’t opt for was the DCC clips, as they were a $30 add-on (!!!)

I will share my experience with this holster as I use it.

Categories
1911 AIWB appendix holster

The Tenicor Certum 3 has arrived!

I may need to fine-tune the position placement, but the Certum 3 appears to wear better than the Velo 4. I’m not sure if that’s a fair thing to say, because the Certum does offer a lot more adjustment than the Velo. I have it canted maybe 10-15 degrees to the left, and have it at the 1 o’clock position on the right side, carrying appendix of course. I’m not able to cant the Velo 4 in that fashion (it may be possibe if one clip is removed).

I also installed the largest camming bar, which helps a ton. Tenicor should rework the Velo 4 to have the same camming bar (and not the integrated camming bar).

There’s still a hot spot with this holster, though. The muzzle of the shell is pressing down into my pelvis badly. I’ll be cutting another yoga wedge (a small one, just to negate the pressure of the shell’s muzzle).

I’m already quite happy with this holster. It appears to be more stealthy, as I’m just casually wearing while at home and it’s not as noticeable as when I’m wearing the 1911 in the Velo 4.

I’ll maybe capture some video footage to show how well both work with my 1911 and body type.

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appendix holster

I’ve Bought A Tenicor Certum Kydex Holster ! It’s OTW !

Yeah, I’ve a Tenicor Certum v3 on the way.

The Velo v4 isn’t agreeing with me. I’ve messed with it maybe 3 weeks, moving it around each time and waiting a few days to acclimatize to it. I’ve even tried adding additional wedging to it (for me, I need a bit more wedging but not necessarily as much peakiness – the integrated wedge feels too “sharp”. I used a piece of sculpted yoga bar as a wedge. It’s

I’m a bit greedy and don’t want to return the Velo just yet, but still want to experiment with the Certum, so I ordered it. I can always resell the Velo later on, if needed.

I’m certain I’ll have to add a wedge to the Certum as well, but at least it will be easier to add a wedge than with the Velo. And, if need be, I can always use the Certum as a base for the Phlster Enigma, if/when I decide to go that route.

Categories
1911 appendix holster

Daughter Bought Me A Tenicor Velo 4 Holster !

So, my wish was granted. My daughter bought me a Tenicor Velo 4 for Christmas and presented it to me maybe 4-5 days before Christmas!

I tried carrying with with it.

It will NOT carry center-appendix, as it appears to be built more with 1-2 o’clock in mind (I’ve the right-side holster). The wedge is oddly placed for my body type (I’m 5’7″, 185 lb, medium build with 29-30″ in-step, a tad thick in the waist @ 32 inches). Keep in mind that I’m trying to carry the RIA MS 1911, which is 4.25″ in barrel length and has a full-sized grip.

The wedge is problematic, as it doesn’t sit well in the leg/pelvic crease and is peaky, so creates a hot spot for me. I need a bit more wedge but need it wider and not peaky.

The holster also has minimal ride adjustability and no cant adjustability.

At this point, the Crossbreed The Reckoning holster I bought carries a LOT better (I’ve customized it a bit).

I almost told my daughter to return it and to get the Certum instead, but wanted to give the Velo 4 a fair chance first.

I decided to try carrying it a bit more, moving it around to try to find a sweet spot (which I did for the Crossbreed as well – I carry that centerline appendix).

After a few days of trying, I still couldn’t carry it well.

I decided to try a custom wedge via the yoga block method. I bought a yoga foam block and cut out a decent sized rectangle. I then began whittling the rectangle into a wedge, hollowing out a pit for the holster’s integrated wedge to sit. The most difficult part of this process was hollowing out an area to fit the integrate wedge, as I had to ensure it was smoothed out in that area so that the velcro (loop side) would stick in that area. Another difficult part was sticking velcro to the holster itself.

It ended up being a large foam block of wedge to velcro to the holster. Initially, after test-carrying, it was too big, so I removed it from the holster and whittled it down to a smaller shape.

I carried it today during a 5 hour drive.

It wore well the whole drive. There were several instances of me getting in/out of the car, walking around, visiting the men’s room, and pumping gas.

It wears a LOT better than without the foam.

I will probably still try the Certum as another great appendix option (that one should carry just as well and also offer far more adjustability in ride height and cant, while also giving the option of strong side carry.

Pics are here.

Oh, and my wife bought me 200 rounds of 9mm Inceptor ARX self defense ammo – my mother bought me 50 rounds of the same ammo, too!

Note: I don’t entertain the notion that Inceptor ARX is gimmick ammo. I’m aware that some folks think that this ammo performs poorly in gel tests, but I’ve also seen great gel test results. There’s also this.

I’d been looking for 9mm Inceptor ARX for a while but could never find it in stock. I found a stash at Midway, and it was on sale too – I added it to my Elfster Christmas wishlist. Between my wife and my mother, they must’ve bought the whole supply I found, because Midway is now out of stock.

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1911 AIWB appendix concealed carry holster

Crossbreed Holster – The “Upgrade” Clips are Polymer!

So, I ordered the 5-hole belt clips for the Crossbreed holster I recently bought.

The package arrived yesterday. When I opened it, I was disappointed. They’re plastic. The original clips are metal.

On the left is the original clip (metal); on the right is the 5-hole clip cost extra ($10) – it is plastic.

Crossbreed is all over the place with this holster.

I’d complained in an earlier post that they should include some type of wedge system. Yeah, it’s a hybrid holster, but it needs something to help with grip tuck (something more than just the claw).

I now believe that the claw that they have should stick out more, as well.

I also believe they should include 5-hole clips with every holster – why nickel and dime folks to death with pricing of parts that are actually needed to dial in the holster? An appendix holster that has no adjustability of ride height or cant is a bad holster, in my opinion.

And on top of all the above, and I posted about this a few days ago, the shell for the Commander-sized 1911 is not deep enough; they have 4″ 1911s listed as an option, but that’s a non-standard size as far as Commanders go. The standard sizes for 1911s are 5″, 4.25″, and 3.5″, not 4″ and 3″. I had to cut the muzzle portion from the shell just to get the gun’s trigger inside the shell.

I pretty confident that I’m not going to continue using this holster. I just waiting for the chance to get a Tenicor, then this one will be sold or go into my box of unused junk holsters.

Categories
1911 AIWB holster

I’m Currently Experiencing Issues Carrying at the Appendix Position

For now, I’m back to carrying strong side.

The issue is that I’m having some issues carrying at the appendix position. Part of it is a holster issue. The Crossbreed Reckoning needs a wedge – the claw alone won’t tuck the 1911’s grip into my body enough and the gun’s muzzle is putting pressure on my lower abdomen. Also, I doubt that I’ll be able to bend over fully while carrying a Commander-sized 1911, but will better assess things once I’ve made some customizations.

I ordered some velcro patches and a set of Dr. Scholls heel gels. I’ll be attempting to make my own wedge (the velcro has adhesive to stick to the Reckoning’s leather backing).

I’ll ensure I add enough velcro so that I can fine-tune where the wedge is placed on the holster, so that I can better adjust it to hide my 1911. I will use a hair dryer after the velcro is placed on the holster so that it sticks better (I’m hoping the leather allows the velcro to stick without issue – it’s not soft suede).

I’m also going to order a set of clips that offer better adjustability (5-hole clips for this holster are here). Doing this will allow me to better place the holstered gun so that it’s not awkward for me.

The above-mentioned customizations will hopefully have me carrying AIWB full-time soon.