The newest issue of the Rifleman has an article with more info than most would care to know.
Another holster thread.... but come on in anyway, we'd love to hear your opinion! (AIWB CONTENT)
Hey all - I'm hunting down a nice AIWB holster for my OACP and I've got it narrowed down to just a few choices (clickable links provided);
Right now the Hidden Hybrid is in the lead. To me it looks like a better quality Stealthgear or less-bulky Aliengear. I like the backing, the triggerguard mounted clip and especially the UltiClip 3.3 option, which allows me to go without a belt.... something I will admit happens a whole lot more since COVID lol!
I've kept a couple of my 1911's in a Garret in the past, but I remember the last one I had (an older model before the Slim was out, and had the clip attached at the center and not at the triggerguard) really got on my nerves because it felt fairly bulky and I missed that tactile "click" you get from synthetic holsters. I'm wondering/hoping if the Slim will do better for me? Can anyone here render an opinion on this model versus the older one?
BlackPoint Tactical and G-Code make the FINEST Kydex / Synthetic holsters anywhere IMHO... and my opinion is based on a whole closet full of kydex failures in my past when I used and carried various Sig Sauer models. The Blackpoint DUALPOINT is a genius little fellow and is not at all bulky... it's practically invisible actually, can be converted to OWB and also has adjustable cant so it can go AIWB to 4 O'clock with no hassle. The G-Code INCOG is absolutely one of my favorites because 1) with their little "MOJO" aluminum doodad, you can switch up to a bunch of different clip and carry configurations and 2) they're covered with this tacky, fuzzy, almost sticky felt-like substance which, when worn IWB, almost doesn't even need the clip to stay put..... but it is the bulkiest of the bunch next to the Garrett. Has anyone had extensive AIWB experience with either of these who wants to share their thoughts?
The Versacarry is the outside contenter, and I see their ads EVERYWHERE.... but I don't see much love for them here... or over at the Sig forums. They caused a stir a few years back with their minimalist holster which physically plugs the barrel bore when holstered... Does anyone use these? Opinions?
Other thoughts...
I took a look at L.A.S. Concealment because they seem to get a lot of love here on the forums.... but they look to me just like Tenicor and Red River and a bunch of other kydex brands, and I wonder if they get the attention here mainly because they were one of the first to the scene with multiple Staccato models and continue to lead the pack in that respect.... Another way outside option; I have custom order in with Nighthawk which will be coming due sometime this summer. This will be the most expensive gun I've ever owned at just a tick under $5k; a hybrid Officer model with a Warhawk frame and a shortened (3.8") T3 slide... and I've already committed to ordering a Bitterroot AIWB for it as soon as I head the gun is kitted and coming due in a few months. I'm wondering if the Bitterroot might fit BOTH and if I should just go ahead and order that now? Has anyone used a Bitterroot with BOTH a Nighthawk Officer (3.8") and Colt Officer (3.5")??
ALL OPINIONS, EXPERIENCE & ESPECIALLY PICS ARE WELCOME!
![]()
- Garrett Silent Thunder Slim
- Versacarry Compound Essential
- Hidden Hybrid
- Blackpoint Tactical DUALPOINT
- G-Code INCOG
Right now the Hidden Hybrid is in the lead. To me it looks like a better quality Stealthgear or less-bulky Aliengear. I like the backing, the triggerguard mounted clip and especially the UltiClip 3.3 option, which allows me to go without a belt.... something I will admit happens a whole lot more since COVID lol!
I've kept a couple of my 1911's in a Garret in the past, but I remember the last one I had (an older model before the Slim was out, and had the clip attached at the center and not at the triggerguard) really got on my nerves because it felt fairly bulky and I missed that tactile "click" you get from synthetic holsters. I'm wondering/hoping if the Slim will do better for me? Can anyone here render an opinion on this model versus the older one?
BlackPoint Tactical and G-Code make the FINEST Kydex / Synthetic holsters anywhere IMHO... and my opinion is based on a whole closet full of kydex failures in my past when I used and carried various Sig Sauer models. The Blackpoint DUALPOINT is a genius little fellow and is not at all bulky... it's practically invisible actually, can be converted to OWB and also has adjustable cant so it can go AIWB to 4 O'clock with no hassle. The G-Code INCOG is absolutely one of my favorites because 1) with their little "MOJO" aluminum doodad, you can switch up to a bunch of different clip and carry configurations and 2) they're covered with this tacky, fuzzy, almost sticky felt-like substance which, when worn IWB, almost doesn't even need the clip to stay put..... but it is the bulkiest of the bunch next to the Garrett. Has anyone had extensive AIWB experience with either of these who wants to share their thoughts?
The Versacarry is the outside contenter, and I see their ads EVERYWHERE.... but I don't see much love for them here... or over at the Sig forums. They caused a stir a few years back with their minimalist holster which physically plugs the barrel bore when holstered... Does anyone use these? Opinions?
Other thoughts...
I took a look at L.A.S. Concealment because they seem to get a lot of love here on the forums.... but they look to me just like Tenicor and Red River and a bunch of other kydex brands, and I wonder if they get the attention here mainly because they were one of the first to the scene with multiple Staccato models and continue to lead the pack in that respect.... Another way outside option; I have custom order in with Nighthawk which will be coming due sometime this summer. This will be the most expensive gun I've ever owned at just a tick under $5k; a hybrid Officer model with a Warhawk frame and a shortened (3.8") T3 slide... and I've already committed to ordering a Bitterroot AIWB for it as soon as I head the gun is kitted and coming due in a few months. I'm wondering if the Bitterroot might fit BOTH and if I should just go ahead and order that now? Has anyone used a Bitterroot with BOTH a Nighthawk Officer (3.8") and Colt Officer (3.5")??
ALL OPINIONS, EXPERIENCE & ESPECIALLY PICS ARE WELCOME!
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
I have no idea how this just popped up when I was trying to type a reply to your thread. I've been carrying AIWB for almost a year now. I found this product to work with my Staccato C DPO when carrying AIWB. Here's their website mastermindtactics.com I find it to be very comfortable when carrying this way even when Im driving or sitting, occasionally I just release the ratchet style belt I use if I'm going to be sitting for awhile then before I get up I just tighten it up like I'm adjusting my jeans. Here's a couple of pics off their site, check them out.
![Vehicle Automotive design Automotive tire Motor vehicle Space]()
![Sleeve Rectangle Automotive design Wood Bumper]()
| |||||||||
I carry a single stack lw Officer 3.5" AIWB in a leather piece from Home Page | MTR Custom Leather | Ramseur, NC .
Excellent workmanship, very comfortable and comes with a claw and wedge at the quoted price! I did opt for the UltiClip XL as it works both with or without a belt. BUT - living in Florida, I'm a t-shirt/shorts kinda guy & train with a strong-hand sweep to draw. Unfortunately, my t-shirt would snag on the XL's metal clip 3 out of 5 times - no matter the length of the t-shirt, and the clip had the gun riding a little too high for me. I immediately replaced the UltiClip with a 3-hole G-code wand now, no snagging & a perfect ride height (for me). I also clip it to a Nextbelt that's easy to loosen with one hand when I sit & might need to reposition the rig for comfort and better accessibility. And yes - the Officer frame is a little top-heavy in the holster and does have a propensity to want to 'lean outward' as a result. To mitigate that, I carry with 65gr copper/poly blends - easy peazy
![Sleeve Gun barrel Gun accessory Font Metal]()
![Gas Revolver Wood Cylinder Landscape]()
![Handgun holster Auto part Safety glove Metal Fashion accessory]()
zy.
Excellent workmanship, very comfortable and comes with a claw and wedge at the quoted price! I did opt for the UltiClip XL as it works both with or without a belt. BUT - living in Florida, I'm a t-shirt/shorts kinda guy & train with a strong-hand sweep to draw. Unfortunately, my t-shirt would snag on the XL's metal clip 3 out of 5 times - no matter the length of the t-shirt, and the clip had the gun riding a little too high for me. I immediately replaced the UltiClip with a 3-hole G-code wand now, no snagging & a perfect ride height (for me). I also clip it to a Nextbelt that's easy to loosen with one hand when I sit & might need to reposition the rig for comfort and better accessibility. And yes - the Officer frame is a little top-heavy in the holster and does have a propensity to want to 'lean outward' as a result. To mitigate that, I carry with 65gr copper/poly blends - easy peazy
I appreciate this info Tom! Obviously my statement on their wide selection was facetious, but on quick inspection they have more than 70 different SKUs available across 14 different categories. That's a LOT. They have more than 730 items FS on their eBay store...Just picking one category at random on the website, they have 14 different models of OWB holster. That's also a lot. By comparison Milt Sparks offers 6, PureKustom offers 4, Blackpoint Tactical offers 5 and so on. I do small business consulting for a living and my clients are usually manufacturers of consumer products; electronics, musical gear, audio equipment etc. "Specialized products in the retail sphere" to summarize. In my experience, in general, anyone who has more than 4 or 5 offerings in any one product type.... or, to say it another way, offering more than 5 solutions to one problem or need, really hasn't sorted out their lineup properly. The goal should be to have 2 or 4 products which work really well for most people, and then offer a few variations or add-ons to suit sizeable minorities.
Looking at their assortment of, for example, IWB holsters, there is no real specific design philosophy or common thread in their offerings which make them distinctly their own... rather they seem to have gone the opposite direction; It looks like they took the most popular & well regarded holsters across several distinctly different styles and just copied them. In the IWB category I see the Crossbreed Supertuck, the PureKustom, The HiddenHybrid, the Summer Comfort / Royal Guard etc.
This does NOT mean they have a bad product. Offering good value in well made imitation is a great business model in lieu of any real innovation or gimmick. This might sound like I'm bashing them, I'm really not, having never owned or even seen an MTR, and I say all this simply to qualify my earlier statement, not to make any judgements on MTR's products. The whole point here is I'm genuinely interested in this model you have. It reminds me a lot of a more expensive version from Bitterroot Leathers. I actually posted a thread a while back asking about "less fancy" versions of this holster:
I See a distinct resemblance to the MTR Adversary Deluxe:
Bitterroot makes a GREAT holster and I asked the same question about the claw or wing. He replied that the leather was stiff enough for the wing to still do it's job. I was just as skeptical then as I am now. Although his books are closed I have a spot "reserved" for a much less fancy version of this holster. Your MTR may actually do the trick for me. Would you be willing to post some more pictures and tell us all a bit more about it? Things like;
- How's the mouth reinforcement? One of the biggest turn-offs in IWB leather holsters is having the mouth closeup when wearing a tight belt, so your 1911 slide comes back out of battery when you try to reholster. Some companies use metal, others stiffen their leather to the point it wont bend. What about this one?
- How do you usually wear it? AIWB, strong side?
- How's the stitching?
- How long have you owned it? how's it holding up?
PS - @TomD - your MTR holster definitely has G-CODE Incog holster brand belt-clips on it. Did it come with those, or did you swap them in yourself?
OP,
Below is my Valor in a MTR aiwb rig. I bought it “off the table” from them at the Raleigh gun show a few years back. It was an impulse buy - I hadn’t seen an affordable leather aiwb setup before this.
Fit and finish is good - it’s no Sparks, but then only cost half as much with no wait time.
My only dislike is that it’s cut for an RMR, so there’s not sufficient reinforcement of the opening to keep it open and hence it makes reholstering difficult. The version in TomD’s photos look far more solid than mine - either it has a reinforcing band or the regular non-optics cut is just a better design. I would not recommend mine but would definitely buy another MTR if reinforced like TomD’s appears to be.
![Sleeve Personal protective equipment Handgun holster Font Pattern]()
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Below is my Valor in a MTR aiwb rig. I bought it “off the table” from them at the Raleigh gun show a few years back. It was an impulse buy - I hadn’t seen an affordable leather aiwb setup before this.
Fit and finish is good - it’s no Sparks, but then only cost half as much with no wait time.
My only dislike is that it’s cut for an RMR, so there’s not sufficient reinforcement of the opening to keep it open and hence it makes reholstering difficult. The version in TomD’s photos look far more solid than mine - either it has a reinforcing band or the regular non-optics cut is just a better design. I would not recommend mine but would definitely buy another MTR if reinforced like TomD’s appears to be.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
