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One Week with the Phlster Enigma

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12K views 39 replies 13 participants last post by  tshudypit6  
#1 · (Edited)
Last week, I caved and ordered an Enigma light bearing model in my never-ending search to find my optimal holster setup. It arrived this past Monday, and, well, I may have found what I've been looking for.

Background

I have known about the Enigma since it came out. I watched the initial reviews and thought it looked like an interesting concept, but at the time they didn't make a model for weapon lights. That was a dealbreaker for me, so I moved on. I did take note, however, of how impressed all the reviewers seemed to be with them, and since upon information and belief Phlster doesn't have the same marketing resources as others cough SIG cough and probably didn't spend tens of thousands of dollars shipping freebies out to influencers, I figured there might actually be something to the claims after all.

A few months ago it came to my attention that there was now a light bearing model of the Enigma, and my interest was renewed. However, when I looked at the holsters offered on Phlster's site, I found out that they don't make one for the TLR 7a, which is my preferred carry light. Oh well, guess I got excited for no reason. Then, a couple weeks back, the Enigma wound up on my mind again, and I started looking at their "compatible holsters" list. Wouldn't you know, my favorite holster company, LAS Concealment, was on the list. I thought about it for a couple days, and decided to give it a try.

Disclaimer: I have no relationship with Phlster other than that of a happy customer. I purchased this system with my own money, and I did not tell Phlster I would be doing this "review."

My Use Case


I work in a profession that requires me to wear a suit in the office. I don't wear a belt, because I hate belts, especially with a suit. All my slacks have side adjusters and/or suspender buttons. Even if I wore a belt, I don't like holster clips to be noticeable. My body type (a bit pudgier than "in shape") does not work with anything other than appendix carry. Considering these factors, I tried two means of carry: 1. off-body carry in a holster velcroed to an acrylic sheet in my briefcase; and 2. appendix without an attached mag carrier using Discreet Carry Concepts small clips. Neither one was really perfect. I'm not comfortable with off-body carry as a concept, and while the DCC clips are really nice and good at what they're advertised to do, you'd still see about a half-inch square of dark grey steel on my beltline.

The Enigma

The Enigma is not a holster; Phlster is very clear on that. Rather, they call it a holster "chassis." Think of it as a specialty belt. It is a belt whose sole purpose is to hold up a gun. Phlster makes a number of different models, which cater to everything from subcompacts to revolvers to full size handguns. Caveat emptor: Some of their models come with a holster shell; some do not. Check to see what you are buying before you have your expectations dashed. As previously mentioned, Phlster makes a decent range of holsters, but in my humble opinion are lacking some popular options. They list on their website a series of other holster makers/models that will work with the Enigma, and also some general principles that you may assess your own holster collection with to see if you have something that will work.

My Enigma
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My EDC is a Staccato C with a Holosun 407k (Holosun, please get production up on the EPS series!!!!!) and Streamlight TLR 7a. The holster I am using is a LAS Saya 2.0 with a Modwing and one of LAS's flat teardrop wedges. As previously mentioned, I bought the light bearing Enigma, which was an easy setup with the LAS holster. As of yet, my Enigma is set up as the manufacturer intended (more on that later), with the standard waist belt and leg leash.

My Experience

I have worn this holster setup all day, every day, since I got it on Monday. During that time, I've worn it with a full suit, casual clothes, and gym clothes. Regardless of choice of outfit, the Enigma conceals fantastically. I'm fortunate enough to have found a gun, holster, and carry position combo that barely prints at all to begin with; if I look at myself, I can pick out the edge of my optic, or maybe the bottom of the grip, but the average person would never notice. With the Enigma, though, I can almost never spot a portion of the gun no matter how hard I stare at my waistline in the mirror. If I can't find it when I know it's there and I'm deliberately looking, I highly doubt anyone will ever spot it on me as a third party. It works amazingly with a suit or other tucked in shirt, where the primary advantage is you no longer have to fight with shoving a shirt in between the holster and the "tuckable" clip. Getting dressed is now a breeze, and it's also made clearing the cover shirt even easier. In even slim casual clothes, once again the holster just disappears. And I did an hour on the treadmill with this thing on -- got some sweat on the butt of the gun that had to be wiped off at the end, but the holster did not make working out any worse than working out is to begin with.

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Also --and I'm sorry, but it has to be said-- the restroom experience is loads (no pun intended) better. First, I can now use urinals again. Since the Enigma isn't attached to your pants, you can wear it as high as you want. That means when you unzip your fly, you don't have to be greeted by a sheet of plastic. You don't have to try to do some sort of snaky BS to get your business done. And you don't pinch anything, making you think you're done peeing, only to then realize once you've put yourself away that you weren't quite done yet (please don't ask me how I know this). When it comes to the good ol' number 2, you don't even have to remove the holster. This is actually quite a big deal for me, as I never felt comfortable placing my gun on a TP holder or trying to hang it off the coat hook. You might want to remove the leg leash so it's free and clear of the backblast area, but other than that, it's nonobstructive. I will not lie and tell you it's the most comfortable you'll ever be on the porcelain throne, but it's a lot better than stressing about where to put your gun, in my humble experience.

Improvements

As the great Hannah Montana once said, nobody's perfect. The Enigma is not an exception to that rule. There are a couple things that I'm not a huge fan of. Fortunately, the community surrounding the Enigma seems intent on solving every conceivable problem, so there are already solutions out there.

1. The waist belt feels like a slightly softer seatbelt. That is to say, it's not the most uncomfortable, but it can begin to chafe if it is in contact with your skin all day. This can be easily remedied by wearing an undershirt. If you, like me, prefer not to sweat great ugly circles around your armpits in public, that isn't always an option. What is an option though is either the sport belt offered by Phlster or a number of aftermarket covers made to lessen the chafe factor. I presently have a Levo Designs Papoose on order, which apart from being a fun word to say, is a sleeve that goes over the belt. I will update this review after a week with the Papoose, but I have high hopes.

2. The leg leash is a little flimsy. While the leash material itself I have no problem with, the buckle used to secure it is not the strongest. It's a thin piece of plastic, which makes sense since you don't want an awkward bulge in your upper thigh, but in my opinion it's a little too thin, and does not engage well. On a number of occasions I've felt like it came disconnected. It never actually was, or at least was not fully disconnected, but it was certainly not confidence-inspiring. Fortunately, because of the location, you can put your hand in your pocket and check to make sure the buckle is still secure, but if it were to come undone, I doubt you could reattach it with one hand without pulling your pants down. I am aware that there are upgrades that can be had for the leg leash, though I have not yet looked into them. Perhaps there is something to be said for the fact that I didn't immediately run out to replace this part.
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3. From the factory there is no included designated way to carry a spare mag. Plenty of people have just attached third party mag carriers along the belt, and I'm sure that works fine. This is less of a gripe and more of just something I want to do myself in the future.

Conclusions

The Enigma is certainly living up to its hype. I was genuinely concerned that I would be throwing money away trying to chase a trend, but the Enigma is popular for very good reason. No holster will ever be as comfortable as just not carrying, but the Enigma is the closest I've seen so far. This will be my new carry setup for the foreseeable future; I will probably update this "review" from time to time with my thoughts and experiences.

Go buy one; it's worth it.
 
#2 ·
If ever a post cried out for pictures… ;)
 
#6 ·
Interesting concept..had not heard of them. While I wear a belt and typically a thick leather "jeans" type belt, I hate holsters on my waist and have never found one that was any good for me, so I either stuff something in my right pocket or more ofter wear a Miami Classic. But this might be a lot better. How is the draw?
 
#9 ·
I know what you mean. I probably have 3-4 holsters for every gun I own, 75% or more of which will never be touched again. My hope is that the Phlster will be the last one, but I thought the bare bones LAS was going to be the final stop on my holster journey.
 
#10 ·
If I’m wearing pants without loops, the Enigma is where it’s at.
I combined mine with the FloodLight. Ideally I’d like another Malus Sol with this rig just like my EDC carry because the FL sweat shield doesn’t come up high enough to cover the left side thumb safety.

I modded mine slightly.
1- Took the leg leash off. I could never get it to work right and also found it didn’t make a difference in my draw stroke.

2- I switched the fidlock from the left to the right side to create room for a spare mag.

3- Got the Phlster wide belt, which makes a huge difference in comfort IMO….totally overpriced and should come with it but whataya gonna do….I suck at sewing.
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#13 ·
If I’m wearing pants without loops, the Enigma is where it’s at.
I combined mine with the FloodLight. Ideally I’d like another Malus Sol with this rig just like my EDC carry because the FL sweat shield doesn’t come up high enough to cover the left side thumb safety.

I modded mine slightly.
1- Took the leg leash off. I could never get it to work right and also found it didn’t make a difference in my draw stroke.

2- I switched the fidlock from the left to the right side to create room for a spare mag.

3- Got the Phlster wide belt, which makes a huge difference in comfort IMO….totally overpriced and should come with it but whataya gonna do….I suck at sewing.
View attachment 1065368
What's holding the mag caddy on to the belt? Just the strength of the DCC clip?
 
#12 ·
If I could go back in time, I'd probably go with the wide belt as well. As far as the leg leash, I do find that it ensures I don't get much if any upward movement of the holster/rig on my draw.
 
#15 ·
Have to be careful with the leg leash.....could end up choking/tying off my friend "Spanky". Seriously, this might be the answer to my issues with waist holsters. I won't be using my Officer LW in anything Kydex....ever. But as I am getting into carrying my Shield Plus...it just may be perfect.
 
#17 ·
Today's outfit and corresponding lack of printing. You can see a slight pull when my jacket is buttoned, but just barely. And my suits are quite tailored.
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As far as updates are concerned, the Papoose arrived today. I installed it when I got home from work, and I've been wearing it for the past 3ish hours. So far, considerable increase in comfort, though not without some potential flaws of its own. I'll have an update on the Enigma + Papoose on Friday.
 
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#18 ·
If you wear a neutral colored undershirt next to your skin, it’ll mitigate the contrast between your body, gun/grip, and your outer shirt.

I prefer a gray-ish color because they work with both lighter and darker colored shirts.

I suggest this because I mostly notice the “shadow” of your grip that shows through your lighter colored shirt.
 
#19 ·
I have worn this rig now for 1 week and I removed the leg leash (not necessary) and ordered the sport belt. The only downside so far is the rig is not the most comfortable against your underwear. It's extremely concealable, under my waistband is easy. Nice to be able to tuck a shirt in. If someone designs something to wrap the rig in that goes against your body this could be epic.
 
#21 ·
There‘s a product that Tango Hotel purchased called a holster papoose. It’s basically a sleeve that wraps the holster.

I ended up using velcro. I put the soft loop velcro side on mine to experiment with different pads. I decided the pad idea wasn’t really working for me but kept the velcro on. It definitely softens the corners against your body.

I may have missed it in the above reviews.....how well are you able to access the gun ?

Does appear to deep conceal well.
It depends on how high/low you wear it on your body. I wear mine at a similar ride height as my “normal” belt loop holster, so access is the same. If I wore it lower, say with the grip at the same level or below my belt line, it’s super concealed but accessibility speed is sacrificed. It takes me about a full second longer compared to my normal draw.

I normally suck my gut in to make room and simultaneously push the bottom of the holster/gun up, just like you’re adjusting your man parts, which pushes the grip above your waistline to establish a grip. With two hands it’s pretty quick, but one handed takes longer, hence the 1 sec delay.

EDIT: Ride height will also depend a lot on the length of your pistol, cause if you wear it too low, it’ll start squishing things you don‘t want squished🌭⚾😂😂
 
#22 ·
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Two Week Update:

As you can see, my enigma looks a bit different now. I installed the Papoose and also picked up a mag carrier off Amazon.

The Papoose is leagues more comfortable than the bare strap. I don't notice much of a difference as it relates to the holster shell, since that rides on top of my underwear anyway, but having the microfiber-esque cover over the nylon strap substantially reduces chafing. I never found the nylon super painful, but it did get irritating after 8-10 hours of straight wear time. The Papoose has ensured that my only discomfort comes from the pressure of the tightness of the belt and the weight of the overall package, which in both cases is minimal. I'm quite happy with it, despite what I think is a bit excessive of a price tag ($60 for the light bearing model).

The mag caddy is just a cheapo I found on Amazon because I didn't think I really needed to spend much on it. Retention is fine, but the clip could be a lot tighter. The mag caddy can slide left to right and tilt a bit. It hasn't been a problem yet but it is pretty annoying that it won't stay put. Unfortunately I don't think DCC makes a clip that will fit this hole pattern. I am on the lookout for a better clip, though this one works acceptably for now.

I did have the leg leash pop loose on me once this week. I got an itch on my thigh, and when I scratched it, I felt the leash pop free. I was able to manipulate it through my pocket and from the outside of my slacks to reattach it, so it honestly wasn't that big of a deal. Annoyed it happened, though.

All in all I'm still very satisfied with this purchase. I haven't worn a normal holster since I picked this up. As far as the question about accessibility, it depends on how long your shirt tails are. Because the belt isn't attached to your pants, you can theoretically wear it as high or as low as you want. I've seen some guys basically bury the grip below their belt line, but I personally wear mine at roughly the same hight as a normal IWB holster. Getting to it is no more difficult for me than any other "normal" holster system. But I will point out that if you have a shirt with long tails, you can find yourself fighting a little bit to get the shirt out of the way. That's happened to me a couple of times in draw practice. But it's definitely something you can train through.
 
#24 ·
Update on my experience with the Enigma:

1. The disconnect from a normal pants belt is both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, you can place the gun practically anywhere you want around your waistline. On the minus side, this can result in placing the gun too low, making the grip too close to your pants waistband and therefore making getting a good master grip harder. So your ease of draw can vary slightly depending on how careful you are when putting the system on.

2. I found that to get my shirt out of the way, the best way is to grab a fistful and rotate my fist out as I pull up on the shirt. This results in more fabric moved and makes clearing the shirt easy.

3. I went to the range over the weekend and wore my old belt holster for the first time in a while. I'm now convinced that the Enigma is not only a better concealment experience, but also makes drawing the gun easier. I'm now considering selling my belt holsters, that's how much better the Enigma is.
 
#28 ·
I’ve have only carried heavier guns from a WC BrigTac 92, 5” steel 1911, and the latest 4.6” 2011. In my case the shorter barrel lengths doesn’t matter because the FloodLight holster I use with the Enigma is molded to the light.

I wear mine off-center as well @1-1:30 location. I put a little reverse cant on mine (see previous pic of screw locations) so that it matches the crease where my thigh and torso come together a bit better. For me that makes sitting easier.

I generally wear my holster just high enough to get my fingers around the grip without issue. Sometimes I wear it lower for more concealment (ie to better conceal the magwell) but have to lift the rig back above my waistline to sit down.

Because it’s so adjustable, it can take longer to get set up. I definitely watched a bunch of Phlster YT vids and screwed/unscrewed everything dozens of times before I got it right for me.

If you would describe more specifically what the issues are, that would help with any suggestions we might be able to provide.
 
#30 ·
I’ve have only carried heavier guns from a WC BrigTac 92, 5” steel 1911, and the latest 4.6” 2011. In my case the shorter barrel lengths doesn’t matter because the FloodLight holster I use with the Enigma is molded to the light.

I wear mine off-center as well @1-1:30 location. I put a little reverse cant on mine (see previous pic of screw locations) so that it matches the crease where my thigh and torso come together a bit better. For me that makes sitting easier.

I generally wear my holster just high enough to get my fingers around the grip without issue. Sometimes I wear it lower for more concealment (ie to better conceal the magwell) but have to lift the rig back above my waistline to sit down.

Because it’s so adjustable, it can take longer to get set up. I definitely watched a bunch of Phlster YT vids and screwed/unscrewed everything dozens of times before I got it right for me.

If you would describe more specifically what the issues are, that would help with any suggestions we might be able to provide.
My issue is that after finding the “sweet spot” where the gun and holster do not interfere with my movements or cause excessive pain it all ends up being on my mid torso and only about 1“ of the barrel is below my waist line.
Would you have any pics of your 5” 1911 setup?
 
#29 ·
It's got to be worn tight. If it's worn loose it tends to flop around because the belt has no real strength to speak of to resist twisting, so the heavier grip area will want to pull away from the body. I suggest implementing a wedge and take some real time to determine the exact height you want to place it at. Even a centimeter or two of difference changes the experience drastically, so get good at putting it in the same spot every time.
 
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#31 ·
Piggy backing on what TH wrote, how tight do you wear the belt? Maybe in your case you do need the leg leash.

I don’t have access to my rig now but here’s the pic from my previous post. It’s a 4.6” 2011, but in this holster as long as the barrel isnt more than 5”, nothing pokes out the bottom
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If you use the top screw holes to mount the belt, it will make the gun sit lower on your waist line, which might be causing you to wear the belt high on your own body.

Another suggestion is to check the position of the Enigma to your holster and how much adjustability you have there. I have a few of JMCK AIWB holsters and one has a set of mounting holes near the mouth of the holster, and the other holster the holes are placed further toward the muzzle.

IMO, the latter holster would work but the first one mentioned would not because it would sit too low (unless you wore the belt really high).

For example:

Not work:
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Would/could work:
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If I were you I’d start with where a normal belt would fit around my waist because I’m assuming you don’t have the issue of your pants riding up wearing a regular belt. From there I’d look in the mirror and slide the holster, with an empty gun inside, behind the chassis w/o screws to simulate it being mounted (The Enigma belt should be tight but with enough room to add the holster). You might have to do this without pants on to make sure the Enigma and belt are aligned. When you find the spot that works for you (ie. Ride height and cant), take a pencil and draw a line across where the chassis and your holster meet.

Take it all off and line everything up to see if there are screw locations that match up relatively close to where your holster/Enigma come together. If so, that should get you real close to your ideal carry location. If not, you're gonna have to get another holster with more mounting options, drill some holes in your current holster (make sure the back fasteners inside your holster won’t scratch your gun before you do this), or ditch the Enigma altogether.

Sorry for the long post but I hope it helps. Good luck🤙🤙
 
#32 ·
Piggy backing on what TH wrote, how tight do you wear the belt? Maybe in your case you do need the leg leash.

I don’t have access to my rig now but here’s the pic from my previous post. It’s a 4.6” 2011, but in this holster as long as the barrel isnt more than 5”, nothing pokes out the bottom
View attachment 1092543

If you use the top screw holes to mount the belt, it will make the gun sit lower on your waist line, which might be causing you to wear the belt high on your own body.

Another suggestion is to check the position of the Enigma to your holster and how much adjustability you have there. I have a few of JMCK AIWB holsters and one has a set of mounting holes near the mouth of the holster, and the other holster the holes are placed further toward the muzzle.

IMO, the latter holster would work but the first one mentioned would not because it would sit too low (unless you wore the belt really high).

For example:

Not work: View attachment 1092548

Would/could work: View attachment 1092549

If I were you I’d start with where a normal belt would fit around my waist because I’m assuming you don’t have the issue of your pants riding up wearing a regular belt. From there I’d look in the mirror and slide the holster, with an empty gun inside, behind the chassis w/o screws to simulate it being mounted (The Enigma belt should be tight but with enough room to add the holster). You might have to do this without pants on to make sure the Enigma and belt are aligned. When you find the spot that works for you (ie. Ride height and cant), take a pencil and draw a line across where the chassis and your holster meet.

Take it all off and line everything up to see if there are screw locations that match up relatively close to where your holster/Enigma come together. If so, that should get you real close to your ideal carry location. If not, you're gonna have to get another holster with more mounting options, drill some holes in your current holster (make sure the back fasteners inside your holster won’t scratch your gun before you do this), or ditch the Enigma altogether.

Sorry for the long post but I hope it helps. Good luck🤙🤙
Man you should get a consulting fee from Phlster.

i have had my enigma rig and the add on comfort band sitting in a package for a couple weeks. I need to put it together still. Lazyness. I should have gotten a premade one but they don’t have it for my carry’s.

first world problems.