The holsters were provided to the author by Apex Defense Unlimited for this review.
An every day carry (EDC) holster needs to be practical as well as functional.
Practical in the sense that it needs to be comfortable to wear every day, all day long.
Apex Defense Unlimited offers a number of Kydex holsters for Springfield Armory pistols. In this review, the author examines the Thoroughbred (left) and the Appaloosa (right).
Another important quality is the ease of wearing and taking off a holster.
One holster was the Apex Defense Appaloosa IWB for an Echelon, which I wore appendix style.
I alternated between these two holsters for a little over seven weeks to see how they performed.
The Thoroughbred (shown at left) offers a full sweat guard as an option on the holster.
It allows for fast draws and keeps its shape well.
A downside is Kydex doesnt flex like leather, which can make it less comfortable to wear than leather.
Kydex is good to go out of the box.
The Thoroughbred is a traditional inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster with a pair of loops to anchor it to your gun belt.
A Little Background
Located in Oklahoma, Apex Defense was founded in 2024.
They stand by the quality of their work, and offer a limited lifetime warranty on everything they produce.
So, lets dive into the details.
Kydex is a rigid polymer that has proved itself as a reliable holster material. It can be precisely molded for each gun model so that retention straps are not necessary for concealed carry.
Carrying a micro nine appendix-style is pretty easy, depending on your waistline size.
However, carrying a full-size pistol like the Echelon can be more challenging.
Would the Apex Defense holster be able to do it well?
You do not want your defensive firearm to come out of your holster accidentally. Many people recommend the “shake test” as a base line of retention (with empty guns, of course!).
As part of this project, I opted to carry the Echelon appendix-style with the Appaloosa IWB holster.
This means the back of the slide touches skin or a t-shirt.
The snap closure is very strong, too.
Carrying a gun securely is only part of a holster’s duties. It must also allow you to easy withdraw the gun from the rig should you need it in an emergency.
Not once did the snap pop open when I moved.
The finish is a unique color that Apex Defense calls Liquid Metal Kydex Copper.
It looks like the holster has a copper jacket, like an FMJ bullet.
The author found that the Apex Defense Unlimited Appaloosa holster allowed him to get a full grip when drawing from concealment.
The second holster is the Apex Defense Thoroughbred IWB.
By now, you likely have noticed that Apex Defense names their holsters after horses.
The Thoroughbred IWB holster is equipped with two soft belt loops and a high sweat guard.
The finish is a smart-looking Carbon Fiber Coyote Brown.
I used the Thoroughbred IWB to tote around the new TRP 4.25 CC.
Hands-On
Both holsters passed the retention test.
Retention can be adjust via two screws on both the Appaloosa and the Thoroughbred.
For both holsters I used my go-to concealed carry belt, The Foundation Belt from EDC Belt Co.
This belt is made out of Cordura and reinforced nylon webbing, and is 1.5 wide.
It uses a hook and loop closure.
This belt is good for both appendix and strong side carry.
In my experience, 1911 pistols with accessory rail drag, creating friction inside a leather holster.
Thats the reason I opted for the Apex Kydex holster to carry the TRP 4.25 CC.
I wore it wearing just a thin t-shirt and a thin hoodie.
The cut-off butt, Carry Contour feature really helped to conceal the full-size grip.
At home, I practiced my draw with the TRP unloaded countless times.
The Apex holster proved to be slick on the draw.
The holster covered the magazine release, so there was no chance of an accidental magazine dump.
The high sweat guard also shielded my skin or shirt from the extended thumb safety.
At the range, I repeated my draw and performed the Failure Drill.
This was a comfortable holster to wear for extended periods.
During practice draws, the Appaloosa gave me full access to the Echelons grip.
It felt like the Kydex was spitting out the Echelon on the draw, which was slick and fast.
Otherwise, I wouldnt change a thing!
Conclusion
There are numerous Kydex holster manufacturers that tout comfortable and practical holsters.
