Should I go with Kydex or leather?
Does an inside or outside the waistband holster best suit my needs?
Perhaps a shoulder rig might be the best way to go?
Each person’s needs are different and dictate what kind of holster — and tilt — are appropriate. Image: Bridget Fabel
Outside-the waistband (OWB) holsters can be a mixed bag, although many designs will make the cut.
On the other hand, some OWB pancake rigs would be a very good option.
One overlooked quality in holster design is cant, sometimes called rake.
Different holster styles offer different cants. The cant, also known as the rake, is the amount of tilt the handgun has in relation to being perpendicular to the deck.
Cant refers to the angle of the holstered handgun when worn on the belt.
A neutral cant positions the pistol straight up and down on the belt with no angle at all.
A forward rake holster has the butt of the pistol to the rear with the muzzle angled forward.
Modern Kydex holsters can frequently be had with forward or neutral tilts. Also, many offer the ability to adjust the cant.
FBI cant holsters remain very popular for a number of reasons.
A New Day?
Roy Baker advanced the craft many years ago with his line pancake holsters.
The Safariland rig above is designed so that the owner can adjust the tilt of the gun to match your needs.
As the name implies, pancake holsters are flat and hold the gun tight to the body.
Concealment qualities can be very good when worn with a proper belt and light covering garment.
So whats not to like?
Some holsters, like many in the appendix carry style, use a straight up and down position (no tilt).
Many shooters find that draw efficiency with this style of holster to be less than optimum.
This is especially true of female users.
Just about all IWB holsters designed to be worn in the traditional behind-the-hip position feature an FBI cant.
Moving Ahead
Last up for consideration are forward cant holsters.
As an added bonus, some forward rake designs can also be worn as a crossdraw holster.
Conclusion
Holster selection need not be that difficult.
With a little bit of forethought, you too can arrive at the correct decision to suit your needs.
