Concealment Holster - Tactical Tailor

   Today, I wanted to bring you another Product Review. This time its a holster made by Tactical Tailor of Tacoma, WA. I know that many of us have our favorite holster and nothing is going to change our mind. I just want you to indulge me and listen to what I have discovered in using this holster last summer.

   Whether you choose a Kramer horse hide special or one of the rugged Kydex offerings, or both like me. There are always situations that arise when something unique is preferable. This holster is that something!

Let me give you a little background on where I’m coming from. Sometime last year, 2008, I was in Tactical Tailor talking with them about making me a custom holster for a snub nosed .44 magnum that accompanies me into the woods. I am not a serious hiker but do like to get out into nature from time to time. Mrs. Prepper, on the other hand would have us up on the trails every weekend if she had her way. These are just day hikes and not REAL far from civilization but we are in the Pacific Northwest and bears are a common sight. I have personally only seen one but whats our motto? “Better to have and not need, than need and not have”, so I take it along…

  I have a nice leather holster for the magnum but it just seems a bit conspicuous on the trail. I know, I know, I could just choose not to worry about this and let the small framed dayglow spandex clad “Serious Hikers” see first hand the difference between me and thee… Maybe, I would just meet their stares of judgement with the same contempt they were shooting my direction… I am fully aware that there are a few of you reading this right now that would be more than happy if you had the opportunity to offend some our more delicate brethren you found on the trails.

   Well, I decided that the gray man approach would be better for all involved, especially my wonderful wife. As you know she makes me swear to be on my best behavior before we ever leave the house. She would even have me dressed up in matching urban camo, no not OUR urban camo, theirs – the neon dayglow spandex, if she thought she could get away with it. WHICH SHE CAN”T!

   Anyway, I went out to Tactical Tailor to help me solve this problem. We looked into a couple of options that would accommodate the girth of that particular weapon. I don’t know who stopped calling who but we never got the project all the way to full assembly. That was a shame, I will need to get back on them about finishing that up for me… However, I was at the local gun show here in Western Washington last spring and what do I see? Thats right a concealment holster added to the Tactical Tailor product line. I didn’t purchase it right then as I wasn’t looking for the coyote brown that was out for display. I wanted to see what other options were available at the store.

   I dropped in a week or so later and found something more to my liking, for the purpose I needed it for anyway. I also inquired with the store manager about the origins of this new product and sure enough they liked my idea so well they just went right around me, no credit for my intelectual property – nothing? Oh well, I bought the model you see in the pictures. Black w/ a strip of what they call ranger green.

I bet you noticed already, this thing is nowhere near big enough to carry my .44 magnum, I guess we will have to go back to the custom job after all! However, I had an additional situation that I wanted this for as well. With summer coming I was thinking, how about everyday carry? I don’t know about you but when I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt I often don’t care to wear a belt and therefore don’t use my usual holster. Guess what, I am about sick of the “Fanny Pack” option too. I have been utilizing the fanny pack since back in the 80’s when these things came out. The other thing with these packs is, who do we think we’re foolin, law enforcement and the public at large know what I got in there. I actually use mine as a mini survival kit as well, this means the thing has to be emptied of all its usual contents before I can use it to go down to the park or “CRINGE” to the mall… I know you’ll call me crazy but I swear those “kids” at the mall look just like the “kids” on gangland??? Crazy, I know!

   Getting down to business, this thing isn’t tiny but sure is more practically sized and convenient than the fanny pack… It measures 7.5″ x 6.5″ x 1.5″ thick. It has an adjustable loop inside the main compartment that will adjust to fit your handgun. It has alot of adjustment for carrying on either side of the body and will accommodate different draw angles too. I do have to wear a light weight belt but not the heavy leather belt that I would if I had on jeans. The “Malice Clips” are a great design and hold the holster to the belt tightly enough that it doesn’t slide around much at all.

   Inside the main handgun compartment there is an integrated elastic loop to facilitate a spare magazine, right along the top of the frame or slide. This main pocket opens only along the top 30-40% so even if the zippers were left open the gun woun’t fall free of the holster. There is also an additional zippered pocket that comes in handy for a cell phone or wallet, etc. – I usually stow my key ring in there so I have one less thing in my front pocket but hey do whatever you like with yours.

   I think that over all this holster looks much more like a camera case or something similarly unthreatening than even the fanny pack. I am very happy with this purchase. I get to carry in a comfortable way and not upset the apple cart. Whether thats my hiker friends or the shopping mall security officers. Who me, I’m just another sheep along for the slaughter. I’m kidding -kind of?

   Keep in mind that this is high quality gear, with a lifetime warranty and you get what you pay for so these aren’t cheap. You should be prepared to part with all of about $28 bucks… Not bad, right? Thats about one weeks Starbucks habit and for something you’ll have for more than about 40 minutes! On the serious side I give this holster a hardy Prepper thumbs up!!

Prepper

http://www.tacticaltailor.com/lunarconcealedcarrypouch.aspx