Statement: A tension screw on a holster means it isn't "boned" well enough...
False: Anyone that says that doesn't truly have an understanding of actual leather crafting and or is not using good judgment. Here is the truth. What matters more than boning a holster for fit is the stitching.. You will often see mass production holsters that are wet-fitted or "boned" decently; however, the stitching does not follow the shape of the gun that it is intended for. What happens is that, with use, the leather stretches and the fit becomes loose since the stitching does not come into contact near the margins of the gun that was wet-fitted. In other words, if the stitching was done tightly to the shape of the gun, then the leather can only stretch so much. Having said that, if you combine a nice wet-fitted (boned) holster with stitching that matches the shape of the gun, you significantly reduce the leather from stretching that much. Having said that, adding a tension screw can make a difference for several reasons. I will go over a few here...
1. When you have an inside-waist-band holster that has been nicely stitched near the contour of the gun and is wet-fitted properly, the friction that is in play when you wear it is sufficient for most guns in most situations. However, after years of wearing and holstering and un holstering, the fit becomes looser. I don't think anyone can intelligently argue that leather doesn't stretch over years. Wouldn't it be nice to have an adjustable tension device to apply the tension back on the gun a bit to compensate for the stretch that has occurred after years of use?
2. A tension device can be critical for law-enforcement who may need an additional restriction on someone trying to grab their gun in a fight. A holster that has loosened up over time will make it easier for someone to grab and pull the gun. A tension screw allows you to re-tighten the leather if there has been some stretch after years and will make it more difficult for someone else to pull your gun from the holster since it requires the bad guy to pull more straight up rather than at an angle.
3. If you have a gun that has most of its mass above the mouth of the holster such as in a short barreled semi-auto like the Springfield XD 3", then the argument for a tension screw is even greater. Think about it for a second... you have a gun like this and you are wearing it in a holster like an inside-waist-band design. Your belt intersects near the trigger guard area, leaving little "meat" below the belt line where most of the friction is. Obviously, the less mass in the holster then the less friction you have that can affect retention. A tension device can add additional friction on a gun where there isn't much in the holster to begin with simply because the barrel/slide isn't that long. There is no doubt a tension device will help with these newer type of ultra compact guns. Take a look at some photos that illustrate these points.
Click for Photo Illustrations
Statement: I have to buy bigger pants to be able to use an inside-waist-band holster...
99% False: Unless you wear your pants so damn tight that you can't even get your hand between your body and pant. About 99% of the Men I talk to don't need any new pants or jeans. Having said that... If you are a man and your pants are that tight then you should seriously consider facing reality and buy the next waist size up anyway. Our rule of thumb is that if you can get your hand between your pants and your body (without your belt on) then you are good to go for an inside-waist-band holster.
Statement: You need to add an inch to my waist size when ordering a new belt to allow for an inside-waist-band holster.
False: No because after a few months your belt will stretch some anyway and then you will have the perfect fitting belt. If you had added that inch then when the belt stretched you will be almost an inch longer than the perfect fit. Let's assume your belt has 7 holes in it and you wear it in the center hole without a holster/gun on. If you were to put an inside-waistband-holster on then you would probably be one hole less than where you were; however, in a very short time (months) your belt will stretch and eventually you will then have to tighten back to the hole you were in before you started wearing the holster with that belt. So it is a short term problem. Also you should consider a 1.5" wide and relatively thick firm belt for supporting a gun all day. We definitely recommend a 1.5" belt. You don't need wider, and I wouldn't go narrower either.
Statement: The holster company says they don't make holsters for my gun; however, my gun is almost the same size as(gun x) so I should be able to order the holster for gun x and it will fit my gun, right...
False: This is false assuming the holster company custom makes and stitches and wet molds their holsters specifically for a certain size gun. Some mass production companies have more of a looser fitting nature therefore they may fit varying guns however, not with us.
Here is an exact quote from an anonymous person:
I have a GSR Compact and it fits leather holsters designed for 1911's. I should be getting my Brigade Gunleather M-11 in acouple of weeks so I'll let you know. I would think that if a on railed GSR fits non railed 1911's, then a raled GSR should fit in a railed 1911 holster. I would only use leather though since it'll stretch a little over time for a smooth draw. I did try a company x belt slide holster that was not Kydex but more of a pvc type material. It took some work with a dremel to open it up a little. Then I tried a fast draw and the damn thing broke where I eased the material. So I'd stick to leather. Although I thought I saw a link to someone who makes one for a railed GSR. I'll try to find it.
The point is... to the above quote is that we don't list the GSR compact pistol on our website but the customer has decided to order a holster for something similar. He will be disappointed when he gets it cause it won't fit right. Who will get the blame? A simple phone call could have prevented this from happening.
I am sure there are more myths and we will add to this list as we hear them.
Respectfully Written,
Troy Harp (Owner)
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