1911 holsters

[Lilly001]

I recently acquired a 1911.
I have owned several in the past but used them almost exclusively for target shooting.
I’m looking to carry my new 1911s concealed.
I have two holsters currently.
One, the black one, is for “cocked and locked” carry. And the other, the brown one, has a strap that goes over, and depresses, the grip safety.
I’m not comfortable with the second except with an empty chamber.
What do you use?
I tend to like security over quick accessibility but would like both.

 

[WOODIE13]

I carry mine in one like your black one, plus it carries my Ruger and Taurus, never an issue

 

[snuffy]

Dub will be around shortly.
I would take his advice

 

[Lilly001]

I will add that I often do physical work while carrying.
Tractor, automotive, mowing, just about everything. So a little extra leather covering the gun is a plus to me.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

The strap wont go under the hammer instead of across the grip safety? I have seen several 1911 holsters with under hammer retention straps for cocked n locked.
Personally since noticing my truck seat depressing my grip safety while cocked n locked a decade or more ago, and as far as pistol designs have come I carry a hunk of fantastic plastic almost exclusively.

 

[Lilly001]

The strap wont go under the hammer instead of across the grip safety? I have seen several 1911 holsters with under hammer retention straps for cocked n locked.
Personally since noticing my truck seat depressing my grip safety while cocked n locked a decade or more ago, and as far as pistol designs have come I carry a hunk of fantastic plastic almost exclusively.

No. The strap is too short to reach under the hammer.
I am thinking of having it lengthened but it’s an old holster and I only paid 5$ for it.
I like the old WW2 flap holster but that’s not very concealable.
I feel comfortable with a OWB hip holster.
I’m to fat for IWB and I have used a belly band style with a j frame successfully.
I do have Glocks and a nice Sig P220 that I have holsters for that I have carried, and a nice S&W shield 40, but the 1911 is a beast unto itself.
And I would much like to carry it.

 

[Dub]

Congrats @Lilly001 on carrying the finest fighting pistol in the history of.....forever.

They make excellent carry guns....my preference is the 5" .45 or 5" .38 Super.

I have found different carry methods that are comfortable, but my favorite is IWB leather holsters.....no retention devices, straps, shenanigans or other.....just a cocked & locked 1911 shoved inside waistband leather holster.


There are a couple that work for me....but the one that is the most comfortable and most versatile in terms of placement around the body is the Milt Sparks Summer Special II.

Due to some spine injuries & surgery, I've found my comfort spot is in front of my hip, not behind it. It's not appendix carry....but close.
Seated, standing, walking, etc.....comfort is there.

I can wear an untucked shirt (t-shirt, golf shift, Columbia/Magellan fishing shirt, etc) and it is well hidden yet easily drawn.

Now....you'll hear people protest and say they don't have the right body type to wear IWB holsters. I will simply state that I am a 4-sammich eatin' Sasquatch lookin' dude and if I can wear IWB comfortably......then.............


Milt Sparks is staffed by some super makers. They are hard at it every day. It is not a one-man operation. If somebody is out sick, vacation, etc....the show goes on. I mention that because I've been caught up in some one horse operation orders in the past that didn't work out.

That being said....Milt Sparks takes their orders via phone calls and the custom orders take 4+ months to fill.

You may get lucky with the Summer Special II, however, as they maintain an inventory that is ready to ship out right away. They'll likely be in the standard config in regard to cant & color (rough out/smooth in natural). That is what I wear most often, however I do have some dressier models in black or cordovan with sharkskin trim.

Available for online order right now:

Summer Special 2 - Store - Milt Sparks

Summer Special 2 - Store - Milt Sparks

www.miltsparks.com

Cocked and locked.....out of sight....no straps or gimmickry.

Pray I'll never need it....but comforted by having it.

 

[Lilly001]

Thank you Dub.
I’ll look into that.
An IWB would be more concealable, but I’ve never found one that works for me. At least not in my last 100 lbs.

 

[bullgator]

Check out Privateer holsters.

 

[Dub]

Check out Privateer holsters.

Wes Dahl makes a really nice line of holsters. His turnaround times have been swift.

Premium handmade leather holsters | Privateer Leather

Welcome to Privateer Leather! Your source for hand-crafted holsters and other concealed carry gear.

www.privateerleather.com

 

[Dub]

Palmetto Leatherworks in Columbia, SC makes some great holsters, too.

Also, fairly swift turnaround time.

palmettoleather.com

www.palmettoleather.com

 

[Dub]

Tim Thurner with TT Gunleather makes a great holster.

Fairly quick, great quality.

Gun Holsters

TTGunLeather - The Best Leather Gun Holsters and Gun Belts for Conceal Carry and Law Enforcement Professionals.

www.ttgunleather.com

I'm still waiting on the gun to arrive that this holster was ordered for, a railed 5" 1911 with SureFire X300 attached.

When the leather arrived I fit checked to see if my 2011 w/ SureFire would fit.....close...really close, but no cigar.

 

[Railroader]

If you don't wanna wait, go look up Don Hume and I'm sure you'll find something.

Lotsa options, nice folks on the phone, reasonably priced, and dang good stuff.

 

[Lilly001]

Hey Dub.
I’m putting my faith in you as this sites premier 1911 guy.
I ordered the summer special.
It looks like the ideal warm weather holster for the 1911.

 

[Lilly001]

I’ve been carrying the S&W shield 40 a lot, but it doesn’t instill confidence like my Kimber 1911. Nor can I shoot it anywhere near as well.

 

[Dub]

Sometimes kydex can be a good solution...these LAS Concealments have been very adjustable for various ride heights & cant.

No complaints, but not as comfortable as a 1911 in leather....but there are times when a light & optic are what I want to carry.

 

[Dub]

Hey Dub.
I’m putting my faith in you as this sites premier 1911 guy.
I ordered the summer special.
It looks like the ideal warm weather holster for the 1911.

You can't go wrong.

I'll tell you what.....if you don't like it....let me know and I'll buy it from you. I can always use a spare.


I think you'll be pleased.

They use straps with pull-the-dot snaps. Very easy to use.....if you've been warned ahead of time they are directional snaps.


I was cussing up a storm trying to get them to work with my first SS2....I didn't know about directional snaps.





I found out the hard way after calling them, lol.

questions

Taken from their website:



We use one-way or directional snaps on most of our belt attachments to keep the loop from being inadvertently opened.

If you look inside the socket portion of the snap you will see a small tab of metal that traps the copper split ring inside. This tab is the locking mechanism of the one-way snap. When the snap is closed, the tab in the socket will not allow the post of the snap to lever itself through the split ring at the point of the tab. The one-way snap can only be disengaged by outside pressure on the side of the snap opposite the side where the above-mentioned tab is located.

To work the snap, the side of the socket with the tab, must be engaged onto the post, first by angling the socket at that point to engage it. To complete the closure, you roll the socket over the post until it clicks shut. The tab on the socket will always be located on the side of the snap where the belt will encounter it. All our IWB holster loops are snapped towards the top of the holster, so you will roll the snap from the bottom up. On a holster like the Axiom where you pull the straps down to snap them, you will roll the one-way snap from the top down. Any confusion on this can be resolved by looking in the socket to see where the tab is located. That side of the snap always gets engaged onto the post first.

A quick tug on the inside of the loop will verify if the snap is engaged properly. If it pops open, it’s a good indicator that the snaps are not properly engaged. If this happens to you, please read the above description again to verify the snaps are being engaged properly. If the snaps are still failing to stay shut, please call the shop for guidance.

A light application of a wax or oil on the top rim of the post will make the snap much easier to open and close when new.

Until the leather loops get broke in, you may find it easier to pre-snap the loops and string your belt through the closed loops as opposed to using the snaps. Our holster loops are meant to fit snug on belts of our manufacture. Until the leather of the loops loosens up a bit, you might find it hard to angle the socket properly to engage the post. After a short time, the loops will break-in and be easy to actuate.

As always, please feel free to give us a call with any questions.

 

[menhadenman]

@Dub has probably forgotten more about 1911s than I know, but I have a paddle holster that works well for my two Kimbers. I have maybe 5 Don Hume holsters for some of my smaller pistols and they’re also a good buy.

 

[Adam5]

I have three depending on my mood. One is a Muddy River Tactical IWB, one is a 1791 Gunleather OWB, and the other is a Mayhem Leather OWB.

 

[Dub]

@Dub has probably forgotten more about 1911s than I know, but I have a paddle holster that works well for my two Kimbers. I have maybe 5 Don Hume holsters for some of my smaller pistols and they’re also a good buy.

I don't know much about 1911s......just like I don't know much about good looking long-legged blondes......only that I seldom see one that doesn't turn my head and get my attention.


1911s are just my comfort zone with self-defense & target handguns. .44mag revolvers still get my respect for hunting.

The single action 1911 trigger, thumb safety, grip angle, 40oz heft, etc....all combine to really perform well.


There are folks on here that know a pile more about them than me.

They may even have figured out how to shy away from them....I've not discovered how...yet.