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 10-10-2009, 02:33 AM | #1 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 261 |  The BEST 1911 IWB holster???
Alright, I can legally carry my Colt Combat Commander now  And WOW, that thing is heavy... My thin leather IWB with a metal clip just isn't cutting it for all-day carrying (custom made from a local shop for just $35). I need something better.
So, what's the best leather IWB holster that ~$100-$125 can buy? I want something that's very thin (because I'm uber-thin), and is going to hold up well over time. It would also be nice if was comfortable. I'd like to carry at 4 o'clock, but my current holster makes my gun rub my hip raw... Would it help if the holster was fitted to sit high?
I wear 1 1/2" thick belts.
Oh, and what's the difference between horse hide and cow hide as far as holsters are concerned?
Last edited by feedsasquatch; 10-11-2009 at 03:35 AM.Reason: edited for confusion... | 
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| 10-10-2009, 03:01 AM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 1,126 |
Quote:
Originally Posted by feedsasquatch
I wear 1 1/2" thick belts. Oh, and what's the difference between horse hide and cow hide?
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One comes from a horse, the other......
Sorry, couldn't help myself.
I get my belts here: Gun Belts by The Belt Man
..... who states this:
Quote:
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Horse hide is a denser material and thus it is more abrasion and moisture resistant. Because the leather is denser, this is the stiffest gun belt we make. The internal stiffener would rarely be necessary on a belt that is this stiff already. Horse hide also lends itself to a greater degree of sheen when polished. Many professionals appreciate the look, quality and durability of horse hide.
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__________________
What is this 100m you speak of?! Here in AMERICA we shoot in YARDS boy, a meter is something I use to measure voltage with.
-- Dillinger
Wer anderen etwas vorgedacht, wird jahrelang nur ausgelacht.
Begreift man die Entdeckung endlich, so nennt sie jeder selbstverständlich.
-- Wilhelm Busch
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| 10-10-2009, 03:26 AM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 261 |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Highpower
One comes from a horse, the other......
Sorry, couldn't help myself.
I get my belts here: Gun Belts by The Belt Man
..... who states this: |
I'm looking for holsters, not belts. I need to know what the difference horse hide and cow hide makes on a holster, not a belt; as well as WHAT holster to get. But thanks... | |
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| 10-10-2009, 03:43 AM | #4 | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 1,126 |
Quote:
Originally Posted by feedsasquatch
I wear 1 1/2" thick belts. Oh, and what's the difference between horse hide and cow hide?
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Sorry, my mistake. I thought you were switching subjects at that point.... __________________
What is this 100m you speak of?! Here in AMERICA we shoot in YARDS boy, a meter is something I use to measure voltage with.
-- Dillinger
Wer anderen etwas vorgedacht, wird jahrelang nur ausgelacht.
Begreift man die Entdeckung endlich, so nennt sie jeder selbstverständlich.
-- Wilhelm Busch
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| 10-10-2009, 07:28 AM | #5 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 7,158 |
While I do not carry IWB, I have friends that carry 1911s that way and they all use the Comp-Tac MTAC. As far as the different materials - I have no idea.
If you're not using a belt designed specifically to hold a gun securely, carrying a 1911 is next to impossible. The belt is actually more important than the holster IMO. I use Wilderness Tactical Instructor 5-stitch belts and they're great and will support a full-size steel gun...
Last edited by NGIB; 10-10-2009 at 07:31 AM. | |
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| 10-10-2009, 10:01 AM | #6 | Drunk ninja Join Date: May 2009 Location: The woods, Arkansas Posts: 3,421 |
Two words...CROSS BREED. Then get yourself a new belt for it. I have pics of mine in the Concealed Carry section, up at the top. | |
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| 10-10-2009, 03:45 PM | #7 | I'm always 10-8 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: 150 miles NE of Sloppy Joe's Bar, in the "GunShine" State Posts: 19,200 Liked 7 Times on 6 Posts
Likes Given: 6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by feedsasquatch
I'm looking for holsters, not belts. I need to know what the difference horse hide and cow hide makes on a holster, not a belt; as well as WHAT holster to get. But thanks...
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And there in lies your problem! Any veteran CCW will tell you that THE most important part of your PD rig, after the correct weapon is the belt!
A good carry belt (especially for a 1911) will make a sub-standard holster work.
Even if you were to bucks up for the Milt Sparks Versa Max II but carry it on a K Mart paper-compressed belt you would be bitching about the holster.
Listen to the old farts and learn something. My carry belt cost 50% more than my holster and I didn't buy a cheap holster!
It's your life, invest in it! 
As far as horse-vs-cow, read what Andy, my holster maker says:
Holsters in Cowhide or Horsehide from Horseshoe Leather
And as for belts, +1 goes to Highpower for his belt maker choice.
I was fortunate to get one of Andy's last belts before he stopped making them. See what a true English Leather artisan recommend to his current customers:
Belts from Horseshoe Leather
We are here to help, NOT TO MAKE MEMBERS LOOK STUPID!
Capace? __________________ .
 .. Colt 11101110111..MEMBER: FAAM, NRA, GOA, DAV, USSV, SAE
Colt, everything else is stamp collecting! - cane
"Given ten days for a project, a good engineer spends nine days figuring out how to finish it in one day."
Resistance is not futile.
It's voltage divided by current (R=V/I).
"If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it on a large scale." | |
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| 10-10-2009, 03:58 PM | #8 | Call Me Doug Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: It's because I actually HAVE those skills! Posts: 21,258 |
I too got a really good quality belt when I started carrying my 1911 - and it made a world fo difference.
I went with a MIlt Sparks and it is worth every damn penny. Amazing quality and it's VERY rigid and doesn't buckle under the weight of the gun.
For an IWB, I have one of these, and it's pretty damn nice. I don't like IWB carry, but this one is the best one I have tried of about 5 total. Not a great cross section, but I really like this one and the way it conceals.
Hope that helps...
JD __________________ "as for my Sword & Spear we will serve the throne, but NEVER that man who sits upon it" - Achilles - Warrior of Warriors
Quote:
Originally Posted by doctherock
Dillinger didn't have to let me try Cammenga Mags before I bought them; but he is a man of great character & a man who's word to me now is a good as gold. If he recommends it I know its good stuff.
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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ! | |
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| 10-10-2009, 04:04 PM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Hopkinsville, Kentucky Posts: 406 |
Cross Breed Super Tuck Deluxe. I have one in horsehide (I don't wish to argue about material) and wore it for 11 hours straight with my XD45 Compact and not once did it pinch, rub, or irritate my side in anyway. Oh yeah, 7 hours of that was in a car on a long road trip! I wore it with a Cabela's Oil Tanned Ranger Belt with no problems. I do plan on getting a good "gun belt" for it eventually. My brother carries a Kimber Pro Carry I for personal defense and I highly recommended this holster to him for his 1911.
Also, I'm on the stocky side at 5'9" and 210 lbs. | |
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| 10-11-2009, 03:52 AM | #10 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 261 |
Highpower, my bad, confusing sentence. I edited my post to avoid confusion
suprdave, I've heard of crossbread, I just might look into them. "Supertuck deluxe" right?
Cane, my carry belt is a thick leather one from 5.11 tactical. I honestly don't know how it would compare to one of Andy's belts. I DO know that my cheap WM and thin dress belts do NOT work... But even with my thick leather belt my "cheap" holster makes the butt of my Colt Combat commander stick out of my side  Oh, and thanks for the links, VERY informative.
Dillinger, so did you get a miltsparks belt or IWB holster?
kusterleXD, that's what I like to hear! A holster that is comfortable all day long, even in the car and is highly concealable.
Hmmm, I just might end up with a crossbread or milt sparks before too long. Maybe I'll buy it as a birthday present for myself in November | |
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