The other day, I purchased an inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster for my Glock 48.
I have carried both a Glock 22 and a Glock 23 in an IWB, but when I bought the Model 48, I went with an outside-the-waistband (OWB) holster because it is what the store had on hand the day I bought the gun. After carrying with the OWB holster, I found it to be easier to wear and more comfortable than the IWBs. Unfortunately, carrying outside the pants means the gun is not as well concealed. Unless you have a very long cover garment, leaning over can expose the barrel of your gun and/or a portion of the holster. With most kydex or other polymer OWB holsters, the holster base is wide. Hard for someone to mistake it for a cell phone if they see it hanging off my waist.
My prior IWB holsters are all leather, mostly because 25 or 30 years ago, the best holsters were leather. I checked with my favorite suppliers, and most of the high-end leather holsters are custom made with a lead time of six or even ten weeks. Probably because there are so many varieties of guns, barrel lengths, accessory rails, and flashlight options no one wants to stock that many $150 leather holsters. I can’t say I blame them, but I didn’t want to wait months for a holster.
Locating a Holster
The two nearby gun stores, meaning less than an hour away, had nothing that fit my needs, so I bided my time. Then my wife and I drove out of town to meet old friends. On the way home, I stopped at a larger gun store. I was the only customer, and the counterman was happy to help me fiddle with holsters and try things on. We had a pleasant chat, and you can be sure I’ll stop by there again on my next trip.
I settled on a Crossbreed Reckoning holster that is set up for IWB but also comes with spare belt loops that can be added to turn it into an OWB. I doubt I will ever use this feature, since I have a perfectly good OWB holster, but I will not complain about getting an “extra.” The same holster can be used for strong-side carry and the 3 or 4 O’clock position, cross draw, or appendix carry. I opt for the strong-side carry because it is what I have trained with, what I am used to, and I don’t find appendix carry comfortable. Too much middle-age weight around my middle, I guess.
I used to have a friend who carried a Colt Lightweight Commander down the front of his pants. I saw him every day at work and never knew it for three months. So I the appendix carry worked for him, but he was skinny. It doesn’t work for me.
Crossbreed Reckoning
But back to the Reckoning. First, I had heard of this brand and knew they had a good reputation. That put me in a positive frame of mind. Second, the holster has a leather panel on the back, meaning you get the fit and adjustability of a modern kydex holster with the comfort of a smooth pad of what they call “premium leather” against your skin. I found that to be a winning combination. I think that is also why they call it a hybrid holster, because it combines the best of both worlds.
One advantage of the kydex portion of the holster is it gives you the ability to adjust your retention using an Allen wrench. They even include a small hex key in case you don’t have one. With a Phillips head screwdriver, you can move the belt clips to change the cant at which the holster rides, changing the angle of your draw. All nice options not available in an all-leather holster.
The only thing I didn’t like about the holster is the steel belt clips are attached to the holster in only one position, meaning they can rotate. I understand this is necessary for appendix carry because you may need to shift your gun around to sit at a restaurant, drive a car, or otherwise move about. For a guy used to fixed belt clips—often in leather—this was unwelcome. I tightened them down and learned to live with it. Within two or three days, it was no longer an issue.
A Good Choice
So far, I am quite pleased with the holster. I’ve worn it less than a week, too soon to heartily endorse it, but I have no complaints to date. I may revisit this in three months.
My favorite aspect of the holster is the comfort. This is turning out to be one of the most comfortable IWB holsters I’ve ever carried. Of course, the Glock 48 is one of the smallest/lightest guns I’ve carried, so that has to be a consideration.
My chief concern is the belt loops seem a bit thin, even if they are made from steel. Hopefully, they are spring steel and will always bounce back. If they bend and stay bent, you could have a useless holster.
My kydex OWB holster has a huge scratch on it. I don’t know what happened, but the gun/holster obviously got caught on something when I walked by and was torn free, leaving a gouge. It held up and works fine. If that same thing happens to one or both belt loops on this holster, how will it fare? I guess time will tell.
Open versus Concealed Carry
I posted a full article on open versus concealed carry back in August (see link below). This holster makes the gun more concealable, so I will probably opt for it when I want to carry concealed, which is often the case when heading to town or a social event.
When carrying on my land or walking the dog in our hollow, I’ll stick with open carry for the reasons mentioned in the article below. And when the temperature drops, I’ll carry a big-bore revolver in a hunting holster. But the Reckoning is now in my daily rotation.
1911s and 2011s
I have four or five holsters that fit the 1911, but I have yet to find the perfect IWB holster for it. If I ever get a 2011 or double-stack 1911 in 9mm, I’d be willing to try the Crossbreed Reckoning.
Speaking of 2011s, the gun store had the Springfield Prodigy in stock and I got to handle one. The Prodigy is Springfield’s version of the double-stack 1911. For a $1500 gun, the trigger was disappointing. I have 1911s that were half the cost of the Prodigy and have lighter triggers with less travel.
I guess I can cross the Prodigy off my list of potential 2011s.
