Glock 43 Holster Roundup Part II

As I mentioned before in Part I I'm going to be doing quite a bit of shooting with the new single stack 9mm Glock 43 over the coming months so I'm going to take the opportunity to check out some different holsters (if for no other reason than there isn't a VG2 in wee size yet). I spent the past weekend at a Sage Dynamics course at USSA and worked my way through some of the gear that came last Thursday (which you saw in Part I), as well as some of those that arrived on Friday. Among the latter was a whole series of holster and magazine options from Blackpoint Tactical and PHLster.

In addition to a very nice snubby rig I need for another project (more on that later), Philadelphia-based PHLster shipped a G43 Skeleton holster and their dedicated mag pouch. PHLster magazine pouches for G42 and G43 are built differently than those for other models because of the size (they also offer the Access for the G43 and are currently finishing up pre-orders, with new orders subject to their standard wait times. The Skeleton is a nice minimalist IWB design that uses an injected molded strut from Raven Concealment to make it adjustable from right to left handed (ride height can also be adjusted). I wore mine AIWB but it could certainly be worn in a different position. The quality of my Skeleton's construction was exactly what I expected from PHLster. They also sent a kit used to further modify how the holster wears should a buyer desire it, but I haven't yet messed with that yet.

The mag carrier system PHLster sent is particularly intriguing. It's set up so it can be ‘mounted' in a number of different positions, including IWB, bag or pack or down in a pocket. I used it for about half a day Saturday down in a pocket, then all day Sunday from the IWB position in a center position in line with my navel (at Aaron Cowan's suggestion). More on that later, but I really like it – in fact I'm wearing it as I type this.

Georgia-based Blackpoint sent a representative selection of their whole damn lineup, not just the Mini-Wing (which was my original request), but a hybrid, a Leather Wing for pistol with WML, a couple different methods of carrying mags (IWB and OWB) and a Modular Accessory Pouch (MAP).

The MAP is an extremely modular and customizable method of carrying assorted ‘necessaries', and not just pistol magazines. It combines Kydex and leather, much as the Blackpoint ‘Wing' holsters that preceded it. Blackpoint describes the Leather Wing as their best selling holster, which seems understandable. I prefer a Kydex holster, but the leather back does add to a level of comfort. The combination of the two materials is a good alloy and one a couple of my friends took an immediate liking to. I only spent about half a day using the Mini-Wing but so far I like it. As an aside, gun carriers with a particular interest in sartorial matters will be happy to know Blackpoint offers a wide range of leather- and Kydex-color combinations. This won't matter unless you're an open carrier, but even concealed aesthetics are understandably important to some people.

The final bit of kit to arrive last Friday were mag extensions from Taran Tactical Innovations (technically a TTI Firepower Base Pad). Obviously one drawback of the Glock 43 is the limited magazine capacity. Although I don't find that to be nearly as significant an issue (for my purposes) as some people seem to, there's certainly nothing wrong with plussing up a couple rounds. I'm sure it'll be good to go, but we'll make sure after a some more range time.

Ultimately the choice of a holster is a matter of individual taste, preference and experimentation. This is particularly true when it comes to the selection of an AIWB holster because so much depends on ride height, cant, material, placement, etc. I'll provide more feedback as I have more time to wear the different breeds and styles.

There are some other holsters still on their way, I think, and a Galco rig has already arrived. I know I need to look at Zorn's Skinny Rig, I've heard good things about Alien Gear and I know a lot of folks run holsters from Off the Grid Concepts. Keepers Concealment does good work of course. There were also some good suggestions after I ran Part I. Lemme know if you think there's another brand I should try.

More to follow. That's all I have now – go forth and conquer.

You can find PHLster on Facebook here; Blackpoint is on Facebook here and Taran Tactical here.