Nylon Holsters For Concealed Carry

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By Joseph J Davis - 1/22/21

Nylon holsters are very popular among new shooters, for a few reasons.

1) They’re very inexpensive. Most I’ve seen are less than $20, this one was $9 with free shipping.

2) They are not model specific, so this one holster can fit several different handguns.

3) They are seemingly high quality. I want to emphasize *seemingly*, because I’ll see hundreds or thousands of 4 and 5 star reviews.

There are a good number of 1 star reviews, but they’re usually overshadowed by the sheer number of 4 and 5 star reviews. These holsters are often marketed for inside and outside the waistband carry, and that’s what a lot of the reviewers are using them for.

Compare that kind of feedback to, let’s say, Reddit, where almost every post I see of people carrying, or are interested in buying nylon holsters are met with a solid wall of “nylon is trash”.

So which is it? Well, we have a solid list of what holsters need to do if they’re going to be used for concealed carry.

I got this list from Active Response Training, and I’ll put a link in the description. Holsters need to;

- Fit the gun.

- Cover the trigger guard completely.

- Protect the trigger from being pulled from outside.

- Allow for a full firing grip.

- Hold the handgun securely.

- Allow for a one-handed reholster.

I’ve got a nylon holster here, and a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9, so let’s put it to the test.

Does it fit? Yes, and it fits quite nicely.

Does it cover the trigger guard completely? Kind of. It covers it, although I can get a finger in there pretty easily.

Does it protect the trigger? Yes, and the material is thick enough to where I don’t think it will wear down enough for me to be able to pull the trigger from the outside, for a while, at least. It will wear eventually and become malleable enough to pull the trigger.

Can I get a full firing grip? No, there’s a gap between my finger and where it needs to be, so I will have to adjust my grip during the draw stroke. There’s enough to worry about during the draw stroke. Anything extra slows the process down and increases the chances of dropping it or failing to disengage a thumb safety, if there is one.

Does it hold the handgun securely? Without the thumb strap, absolutely not, I barely shake the holster and the handgun falls out. With the thumb strap, it seems to hold it okay. It’s moving a little bit, which I don’t like, and I certainly wouldn’t trust such a small thumb strap button to hold a fully loaded handgun. Especially if I have to run, jump, or I’m in a grapple with someone. Plus, consider having to undo the thumb strap as part of the draw stroke.

Now I’ll put this holster on in the 3 o’clock IWB position. I’ll have my shirt tucked in and no cover garment so you can see everything clearly, and we’ll check that last question.

Can I reholster it unassisted? Not easily. It’s collapsed a little bit, so I either have to take the holster off, use my other hand to open it up, or try to wiggle the muzzle in. I’d much prefer not to have to do any of that. Also, when the material softens up, there’s a chance it can get caught in the trigger guard and pull the trigger during the reholster.

Now let’s compare that to a Kydex holster. This is a Dark Star Gear Hitchhiker Shield holster.

Does it fit? Considering this holster is model specific, I would hope so, and yes it does.

Does it cover the trigger guard completely? Yes

Does it protect the trigger? Yes, Kydex is a hard material.

Can I get a full firing grip on the handgun while it’s in the holster? Yes.

Does it hold the gun securely? Yes. No matter how hard I shake it, or hit it, it will not come out unless I give it a solid pull with a solid grip.

Now I’ll put this holster on in the 3 o’clock IWB position. I’ll have my shirt tucked in and no cover garment so you can see everything clearly. As a side note, this claw is for AIWB, but I’m wearing it in the 3 o’clock IWB position just to compare it to the nylon holster.

Can I reholster it unassisted? Yes, very easily.

After comparing the two, I’d say the Kydex holster wins, by a lot.

I would strongly recommend avoiding nylon holsters for concealed carry. I understand that Kydex holsters are a lot more expensive than nylon holsters, but you don’t want to buy a $600 handgun, and put it in a $10 holster, especially when that holster can’t even accomplish the bare minimum, and presents a number of safety risks. There are a lot of quality Kydex holster options out there. Dark Star Gear is one of them. I have had positive experiences and I would recommend checking them out.

If you have an oddity of a handgun and are unable to procure another one, try to find someone who can custom make you a Kydex holster.

That leaves the question. What are nylon holsters good for? To me, they do have a few uses.

1) Airsoft, since there are no real handguns or live ammo, just plastic BBs. They should only be carried and used inside of a designated airsoft zone. The thumb strap is fine since we’re not dealing with real life or death situations. Our holster options are a lot more lenient.

2) Carrying handguns outside the waistband at the range for target shooting. Mostly just to have somewhere to put a handgun while changing targets, or something like that. No time pressure. No stress.

3) This is really specific, but one time my parents mounted a nylon holster to one of our 4-wheelers to hold a .44 magnum, and that worked out really well. It was bolted to one of the front fenders, it pointed at a downward angle so it wasn’t muzzling anyone’s legs, it had a thumb strap so it wouldn’t fly out. and it was convenient to have it there while we were riding around the woods, or doing some trail work, but that’s a very specific situation, and not at all related to concealed carry.

Nylon holsters have their uses, but I would recommend Kydex if you are looking at carrying.

- Joseph J Davis

References

Active Response Training

https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/you-need-a-better-holster