Why a good holster is necessary for concealed carry

[pedalman]

This is why I use a good holster.

Last Saturday, our band had a private party gig in Katy. Naturally, I was wearing my G19 in my CTAC holster. When we arrived at the venue (Great Southwest Equestrian Center), we went in to see where to set up.

Our drummer was walking ahead of me between some horse stables, when I must have hit a slick spot and fell to my hands and knees, pretty hard. At first, I didn't think about my pistol. After being helped to my feet, I noticed that my cell phone was lying on the ground. I then reached back to 4:00 to see if I was still armed.

No sweat. The Glock never budged at all. My right knee hurts like the dickens, but I retained my sidearm with penache and aplomb.

So, whatever you do, DO NOT skimp on a holster purchase (or the belt that holds it). Buy a good one that is matched to your carry handgun. You won't be sorry.

[longtooth]

Very well put pedalman.

[CompVest]

Let's see spend several hundred dollars for a handgun and a few ten dollar bills for a good holster is too much? Never could understand the logic getting a cheap holster, now a good holster cheaply...

[mr.72]

Never could understand the logic getting a cheap holster

I can.

It has nothing at all to do with the price compared with the cost of the gun, but more to do with the perceived value of the goods in hand.

In short, a Comp-Tac MTAC might be a great holster (I am sure it is), but it sure as heck does not feel like $75 worth of leather and plastic to those not already acclimated to the extreme high prices of niche market items for CCW.

[bryang]

Excellent point, pedalman!
You can never overestimate the importance of a good quality holster and belt.
I am sorry about you fall, but glad that you are okay.

-geo

[bdickens]

Everything that is made for a "niche market" is priced high. It has to be, because the manufacturers can't get the volume of sales necessary to make a profit by selling at low prices.

You ought to try buying tools from MAC or Snap-On sometime. When you have to pay $30 or so for a socket wrench you can't get anywhere else, then you can complain about the pricing of "niche market" items.

[mr.72]

Tools from Mac or Snap-On are not a viable comparison to holsters, since you can buy perfectly usable tools for far less money because everyone uses them. It's not a niche market.

Anyway, I don't think it's that the manufacturers cannot get enough sales volume to "make a profit". Maybe they cannot achieve enough volume to make a living. However it's still just supply and demand.

Mostly it is that many holsters are still hand-made, and thus they are very labor-intensive. The manufacturers may be buying materials in very small quantities which elevates their material costs. Increasing the volume of production would result in a cut in the cost of materials, and also automating the manufacture to the extent that it is feasible will both decrease the per-unit cost and improve the consistency and quality of most holsters (I am talking mostly about kydex).

The reason we don't see these efficiencies of scale in the holster business, on the whole, is due to the fractionalizing of the market on the part of suppliers. For example, a MTAC and a Crossbreed Supertuck are substantially similar products, enough that there is probably not room for both on the market in the long term. Eventually one or the other will likely be marginalized while the other manufacturer will grow and recognize the improved efficiency due to taking over market share from their former competitor. Likewise there are a bunch of non-unique products being offered and over time, these manufacturers will consolidate, weaker competitors will drop off and the stronger ones will grow and we will see a gradual reduction in the price, increase in quantity, and a dramatic reduction in the number of different vendors. Eventually I would expect there to be three to five major manufacturers for "normal" stuff, and a few dozen "boutique" manufacturers. The current pricing will likely remain for the boutique guys, and the normal stuff is going to go way down in cost. If I had to project, I would think Comp-Tac, Don Hume, Galco, maybe Uncle Mike's are likely to emerge as the long-term contenders, while Milt Sparks, DM Bullard, High Noon, et. al. are going to remain as boutique makers.

IMHO. But this is common economic/emerging-market growth.

[bdickens]

It is a viable comparison. You are obviously not in my line of work. When you use a tool all day long, you come to appreciate what the difference is between the wrench you got at WalMart and the one you got from Snap-On. Besides, I have whole drawers full of tools you can't get at Sears for any price. Quality costs money. Specialized items cost even more money.

My valve adjusting wrenches for the older Mercedes diesel engines sure don't feel like $100 worth of steel, but try to do that job without them and try to find the tools to do it for less money at Sears.

But all that is beside the point. If you shop around and get an idea of what the going rate is for holsters, you see that $75 is actually a very good price for a high quality, specialized item.

[pedalman]

It is a viable comparison. You are obviously not in my line of work. When you use a tool all day long, you come to appreciate what the difference is between the wrench you got at WalMart and the one you got from Snap-On. Besides, I have whole drawers full of tools you can't get at Sears for any price. Quality costs money. Specialized items cost even more money.

You're preaching to the choir on that. I quit turning wrenches on motorcycles back in 1998, but I still have my Snap-On tools. I'm glad I kept them. I have had the occasion to use them, particularly my wobble extensions for my sockets.

[mr.72]

I never claimed that $75 was not the current market value for a quality holster. But I do claim that the current market value is inflated dramatically due to the niche market and lack of consolidation amongst suppliers.

I build hand-wired guitar amplifiers. I am well aware of the distinction between a boutique item (such as your Snap-On tools) vs. a common market item.

[DoubleJ]

Tools from Mac or Snap-On are not a viable comparison to holsters, since you can buy perfectly usable tools for far less money because everyone uses them. It's not a niche market.

We're talking about tools. a wrench is a tool. a handgun is a tool.
I used to think along the same lines. carried a S&W Sigma 9VE in an Uncle Mike's nylon IWB holster.
then I bought a real gun, a real holster, and a real belt.
difference is night and day.

you'll try it all one day, and you'll see.

[mr.72]

I have a FIST K3, a Crossbreed Supertuck, and a Kahr.

I guess these are not "real" tools?

[bdickens]

Mr. 72, why are you taking things so personally? Relax. We're all on the same team here.

I did not "put words in your mouth" nor did I say that you "...claimed that $75 was not the current market value for a quality holster." What you did say is that "...a Comp-Tac MTAC might be a great holster (I am sure it is), but it sure as heck does not feel like $75 worth of leather and plastic to those not already acclimated to the extreme high prices of niche market items for CCW." Forgive me if I misunderstood you, but by your choice of words that sounds like you are complaining about the high price of "niche market" items like holsters. All I did was point out that "niche market" items command a high price of economic necessity and I gave an example of professional quality tools as an additional example of how that is so.

When I first started shopping for a holster, I had no idea how much one cost. I'd never bought one before. I thought maybe $40. Well, after a little web surfing, I found out different and I had to adjust my conception of the price range for holsters.

[KaiserB]

Tools from Mac or Snap-On are not a viable comparison to holsters, since you can buy perfectly usable tools for far less money because everyone uses them. It's not a niche market.

Anyway, I don't think it's that the manufacturers cannot get enough sales volume to "make a profit". Maybe they cannot achieve enough volume to make a living. However it's still just supply and demand.

You are very close on your theory. In economics if no substitute items are available the price is pressured upwards. Because very few tool manufacturers meet the Mac or Snap-On quality level there are very few substitute products, thus less competition (at that quality level), thus a higher price.

In essence Mac and Snap-On form an oligopoly in economic terms.

[mr.72]

bdickens, you did misunderstand, or maybe I failed to communicate. You attributed an opinion to me, when I was making an observation.

I was not complaining about the inflated price of a niche market item, rather I was pointing out the reality that it is a niche market item, and until you are acclimated to these pricing expectations, it is perfectly reasonable to think that they are way out of line.

This is an explanation of why someone would buy a cheap holster. Until you have adapted your conception of value to the reality of the current market prices for CCW accessories, then the cheap holsters look a lot more attractive.

FWIW I think practically speaking, a cheap holster for a first-time user is a very useful first step, since they won't know what they need in a holster until after they have carried for a little while. A little bit of experience is very instructive, and you might as well waste as little as possible the first time around.