The box arrived today, and I am VERY pleased with what I got. CAVEAT: on the website, they show a holster with two tension adjustment screws. That is the new version. The old version of the same holster has just one tension screw, just below the trigger guard, where the top one in the picture on the website is located. That’s what the Galco CS guy told me on the phone before I ordered mine. However, when I ordered, right handed holsters show an availability of 04/02/19 if ordered right now, while left handed models are still in stock. Of course, the left handed models still in stock are left overs of the first version, with a single tension screw....and that’s what I received.
That said, this holster is EXTREMELY well made. It is made of full grain steer hide, beautifully tanned to a rich creamy brown. The lining is suede, so owners will have to periodically clean the inside out so that the suede finish doesn’t capture and retain grit, which would eventually rub off the finish of your gun. I plan to do just that, not to mention that I’m pretty sendentary these days and not spending much time riding through duststorms, or engaging in Dodge City saloon brawls. The leather is well boned, and fairly stiff. The stitching is tight and regularly spaced, with no loose threads hanging off of it. The thumb strap doesn’t seem at all flimsy. I own two Safariland/Bianchi pancake Glock holsters with thumb straps, and while they are pretty good holsters, they seem flimsy in comparison. i also own a Galco Miami Classic shoulder holster with thumb strap, and it seems flimsy by comparison, as does another Galco for Glocks (can’t remember the model name) that I own - and none of those are junk holsters. They’re perfectly good ones. It’s just that this Phoenix Belt Holster is obviously one of the nicest products that Galco makes, from any kind of hide.
As you can see from the pictures on the product page, this holster can be worn either Strong-Side or Cross-Draw, which is one of the reasons I chose it over other models in the first place. Wearing it either way is pretty comfortable, keeping in mind that, even unloaded the TRR8 is a 35 oz gun - the scandium frame notwithstanding. And, the cross-draw carry solves a dilemma for us lefties, while driving our vehicles. The combination of a full-sized revolver and this holster makes concealment a bit problematic - even for someone of my ....uh.... prosperous dimensions - but it is possible. Carried strong-side, the holster keeps the gun tucked in fairly close to my side with most of the weight distributed below the level of the belt, so there is no tendency of the grip to sag away from my body. Carried cross draw, the weight is also low, although the butt of the gripstock does protrude forward enough to make concealment pretty much out of the question. I will most likely be using this gun and holster combination for hunting/camping/field use, or possibly occasional social open carry. The holster is certainly elegant enough for a BBQ gun.
Right now, the gun is a pretty tight fit in the holster, and it is going to take a little braking-in to loosen it up enough to make drawing and reholstering practical, but that is easily accomplished with a little Saran Wrap or plastic baggies. The flip side is that it retains its shape very well without the gun in it, so reholstering will be a lot easier once it is broken in.
At $159.00, it is not cheaply priced. It is, however, worth every penny of the price. Galco also makes a version of it to fit various manufacturer’s 4”, 5”, and 6” revolvers, as well as several makes of 1911 semiautos. I wish they made versions to fit 9mm Glocks, but they don’t, or I’d buy another one for my G17.
This is a truly great quality holster, and I expect that it would last decades with regular use. It will almost certainly outlive me. I would not hesitate to recommend it to others. I’ve included several pictures of it below.
