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Concealed Carry Holsters, Equipment and Accessories Questions, answers and discussions regarding equipment specific to concealed carry.

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Old 08-28-2014, 10:30 PM
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AC89 AC89 is offline
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Default Quick review of 5.11 AIWB holster

Quick review of the 5.11 Appendix IWB holster.

Made by Bladetech for 5.11 the Appendix IWB holster is an inexpensive option that's not bad, but could see some improvement. Being my only AIWB holster I can't compare it to others on the market but I can tell you what Like and don't like.

Pros

fits gun very well
Full length sight channel
Flashlight loop
Full sweat guard
Positive retention when worn
Metal Clip

Neutral

Retention is not adjustable due to grommets

Cons

Rides too low with a 1.5" belt to easily get a firing grip
Clip is not adjustable for ride height
Not tuck-able
Belt clip has 5.11 logo on face

Overall its a good offering from 5.11, however with a 1.5" belt the holster rides a little low to easily obtain a proper grip on the pistol. To draw you will need to sort of sweep in from the right to cant the rear of the pistol to the left, this will allow you to get a proper grip. With out owning a 1.75" belt I couldn't tell you if it fixes the problem, although I have padded the extra space in the clip and it does allow for a proper firing grip. This leads me to suspect that a 1.75" belt would solve the problem of the holster riding a little low.

The draw is smooth with no hangs once you get past the initial snap of the retention. Holstering is much the same way, easy out, easy in. When holstering, the pistol slides in and securely snaps into place with an audible and tactile click. Out side of the pants the holster will feel a little light on retention but once worn the retention is about perfect.

The belt clip is well made and fairly wide with a nice belt hook at the bottom of the front face insuring it will stay on the belt. It would be nice to see an adjustable clip of sorts for different ride heights and belt sizes. It also would have been good to have the ability to tuck in a shirt with this holster, but because the clip is mounted directly to the front face of the holster this is not possible.

The loop at the top of the sight channel for a flash light is a nice touch, although a little risky. It conveniently holds 5.11 lights in the gap created by the holster. However if you only need to use a flash light lifting the shirt to access it at the holster puts one at risk of exposing the holster and weapon. This unfortunately may potentially lead to legal issues should some one see the holster or firearm. There are ways to draw the light that mitigate the issue, however apparel and draw technique would have to be practiced so as not to expose the holster.

Overall I do like this holster and it conceals my G19 quite well. However I do find some of the above mentioned draw backs to be annoying, but not deal breaking.

The holster can be found at the 5.11 site, or at Opticsplanet.
*Note optics planet picture shows what looks like the 5.11 thumb drive holster not AIWB holster.
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