1911 Leather or kydex Holster.

[hermosabeach]

not past

What??? Ive never seen a 1911 trigger that sticks past the trigger guard..

Kydex holster retention in many models is based upon the holster compressing into the trigger guard.

The wider triggers, thing Colt Gold Cup, are wide enough where you can have an ND if you holster with the safety off or if the safety fails.

It is not that the trigger is wider than the trigger guard.

The trigger is wide enough that the molding of the holster can hit the edge of the trigger.

[hermosabeach]

this company made one so tight the trigger left an impression in the mold

[Daisy'sDad]

Garrett Industries makes a leather lined kydex holster.
Maybe the best of both worlds for you.

[Oceanbob]

To protect your TRP and serve your needs, I would go with Jeff Cooper and get this simple solution.

The Yaqui Slide. I have one and it's perfect.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=yaqui+slide+holster&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=43852478849&hvpos=1s1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16781026999291302015&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_1srovfnwdq_b

[mr2ndamendment]

this company made one so tight the trigger left an impression in the mold

I think there's a couple things we need to bring up to supply context.

A defensive 1911 shouldn't have any match-grade super-scooper triggers on it. Moreover a defensive 1911 won't/shouldn't have an extremely light trigger pull that you'd see on a national match variant. I think people would agree with me in saying that pretty much all defensive 1911s will never come with or feature the custom wide triggers you speak of, or the ultra light and crisp triggers you'd see on a match gun. In fact, I don't know of any commercially and commonly-available 1911 that comes with such a trigger, you basically have to go out of your way to have a gunsmith install one for you and I doubt anybody would be inclined to use a match gun like that in a defensive capacity as a EDC gun. Bottom line, I think it's safe to say that 99.9% of all first-time 1911 buyers will get one with a standard-width trigger. If you really want to use that kind of trigger on your 1911 then I recommend that person to get a custom-made leather or Kydex holster to accommodate it. If you have any custom considerations on your gun there are companies that encourage you to send your gun to them so they can custom-fit their Kydex to your gun.

Next, we need to remember that Kydex holsters are all different and some are better quality than others. Just like there's different qualities of leather holsters, there are different levels of quality when it comes to Kydex -they're not all made the same. Some manufacturers cut it a little close on molding near the trigger while some don't. Even if you don't put the safety on when you holster (BAD) and your safety fails, you still have the grip safety and the half-cock notch on the hammer to protect you, assuming you didn't go in there yourself and monkey with anything.

Conclusion: I don't think this is a concern that would ever prohibit someone from using such a valuable asset as Kydex holsters. It's almost like saying I shouldn't buy an expensive/beautiful house because a fire could possibly burn it down.

[LAKings22]

i know the wait time is considerable. if you're sold on the 1911 and know it's not one you will unload, the wait is worth the patience required. Milt Sparks gunleather has always been high quality. after the passing of the late Milt Sparks, Milt Sparks Holsters, Inc. has continued to put out excellent gunleather.

there are many examples of this holster on the online auction circuit, especially with the popularity of the 1911; ebay and Gunbroker most always have examples. the downside of online auction purchases on Milt Sparks gunleather is high cost; frequently you will pay much more at auction to avoid the wait period of buying from the maker.

all examples of the 55BN that i own are OldSchool Milt Sparks (made during the lifetime of the late Milt Sparks; marked 'Idaho City'). with patience, i have picked up several pristine examples at rather low cost.

I started to over think my purchase yesterday and am starting to consider the Milt Sparks holster.

I also thought about purchasing a Galco super combat (I think that's the model) only to try it out before ordering a custom holster.

Or don't waste any extra money on the Galco and just order the Milt Sparks holster and use the plastic holster that came with my TRP in the mean time.

As for the Milt Sparks, I'm debating between the original 55BN and the CC-AT. Any experience with the CC-AT?

[bsg]

I started to over think my purchase yesterday and am starting to consider the Milt Sparks holster.

I also thought about purchasing a Galco super combat (I think that's the model) only to try it out before ordering a custom holster.

Or don't waste any extra money on the Galco and just order the Milt Sparks holster and use the plastic holster that came with my TRP in the mean time.

As for the Milt Sparks, I'm debating between the original 55BN and the CC-AT. Any experience with the CC-AT?

i have no history with the CC-AT. i believe that it only comes with an FBI cant (muzzle to the rear). there is no reinforcement strip to the mouth of the holster, but i would assume the leather is stiff. the Sparks description of the holster states that the holster holds it's shape after the draw. the CC-AT has some features that i find to be desirable.

the 55BN is a variation of the late Bruce Nelson's '#1 Professional' holster. most top holster makers today make their own version of this holster, but the Milt Sparks offering is considered by many to be the gold standard that holsters of this style are measured by. the late Milt Sparks took this minimalist influenced holster and added features to it without making it too bulky for practical use. the 55BN has a reinforcement strip at the mouth of the holster (#1 Professional did not). holster is stiff and features a belt loop and slot combination for attaching holster to belt; this is a very effective combination that pulls the gun tight to the body. the 55BN features a sight rail/channel that serves to protect the front sight (#1 Professional did not).

i have two variations of the 55BN for the G19; muzzle straight up and muzzle slightly to the rear (FBI cant). i have one example of the 55BN for non-railed Sig P220/P226 with muzzle cant slightly to the rear. the fit of all three holsters is perfect to the guns they were made for and all the points made in favor of the 55BN on the Sparks internet site are true with the older examples that i have. i have other OldSchool Milt Sparks holsters, but also have a few holsters made by the current crew. the quality of my holsters from the company as it currently is staffed is excellent+.

i happen to have a number of examples of gunleather made by the late Bruce Nelson, including the #1 Professional holster. i would highly recommend anything that was made by Bruce Nelson. however, finding gunleather made by him is very difficult and for purpose of your current search it is not a practical recommendation for me to make.

[LAKings22]

i have no history with the CC-AT. i believe that it only comes with an FBI cant (muzzle to the rear). there is no reinforcement strip to the mouth of the holster, but i would assume the leather is stiff. the Sparks description of the holster states that the holster holds it's shape after the draw. the CC-AT has some features that i find to be desirable.

the 55BN is a variation of the late Bruce Nelson's '#1 Professional' holster. most top holster makers today make their own version of this holster, but the Milt Sparks offering is considered by many to be the gold standard that holsters of this style are measured by. the late Milt Sparks took this minimalist influenced holster and added features to it without making it too bulky for practical use. the 55BN has a reinforcement strip at the mouth of the holster (#1 Professional did not). holster is stiff and features a belt loop and slot combination for attaching holster to belt; this is a very effective combination that pulls the gun tight to the body. the 55BN features a sight rail/channel that serves to protect the front sight (#1 Professional did not).

i have two variations of the 55BN for the G19; muzzle straight up and muzzle slightly to the rear (FBI cant). i have one example of the 55BN for non-railed Sig P220/P226 with muzzle cant slightly to the rear. the fit of all three holsters is perfect to the guns they were made for and all the points made in favor of the 55BN on the Sparks internet site are true with the older examples that i have. i have other OldSchool Milt Sparks holsters, but also have a few holsters made by the current crew. the quality of my holsters from the company as it currently is staffed is excellent+.

i happen to have a number of examples of gunleather made by the late Bruce Nelson, including the #1 Professional holster. i would highly recommend anything that was made by Bruce Nelson. however, finding gunleather made by him is very difficult and for purpose of your current search it is not a practical recommendation for me to make.

I've been doing alot of searches and found a few other quality custom leather holster makers and noticed most have the 55BN style and all are more expensive.

I found a few reviews with people who have the CC-AT and have never used the tension screw because the holster already has and tight fit and has stayed that way through years of use. So the CC-AT is off my list.

It comes down to the 55BN which is a classic and proven to be a top tier holster or the 2nd option which is the IBAK pancake style holster. Reason why I keep bringing in a pancake style holster in the picture is because it looks like it's more comfortable.

I've been using a belt I picked up from the beltman for about a year now and it's proven to be much better then any department store belt. However, I'm still a overweight guy and any handgun I carry is going to dig in to my side when sitting down (motivation to lose weight). From my understanding the pancake style holster distributes the weight better vs somthing like the 55BN that has the loops so close together. If that's the case with the IBAK, I'm assuming when I holster my 1911, it might sit more firm on my side.

I'm going to send an email or call them tomorrow and see which one they recommend for a fat guy.

[bsg]

I've been doing alot of searches and found a few other quality custom leather holster makers and noticed most have the 55BN style and all are more expensive.

I found a few reviews with people who have the CC-AT and have never used the tension screw because the holster already has and tight fit and has stayed that way through years of use. So the CC-AT is off my list.

It comes down to the 55BN which is a classic and proven to be a top tier holster or the 2nd option which is the IBAK pancake style holster. Reason why I keep bringing in a pancake style holster in the picture is because it looks like it's more comfortable.

I've been using a belt I picked up from the beltman for about a year now and it's proven to be much better then any department store belt. However, I'm still a overweight guy and any handgun I carry is going to dig in to my side when sitting down (motivation to lose weight). From my understanding the pancake style holster distributes the weight better vs somthing like the 55BN that has the loops so close together. If that's the case with the IBAK, I'm assuming when I holster my 1911, it might sit more firm on my side.

I'm going to send an email or call them tomorrow and see which one they recommend for a fat guy.

i see that you're in the north hollywood area. i'm in the san gabriel valley. if you'd like, you can stop over at my place this weekend (probably sat morning) and try some holsters on and see what styles work and what styles don't; the proof is in the puddin. the holsters are mostly for Sigs, Glocks and S&W revolvers, but you could get an idea regarding fit. i've got a fairly wide array of holsters varying from OldSchool Alessi ankle holsters to IWB Milt Sparks VM2 and much in-between, so you could get some ideas for other applications as well as your current search. send me a PM if you think that might help, and we'll figure something out.

regarding the 55BN, i believe the option with FBI cant would be most forgiving of extra baggage over the waistline, simply because this holster can be placed to a further rearward position than the muzzle straight-down position holster; the vast amount of our excess baggage hangs from the front and side, but there is a partial forgiveness clause at the 4:00-5:00 position.

regarding your Beltman Belt; Beltman puts out a good belt and the pricing is reasonable. i have a few examples of Beltman belts. for your next gunbelt, consider one that is contoured. i believe you'll find the comfort level to be improved with a contoured belt. i have an OldSchool Milt Sparks gunbelt and an OldSchool Bruce Nelson Combat Leather gunbelt; they are both contoured and i prefer them to my Beltman examples because of their natural fit to my waist; YMMV.

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

I have both, two leather and one Kydex.

The 1911 sees all sorts of work, but the Kydex is what I wear if I'm, say, working on my car.

The leather ones are used most of the time, though. My favorite is the Super Speed Scabbard by Ken Null. It's horsehide and is just superior to most other holsters for my type of OWB concealed carry.

Regards,

Josh

[Seaweed02]

Have both in the same one!

A couple posters already nominated it. But I love this so much after buying one for my Glock 21 that I also bought one for my new Nighthawk Custom GRP, and another one for my Glock 42 that I haven't even got yet, but its on order and I already have the holster. You get the tightness of a Kydex and the soft protection of leather all in one. Here is a YouTube review. http://youtu.be/oxzn_46O6iY

[LAKings22]

i see that you're in the north hollywood area. i'm in the san gabriel valley. if you'd like, you can stop over at my place this weekend (probably sat morning) and try some holsters on and see what styles work and what styles don't; the proof is in the puddin. the holsters are mostly for Sigs, Glocks and S&W revolvers, but you could get an idea regarding fit. i've got a fairly wide array of holsters varying from OldSchool Alessi ankle holsters to IWB Milt Sparks VM2 and much in-between, so you could get some ideas for other applications as well as your current search. send me a PM if you think that might help, and we'll figure something out.

regarding the 55BN, i believe the option with FBI cant would be most forgiving of extra baggage over the waistline, simply because this holster can be placed to a further rearward position than the muzzle straight-down position holster; the vast amount of our excess baggage hangs from the front and side, but there is a partial forgiveness clause at the 4:00-5:00 position.

regarding your Beltman Belt; Beltman puts out a good belt and the pricing is reasonable. i have a few examples of Beltman belts. for your next gunbelt, consider one that is contoured. i believe you'll find the comfort level to be improved with a contoured belt. i have an OldSchool Milt Sparks gunbelt and an OldSchool Bruce Nelson Combat Leather gunbelt; they are both contoured and i prefer them to my Beltman examples because of their natural fit to my waist; YMMV.

I appreciate the offer and will PM you later this week if I can make it out this weekend.

[bwhited]

You make a good point here but I would go one step farther.
If you have a wide trigger, DO NOT use it with a holster.
Any holster may have the ability to work against a wide trigger and cause the trigger to be pulled.

Trigger

If you have a wide trigger on a 1911, go with leather.

Kydex retains off of the trigger guard. The wider triggers and match triggers can trip the trigger with the edge of the retention set up on kydex.

With the safety on, pulling the trigger should not fire the gun. But not worth the risk to me.

If you are going to shoot a lot from a holster, I prefer 100% kydex over 1/2 kydex (crossbreed) or leather.