Right now, whether all shooters realize it or not, we are in a renaissance period of not only carry pistols, but holsters as well. It is becoming increasingly common to see everyday carry (EDC) pistols sporting miniature red dots, rails acceptant of infinite accessories, and Custom Shop upgrades like gold (TiN – titanium nitride) barrels. With all of these improvements we similarly need holsters that can carry these tricked-out carry pieces. That is where something like the N8 Tactical Xecutive IWB (Inside-the-Waistband) Holster comes into play.

When I get a new gun, I want my holster NOW! Wait times for custom holsters can rival the drive-through at In-N-Out on a Saturday night, but I also want to make sure I get what I want. Fortunately, Blackhawk has introduced a new option for reasonable holster wait times. Just unveiling the Blackhawk Custom Holsters Shop, the company is promising to build and ship your custom holster within 72 hours.

I don’t know about you, but carrying a rigid, metal gun in a rigid, plastic holster can sometimes be uncomfortable. Depending on the position in which you carry your firearm, your setup can rub against your bones or skin. To help alleviate some of the discomforts of everyday carry, Galco Holsters has entered a new solution. Meant to be used as padding between you and your firearm, this is Galco’s MyCloud accessory for inside-the-waistband holsters.

Earlier this year, Blackhawk released their new Stache IWB holster. Obviously targeted for concealed carry, they wanted to make a rigid and modular inside the waistband option. Initially only available for a few popular handguns, Blackhawk now expands Stache to fit emerging contenders in the concealed carry market, including the Springfield Armory Hellcat and the Taurus GX4.

Everyone who carries has a different experience. However, one experience that we all share is the seemingly neverending search for the best belt and hoster. That perfect holster means nothing if you don’t have the perfect belt to hold it up. Belts have a surprising number of boxes they need to check. Before I started carrying, I thought all that mattered was that they held your pants up. Gun belts can be thick, heavy, stiff, tall, and can begin to droop regardless of which of those qualities it maintained. Fortunately, gun belt technology has been advancing at the same rate as holsters. We’ve seen a shift from leather to nylon, and now to some pretty cool polymer materials. Innovation doesn’t stop at materials. As you’re about to see, there is more than one way to close a belt. This is the Apogee Belt from Boxer Tactical.

Raven Concealment Systems has been cranking out holsters, magazine carriers, and related products for over a decade. Some of their noted prior offerings include items like Eidolon holsters and the Vanguard series, or their Copia mag pouches. Now they’ve released a new mag carrier, originally designed for low-profile usage to conceal AR/M4 mags under plain clothes. The main use case for the style of Raven’s new Lictor AR Magazine Pouch would be in the context of a personal security detail or armed bodyguard situation, which is where the Latin-origin name “Lictor” comes from. Check out the press release below for product details.

Personally, I hate jeans. Unlike my colleague James Reeves, the outer garments have always been too tight, with too few options for pockets, and I feel they are restricting to me in warmer climates when I need clothing to be loose. I hate having to make a pincer-like motion with my fingers just to get anything out of the front pockets. And the smaller coin pockets? Why? Do we still use coins anymore?

Telor Tactical is a Georgia-based holster company. They make holsters for all manners of concealment, as well as 40mm round carriers, masks, and even seat cushions. I was recently tasked with reviewing three of their holsters: the Comfort-Air ITW Holster, the Comfort-Air Bodyband Holster, and the Comfort-Air LE Ankle Holster. I carried each of these in rotation over the three months, and have some thoughts. Let’s get into it. 

Subcompact pistols are becoming one of the most popular options for today’s concealed carriers and with the onset of that popularity comes a need for concealment holsters. Safariland is rising to meet this need with the 575 Slim Pro-Fit Holster. The new holster has great features like its GLS (Grip Locking System), multi-fit capability, and red dot optic readiness.

Multi-function holsters are becoming more and more popular by the day. Weber Tactical has just introduced the latest addition to their holster lineup – the Trifecta multi-function concealment holster. The Trifecta at its base starts out as an inside the waistband holster, but with just a Leatherman and a few moments, you can transform the Trifecta from an IWB to an OWB holster.

With International Women’s Day being this week, I figured it would be an appropriate time to talk about carrying concealed for women and some of their struggles. There’s an old saying that says “God made men, Colt made them equal”. This saying is even more true for women and over the last decade, there has been an increase in women carrying concealed firearms for self defense. The firearms market is dominated by males and because of that, the majority of products are designed with a man’s body structure in mind. Some women have real struggles in finding the right firearm and gear for themselves. Let’s dive into the struggles of concealed carry for women.

Until recently, not many subcompact carry guns came equipped with rails. Because of this, some people either carried a larger handgun, or opted to have no light. However, with the introduction of pistols like the SIG P365, Springfield Armory Hellcat, and Glock 43X and 48 MOS models, that has changed. A need for subcompact lights has emerged and Streamlight has answered. Introducing the TLR-7 sub.

BULLMANN Tactical GmbH from Germany is offering a new Glock Trigger Safety. I first thought this product was intended to be used like a holster, but if seems that this bikini-style cover is intended as a safety device. The product has two wings that click into place encapsulating the trigger guard of the Glock. You remove it by pushing forward on the front hook.

Christmas time is right around the corner and there’s still enough time to order gifts for that special someone in your life who carries a firearm daily. With ammo being in short supply this year, it may seem like a challenge to find that perfect gift for your friend or spouse. Whether it’s something for training at home or gifts to make it easier to carry gear daily, there are plenty of options out in the market to surprise someone with. Let’s jump into 5 great gifts for a concealed carrier for Christmas.

Owners of pistols like the Glock 48, SIG Sauer P365/P365XL, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 9mm/.380 Auto and Springfield Hellcat now have more options as Blackhawk expands their concealment line of holsters. At the moment the availability is for right-hand configurations only, with a matte finish. The holsters have level 2 retention and auto-lock release.

Last week, I talked about the importance of one-handed shooting and practicing with both your support and dominant hand. There were a few great debates in the comment section and I loved how you guys digested that. I went to the range early Saturday morning with three close friends who are all experienced shooters and did one-handed drills. We added time and a bit of physical exertion into the mix and some strange things started to happen.

This release is the first of a series of upcoming collaborations between PHLster and AXL Advanced, where they aim to solve a number of problems with existing magazine carriers. According to the release, the Ascent pouches bring new materials, technology, and capability to concealed carry.

Since 1969, Phoenix’s Galco Gunleather (originally from Chicago and called “The Famous Jackass Leather Company”) has produced a vast spectrum of shooting accoutrements. From holsters to concealed carry purses and fanny packs to med kits, their products offer something for nearly everyone who carries. If you do carry a firearm, its typically a good idea to pack some extra ammo.

Unfortunately, a common complaint among female shooters is that women’s fashion is just not well-suited to concealed carry. For most men, concealment usually tends to be relatively easy. Whether we’re just in casual jeans and t-shirts, business attire with collared shirts tucked in, even with full suit-and-tie events, it’s not too often that we’ll find difficulty including a quality belt that’s employed to properly support a quality IWB holster. The Arizona-based holster-smiths at Galco Gunleather are no strangers to tackling unusual or unconventional carry solutions. Among their standard holsters and other products, some of their offerings include pistol-ready day planners and tablet cases. Looking to provide the ladies with some tailor-made solutions, Galco makes a line of concealed carry-focused purses, and they discuss these options in the following July 23rd press release.

Firearms usage and medical preparedness go hand in hand. Whether you’re enjoying a casual range day, hunting, shooting competitively, or carrying a concealed handgun in your everyday life, unfortunately mishaps can and do happen from time to time. Many shooting organizations and competitive bodies are increasingly encouraging or requiring their members and participants to include some form of trauma medical kit in their gear lists. Plenty of quality defensive shooting instructors are championing the practice of including medical gear in your EDC as well.  Galco Gunleather has shared a carry method that you may find useful. Meet the Galco Ankle Trauma Medical Kit, available now. The release reads:

It is hard to write gear reviews. If you only used an item for a few weeks, you hardly have a valuable experience to share. But when you own something for many years, like this 5.11 Sabre 2.0 jacket I am going to talk about, that kind of long term use creates a real emotional attachment to the item and it is hard to be objective. But I will do my best.

As a big fan of the Belly Band form of concealed carry, I’m always on the lookout for new additions to the lineup of available belly bands. Galco Gunleather has just released their newest addition to both their line up and the belly band category: The Underwraps 2.0. This new belly band holster is an update to their previously released Underwraps version and sports multiple new features.

There is no denying, the last few weeks have been a little odd around the world. Normal daily practices like going out to dinner or hitting the range on a free day, have completely stopped. The number one complaint with shooters in my area is the lack of open ranges. Here in Michigan, most of the public ranges and indoor ranges have been shut down for public safety, so it really is difficult to find an accessible place to shoot if you don’t have private land.

At the end of last year TFB’s Austin reviewed some Rifle Cases from Savior Equipment.

Blackhawk has just announced that they have expanded their line of T-Series holsters with the new Level 2 Compact (L2C) Light Bearing Holster. This Blackhawk L2C is compatible with the Glock 17 and either a Streamlight TLR-7 and TLR-8 pistol light as well as other pistols. The holster was specifically designed to provide Law Enforcement and similar professions with a concealable light-bearing holster option.

The holster adds convenient concealment to the primary aspect of comfort. With Galco’s KingTuk series you get a two clip attachment system for good security to the beltline. However, many will prefer the single clip attachment style as this allows the wearer greater seed when equipping and unequipping the holster.

When looking at concealed carrying, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest in terms of guns, gear, and everything in between. Knives can be an extremely valuable tool either in self-defense or everyday life but get overlooked oftentimes. There are a number of different styles of knives and configuration depending on your daily needs. It’s important to look at your overall goals for an EDC knife and then try to find one that matches your specific lifestyle. Before purchasing a specific type of knife, just remember to check your state and local laws. Let’s dive into the various types of knives to carry while concealed carrying.

When the topic of dry firing comes up, there will often be a number of debates on how beneficial it is to the shooter. A number of things that can be improved from dry firing but often times people argue against dry firing for a few different reasons. I figured it would be helpful to dive into the good and bad aspects of dry firing and some tips when you get started. Let’s dive down the rabbit hole of dry firing.

Just a bit over three years after the introduction of the LCP II, Ruger has decided to release the firearm in the widely available and easy to shoot .22 LR caliber. TFB was lucky enough to get an exclusive look at the LCP II 22 LR for testing and evaluation purposes so today we’ll go over some first impressions as well as some speculation on how well it’ll be received in the packed concealed carry market.

When carrying a concealed firearm in public, there are a ton of small obstacles to overcome when figuring out what’s best for everyday life. It can sometimes be challenging to figure out the best carry style when variables are always changing. Things like lifestyle, clothing, events, and traveling can all create unique challenges for the concealed carrier. Whether it’s carrying in a shoulder holster, on your hip, or appendix style, there are always certain things to work on when traveling in your vehicle. In the past, I’ve talked about carrying truck guns and how your vehicle can be a mobile personal space. Let’s face it, we spend a fairly substantial amount of time in our vehicles either traveling or in our daily commute. It’s important to look at the various aspects when carrying in a vehicle and what’s best for self-defense in the vehicle.