Personal Security Holsters Review

[Guest VolGrad]

Personal Security Holsters Review

Personal Security Systems Kydex Holsters

A friend of mine found this company recently on another forum and sent me a link. I had never heard of them prior to that. This review is my opinion based on my experience with many different holster makers. I held off writing a review until after I had a chance to run the gear for a while. I received my first holster and pouches from PSH in early December 2010. Since then I have used it for EDC, in a pistol class, as well as in several matches. I have also used gear from other makers in that same time period (in a rotation) for the sake of comparison.

Disclaimers: I am by no means an expert nor do I profess to be. I am not a tactical ninja operator. I’m a regular Joe Civilian who happens to carry a gun daily for self defense. However, I do compete (mostly IDPA and GSSF) and actively seek out professional firearms training so my gear does see some honest use. My needs (and recommendations) might not be the same as yours; therefore, my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it. I would also like to state very clearly I still own (and like) gear from other makers and will continue to use it. A positive review of PSH is not a knock against any other company. Please don’t turn this thread into a company X vs. Y discussion. There are a lot of great holster makers out there and I’m not suggesting you choose one and only one. I’m merely suggesting you give PSH a look.

The first holster I received from PSH was for a G17 (which has been chopped to accept G19 mags by Ben @ Boresight Solutions). I carried this holster almost exclusively for the month of December. I used it along with two single pouches during a pistol class in late December and was very pleased. This is the orange holster pictured below. Based on the positive results I ordered a few more holsters, pouches, and some IWB clips.

I am also very pleased with the owner, Steve Stamper and his way of doing business. His motto is, “Promise less, deliver more.” All e-mail exchanges have been professional but candid at the same time. I have had a couple of items with minor fit issues but I will take blame for that as I asked for “extra” retention. To his credit Steve delivered on my request. Unfortunately, I screwed myself there as the fit was too tight. Steve corrected my issues without delay and had the gear back to me in no time. He also instructed me how to make minor adjustments myself with a hair dryer if the need ever arises.

I’ll give some brief Pro/Con observations in bullet form below followed by a few pictures.

Pro:

. The overall shape/profile of the holsters is compact, thin, and well contoured.

. The molding is very good, resulting in excellent retention.

. The hardware appears to be solid. I have removed the screws and put them back in several times already due to changing out clips and they appear to be holding up well. I will advise you to put Loctite on them ASAP though.

. The gear is stable on my belt and rides snug against my body.

. The comfort & concealment of this gear is as good as anything I’ve tried.

. I was initially hesitant about trying a pancake holster IWB. I was pleasantly surprised. So much, in fact I plan to run it IWB for my upcoming AFHF class with TLG.

. The customer service provided by Steve & Mike has been outstanding.

Con:

. The outer edges of the first holster I received were not “perfect” but it was only noticeable upon close inspection. This is not a criticism, more of an observation. The parts all fit together very well. There were no rough edges to snag on my clothing. I ran my finger along the edges and was not scratched in any way. The larger shops seem to put out more uniform edging. The same goes for the belt loops. They are perfectly functional and fit well, they just aren’t perfectly uniform. It should be noted the edges on items received since that first holster have all looked better.

. The mag release button on the first holster I received was half exposed (by design). I asked Steve by e-mail, “Why half covered? Either cover it or don’t.” I like my mag release buttons fully exposed. This allows me to swap out mags without un-seating the pistol from the holster. I find this particularly important in a class setting where you need to refresh your mags between strings of fire. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen but I’ve never lost a mag by accidentally pressing the release button. Steve agreed with this logic and appears to be leaving the mag release fully exposed by default now. I fixed the issue on the orange holster myself in less than 5 minutes with a Dremel and sandpaper. Again, Steve offered to modify it or remake the holster but I declined.

Here’s a few pics …..

Edited March 25, 2011 by VolGrad

[MacGyver]

Nice review. Thanks.