Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns CCW IWB holsters

Since it looks like CCW will finaly come to Illinois I have been looking at holsters. I'm thinking of Milt Sparks or Crossbreed. What are your suggestions and why? Will be carrying a Smith 3913.

Ernie

I've been a gun nut in general since the 1970s, and a handgun nut since the 1980s. I've been carrying concealed handguns since 1980, and have been through ungodly numbers of handguns and concealment holsters over the years since then. I've probably owned seventy five or more handguns over that period, and have experimented with most of the concealment holsters proposed as the best at any given time. About ten or twelve years ago, however, I stumbled on the Milt Sparks IWB holsters, and have felt absolutely no need to experiment with others since then. Someone here convinced me, however, to give the the Crossbreed a try, which I did. I cannot imagine anyone who's been using the Milt Sparks VM II, then trying the Crossbreed, coming to the conclusion that the Crossbreed is as good as the Milt Sparks VM II. Having once experienced the VM II, you are sort of ruined for anything else, IMO. You may be perfectly happy with the Crossbreed, however, if you don't first give the VM II a try, so if you don't want to ruin yourself for any other holster, don't buy the VM II. For lighter handguns like a Kahr P9, the Milt Sparks Executive Companion is also hard to beat. For handguns closer to service sized, like a Government Model, SIG P220, or S&W M&P 9 or 9c, you will want the VM II for the added stability and support.

These are most of my Milt Sparks holsters. I sold one before this was taken, due to no longer having the gun, and I've purchased a couple more since this picture was taken. As you can see, I've pretty much made my choice on this question.

I carry a full sized 1911 all day every day in a Milt Sparks VM-II. With a good belt, I use a Filson double layered harness leather, I can wear it all day without having to hitch it up. It is tuckable meaning you can tuck your shirt into the holster and carry while wearing just a shirt or you can wear it outside your shirt with a vaet of jacket in cooler weather. It is so comfortable I often forget it is there. Not cheap but worth every penny and worth the five month wait. Just my opinion but I have carried with other less expensive holsters and they all went into the trash when I got my VM-II.

While Milt Sparks does make wonderful, high quality holster, and I own several and wear them all of the time, I also love my Crossbreed holsters.

The Milt Sparks is much higher quality in terms of craftsmanship, and will last not only your lifetime, but your great-great-grand children's as well It's very comfortable, and the one that used to carry daily for several years looks like it is brand new.

With that said, the Crossbreed is also extremely comfortable. I have no problems carrying a full size XDm .45ACP with shorts and a t-shirt with mine. While it is a great blend (leather and Kydex), I seriously doubt it will have the lifespan of my Milt Sparks holsters. But, for the price, you can't beat it, especially if you buy through their "seconds" website.

I don't think that you could go wrong with either one, just depends on the money you want to spend and what your personal preferences are. I know that there are other brands of IWB holsters out there, these are the ones that I have the most experience with.

Ryan

You should take a good look at Comp-Tac MTAC. Similar to Crossbreed, but better leather. Once you wear it a bit and break it in, it molds to your body and is honestly the most comfortable IWB holster I've ever owned. It's fully adjustable, and you can swap out the kydex scabbard to fit different guns.

Sam Andrews makes all my gun leather.

www.andrewsleather.com

Milt Sparks Summer Special II is my fav IWB, does a fine job with my 5" Springfield TM 45 ACP.

Gunner

The vmII looks awsome but I prefer a little less leather,
My personal favorite is the MS Summer Special II.I use them for Glocks,1911's,Cz ect.I should really try and sell some I dont use,I could buy a few more guns.I've tried some of the leather Kydex comb.but keep going back to all leather.

I carry a full size steel framed 1911 in a crossbreed. Never have tried the VMII or knockoffs but the crossbreed and it's style is a great comfortable way to carry.

Holsters are very personal & what works for one may not be what another likes.

I generally like a thin holster, a fair amount of forward cant (which also helps pull the gun in tight) as I like to carry right around the 3:30 position, & I prefer not to have the belt loops on top of the gun as that just adds thickness to the package.

My favorite that fits all the above is the Brommeland Max-Con V.

It's a clone of the Sparks VMII but with the improvements of being thinner & more forward cant.

You will never go wrong with Sprark's stuff & beside the VMII, I use the Executive Companion & the Summer Special.

Galco makes a lot of decent holsters for a reasonable price & they are more readily available with designs similar to both Sparks & Brommeland.

Andrews makes fine stuff as does C5 Leather.

If you end up with a 1911, Kelley Leather has some good stuff as well, but is currently only making 1911 holsters.

Unfortunately, in order to know what YOU really like, you have to try a few styles & that can get a little spendy, but no one can really choose a holster for you.

MM

I compliment your taste and your patience. Individually that's 4-1/2 years on the waiting list.

Thanks. It does indeed require a bit of patience.

I've carried in one form or another 1911's for 30+ years. I keep coming back to Milt Sparks; specifically the VMII and BN55 for OWB. They're worth the wait and last for years.

Alan

N82tactical.com
Look 'em up.

A 3913 in a Milt Sparks VMII was my daily carry for years. A few months ago I bought a S&W Shield and ordered a VMII for it that day. Knowing a had a 5 to 6 month wait I ordered another holster to tide me over. It didn't work for me, nor did the nexy 2. I just put the Shield away until my VMII gets here. Should be any day!

My latest IWB is from Bulldog leather.

It's a "summer special" design and a GREAT holster.

It's a "kit" holster for my Beretta 84, and will "bone" or wet mold it myself.

Bulldog makes "kit" holsters for guns that he dosen't have "mold guns" for. Great concept!

Virgil B.

Check out Tucker gunleather.com. He's building two holsters and a belt for me right now. I'll post pics when I recieve them

This^^^. In particular the Professional Model.



Geez Louise, sorry about the size but I guess that's just about real. I have an old G23 I've had since 1992. Ran across the receipt a few days and was surprised it was that long. Until now I've made do with a Galco basic belt slide w/thumbbreak and a Galco rough side out IWB belt clip.

Now I've been wearing the N82 Pro for about 2 months. Like it a ton. Light, thin, trigger guard retention, conceals very well but can be accessed NOW. Suede on the inside and Neoprene on the outside. Took a few tries to get the position worked out. Finally took tension off the belt clip and let it "float" into the most comfortable position, then re-tightening.

A few days ago I ordered a Crossbreed MiniTuck for the Kahr CW series. After emailing Mark there I specified the CW since I can carry the CW45, the CW9 and the CM9 just as easily all in the same holster.

This will be my first IWB. From this thread it looks like everybody has their favorite and like so many things, I bet all of them work well.

Since I now seem to do everything Jim does, this is the way I am going, too, along with one of their belts.....