Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Canted or vertical ???

For those of you who wear an OWB holster, either concealed or open carry, which cant do you prefer, vertical or the so-called FBI (15 degree) cant? Why?

Thanks, RS

Vertical for me.

-I do a lot of drawing from vertical holsters and don't see the sense in changing for CC.
-I carry at 3 o'clock and don't see a huge concealment benefit of a cant there, but do have to torque my wrist weird to draw from a canted holster at 3 o'clock.

For me its vertical if it will be between 12-3 o'clock, and increasing cant the further back i carry it. If one is used to a duty holster they typically prefer vertical to be in synce with their familiarity as Blue said above.

Vertical, on the hip, is the fastest draw. A vertical holster also reduces your tendency to "chicken wing", IE, kick your elbow out to the side, in order to obtain a proper grip. This is a tactical consideration.

The FBI cant helps the butt/grip of a full-sized gun blend into your body, reducing its likelyhood to print. To work best it typically needs to be behind the hip. This makes it nearly impossible to draw with your opposite/support hand. YMMV.

Vertical, just more of a natural draw for me.

Straight draw for me.

As gifts I have received a few darn nice custom holsters that came with a cant, and I have kept them. But I very much prefer a straight draw.

For concealed carry I like my holster canted because it pulls the butt in a little more and doesn't print as much under clothing.

Vertical for me. At one time I liked canted, but a 3:00 CC, is very handy for me. I like the Askins Avenger style that way.

As much as I try to "dress around the gun", for me canted makes it easier to conceal.

Straight drop for me ...

When I first started carrying a handgun in the field, pretty much every holster I could find was straight. I still carry that way when carrying openly, and besides being potentially faster (or probably less slow, in my case) it's also more comfortable - both mostly due, I think, to my straight holsters also riding lower. But being not such a large guy, I can't conceal much of a gun in most of the year without a canted rig.

I have used a straight drop IWB holster very similar to a Milt Sparks Summer Special. It is secure and easy to draw. Used it with a Sig P229 DAO in 40 S&W.

I prefer the vertical holster. The draw out of it is much cleaner. Bruce Nelson designed the No. 1 Professional holster with a straight draw.

Purpose would likely influence my preference:

For a duty belt holster, such as something common like a level II or III Safariland, most would have a built-in degree of forward cant. Even if something like a G-Code XTS, it would likely be mounted w/ some degree of forward cant when worn as a duty belt holster. Reasons, comfort and access when seated in a vehicle, and tactical advantages if the weapon needed to be drawn or reholstered w/ the weak hand.

For an OWB conceal carry holster, it would likely have additional forward cant for better concealment, and/or for better access if worn at the flat of the hip past 3 o'clock.

I have worn some belt hung holsters, w/ various degrees of drop, that worked better at the lower ride when hung more vertical or neutral.

Clearly, if the holster was to be worn in some form of appendix position, either strong or weak side, the needs for cant would differ even more so.

I carry a full sized gun the most and found a canted holster fits my needs the best. It is mostly for the ease of concealment but it also tends to ride better when seated in the car or truck, especially with the seats in the truck.

Compacts and all revolver holsters hang vertically. Their sizes and shapes appear to not require the tilt for comfort and concealment. It was not really noticed they all hung vertically until I read this and I thought about what I had.