By David Higginbotham
https://www.multiholsters.com/multi.htm

Once you have decided on a handgun, the next real consideration has to be a holster. Many gun stores will carry some standards in leather, nylon and Kydex, but it can be hard to determine what will work for you, exactly the way you want. Most of the store bought models I’ve ever used were good enough, but not perfect. After a lot of trial and error, I’ve formed my opinions. I know exactly what I want, and exactly who makes it. Multi Holsters, my go to for daily carry holsters, offers a wide variety of options and the attention to detail that I expect from something this important.

Multi Holsters is a growing business. When it started, it was one man, Tony Catner, making all of the holsters by hand. As the company has grown, Catner has brought on more employees and a multitude of holster styles for a wide variety of guns. I first came across the company when I needed a holster for a Colt Mustang I had in to review. The new Mustangs hadn’t been on the market for more than a week or so, and I couldn’t get the gun to fit in the leather IWB holster I’d bought for the review. A quick search turned up Catner’s company, and he had a new Mustang holster ready to roll out.

The IWB Multi Holster has a very thin profile. It is ideal for a multitude of positions.

It was stupendous. As other guns came in for review, I continued to call on Multi Holsters. If I ever get something really strange, or need a particular light or laser accommodated, I call on Multi Holsters. I have at least ten of my own. In fact, I have sold two guns for which I had Catner make holsters and kept the holsters, just in case…. A perfect gun is, I find, much harder to find than the perfect holster.

The 2-in-1 Multi Holster

This latest set up wasn’t intended for a review. I’d gone to a training class back in December. I’d brought a simple set-up for the class, a GLOCK 23 in a prefab OWB retention holster. It was what I’d been wearing when I was reviewing guns, as I could slide the holster on and off over my belt, which would allow me to put on other holsters more easily. But after shooting the 23 for a full eight-hour day, I’d decided against it and the holster for daily carry. Both worked excellently well, but neither was perfect.

I needed something that was not simply good enough, but perfect. The GLOCK 23 was traded in for a GLOCK 19, and I began combing Multi Holster’s site for the ideal holster.

I prefer to carry OWB with a straight, almost vertical draw. My IWB holsters, though, are canted a bit which helps me hide a gun as large as the GLOCK 19.

I knew I wanted an OWB design, and something that was suitably wide. I wanted it to ride high, but also have some minor adjustments that would allow me to fine tune height. I wanted the holster to allow me to use an InForce APL, too. I wanted a nice snug fit, but no active retention. It needed to ride really close to my body, as this would be my concealed carry set up whenever I’m wearing a coat. And, if that wasn’t enough of a list, I wanted the holster to feel similar to my existing GLOCK 19 holsters, so I would have a passing familiarity with the draw and some consistency with all of them.

I already have an IWB, and another that clips onto a wide belt, both from Multi Holsters. The new one is a 2-in-1. It is a standard design for Kydex makers, but has belt loops that can be exchanged for spring clips. The switch will allow the same holster to ride inside or outside of the waistband. While I like the cost-saving mentality, I keep this one as an OWB, as I don’t carry in waistband on the side of my hip. The holster itself is $74.95. Adding the light is an additional charge ($18 to $24, depending on the model).

The fit is what I’ve come to expect from Catner’s crew. It is exact. The Kydex is molded to the gun perfectly, and the edges are cleaned up nicely. The gun drops in easily enough, thanks to an almost imperceptible outward roll at the mouth. The trigger is completely protected, as it should be. Because of the room needed to get the light into the holster, there is more of a gap above the trigger than I’m used to, but it isn’t enough to get a finger in.

The InForce APL is what I’ve been carrying daily now for several months. It works well and stays on the GLOCK 19 at all times.

I had these built in Killer Coyote, just because I could. I have no real need for a tan holster, but I liked the look. It adds an additional $15 to the cost. When I’m wearing a matching holster and magazine carrier, I feel put together. This is about as fashion conscious as I get. And as I’m much more likely to be wearing this rig with jeans, boots and a Carhartt field coat, the tan isn’t out of place. The extra texture, which is just printed into the Kydex, catches the light and looks snazzy, but also gets roughed up and shows honest wear. If that’s a look you like, go for it. If you want a holster that will look new longer, I’d suggest some of the more typical surface finishes.

I’ve been wearing this combination now for two months. It travels with me almost everywhere, even if I’m not wearing it. And now, when I’m at the range reviewing guns, I will put this on, at least once, and run a few magazines though the 19. By the end of the class in December, I was able to get a round on target in 1.3 seconds. That isn’t bad for me (especially when working from a retention holster). I’m not a speed demon. The practice I’ve done since with this holster has cut that time down to an even second. And that’s with the light on the gun.

In the end, you have to know what you want. There are so many styles to choose from, and so many people putting their own unique twists on Kydex and leather in attempt to construct an identifiable brand. Yet there’s nothing at all wrong with something simple and functional, especially when it is made with the attention to detail that has continued to drive Multi Holster’s loyal fan base. Check them out. Pick up a holster. I bet you’ll go back just like me.