When you talk about survival situations, one thing people forget about is how they will carry their gear. Too often, ‘preppers’ think they will get to their bug out location, then just sit there till the situation de-escalates. Unfortunately, this is not often the case. You will need to get supplies and move around, so you will want to have your personal defense item on you. For most people this will be a handgun, which means you need a good holster.
Falco Holsters has a full line of Kydex, leather, and nylon holsters, along with a line of tactical equipment and hunting equipment. For this review, they sent me a Kydex open carry holster, a leather/Kydex concealed carry holster and a two mag Kydex Mag Holster. As always with high quality products, like the ones Falco makes, these were a pleasure to look at and test.
Market
The holsters that were sent to me should appeal to a large segment of the market. Falco holsters are built to specs for each of the firearms that can be used with holsters. In my case, the holsters and mag carrier were for my Walther PPK. The different lines Falco has allow people with most types of guns to be able to comfortably carry the weapon when needed. There are some guns they do not have holsters for – my RP9 for example – but by and large, they have holsters for all the major handguns. 7 out of 10.
Usefulness
I am a big fan of Kydex holsters and other hard-side holsters. To me, they are more useful than the old leather holsters. The reason I prefer this type of holster is because they have full trigger coverage, which forces discipline on new gun owners. Some leather holsters I have had in the past, as they started to wear, dog eared – which, with a gun that has a trigger safety, can be a disaster. Kydex and other hard side materials do not do this, which makes it a little more useful. 8 of 10.
Utility
One of the things I love about having both the open and concealed version of this holster is that you can use it in different situations. I know a lot of “preppers” prefer the battle belt style holster, and to each their own; however, what if you are not the type of person who wants everyone to stay away from them, or what if you are in a situation where you need help?
A Battle Belt screams “solider,” which sometimes is not the best way to find people to work with. Sometimes you need to have a more subtle approach so you do not scare other people (especially when you are going back to town to see if things are normal). This means you may need the flexibility of “showing” or “not-showing” what you are carrying. The concealed/open option makes this more versatile; both are light weight so you can carry both with you. 9 of 10.
Usability
I am going to grade each one of these individually, which means they set will have three scores at the end. The mag carrier is one of the more comfortable mag carriers I have seen. When worn opposite of the holster, it fits on your belt well and you can sit down easily. It is mildly uncomfortable sitting when it is on your backside, but when you are standing you do not even feel it is there. I do have to note that it is a belt loop, not a clip-on, so to remove it, for entering federal buildings and such, you have to take your belt off, which can be a pain. 7 of 10.
The open carry is also super comfortable and it has a clip-on style. Not much else to say about this than 10 of 10.
The concealed carry is comfortable while standing; however, I did note that the raised designed to protect the side of the gun, being up above the belt, was a little uncomfortable on a bigger guy. It hits right where the love handles are on a guy who is not fat and not skinny (fat would push it out and skinny it wouldn’t matter). For me, I prefer the squared off design that does not poke you. I really like that with the clip on design, when I have it as my secondary, it works well for cross-draws. 6 of 10.
Cool Factor and Totals
Lets face it, Kydex is the new leather for holsters. It holds it shape better and can be totally form fitted to the gun. The tactical black makes it look good, but since it is a polymer it can be made any color you want, which can increase appeal. These should be the new standard, and as such, 7.5 of 10.
The overall scores for the units are varied, but all of them are excellent holsters to have in your collection. The Mag Holders have a great score of 37.5, which I would recommend for anyone who can carry mags all the time. If you have to enter places where you cannot have the mags, then it is a pain taking offer your belt to swap them out.
The concealed carry holster comes in just a hair under the mag carrier at 36.5. This is a great product that also serves to remind me that I could lose a little off the spare tire to make it more comfortable. The gem of the system (in a system that already has outstanding scores) is the open carry holster. With a total score of 40.5, this is one of the highest scores I have given any survival equipment.
While this is a very niche area, good gear can keep you alive. With all of these, your equipment will stay in the case until you need it, whether walking the street on a normal day or trekking through the woods. Definitely something you should have for personal defense or bugging out.
- Game Review: Legacy at Sea by DPH Games - May 6, 2024
- Ace Magic Press Release - March 3, 2024
- Outdoor Game Review: Defenders Expansion for Capture the Flag Redux - March 3, 2024
JOIN US @NewRightNetwork on our Telegram, Twitter, Facebook Page and Groups, and other social media for instant news updates!
New Right Network depends on your support as a patriot-ran American news network. Donate now