Ambidextrous, IWB/OWB Appendix Holster from Mission First Tactical [VIDEO]
The OWB/IWB Ambidextrous Holster is pretty versatile.
The holster market is so crowded, that companies are trying to innovate new designs in order to stand out from the rest. Mission First Tactical is not a holster company per se, as they make a ton of other high-quality gun gear. But they recently came out with a hard-sided holster that they claim is ambidextrous, and can be worn either inside the waistband (IWB) or outside the waistband (OWB).
Mission First Tactical was kind enough to send one out to me in exchange for an honest evaluation and review. I wouldn't provide anything less than honest opinions for any gear review, so here goes.
Design:
They do a great job of forming the holster and refining the edges of the Boltaron material. I didn't say Kydex, because Mission First Tactical (MFT) chooses to make it out of this superior material. Boltaron is superior to Kydex because it is less susceptible to warp in extreme heat or crack in extreme cold.
I also noticed that it seems that comparing equal thicknesses of Kydex vs Boltaron, that the Boltaron feels more firm. The holster is formed well around the gun and with an adjustable retention screw, you can dial in the retention from extremely tight, to as loose as you want.
The clip is a standard, plastic 1.5″ belt clip. It does fine for IWB, but the single clip design allows too much rotational movement, sliding along the belt and a possibility that it could unclip from the belt during some physical activities, making it not my favorite clip for OWB. I would rather see some sort of soft loop design instead that could help the holster from twisting or moving too much.
Flipping the belt clip from one side to the other allows the holster to be used by a left or right handed shooter.
Because of its ambidextrous design, the mouth of the holster is flared on both sides to accommodate the belt clip. It adds maybe around 1/4″ of thickness which is barely noticeable and doesn't affect comfort whatsoever.
It doesn't have a sweat guard, which I actually like.
Function:
For IWB, the holster works great. I primarily used it in the appendix position which is the ideal location MFT designed this holster for. I also wore it IWB on my strong side hip, and it worked just fine. The gun was easily drawn from both positions, and the holster remained tight on the belt.
Even without a concealment wing or claw, the holster conceals well and was comfortable. The product has to function as a holster and secure the gun on the body, as well as protect the trigger guard, and in the IWB position, it is a great option.
When it comes to OWB I can't give it as high marks as its use IWB. It definitely protects the trigger guard and holds the gun securely inside, but as noted above, the single clip does not keep the holster attached to the belt as tightly as I would like. This doesn't mean that it won't work as an OWB holster, but it just doesn't shine in this respect.
This holster is made from Boltron which is a superior material to Kydex.
Part of the appeal of this holster is that it is ambidextrous. Not that you are going to be switching from right to left handed anytime soon, but it probably does make the production easier, saves cost on inventory and allow them to ship out the holster quicker without having to wait on long lead times. But as far as the ability for it to be used for lefties or righties, it definitely works.
Wrapping it Up:
Mission First Tactical makes high-quality gear and this holster meets that standard. I think it is a great IWB holster right out of the box. If you change the standard clip to something that attaches it to the belt more securely, it would be an even better OWB holster than how it currently comes from MFT.
The company makes all it's gear here in the states, and they all come with a lifetime warranty, so MFT definitely stands behind their gear. If this type of versatility intrigues you, MFT makes the holster for a sizable list of guns, so you should be able to find it for your gun, and for around $50 you get a pretty sweet holster.
Holster is to tight to get gun out how do I fix that.
To some degree, you can loosen the screw located near the trigger guard to lighten the retention. You can also use a product like Quick Draw to add some lubrication to the kydex.