Category: Gear & Stuff
Categories
This might be useful one day
When it comes to finding a good concealed carry holster, it pays to hunt hard and be skeptical.
I would imagine when most millionaires purchase a holster, they just buy the best one they can find, even if they’re just buying it for their bodyguard. Unless you’re part of that 7.6 percent millionaire segment of the U.S. population, I’m guessing much of your life is governed by dollars and sense. Meaning, you apply all the sense you have, to most every dollar you spend, because your kids, gas and groceries come first. Given that lifestyle, how should you select a holster you’re going to use to carry a gun you’ll trust your life with every day?
There are a lot of holster makers out there and most offer various tiers of quality. They’ll offer entry-level holsters for new shooters and the financially challenged, and they’ll offer higher-quality rigs for the more discriminating buyer. We can’t cover them all here, but we can look at two nearly identical holsters from Galco that perfectly represent different price points and quality. Maybe that will help you see what you might give up if you buy the less expensive version, and what you might gain by spending more money.
According to Mike Barham at Galco Gunleather, they introduced the original Stow-N-Go IWB holster over 20 years ago. It was the first holster in their Concealed Carry Lite line, which is a budget-friendly series of concealed carry holsters that provide “everything you need and nothing you don’t.” Mike said the Stow-N-Go was an immediate hit and has been a best-seller.
The Stow-N-Go retails for about $69, and although Galco considers it budget friendly, it’s not cheaply constructed. It’s made of a single piece of center-cut steer hide that’s rough on both sides, double stitched along the rear edge and has a folded and stitched mouth to help keep it open for one-hand holstering. It also has a stitched-on panel for the polymer belt clip mount that’s sized to work with belts up to 1¾ inches.
Galco provided one for a Stow-N-Go for review, and I tried it with a steel-framed Colt Commander weighing about 40 ounces, loaded. Turned upside down, the holster would not retain the pistol, but this is an IWB holster and if worn as intended with the belt tight enough to secure it, the gun is not going to fall out. Fit—though not molded—was good and the rough leather sort of helped hold everything including my shirttail in place. However, that same rough leather was a bit grabby when inserting the holster inside the waistband. Though the holster’s mouth remains mostly open when the holster is worn, sometimes I had to wiggle the pistol’s muzzle a bit for insertion.
The other holster Galco provided is an upgraded Stow-N-Go from their Masterbilt line, and it’s called the Stow-N-Go Elite. Masterbilt holsters are crafted in small batches by Galco’s most experienced craftsmen. Galco decided to offer the Stow-N-Go Elite based on the decades-long success and popularity of their Stow-N-Go. The Elite version is crafted from lined premium steerhide, and it’s molded by the most experienced hands on Galco’s production team. It uses the same convenient and secure belt clip, it’s rigid enough to hold its shape for one-hand holstering, and even though it’s an IWB holster, no one will ever see how great it looks.
The old saying, “it fits like a glove,” is better used to describe the basic Stow-N-Go, because in that holster, the pistol—like your hand in a glove—will have some space around it. That’s not the case with the Stow-N-Go Elite, it’s perfectly molded to fit your pistol, and it will retain it in the upside-down position. However, drawing from the holster is butter smooth.
Galco Stow-N-Go Elite IWB Holster SIG-SAUER P365 X-MACRO
From the standpoint of quality materials, fit and finish, the Elite version of the Stow-N-Go is undeniably the better option. However, it’s going to rob your wallet of about 100 extra Washingtons. But there’s more to the Stow-N-Go Elite than just good looks. Its smooth finish makes it a bit easier to put on, it will hold its shape almost indefinitely and last longer, and the finely finished leather prevents perspiration absorbance. My only complaint was with the same slick finish that makes putting it on so easy sometimes allowed my tucked shirt to crawl up out of my pants around the holster if I did a lot of sitting and standing.
From a carry comfort standpoint, I could hardly tell any difference between the two holsters that are separated in cost by a hundred bucks. I also compared them on the range by drawing and firing 10 shots from each, at 10 yards, on a miniature silhouette target. The average time with the Stow-N-Go was 1.278 seconds, and with the Elite my average was 1.137 seconds. The Elite was faster by 0.141 second or 11 percent. That’s not an earth-shattering difference but it’s something.
I’d not hesitate to carry, trust—or recommend—the base model Stow-N-Go, though I prefer the Elite version because it feels more rigid/sturdier in my pants, will last longer and comes with more pride of ownership for whatever that’s worth. If I could swing the extra cash—though I might have to eat bologna sandwiches for a few months—the Elite version would be my pick. However, sometimes trusting the consumer provides a thing called a clue. Barham said the last time he checked, Galco had sold more than a half-million Stow-N-Go holsters, and I can see the appeal. That affordable holster works very well. Currently, Galco offers the basic Stow-N-Go for 204 different handguns, and the Stow-N-Go Elite is available for 62.
Some Hillbilly Holster Wisdom
Today, you can buy any holster you want online, and it’s at your doorstep in a day or two. But, if you wear it for a week and don’t like it, you’re stuck with it, and it goes in that box of holsters living in the dark recesses of your closet. Take it from a hillbilly who has carried a handgun on an everyday basis for most his life—don’t buy a holster you have not tried, or as a minimum, discussed with someone who has. Your holster is just as important as your underwear and jeans and should fit your gun and you just as well.
Also you might want to make sure that AR15 is unloaded Mr. Wanttobe Baldwin !!! Grumpy
Basically a 3 ended spike that one threw around an area that you don’t want the Bad guys from riding or walking around in. Very nasty! Grumpy
The ATF has just issued new guidance regarding the recent changes to the NFA, and gun rights haven’t been this good since 1934.
We’ve seen a lot of things change regarding the NFA recently, and between all the legalese and ambiguity, it’s been hard for most folks to keep up with. We’re not lawyers, so it hasn’t been easy for us either, but we’ve done our best to stay abreast of the situation.
And again, because we’re not lawyers, don’t take what you’re about to read as legal advice. That said, from our interpretation of the ATF’s recent guidance, the state of NFA regulations hasn’t been this good since before the act was passed in June of 1934.
So, what’s new?
Back in August, we reported on the first suppressor transfer taking place without NFA registration since the NFA was passed over 90 years ago. You can read more here, but the short version is that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act brought the tax placed on certain NFA items down from $200 to $0.
Following that, multiple court battles challenged the legality of the NFA registration process for the items that were no longer being taxed. A Texas federal district court agreed with the challenge and issued a permanent injunction that protected against the enforcement of certain NFA regulations as they applied to the covered items and the plaintiffs involved in the case.
The result was that the first suppressors were transferred without being registered since the NFA was enacted, and it took place with the ATF’s full awareness and without its objection.
Since then, many more such transfers have taken place. However, given the limited scope of the injunction, who it applied to, and other technicalities, there was much gray area and clarification was sorely needed. Now, as of October 9, that guidance from the ATF has arrived, and it brings us all some very good news.
Let’s break down what’s changed and what you need to know:
- The only NFA items affected are those that had their tax reduced to $0 by the Big Beautiful Bill Act. That includes silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any other weapons. It does not apply to machineguns or destructive devices.
- While the injunction previously only applied to individuals who were considered a plaintiff in one of the associated cases (such as members of the GOA), the ATF has decided to cease enforcement of certain NFA provisions nationwide starting today.
- In other words, if you’re federally allowed to own a gun, you can now also legally purchase, own, transfer, and (non-commercially) manufacture silencers, SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs without permission from or registration with the ATF.
However…
- State and local laws still apply. The ATF’s decision to cease enforcement applies on a federal level only. If you live in a place that outright prohibits certain NFA items, they are still illegal.
- If you live somewhere that requires their registration to be legal, you will still need to register them. On that note, the ATF is still accepting the relevant forms for registration on a voluntary basis. This is why you still need to check your local laws before you start sawing barrels or swapping braces for stocks.
- It should also be noted that the Gun Control Act of 1968 is still in effect. What that means is that while the ATF is no longer enforcing certain aspects of the NFA, the rules of the GCA are still in place. In other words, silencers, SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs are still legally considered firearms, and all relevant laws still apply, such as the need to submit a 4473 when buying one from an FFL.
This information is coming from an open letter issued by Director of the ATF Robert Cekada and an Update to NFA Transfer Guidance FAQ from the ATF. We encourage you to read through both yourself, but here’s a snippet from the FAQ that highlights which provisions of the NFA will no longer be enforced:
The bullet pertaining to marking requirements is particularly interesting, as it sounds like you no longer need to engrave NFA items that you manufacture as an individual for personal use.
To reiterate, we’re not lawyers, but from what we’ve gleaned from the new guidance, this is all excellent news. As we understand it, as of today, if you’re allowed to own firearms and aren’t breaking any local laws, you don’t need to worry about complying with large swaths of the NFA.
Provided local laws agree, if you have AR pistols sporting braces, you can replace them with stocks. If you have an old shotgun, you can take a hacksaw to its barrel. No Form 1, no registration, no tax stamp, and no engraving required. As for silencers and factory SBRs/SBSs, in many states you should now be able to walk in, hand them cash, do your 4473, and walk out with your purchase without ever touching a Form 4.
Today is a great day, but all of this could go out the window down the road, so don’t get complacent. If you want to help keep these changes permanent, or abolish the NFA entirely, be sure to support the gun rights groups and companies that are fighting for the Second Amendment. We wouldn’t be here without them.
Also, given that it’s never been easier to buy a suppressor, these changes come just in time for CANCON! It’s not too late to get your tickets and come to our next event outside of Las Vegas October 22-24. CANCON is the best place in the world to test out countless cans side-by-side so you can figure out what you want to buy. We hope to see you there!