To carry inside the waist band or outside? That is the question. Well Next Holster claims to cover both with a single holster, the Guardian.
I must admit to being a little skeptical, but couldn’t wait to give it a try. Phillip from Garner NC based Next Holster shipped a Guardian in black and a mag pouch for my S&W MP9c to get some input.
The Guardian uses 2 spring steel clips to secure the holster to your belt. The clips can be popped out and reversed for IWB carry. Not my preferred method of carry, but it works well. The holster tucks in tight and feels very secure. I have no problem concealing my MP9c under a tshirt or golf shirt and prefer OWB for comfort.
Also one item of note. Because you have the steel clips contacting your belt opposed to leather loops or slots, you get less creaking of leather to leather contact. My 10 year old Nephew even picked up on that.
Initial impressions:
Very well made, quality stitching and molded exactly to the gun. Hate to use the phrase “fits like a glove”. However, I may have to. The attention to detail is great, every line in the slide of the gun was mimicked in the leather. Maybe they went over board here, but who cares. The mag pouch is of the same quality construction and also uses a spring steel clip and has
a retention screw for adjustment.
A professional opinion was needed:
So I loaned the Guardian and mag pouch to my good friend Marty. He’s well versed in leather craft, he makes cowboy action shooting rigs, Civil War re-enactment gear and restores saddles. He was impressed, but he commented that it wasn’t hand stitched… What does he know?
I have worn this holster for about a month and held off on writing the review until I felt it was broken in. My weapon still fits tight, the leather has not lost it’s shape at all. It does have a screw to adjust tension however I haven’t bothered to mess with it. For the record, I have owned holsters from the cheap nylon gunshow specials up to the big names in the industry. You would be hard pressed to beat the quality and versatility of this one. Make no mistake, I tried to find something not to like. I’m still looking. The only thing I could possibly mention here is, swapping the position of the clips is a little tricky. They don’t like to come out of position easily, that’s a good thing. On the back of the package, 3 different holsters are pictured. The caption reads “collect them all”. I may have to, my next few holsters will come from these folks.
Next Holster backs all of this up with a lifetime warranty. Not bad at all for a quality piece of leather with an MSRP of $59.95.
They can be reached at:
919-210-4389
www.nextholster.com
Acknowledgments
Christina Lund Editor
Hunter Elliott Photographer
The author can be reached at Jason@gunclassifieds.com
That is an amazing holster, it will cover both Inside and outside the waist. The CYA Supply Co. IWB Holster is also one of the best holsters designed for Glock 19 pistols.