Grandfather Oak kydex deep IWB-T

[Erich]

Hi all,

I've been looking for a nice kydex rig for my Third Issue DS for some time now, ever since Tom/CRebralfix got me hooked on my Shotist kydex deep IWB holster for J-frames - perfect for carrying appendix-style. You can't get much more concealed than with one of these holsters - virtually no printing at all, but the gun is easily accessible. I've got a Shotist for my J-frame snub and for my 3" K-frame; here's a pic of the K-frame 3" IWB using the Shotist:



Tom offered to make me one for my Detective Special, but this would have required sending the gun to him and back, so we'd be looking at a $100 minimum mailing bill, plus FFL fees. Not a starter. I like a hard-shell holster for a revolver, though, because it keeps the cylinder from rocking back and forth as I move throughout the day. I feel this is especially important with the Colts and their voodoo lockwork - I can fix a S&W, but a Colt is another story!

Anyhow, I saw that Grandfather Oak advertised that they made kydex holsters for the Detective Specials. I called and talked to them about a deep-sitting holster for my appendix-carry for my DS, and they told me about a new, as yet unnamed holster they'd developed.

http://www.grandfatheroak.com/

David told me that it was a tuckable, and that it only had one clip. I liked that, as the dual clip IWBs strike me as way too wide. I'm not usually big on the tuckable option, but figured that I didn't have to use it that way. I gave them my credit card number and they billed me the amazingly affordable $45 - that INCLUDES shipping, folks.

Grandfather Oak said that they were running about 8 weeks out when I ordered April 13th, but that they hoped to get it to me sooner. When the eight weeks came and went, I called them and learned they were a bit behind (partially because the brand-new holster style required some attention from a seamstress). Anyway, it came today (June 29th). So, here's what showed up in the mail (not the gun, of course).

Front side


Back side


Showing how the tuckable option works


Notice that the screws are adjustable for three different carry positions. I put it on the middle, and am pretty happy with it - nice and deep, and I can still get a grip for a fast draw.

The kydex is of regular thin grade - plenty stiff enough. The holster is molded well enough that a fully-loaded DS doesn't fall out when held upside-down. There's a bit of a sweat shield, which I appreciate, as I really like the way this revolver's bluing looks.



Here's how it looks. First, the way I usually carry it, appendix IWB. I usually put a cover garment over it - I don't mess with tucking.



But I got a wild hair, and thought you guys would like to see what it looks like tucked. So I gave it a shot. I was really pleased; quite surprised, really.











Gina, who knows how and where I usually carry, looked carefully and could not see that I had a gun on. Not bad. Darn good, in fact. Way better than I'd hoped.

Caveat: this holster definitely relies upon friction from the body and the waistband/belt to keep the heavy gun properly situated. It does not seem like it would work perfectly through strenuous activity. I would definitely want to have a solid belt strapping this rig in, pressing the holster and gun into my abdomen, to ensure that it stays placed properly. The clip and the extension that connect it to the holster will allow the gun to dip down on a diagonal otherwise.

The clip is super, BTW, and is a bear to remove from the pants. It's just that a heavy gun like the DS, loaded with six heavy rounds, is a little more than the connector can handle - the loaded rig will rotate in the waistband without some sort of compression from without.

I will try it out for a while, but think it'll work. It appears that I can adjust the holster from the outside of the pants if it should start to tilt. It also seems that a decent amount of attention to properly tightening the belt should make this not a big chore. Nevertheless, I suspect that repositioning the thing (just sort of involves a slight scratching motion in the pocket - doesn't look like I'm scratching anything untoward and can be entirely concealed w/i the front pocket) will be periodically necessary with this rig.

Heck of a deal for $45.

[FinnMike]

Nice looking rig, Erich, but that huge clip is a major turnoff for me. I always look about me for such things. A couple of weeks ago at a funeral some guy was wearing a Galco tuckable with that huge clip over his belt. Stood out like a sore thumb. I think you will find that if the tension on the revolver is too great the rig will rotate up with the draw. OTOH my Shotist for my M66 snub works perfectly for me.
Regards,
Mike

[Erich]

The Shotist does work perfectly, and it has that visible plastic strap attaching the rig to the belt. It requires a cover garment, of course. As I said, Tom and I tried to figure out a way to get a Detective Special Shotist rig for me, but he just didn't have an available gun to mold. That (and the fact that he no longer produces rigs as a business) is the reason why I had to look elsewhere.

The Grandfather Oak new tuckable rig is very well molded. I went for a vigorous 4.5 mile walk in the heat yesterday, and the sweat shield worked perfectly in protecting the gun. The holster's molding did not afford any "pinchy" spots, even with strenuous activity. The gun draws easily and does not rotate the rig on the draw. It's well done.

My concerns about the rig rotating under the gun's weight were alleviated when I cinched the rig to my waistband with my belt. You want to wear this one tight, but if that's done there are no problems (even with activity). As I said, I generally wear a cover garment with such rigs, and don't believe I'll be using the tuckable feature much - I just included the photos in the review because I figured folks would want to see how it looks.

[GatorFarmer]

You've probably mentioned it before, but who made the wood stocks shown on the DS?

[Erich]

Those are by Jim Badger.

[Erich]

Just wanted to update. I've carried this thing for miles on vigorous hikes on flats and in the foothills. I've carried it tucked past hundreds of people w/o anyone raising an eyebrow. And I've carried it tucked on hot hikes - it's always protected the gun and held it right.

This is a good one.