Recommend your favorite leather holster for revolver

[JT686]

Hello!

I have a 686+ 5" barrel revolver with unfluted cylinder. Can you recommend a leather holster or manufacturer? Does the cylinder (fluted or not) affect its fitting?

At first I considered a shoulder holster, but is it bad at range?

I did some research online but recommendations are needed!

 

[URIT]

I like MTR Custom Leather or Don Hume products for their quality at reasonable prices.

My favorite would be the Belt Slide Master Carry from MTR.

 

[Farmer17]

Bianchi 5 BH thumb break leather holster. For a field holster its hard to beat a US Govt Bianchi M9/M12, and I recently bought one from an Army Surplus store in Tulsa for under 30 bucks in new condition.

 

[brucev]

For out and about in the woods and fields, I really like the Bianchi 111 Cyclone. It can be work strong side or cross draw. In cross draw, it facilitates carry in a vehicle or four wheeler. In strong side, it stays put and is easy to draw and holster after use. Bianchi has a well deserved reputation for excellence in materials and manufacture.

In the same class is the El Paso Saddlery Tom Threepersons holster. This has worked extremely well with my six inch S&W 28-2. It's only drawback, which is true of all strong side holsters with long barreled guns is that it does not work as well in a vehicle w/ the seat-belt. HTH. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

El Paso Saddlery has been my go-to holster maker for years but another big favorite is Diamond D Buy Handcrafted Alaskan Leather Holsters | Diamond D Custom Leather. They make outstanding holster for rough outdoor use.

 

[TJm15.38]

I have always liked the vintage Safariland holsters for K-Frame 4" barrel revolvers. Here's two of them.

 

[Shark Bait]

Simply Rugged in Arizona just made one for my 5 inch 686. Take a look at their selections. Nice stuff.

 

[gwpercle]

Over the last 50 years of handgun shooting and hunting ...
every one of my favorite holster's have all evolved into models made by Bianchi . I have tried others , not any "Custom" holsters but just about every affordable production holster out there ...
Every one of my favorites have Bianchi stamped on it .
My most recent was a new Lawman for a Ruger BH SA ... I paid $70 for it and fit and finish were worth every penny .
I see with infalation they are now $100 ... that's a little steep !!!

Check out El Paso Saddlery ... historic holster maker making classic designs ... If I'm going to spend $100 ... might as well go first class .

I just checked prices and El Paso Saddlery isn't any more expensive than Bianchi ... check out their stuff El Paso Saddlery – Custom Leather Holsters & More
Gary

 

[StrawHat]

My suggestion,

Custom Leathersmiths on the Forum

These guys will build what you want, better quality and usually less money than the fancy companies that are fast becoming ‘we bought the name and are trying to make money off the company name we bought”.

Kevin

 

[growr]

I have been using Kramer holsters for many of my handguns, not inexpensive, but so worth it!
Next in line are Lobo Holsters.

Randy

 

[SSGRock]

Holster Manufacturer

Bianchi the Best after that Triple K.

 

[rednichols]

Hello!

I have a 686+ 5" barrel revolver with unfluted cylinder. Can you recommend a leather holster or manufacturer? Does the cylinder (fluted or not) affect its fitting?

At first I considered a shoulder holster, but is it bad at range?

I did some research online but recommendations are needed!

Underarm shoulder holsters are TERRIBLE for long barreled, big frame, heavy revolvers. A very good alternative is the cross-chest holster aka the bandolier holster. Comfortable, distributes the bulk and weight very well.

Belt holsters: Of course if your cylinder is unfluted and you choose a detail moulded Galco that DOES have flutes, the fitment will be affected. Most such holsters are/were made for fluted cylinders.

Of today's makers my favourite is Galco, but avoid any that show their tendency to place the cylinder above the belt's uppermost edge. Ignore that advice if your belt is very wide and you wear your belt around your hips. Like Tom did in the 1920s, his only decade as a lawman (and afterwards he wasn't permitted to carry and got his head beaten in as a consequence. A metal plate in his skull resulted which required he wear a hat to prevent the sun heating it and giving him the fierce headaches that he got anyway).

That's Texas Ranger Lee Trimble with him, showing the more extreme low ride carry by shifting the belt down to the hip joint):

 

[Onomea]

...afterwards he wasn't permitted to carry and got his head beaten in as a consequence. A metal plate in his skull resulted which required he wear a hat to prevent the sun heating it and giving him the fierce headaches that he got anyway..

Now there's a piece of arcane holster lore from The Holstorian that I had not come across before....

 

[StrawHat]

Trimble killed himself, if I am not mistaken.

Kevin

 

[BAM-BAM]

5/6" barrels, for field use, the Bianchi 111 Cyclone is my go to. I have them for J,K,L,N frame guns....

Even a cute little one for a 2" J-frames

 

[max503]

At first I considered a shoulder holster, but is it bad at range?

Do you want a holster for the range, or one for concealed carry?
A holster that does both might be a compromise. CC is no place to compromise.

 

[rednichols]

Trimble killed himself, if I am not mistaken.

Kevin

La Fetra Trimble died in 1985; one of his pallbearers was gun author Sheriff Jim Wilson, who mentioned to me that they were good friends. I find no mention of his cause of death, you could ask Jim about that.

 

[lihpster]

Bianchi 5 BH thumb break leather holster.

Used one for my Mod.15 for the last 30+ years. Never let me down. Bought several more for other guns.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Originally Posted by JT686 View Post
At first I considered a shoulder holster, but is it bad at range?

Do you want a holster for the range, or one for concealed carry?
A holster that does both might be a compromise. CC is no place to compromise.

No range that I frequent, and I frequent quite a few, would permit you to enter the range with a loaded gun in a holster - any holster - if that's the gun you plan to shoot that day. If you're carrying a concealed handgun that you're not going to shoot they don't know, they don't ask, they don't care. All range guns have to come inside unloaded and in cases. The only range(s) that will permit loaded weapons in holsters, that I know about, anyway, are:

1. Any competition range, but even then you don't show up wearing your loaded weapon. You can walk around all you want, for instance, at a cowboy action range/match with your guns strapped on but they damned well better be unloaded.

2. Training ranges for any kind of self defense courses where you train to shoot from cover, at close quarters, or even long distance practice shooting at goblins, and EVEN THEN you don't show up with loaded guns in holsters.

Anyone know differently?

 

[jack the toad]

Although, I have some by EPS and others, both name brand and custom makers, I'm another voter for Simply Rugged. I agree there are others that are equally good, in both features and quality, I think the SR Sour Dough Pancake, along with their Chesty Puller rig, and maybe some inside out straps, is probably the closest I've found to an all-around one holster do-all. Not to mention, the changeover attachment to allow virtually any OWB holster be utilized with the CP rig.
Sent you PM. Good luck with your search.