When did plastic holsters get so expensive?

[Telecaster]

I went to the LGS today to find a double mag holster and there were three choices. Fobus (I didn't like the giant paddle), Blackhawk (nice design, I bought it despite the overly complicated belt slide design), and another brand I honestly can't remember. The Blackhawk was $33, which is silly. But the "other" brand was $75! For a molded plastic double magazine holster! Really?

 

[Muss Muggins]

It would help if you could remember the name of the brand you’re complaining about. Woulda been burned in my brain. Of course, I’m an unabashed Fobus fanboy . . .

I went to the LGS today to find a double mag holster and there were three choices. Fobus (I didn't like the giant paddle), Blackhawk (nice design, I bought it despite the overly complicated belt slide design), and another brand I honestly can't remember. The Blackhawk was $33, which is silly. But the "other" brand was $75! For a molded plastic double magazine holster! Really?

 

[Watchdog]

When did plastic holsters get so expensive?

Good question. An even better question might be why did they get so expensive? After all, they are just plastic or some sort of composition stuff. I guess they do look all tactical and stuff, but still...they're molded plastic made by fitting them to a dummy gun. And they have parts that will break and/or snap off.

I once bought a Blackhawk Serpa for my Glock 30S. Think I paid around $40 for it. Carried the pistol concealed in it through one winter's hiking. I carried it as a belt slide, not a paddle. I thought I was pleased with it. Even argued with another forum member who said bad things about the Serpa. Boy, was I dumb.

Then I switched over to an El Paso Saddlery Yaqui Slide. That was when I realized the Serpa wasn't even close to okay and never had been. The Serpa curved out too far from my body, making a more noticeable bulge under a hoodie. Plus it was black. Never cared for black holsters. Last time I saw the Serpa, it was in a drawer somewhere. I'd have to open a few drawers to find it. Then late winter of this year, I switched to a DeSantis Mini-Scabbard for the Glock, and it's even better than the EPS. It rides close to the body and needs no retention strap. Fits snugly on a 1.75-inch wide belt. DeSantis may have used a dummy gun for the pattern, but the fit is perfect. Couldn't be any better if it'd been boned by hand. I like it so much, I just bought another one for a 36 snubbie. They're a tad expensive for a mass produced holster, but it's a case of getting what you pay for.

So no more plastic holsters for me. I just don't think they're worth the money for what you get.

 

[gman51]

Are they mostly made in China now like about everything else? A lot of oil based products have really gone up in price. Especially plastics. PVC pipe used to be really cheap but not now.

 

[ericrlarson]

Yes they have gotten expensive. I have several holsters in kydex type and leather. Kydex definitely plays a role. For me it’s competition shooting (USPSA, IDPA) and I do carry in a Comp Tac IWB holster occasionally. I must say though that I much prefer the aesthetics of good quality leather holsters. I have some from Milt Sparks, Bianchi, Savoy and Desantis. I just ordered a Diamond D Custom leather holster for my 617 that is cut for a Vortex Venom. Gonna be my close range squirrel set up!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Biggfoot44]

Injection molded costs more for set up costs, but is less per unit

 

[Telecaster]

Raven Concealment Systems, that’s the $75 mag pouch. The link says $40, but when you click the options for 2 mags, it’s $75.

Copia Pistol Double and Single Magazine Carriers (Fits most 9/40 Double Stack Magazines) - Raven Concealment Systems

 

[Wise_A]

Holsters from RCS, Dark Star Gear, Phlster, Keepers, JMCK, et al, cost money because they're made by small companies, and they get tested hard. So sure, you can spend $40 on whatever not-a-Serpa Blackhawk is pushing in gunshops these days, or you can spend $80 once and get something nice that you'll keep.

You know how you have a drawer full of holsters that you don't use?

Yeah, that's where cheaping out gets you.

 

[vonn]

Just never have been a fan of anything but leather for holsters but really never tried many of the modern materials.

 

[LVSteve]

I once bought a Blackhawk Serpa for my Glock 30S....

Then I switched over to an El Paso Saddlery Yaqui Slide. That was when I realized the Serpa wasn't even close to okay and never had been. The Serpa curved out too far from my body, making a more noticeable bulge under a hoodie.

Isn't the Serpa the holster that attracts a fire hose of vitriol on YouTube because it doesn't retain the gun very well?

 

[Muss Muggins]

Only when the spring assembly for the retention lever self destructs like the Challenger, which happens at the most inopportune moment in my experience. . .

Isn't the Serpa the holster that attracts a fire hose of vitriol on YouTube because it doesn't retain the gun very well?

 

[BigBoy99]

Perhaps I'm a curmudgeon but plastic holsters are for plastic guns! I have no intention of owing a plastic handgun so I don't worry about plastic holsters. To me, cow leather and all steel hand guns just go together.

 

[ericrlarson]

Perhaps I'm a curmudgeon but plastic holsters are for plastic guns! I have no intention of owing a plastic handgun so I don't worry about plastic holsters. To me, cow leather and all steel hand guns just go together.

As I get older, my fondness for steel, beautiful wood and leather trump the benefits of the polymers used in the high speed, low drag stuff. But the latter definitely serves a purpose, just not ours! Cheers!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ContinentalOp]

I don't have a problem with the price if it's good quality, whether it's plastic, kydex, or leather.

One thing I do wonder about is time, though. I have a JM Kydex holster for my PX4 Compact. Excellent quality and craftsmanship that took nearly 3 months to get. I also have a Kramer horsehide holster, also excellent quality and craftsmanship, that took about 6-7 weeks to get, and a TT Gunleather holster, again excellent quality and craftsfmanship, that took about 3 weeks, even with a custom alteration from their standard model.

My understanding was that leather took longer because it required more handwork to cut, shape, mold, and dye, while kydex involved heating and shaping the material around a mold. So why did my kydex holster take so much longer to make than my custom leather holsters?

 

[Biggfoot44]

More backorders ahead of yours .

 

[Watchdog]

Isn't the Serpa the holster that attracts a fire hose of vitriol on YouTube because it doesn't retain the gun very well?

Could be, but I have no personal experience with any retainment problems. Now that I think about it, though, in some sort of holster discussion here years ago, some guy raked me over the coals for even daring to say something positive about the Serpa.

As I said earlier, I just more or less got tired of the thing for the way it looked and rode on my belt. Plus, it just had that trying-too-hard-to-be-tacticool look about it. So I went back to leather.

 

[rednichols]

Reading through your replies, I realize the 'why' if not the 'when' (not really what you were asking I reckon) of polymer holsters becoming expensive: a market economy like ours bases its prices on what people will pay not what they cost the maker.

This is as true for low prices as for high prices and competition plays a big role in setting prices. But the market won't pay us makers what it costs; the market really doesn't care. Instead the market sets a value and buys accordingly; if that price is ten bucks but it costs the maker twenty, the the maker fails. If the market will pay $100 and it costs the maker a dollar, then the maker prospers.

So I'd say, polymer holsters cost what they do, because people will pay it. Simple really. Nothing to do with what they cost to make.

 

[crazyphil]

It must have been 15 or 20 years ago that kydex started looking
attractive. I bought a Fobus for my 642-1 and an Uncle Mike for
my Glock model 22. The Fobus was kinda "sticky" on the draw and
it also made quite a noisy snap when the gun exited the holster.
The Uncle Mike made the same noisy snap when the Glock was drawn.
They were both assigned duty in the big box.

A few years later I got a Tactical Practical from Wilson Combat for my
Beretta 92. It had a mixture of kydex and leather and a suede lining
that solved the noisy snap on the draw. It was/is a great holster. I
gave it to my grandson in law a couple of Christmases ago along with
the Beretta.

I bought a Safariland for my Colt Gold Cup that is similar to the Wilson
in that it's a mixture of kydex and leather with suede lining which solves
the "snap" problem. I would say it's a good holster, but doesn't get a
lot of use, only because I have other holsters that I prefer to wear with
my 1911. Shown below on the left.

I also bought a Safariland 518 paddle that is kydex, also with a suede
lining, which eliminated the "snap" noise. Below 2nd from left.

That is pretty much the extent of my experience with kydex holsters.
Price wise, the less expensive models didn't work very well. While the
ones that did work well were more expensive. Maybe there is a little
lesson there somewhere.

 

[ContinentalOp]

Isn't the Serpa the holster that attracts a fire hose of vitriol on YouTube because it doesn't retain the gun very well?

My understanding was that the Serpa has two problems.

1. The release paddle is activated with your index finger. The thought is that when you draw the gun, you're applying pressure with your index finger. It's then possible when the trigger clears the holster you could end up with your finger on the trigger and fire the gun before you're ready.

2. If any debris gets under the release paddle, your gun is not coming out of the holster.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Three. The mechanism is prone to catastrophically fail without warning, turning your retention holster into a sleeve . . .

My understanding was that the Serpa has two problems.

1. The release paddle is activated with your index finger. The thought is that when you draw the gun, you're applying pressure with your index finger. It's then possible when the trigger clears the holster you could end up with your finger on the trigger and fire the gun before you're ready.

2. If any debris gets under the release paddle, your gun is not coming out of the holster.