Which leather IWB holster for a 4 1/4" 1911 ?

Milt Sparks Summer special II

Brownells carries them, so you may not have to wait for Milt to make you one....

http://www.brownells.com/shooting-a...ters/semi-auto-summer-special-2-prod9922.aspx

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You all are giving me great advice!

Brownell's does stock the Summer Special in cowhide.... Maybe I should just go with cowhide. I understand horse is thinner and more sweat resistant which is goo for an IWB holster, but I'm not pretending to know everything....

Someone recommended TT Gunleather to me today. They sell a 'Mike's Special' which is very similar to a VM2, looks beautiful and they offer a military discount off the $120 price..... Time to ship is about 6 weeks the website says..... Anyone have a TT Gunleather holster?

I can't copy a pic of what it looks like but here's a link:
http://www.mcssl.com/store/a9856d0d...alog/product/68352856e58a4f40bcf130f25458da04

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Hey Lost Lake, when I had my 1911SC, it rode in a Nightingale Leather Peregrin. I first looked at Lobo (I have a few already for other models) but wanted something with a higher degree of cant angle. When I received the holster, it rode a little too high above the belt line for my liking, so I modified it and replaced the belt loops with clips that anchored at the bottom. This lowered the ride height for me.

So, that being said, figure out what type of ride height and cant angle you are looking for. Then check out Nightingale, TT Gunleather, Kelly Gunleather. I haven't read a bad review about TT Gunleather.

For what it's worth, however, I did order a Lobo IWB about the same time that I sold my 1911SC. The replacement 1911 has not yet arrived.
 
pluss 1 for Milt Sparks VMII. i have several for different guns. the best part is that the 1911 commander size does double duty with my Browning Hi-powers! i am also a fan of TT Gunleather, and have a couple of theirs as well...
 
Okay, I just ordered a TT Gunleather IWB Mike's Special. It has some features that are a bit different from the Sparks VM2. Doing some research I found they both are well respected holsters. With a military discount the TT costs $108 and should be in my hands inside of two months.

I left a message with Tim at TT and he promptly called back. That means a lot to me. I'll write a review when I get it.

I'll also probably get a Sparks Summer Special and a Lobo. All very different holsters.

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Two down now thanks to forum member TenTea who offered me a new Milt Sparks SS2 with an extra set of belt loops at a price I'm sure I'll have to go to confession for.... :p

Last one to order is the Lobo IWB. I'm going to ask ray if he can reinforce the mouth of the holster. I suppose the man can do anything he puts his mind to.....
 
Summer Special 2

I have three of the Summer Special holsters. One is in cow hide and two are horse hide. I don't see any real difference between them. The last time I ordered (within the last year) they were only making the Summer Specials in horse hide. The holsters are available either smooth side out or rough side out. All of mine are smooth side out. These are my favorite holsters and I am about to order another one.

Bill
 
That one looks pretty nice Jorge, but a LOT like a Sparks VM2.

The TT Mike's Special has an extra tab of leather hanging out to the rear of the holster I'm interesting to see how it performs....

I'll give a full review when it gets here....

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Milt Sparks Summer Special is a very good IWB holster for use with1911 type pistols. The angle of carry is comfortable and the upper leather shield between the gun and your skin is a great feature when carrying a 1911 IWB. Also I like the location of the belt loops on the Summer Special. This gives it a smaller footprint on the waist.
 
Lost Lake said:
Someone recommended TT Gunleather to me today. They sell a 'Mike's Special' which is very similar to a VM2, looks beautiful and they offer a military discount off the $120 price..... Time to ship is about 6 weeks the website says..... Anyone have a TT Gunleather holster?

I can't copy a pic of what it looks like but here's a link:
Reinforced IWB "Mikes Special" - Tim Thurner
Click to expand...

I LOVE TT Gunleather, and the Mike's Special is my favorite all-time holster!
It is similar to the VMII from Milt Sparks, but.....
rides lower and with a more aggressive cant angle, which makes it conceal better than the VMII (I've owned both, for several different model guns)

And TT is good folks!
Give them a try, you will NOT be disappointed.

p.s.-I just bought an IWB for my 4.25" 1911 from Nightingale leather, but it was in stock, so...no waiting.
 
ColbyBruce said:
The holster on the left is a Milt Sparks Summer Special, it now belongs to another forum member, a huge Glock fan, IIRC. This was my second, they just do not work for me since I have put on some weight. I used to weigh 8 lbs., 9 ounces. This is a well made and secure holster, I believe now the belt loops are removable so they can be swapped to accommodate different width belts.

Photo069.jpg
Click to expand...

I also like the Summer Special type holsters but I'm a fat old man. So I get the ones that have a sweat shield, prevents me from getting stuck in the side by the 1911 slides!!:D
 
My CZ75 rides in a TT like you ordered, and I like it very much. However, my all-time favorite rig is a commander in Gary Brommeland's Max-Con. I did not see it listed, maybe because its mouth is not reinforced. However, I've never had an issue with that, and the comfort compared to "any" other IWB of the many I've tried is remarkable. The tab on the TT is kind of a toy compared to Brommeland's, and the comfort it offers is not in the same ballpark at all. Many years ago I literally purchased a life-time's supply!

Strangely, I don't like the Max-Con Government model at all. But for a commander I know of no better. Big fan of MS VM 2 as well, as so many are.

TT's snap-on double mag holster (1911) is the most comfortable one I've ever had on, just in case you're interested. They're a really good company to work with.
 
AKJ Concealco

Sadly, AKJ Concealco is out of business. A few years ago, Andy became afflicted with ALS and had to stop making holsters.
I have about eight or so and the design is minimalist beauty. There's a Commander in one right here right now, and if it ever wears out, I will be at loose ends.
I still prefer the under-hammer retention loop- we have to take our guns off frequently here in this state- and the snapped loop creates a safer package when it has to go into the console or other stash location.
I do recommend the styles that have the loops to the front and back of the gun, instead of directly over it. It makes for both a slimmer profile (less material right there at the thickest point) and more stability- the wider stance of the loops keeps the gun from tipping as much.
I have a Summer Comfort as well, but the AKJ is the solution for me.
Best wishes to Andy Johnson wherever he is.
 

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