Everyday Carry
By Robb Manning
Side Guard Holsters: The Slide
Nothing is more comfortable than a leather outside the waste band (OWB) holster. “The Slide” from Side Guard Holster, was my very first leather OWB holster -- up until then I had used Kydex OWB holsters, and some “tuckable” inside the waste band (IWB) holsters. It’s been such an excellent holster that now I rarely ever use anything other than a OWB leather holster.
I first contacted Erik at Side Guard Holsters (SGH) back in January 2012. I was relatively new to concealed carry, and new very little about the various holster options available. I had some Kydex OWB holsters, but they didn’t conceal all that well, and after about 3 hours the Kydex paddle started to dig into my side. I had some leather/Kydex holsters of the “tuckable” variety, and those were pretty comfortable, but unless I wanted to go up a pant size, they limited the size of the handgun I could carry. From my limited experience with OWB holsters, I didn’t think they were suitable for concealed carry.
Erik helped me out, getting me set up with The Slide; one of his most popular models. Before I continue, I just want to say -- because I know this matters to many of you out there -- SGH is a family owned company, and all of their holsters are made right next door to us in Minnesota. Erik goes to great lengths to use US based suppliers on everything that he can.
I was extremely impressed with The Slide when I got it. The leather grains are very handsome, the construction is very solid, and the design is excellent. Mine is molded to the Ruger LC9 with Crimson Trace, and it fit perfectly -- the pistol is held firmly in place so it isn’t going to fall out, yet it has a very smooth draw.
As far as comfort goes, the way it is designed, there is very little need for a break in period. It’s comfortable right out of the box. It’s formed to follow the curvature of the side of a body, so it holds firmly to your hip. Even after wearing it for a 12 hour day, I hardly notice it’s there. A side guard extends up from the holster to prevent the firearm slide from touching your skin, but allows for a quick, full hand grip when drawing.
Concealment is excellent -- I wear mine with just a standard polo shirt, and with a proper belt there is little to no printing. A good part of that is due to curvature of the holster keeping it snug to your body. I can even wear a T-shirt and not print. That’s excellent.
MSRP - $70. Options include: Left or Right hand; Black, Brown or Natural; Cant zero to 20 degrees; Belt slot width 1” to 2”. Also available in a High Ride model for $75. Available for most handguns. Refer to website for a complete list. www.sideguardholsters.com