Being Thankful for Remora Holsters--Updated 11/27/2010 with Video

OK, so here we are on the afternoon of Thanksgiving; everyone is fed and napping in bed with a Turkey induced coma.  I slept in so I am not in need of a nap and I am waxing with thoughtfulness over what I am thankful for.  It goes without saying that I am thankful for my family, friends, home, job (the real one not this savings draining hobby) and yada, yada, yada….  But this is Average Joe’s handgun reviews so let’s talk about what I am thankful for within the subject matter boundaries of this blog:

Remora Holsters.  I know I’ve written a lot about these value priced holsters but this good thing just keeps getting better.  I moved from Chicago to Boise, Idaho in 2003 and immediately got my concealed weapon permit that the State of Illinois denies to its citizens.  Since then I have struggled to find a good concealable holster with which I am comfortable.  Outside the waistband was too obvious, inside the waistband was too uncomfortable.  This left me with two options: pocket holsters and the Clip Draw attachment.  For quite a while I was using pocket holsters to conceal a Kel-Tec P3AT .380 ACP, Colt Government .380, Colt Mustang .380, S&W 627 .38 Special and an S&W 340 PD .38 Special.  The S&W J-framed .38’s seemed too bulky and noticeable and the .380’s presented their own problems.  The Kel-Tec was the perfect weight for a pocket holster but the sights were dismal, the trigger pinched my trigger finger, and the pistol was so thin it has to be repositioned after each shot.  The two Colt .380’s worked well in blue jeans where the legs of the pants hold the pocket close to the body however in dress or any other type of trousers where the legs are cut a little more generously the heavier Colt’s pulled at the material and bounced around inside the pocket.  Upon moving to the frozen metropolis of Minneapolis I found a gun range which carried the Clip Draw.  It was a step up for me but still not something with which I was completely comfortable.  The J-framed revolvers with their short barrels would push up out of my waistband when I sat down.  On my Glock Model 36 the Clip Draw would stay put vertically but not laterally.  Through normal movements the pistol would shift slightly along the belt line causing me to reach in and move it back into place.  Too much manual holster adjusting telegraphs that you are armed and that is not a good.  Carrying a 1911 of any size with the clip draw attachment meant that the cocked and locked hammer and beavertail safety will dig into your side.

Then earlier this year my local gun shop had recommended the Remora clipless holster and I have found this to be the answer to all of my pistol packin’ problems.  It stays put.  I am easily able to conceal a compact weapon like a Glock 19 or 23 under a T-shirt.  It doesn’t tug downward on the pants because it is not attached to them.  It is easier to transfer from strong side to weak side cross draw carry when driving or sitting down.  It is easier to remove which is a plus when sitting down in the restroom stall.  It has no hard corners or sharp edges to poke me in the side.  And…it just got better.  Alan Bodgan, the man behind Remora listens to his customers and tries to give them what they want and they wanted two things; the mouth of the holster to stay open so that they can reholster and they wanted a sweat shield.  So now you can order the original Remora holster or a Remora with a sweat shield, or a Remora RFT which stands for ReinForced Top (this holster has a band of Kydex inside the two material layers that keeps the mouth of the holster open) or you can order the Remora RFT with a sweat shield.  Remora is located in Florida where people sweat year round (as opposed to here where the high was 13 degrees today) and because of the heat they frequently carry their handgun next to their body without a layer of clothing in between; thus the need for a sweat shield.  I like the sweat shield on my 1911 pistols as it keeps the hammer and beavertail from poking me in the side.  Pretty darn sweet if you ask me!  Let me show you what I am talking about.

This photo shows the RFT and you can see where the Kydex band is located

This one shows the open mouth provided by the Kydex band

And here is my Bersa Thunder .380 Concealed Carry in the holster

Here my Kimber Super Carry Pro rests comfortably in the Remora RFT

Here is the New Sweat Shield

Here is the back of the holster showing how the sweat shield protects your pistol and your body

And here is the RFT with Sweat Shield

Front Side

And Rear

Updated 11/27/2010


I am sure that one of the questions that you might have about the Remora holster system is whether or not the holster will stay in place during strenuous activity up to and including a fight.  Well we here at the Average Joe Testing and Evaluation facility in Minneapolis sought to find the out.  So at this morning's Krav Maga class I got permission from my instructor to wear my Glock Model 19 (with inert training barrel installed) in my Remora holster in order to evaluate how it moved during physical close combat training.  Both the holster and the pistol stayed put, exactly in the same place where I placed them inside my waistband at the beginning of class.  I never had to adjust it and quite frankly I forgot that I was wearing it.


After class my instructor was kind enough to wear the holster while doing some rolls in order to turn the holster upside down during turbulent physical activity, and here are the results :


Forward roll

Side Roll

And handstand

I think this pretty much answers the question concerning whether or not the holster and pistol will stay in place during strenuous activity.  Now, one thing to keep in mind is that the Remora holster is meant for concealment and if you use it to carry in an open fashion be advised that obviously there is no retention device that will foil someone who tries to snatch your handgun.  Quite frankly there is no retention device on any holster that is completely foolproof and the moral of that story is that people who carry should practice handgun retention techniques and should always carry concealed.


So, if you haven't tried a Remora holster yet please go online or give them a call and tell 'em Average Joe sent you.  Remora holsters are available online at http://www.remoraholsters.net/

or by calling 239.293.1165