Pistol holsters are gun holsters made for a large variety of pistols. In this pistol holster review, we will look at some of the different types of pistols holsters and the types of pistols used in them. For the intents and purpose of this review we consider a pistol a handgun. While there are some that argue that a pistol is actually a subset of a handgun because there are other types of handguns, like revolvers, that some may not consider a pistol, we will be looking at pistol holsters that are made for all several types of handguns.

What is a Pistol Holster?

A pistol holster is a gun holster that is made to secure a handgun when not in use. Pistol holsters can be made to be worn on the body, on a saddle, or in other locations. User’s should be careful to choose a holster that will not damage the gun and that will keep it secure so that it does not fall out or accidentally discharge. A pistol holster is generally made so that a user can draw their weapon quickly with one hand and reholster it in the same manner.

Types of Pistol Holsters

There are many types of pistol holsters to choose from. Pistol holsters can be part of the duty holster, tactical holster, concealment holster, or sport holster categories. You will find pistol holsters for almost any type of carry from pocket holsters to shoulder harnesses, and inside the waistband to ankle holsters. Another consideration when talking about the types of pistol holsters is what material they are made from.

Many pistol holsters are made of leather as it can be dyed, stamped, embossed, or otherwise crafted to look very nice. For tactical or duty holsters you will more likely find holsters made of nylon, or molded plastics like Kydex. When looking for duty or tactical pistol holsters you will also want to be aware of the type of retention or level of security. Most will be rated as level I, level II, or level III with a level III being the most secure, requiring a deliberate action by the user (such as releasing a thumb break) to prevent a suspect from accessing the weapon.

Types of Pistols used in Pistol Holsters

There are countless types of pistols that can be used in a pistol holster. The best way to find a pistol holster is to know the exact type of gun you have and then search for pistol holsters that are made to fit that gun. Sport or hunting holsters are made to carry larger pistols that may have sights or other attachments while a pocket holster is made to carry much smaller pistols.

Who Makes Pistol Holsters

Virtually every company that makes gun holsters makes some types of pistol holsters. Some of the best gun holster manufacturers that make a large variety of pistol holsters to fit many different types of pistols are Galco, Fobus, Safariland, Uncle Mikes, and Bianchi. Read our reviews of these companies to get a general idea of the main types of gun holsters each company makes and then do a little further research to find who makes the best gun holster for the pistol you have. Fobus focuses almost entirely on injection molded holsters where most of the others offer a variety of choices from leather to Kydex and other plastic or nylon materials.

When looking for the best gun holster for your pistol type you may want to read some user reviews or talk to others in the forums about what pistols holsters they like for a particular weapon. If you can find someone with the same gun and similar tastes, there are a lot of helpful individuals to point you in the right direction.