I am always on the look out for stuff that performs well at a great price point. I don’t necessarily believe that one always get what one pays for when buying expensive things.  After a certain price point there is usually a slight performance increase associated with a massive increase in price. I like to buy my gear right at the edge of that curve where performance is quite good, but the price has not yet taken off logarithmically . . .

A great example of this is the Glock pistol (or the M&P, XD or any of the other similarly priced plastic pistols). They’re not terribly expensive when you consider their accuracy, reliability, longevity and the central role that a gun can your play in extending your life expectancy. Proceed to RF’s Wilson Combat pistol to see a product that performs (arguably) marginally bettter for a big jump in price.

By the same token, I am reluctant to spend $70-200 for a leather handmade holster for my Glock 26 when there is a product that performs well for under that price: the Glock-branded Sport Combat Holster (SCH).

The Glock SCH received stellar reviews from users on various shopping websites—always a good sign. The price ranges wildly, but it’s hard to spend more than $25 on the SCH even with shipping figured in. The main difficulty acquiring them: they’re constantly on backorder.

Glock’s website description of the holster reads like a German to English airplane magazine: “The GLOCK sport/combat holster for concealed carry allows rapid drawing of the pistol and is comfortable to wear because of its flat shape. Can be adapted to various belt widths.” Suffice it to say there are two versions: Small (HO17043), and Large(HO02639). Small fits thin Glocks in .40, 9mm, and .357 Sig flavor. While the Large is designed to fit 10mm and .45 Glocks it actually fits them all. More on that later . . .

Each holster is made to accommodate any gun in the width family from sub compact to full size. Here is the small holster with G26 and G17:

The main difference between the large and small holsters: width.

The narrower width fits the narrow pistols snugly and the wider pistols not at all. Large on the left below.

The wider holster will fit the narrow pistols with just a slight amount of side-to-side slop. Actually it works just fine for the narrow pistols. If you just wanted one holster for the whole Glock line (perhaps excepting the G36 which I did not test), get the large holster. G17 in the small (left) and large (right) holster:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The difference between the two aside from width is subtle. The large holster will rub one’s middle finger a bit when drawing a narrow pistol. This is a non-issue unless you intend to practice (and you should) drawing from the holster. Plan on a blister/callous on your middle finger proximal interphalangeal joint. Or just cut/grind/sand the plastic down to size as needed:

Extra special bonus points! The large holster will fit an Umarex G-17 clone airsoft pistol which is nice if you like to practice with Airsoft (as you should). [Note: The narrow Glock holster will not fit the airsoft pistol.]

The holsters are made of some sort of flexible plastic and come with tabs that one cuts out to size them for belts from 1 inch to 2.5 inches in width. The slide on the belt in one of two ways, depending on where you carry the gun and where your belt loops sit. The belt can go inside the holster if the loop sits under the holster:

Or the belt can go outside if you either skip the loop under the holster, or the holster fits between loops:

Outside positioning of the belt tucks the gun closer to your body by the width of the belt and stabilizes it slightly more.

One nit: I found it impossible to swap mags while in the holster; the plastics covers the mag release. If this bothers you it would be simple to cut a small slot out of the holster to allow access to the mag release.

The Glock Sport Combat Holster retained the gun adequately even using the larger holster for a G26. The holster is flat, comfortable and conceals well OWB. It draws nicely. I personally can’t see what a super custom, nice, expensive, leather OWB rig would get me beyond this, but I’ve never tried one. Ignorance is bliss?

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12 COMMENTS

  1. A custom holster will give you a smoother draw, easier registering, and better concealment. My SCH has been sitting on my shelf since I got a custom Kydex holster.

  2. “After a certain price point there is usually a slight performance increase associated with a massive increase in price”.

    Agreed. Many long years ago, I worked in retail selling high-end stereos with our most expensive tuner unit alone selling for $8,000. It was nice yet not noticeably different than one selling for $800. The $7,000 hermetically sealed in a vacuum CD player was unique only in its absurd price. I couldn’t tell the difference from a $700 CD player. Then in the jewelry business, I once sold a fancy diamond ring and bracelet to a couple for $309,000. I never could figure out what the draw was to a few ancient pieces of pressurized carbon stones set atop a small metal ring. I’d prefer one of those high-end fancy survival watches for $300.

  3. Choosing a holster is as personal as choosing a bicycle seat. Seasoned cyclists will understand the analogy. So, if it works for you, it’s a great holster.

  5. In product design, it’s all about the geometric line and pattern… there are way too many holsters that may look great on the gun, but they fall short; when it comes to form-fitting your body.

  6. I purchsed one of these about 2 months ago. I originally ordered from Glock but the shipping was nothing short of absurd. I found one online cheaper and no shipping. So far it’s worked great. I live right on the Oregon coast so the effects of saltwater and salt spray can be hard on leather. This should hold up for years. One point that could use improvement, IMO, would be beefier belt loops.

  7. The Glock holster is the best OWB I’ve tried for the G26. It rides high and tight at a good angle for strong side hip (3:00) placement. The flexible tabs pull the gun in nicely, but the holster is rigid enough that it does not collapse and re-holsters well. If I were to nit-pick, the draw is a little sticky compared to Kydex. I have a Raven Concealment Phantom and a couple other holsters, but overall, I prefer this holster, and it’s a bargain!

  9. I have yet to try the Glock holster. For the price I may get one just to try it. I prefer leather belt holsters such as the Yaqui Slide holster. Leather belt holsters provide decent retention and a quick draw. I can usually find a leather belt holster formed to my gun for around $30. I have a box full of generic holsters that did not make me happy from my Ruger P95 days. Right now I have an El Paso Saddlery Combat Express Belt Slide Holster for my G19 and a similar holster made by Pro Ride for my Ruger LCP. Both holsters hold my gun high and tight for great concealment. They also have great retention for a holster with no strap. A dab of Galco holster ease prevents the pistol from getting stuck in the holster. The LCP is so comfortable I frequently nap with the LCP on my belt. I have napped with the G19 on my belt but when I woke up I knew it was there. I can conceal both guns with a T shirt long enough to prevent plumbers crack on a hot day.

  11. Forgotten great attribute is that holster is ambidextrous and can be easilly converted to many configurations to suit needs I have both my holsters for 8 years and both hold up to constant wearing, never dropped firearm, and retention can be adjusted

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