Which OWB holster for M&P2.0 compact

[matrosov]

Got my wife an M&P 2.0 compact 4 inch barrel, I know I know I"m THE husband of the year because I'm not keeping it for myself. The question is now which holster is better suited for a woman? Mine are all COMPTACs and I prefer paddle and kydex. By the looks of it COMP TAC is one size fits all for M&Ps might be a little too bulky for her. Are there any better choices for petite female as usual google is a sea of choices so I'm turning to these forums for some personal experiences. .

[Knightshift]

Depends how she wants to carry. Alien has interchangeable shells for different options and a nice mount for car and or desk etc. If it's a bag or purse carry some kind of pocket holster might do.

[matrosov]

Thanks I"m going to start her on a belt outside waist and keep it that way for awhile, off body carry is a little iffy for her at the moment.

[Sgt.K]

Thanks I"m going to start her on a belt outside waist and keep it that way for awhile, off body carry is a little iffy for her at the moment.

How does *SHE* want to start?

[ShaulWolf]

Does she want retention or no retention?

[Hodgie]

If you want a standard Kydex OWB holster streamlined with excellent molded retention then check out the BCA from Bravo Concealment with the pancake clips which you might have to buy from them separate. If she wants Level 1 or two then I would look into a Safariland ALS but they are bulky using the belt loops or the paddle.

https://www.bravoconcealment.com/pro...un-holster-bca

[matrosov]

Does she want retention or no retention?

No retention, she is new to firearms so I'm keeping it very basic for now. She can get her own boxes of gear as she moves along. .

[matrosov]

How does *SHE* want to start?

She is at the dubious stage at this point. She agrees she needs to carry but she is way too new to the whole carry concept so I'm going to make some decisions for her out of the gate and I am trying to keep it KISS. And as she gains experience she can start experimenting on her own. Right now while I'm training her up I need something quality that fits her comfortably so she can practice with it and once she is trained up she can use whatever I buy to start EDC with. After that I'm sure will come more guns, more holsters, more CCW purses etc. I love my comp-tacs but I'm not sure they are form fitting enough for her.

[ShaulWolf]

If she intends to conceal, and doesn't need retention, then I'd echo what Hodgie said and recommend Bravo Concealment. Their BCA holster is pretty form fitting, does an excellent job, and is fairly priced. If she doesn't like it, then she has 30 days to return it, no questions asked.

If she finds that she wants something with retention, then I'd recommend Safariland's ALS holsters. They're intuitive to use, offer decent retention against basic gun grabs, and are reasonably priced. However, they're harder to conceal, and more for open carry (unless she likes to rock the loose unbuttoned shirt look).

ETA:

If she's really new to the entire concept of carrying, then I would highly recommend having some serious discussions going over scenarios and philosophy. Go over when she's legally justified to use lethal force, how to interact with law enforcement (the don't be a dick approach works the best), avoiding confrontation, committing to a fight once the gauntlet is thrown, post shooting proceedures, etc. Go over what-if scenarios, tactics, and current best practices. And definitely (safely) practice drawing and firing, basic fundamentals, and some basic retention.

[matrosov]

If she intends to conceal, and doesn't need retention, then I'd echo what Hodgie said and recommend Bravo Concealment. Their BCA holster is pretty form fitting, does an excellent job, and is fairly priced. If she doesn't like it, then she has 30 days to return it, no questions asked.

If she finds that she wants something with retention, then I'd recommend Safariland's ALS holsters. They're intuitive to use, offer decent retention against basic gun grabs, and are reasonably priced. However, they're harder to conceal, and more for open carry (unless she likes to rock the loose unbuttoned shirt look).

ETA:

If she's really new to the entire concept of carrying, then I would highly recommend having some serious discussions going over scenarios and philosophy. Go over when she's legally justified to use lethal force, how to interact with law enforcement (the don't be a dick approach works the best), avoiding confrontation, committing to a fight once the gauntlet is thrown, post shooting proceedures, etc. Go over what-if scenarios, tactics, and current best practices. And definitely (safely) practice drawing and firing, basic fundamentals, and some basic retention.

Thanks, that is exactly the stage we are in now. Training up on basics of gun handling, discussing the mindset and all the responsibilities and potential pitfalls that come with having a gun on your hip. She is about 6 months to a year away before she can comfortably carry on her own but I need a basic set of gear for her to run the drills and dry runs with and me being buy once cry once personality I want to set her up with quality stuff now so she has a decent jump off point later.