LCP and ankle holster

[culpepermm]

I have carried a Ruger LCP as my CCW for about 18 months now. For most of that time I have used an uncle mikes pocket holster and a "tuckable" IWB holster from JMG holsters. This combination has worked for me for the vast majority of daily situations I find myself in. Both holsters were comfortable, affordable, and durable in my experience with the uncle mikes costing about 12 dollars and the JMG costing about 35 if I recall.

The one problem I had was at work. I wear dress slacks and a dress shirt for work. The pocket holster would print like a brick and while the IWB holster was perfect for comfort and concealment, the metal clip on it does quite a number on the leather of my car seat. I tried to file it down or pad it but nothing worked well.

So recently I decided to try an ankle holster and since I had good luck with uncle mike's already, I stuck to it and bought theirs. So if you're interested, here is a review.

First, be careful about the sizing. On the website, they claim a size 1 is for .380s. This may be but for the LCP this is way too big. You want the size 10, its a perfect fit.

Design:
I shopped several ankle holsters but the uncle mikes was one of the only holsters I saw that came with a garter. This is an extra strap that fits higher up on your leg and keeps the holster from falling all the way down to your foot where it would be loose and not exactly concealed. The garter on the uncle mike's holster is removable if you do not want to use it. However, I think it is a vital option. You have to fasten it above your calf muscle and then it can't slip down any lower than your calf. This is important because your leg is tapered and without the garter, the ankle holster by itself has to be extremely tight to stay in place during any kind of movement (stairs for example). Otherwise the materials are the nice soft kind I've come to expect from the company and the fit for the pistol is perfect. The pistol is secured with a velcro strap that keeps it snug. While I do not use the extended magazines for carry, there is nothing in the design of the holster that would prevent you from doing so.

Wear:
I have been impressed with the comfort of the holster. There are no tags or poorly finished ends to itch or scratch you. Of course most of the holster sits over my sock so this may be blocking something that others would experience. The bottom of the holster sits about 1 1/2" above the end of my pant leg even while sitting so concealment is never an issue. With the garter in place, the holster stays where you put it even when driving stick (I'm right handed so of course the holster is on the inside of my left leg) or taking a few stairs. The holster itself seems a little loose on my leg but I am still experimenting with how tight I have to make it while still not cutting off my circulation. The whole rig is easily adjustable but I don't know how far you could stretch it if you're a big and tall type of guy.

Quality:
The materials are mostly the same as were on my pocket holster and that has been a durable product for me though it definitely shows signs of being broken in. The garter is made of elastic so you can probably expect that to wear out at some point. Everything else is thick nylon and plastic.

Access/Concealment:
What good is a ccw holster if it doesn't allow you fast access? Because I use the holster with loose fitting dress slacks, there is no problem for me to pull up my pant leg and get to my firearm. The holster provides nothing for pants to snag on. Since it is summer I have not tried the holster with jeans yet but I doubt it will work very well just because jeans tend to fit tighter. But thats why I believe you need a variety of holsters to really be able to comfortably carry every day. As for concealment, I don't know if it gets much better. There is no printing but even if there were, who stares at your ankles?

Problems:
The only issue I have so far is that the strap connecting the garter to the holster is a little short. It attaches with velcro so you could lengthen this but I haven't made the adjustment yet. Also you need to strap it fairly tight or the whole rig can wiggle a little. If you think about the kind of pendulum action your ankle experiences this makes sense though. I also wonder if my gun will take more of a "pounding" being on my leg instead of on my hip but I expect this to be minimal.

[PocketProtector]

Desantis Nemesis, rear pocket, can't beat it.

[levib]

I have all the same holsters you do, but have a Crossbreed Mini-tuck instead of the tuckable IWB you mentioned. I find myself using the ankle holster the most, but I don't use the garter. My work pants are slightly oversized, so the holster will only show if I cross my legs without pulling on my pants leg. I did get the size 1, which is a little big, but I also have the Crimson Trace on my LCP. The gun is still quite secure in the holster and it hasn't moved much.

I'd use the pocket holster more, but that's where my .357 goes :P

[PocketProtector]

For the life of me I don't see how anyone can ever get used to an ankle holster. Obviously some do though.

[mythaeus]

For the life of me I don't see how anyone can ever get used to an ankle holster. Obviously some do though.

Have you tried it with an LCP before? I ankle my G26 occasionally, while it's bearable, I wouldn't do it all day. My wife frequently ankle her LCP because of work dress code. Pocket, front or back, won't do any good for a woman. The LCP is 9oz empty and a few more with 6 +1. If there is a gun to be carry on your ankle, the LCP is it.

While ankle carrying may be frowned upon by many people, for arguable good tactical/practical reasons, it can be a good last resort option for a lot of people, especially those who need to conceal at work. You just need to understand the limitation of ankle carry and account for it accordingly.

Al

[culpepermm]

For the life of me I don't see how anyone can ever get used to an ankle holster. Obviously some do though.

I don't have alot of choice unless I want to buy a closet full of suit jackets and go with a shoulder rig. For the dress and situations I encounter at work, ankle carry is working well for me. The lcp is so small and light that I'm kind of surprised how comfortable I've been.

[dlclarkii]

For the life of me I don't see how anyone can ever get used to an ankle holster. Obviously some do though.

I ankle holster my LCP with a Bulldog holster and it took a week or two to get use to it, it felt like wearing a snow boot, your rythem is thrown off because your one foot is now heavier than the other, but now I don't even notice I'm wearing the holster. Give it time and you'll forget you're wearing it, forgetful enough that you'll accidnenlty walk into the post office with it on! You didn't read that from me.

Size 1 is what you need for the LCP, call to make sure though
http://www.bulldogcases.com/index.ph...roducts_id=139

[South Side]

Just stumbled upon this thread in my search for reviews on ankle holsters for the LCP. Great review culpepermm.
Based on this I'm going with the Uncle Mike's holster. I also have Uncle Mike's pocket and IWB holsters and they've been great.

[chivvalry]

Have you tried a SmartCarry?

[pennsylvaniaboy]

anyone here know which one of the bulldog or desantis holsters fit a PF-9 or LCP? I am considering using my basspro gift card to get one..