I applied for CCW permit in San Diego, CA area Aug 2022 and have my interview next month in July (long wait).
After interview I need to get 16 hours of training and after all that should get permit in 3-4 months. CA is making it expensive and takes over a year, not sure if other permit states are same.
I do range shooting and have Sig P229 but have never had CCW holster, can I get some recommendations? Thanks.

Go to Fakebook and look at Milt Sparks Holsters. Unfortunately, Fakebook is their only selling mechanism…

Good lord, first step is to get a good sized box……because we all have a box o’ holsters that we’ve experimented with over the years.

I really can’t give you holster advice because it’s such an individual choice / journey. Do you go IWB, or OWB, what position, leather or Kydex or hybrid etc. etc.

The only advice I can give you that is truly universal and rarely followed early on by most of us is to get a very good quality gun belt. There are many options and many look just like a normal belt but they are thick and reinforced and make the whole process of carrying and carry choice so much easier.

As for holsters buy quality and designed for your specific gun.

I am sure you will get a lot of great specific suggestions but trust me on the belt thing. A great belt can make a mediocre holster into a much better one so to speak.

quote:

Originally posted by k4carbon:
CA is making it expensive and takes over a year, not sure if other permit states are same.

It's not CA as a whole, but each county is almost like it's own state. your county is one of the longer ones it seems, and maybe they want more than the 8 hours minimum training. Many counties are basically shall issue, and waiting time is in weeks.

Holsters are very personal, and is hard to suggest unless you have already figured out where you plan on carrying it on your body. A good sturdy gun specific belt is a must (1.5" width is most common).

If you are doing this on your own without anyone to let you try holsters out, you might end up with a box of holsters like cslinger mentioned. I know I have one in my closet.

I carry appendix, so for reference, I have a Glock 19 with a Tenicor Sagax Lux holster. My belt is a Kore Essentials 1.5".

I'll aggressively second a good belt. as to holsters I've tried a whole lot of them, as has the man who turned me on to comp-tac. I forget I'm carrying anything at all. I've been Fat(385) I've been thin (180) this as served me across sizes and anywhere in between. Good luck finding what you like but I've got nothing but good things to say about this one.

https://www.comp-tac.com/infidel-ultra-max

Get a good belt or two. I have leather and nylon. A good stiff belt made for carrying makes all the difference.

Decide how/where you want to carry. Hip, small of the back, appendices.

FWIW your first one will not be your last. The first time you carry will seem awkward. You will want to keep grabbing your gun, don't.

You will go through different ways to carry and different holsters. What you think will work may not and will change over time. What works for someone may not for you. Heck, the first gun you carry may end up not working for you and you may try a different gun.

I have a box of holsters and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

#1 would be a quality belt.. Holster material is so many options but a holster specific for said firearm but definately Not a generic fit.... Mode of carry can be dictated by your personal dress code as to what will work for you. .......But either empty out a dresser drawer or get a storage box for keeping your failed or lesser used holsters. ..................................... drill sgt.

You're going to need a good gun belt. I use NextBelt; they have several specifically for carrying.

As for holsters, it depends on what gun you'll be carrying and the manner you'll be carrying with. How you carry will depend also on your normal attire or if you're willing and able to change your attire to help conceal what you're carrying. San Diego's weather is pretty limiting. I'm in sunny AZ where the summer is close to San Diego; I carry IWB with a t-shirt top over and a loose untucked shirt. I don't know if CCW covers you if you inadvertently "flash" your gun so that is a consideration in terms of making sure you pass any LEO's scanning. What I remember was a case in San Francisco with a CCW holder and was nabbed because a cop saw like maybe a portion of the grip as he was crossing the street and his coat jacket flapped open.

Regarding your gun, not all holster makers make holsters for every gun and some manufacturers may make it for your gun but not a particularly good fit even thought they are known for good holsters for other guns. I would post which gun(s) you plan on carrying.

I would also suggest a lockable container for inside your vehicle for those times when you are carrying and find yourself having to go inside an area where you cannot carry.

Good luck and congratulations on being close to winning the CCW lottery in CA.

Each county in CA is its own entity, albeit current AG Bonta pushed VERY hard to standardize each county to utilize the Permitium system and meet a base level standard. 16hrs of training seems to be the target for most counties which comes out to 2-days total (1-day for academics and 1-day for shooting/testing). There's a number of mediocre training/certifying courses out there, find a good one that is qualified for your county where you can learn some skills versus those training shops that are simply turnstiles.

As others have pointed out, you'll need to invest a bit and will likely end up accumulating quite a bit before you find what you like. Firstly, get yourself a good belt, too many students show up with improper belts, a good man wears a good belt at all times. I currently wear a Aegis Enhanced Belt from Ares Gear, gets me through the airport w/o having to take off, and does great carrying my blaster. I've also heard good things about Next Belt and Kore belts, I used to wear a Wilderness rigger-style belt.

Holsters largely come in two flavors, leather and plastic, much comes down to personal preference, your style and suitability. I carry a G19 in a Tenicor Sagax Lux, I'm considering switching to a Certum 3 for bit more versatility. I wore a Tenicor Arx Lux OWB for my qualifying. Your class may require you to use a OWB holster, along with whatever IWB holster you plan to use for EDC.

I've liked the following brands and have no problems recommending them:
Safariland (I use a 6354DO ALS)
G-Code (the SOC and XST are very good models for OWB)
Raven Concealment
Blade Tech
LAS Concealment
Black Point Tactical
Kramer Leather (I use a IWB #2)

Do not show up with an Uncle Mike's nylon holster or, a push-button type like a SERPA from Blackhawk, and definitely don't show up in a drop-leg if you've never used one before. Nothing worse than someone shooting for the first time, and their rig is all the way down to their knee.

quote:

Originally posted by k4carbon:
After interview I need to get 16 hours of training and after all that should get permit in 3-4 months. CA is making it expensive and takes over a year, not sure if other permit states are same.

I would think not in most states. Here in Texas, I applied online, took a 5 hour class with a 50rd shooting test, cost was $50. Emailed my class paperwork, along with electronic fingerprints ($10), the state application process was $40. Got my permit in 10 days, good for 5 years. Total cost was $100, I just renewed last year for $40. Plus no guns listed on permits, we can have a hundred guns in our quiver to carry.

Congrats on getting a permit in CA. The commies make it tough, next to impossible in many counties.

This should be in the “CCW Methods & Issues” section…

I switched to a Vedder ConfortTuck after my OHC Crossbreed clone developed a crack in the kydex.
No complaints other than it's worn a hole in a few pairs of pants at the muzzle end of the holster, carrying at about 4:00.

https://www.vedderholsters.com...-iwb-hybrid-holster/

I have one for my P320, and LC9
My dad uses one for his P239 & my in-laws both have one for their Shield & one I can't recall.

Reading this thread, my biggest question is "who are these guys with only one box of holsters?" You will need more than one for each gun you intend to carry, depending on style of carry, cover garments, season of the year/weather, and situation (out on the town, range trip, vehicle, etc.) Don't forget to practice your presentation with every combo you will be using. Oh yeah, if you're using red-dots, other optics, or lights many holsters will not accommodate these.

Good belt is a good start the wider the better, be sure to match up the holsters loops to the belt width, get a thin belt and wide loops and it's going to move around too much.

You'll want to decide on IWB or OWB and position as well, maybe pocket for a small carry when you are wearing shorts, since it's SD and can get warm, here in FL when in shorts it's the Ruger 380 Max in a pocket holster for me which is 90% of the time.

Kydex, Leather, lots of options, might be good to go try on a few to see where you feel comfortable with the firearm, do you sit in a car all day, or office, things like that.

Another ditto on getting a good gun belt.

Wilderness makes a good outdoors style webbing belt. I have a good leather belt from someone but don't recall the brand. They come in a couple of widths, so be sure the width will fit your pants' belt loops.

You can get a plastic stiffener in the belts. I like the stiffened leather belt overall. The webbing with stiffener is excellent for the range but I prefer the non-stiffened for everyday use.

I like the Comp-tac holsters for my 229.

Make sure the mounting loops or slots in your holster match the belt width. Typically you can buy different loops or clips for a holster. For IWB I like regular hard plastic clips, not flexible loops. The velcro clips require a belt with velcro sewn to the inside. This makes for a thicker belt but great invisibility. C-clips are second best for invisibility. If you wear a shirt or jacket outside, the invisibility of the clips doesn't matter.

FBI cant is typically more comfortable and natural. This is where the muzzle faces slightly rearward not straight down.

If not required legally or for a particular scenario, retention mechanisms are not a valuable addition. Just a good holster molded to your gun with friction is plenty good.

Milt Sparks has a traditional web page:
https://www.miltsparks.com/
Long wait time.

I’d start with lifestyle first:
Spend time in state or federal buildings where you can’t legally carry? If so, a paddle holster and a pistol safe for your vehicle might make sense.

Do you spend much of your day in and out of vehicles? Do you drive long distances? Depending on how you carry, in and out of cars and driving long distances with a full-sized gun and spare mags can be cumbersome.

Clothing choices. Suits, shorts and a t shirt. As you might imagine it’s going to matter. I’m gonna guess that in California making sure that, however you carry, your gun does not print through your garments.

Sorry if I did not catch it in the op but male/female. I carry ALWAYS on my strong side IWB or OWB. My daughter carries appendix; wife Fanny pack.

As mentioned stay away from cheap and floppy holsters I prefer ones with retention or at least an adjustable retention screw. You for sure don’t want your gun hitting the floor in a public bathroom.

Sounds like you frequent a gun range. It might be worth talking with them or a law enforcement officer about what they’d recommend.

Silent

G-Code Eclipse is a good IWB holster. I use one with my Sig P365X.

I bought a CrossBreed Freedom Carry IWB Holster for my P229. I do not recommend this holster because it has a sloppy fit and is too bulky.

I have found that the P229 is too heavy and thick to comfortably carry and I enjoy carrying the P365X much more.

Kramer horsehide OWB belt scabbard and Sparks SSII IWB holsters for my needs (EDC a WCV Glock 19 year-round). And like others have said - a good belt. I have several and am currently using a Blade Tech or a Crossbreed one.

Good luck on your decision - LOTS of good holsters out there.

Get a gun belt. Go to an IDPA match as an observer. You might see 30 to 50 examples of ways to carry.

quote:

Reading this thread, my biggest question is "who are these guys with only one box of holsters?"

Two be completely transparent.....I have 3 or 4 "boxes" and one is a fairly "robust" box.

OP,
Start with a simple, well made OWB and IWB that you will try wearing at 3-5 o'clock. This will give you both options and a taste and are probably the most common carry methods.

Wear around the house to both break in and get a feel for them. Experiment with your clothing choices.

A good belt and those two holster types would be a good start for your box.