KitbagQuarterMaster
Fobus Holsters Review
For XDM & 1911 Pistols
- Reviewed by Yosser
Often overlooked by airsofters, Fobus have been making holsters (and other retention systems) for quite some time now originally developed in Israel for military, law enforcement and other ‘special services’. The Fobus holsters are a sea change in holster design and technology, with the first injection molded polymer holster and Fobus claiming to be the leader with more fits for more models in the market place. If you’re looking for standard, retention, roto, thumb break, CH rapid release, ankle, concealed, drop leg, paddle or belt holsters (plus many others beside), Fobus probably has the solution for you and your weapons system.
As we can’t hope to ever cover them all, we shall be taking a look at a small sample from the range, including the paddle rotating holster for the 1911 and the thumb break model for Springfield’s XDM.
Firstly this is a paddle holster. For those that don’t know what one of those is, it is the means by which a handgun, whose method of securing the holster to the wearer, utilizes a flat, concave shaped piece of plastic or leather designed to be worn against the body and ‘clips’ over the belt or trousers. This holster also has a thumb break, secured by snap fastenings, which prevents an unauthorised person from drawing the weapon but also crucially secures it in the holster while the owner engages in vigorous activities, such as many airsofters do!
As for holding my replica WE XDM 40 it does that very well. The holster even holds the WE XDM Compact 3.8 thanks to the adjustable thumb break allowing the shorter frame to be accommodated easily. Now on the full size .40 model, well it is a bit of a tight fit for the thumb break but being a leather strap I’m hoping this will stretch a little over time and get easier to fit. But for the smaller framed 3.8 you shouldn’t have a problem when the screw for the thumb break is adjusted, allowing the shortening of the securing strap across the top of the pistol. Even with the strap disengaged the friction retention on the holster is good and another adjustable feature on the holster allows this to be increased or decreased according to your requirement or preference via the flat head screw head just below where the trigger housing on the holster is.
Whilst wearing and in I had no problems with the holster. Although returning the weapon back to holster and refastening the thumb break over the pistol was a little tight, but as I mentioned earlier I’m hoping this gets easier over time on my full frame WE XDM 40. The holster was not adjustable for rake but I didn’t really find that a problem, although like many I find a slight forward 10 degree cant slightly easier to use. I would encourage you to follow the manufacturer’s guide on fitting and using the holster, which comes included in the packaging to get the best out of your purchase though as it offers some good tips on use and adjustment and will help you get the most out of your purchase. For those using the holster with real weapons it is an absolute must to read the instructions for safeties sake, please.
In keeping with the previous review this is also a paddle holster. One of the notable exceptions on this model is that the rear of the paddle is coated with a soft rubberised coating to aid comfort and fit, but otherwise fit and use is much the same as the above model.
This holster also has the facility to alter the rake angle at which the pistol will sit on the waist of the user, something which many users will love. Adjustment is made by means of a supplied hex key. Firstly loosen off the retaining hex screw (located on the back of the paddle), adjust to desired angle of rake, and then retighten. It’s really easy to adjust, but it might take some trial and error to find what’s comfortable for you. This adjustability also means you could adjust the rake to make a practical cross draw holster too.
Physically this holster just holds the weapon by a friction hold on the trigger, which again is adjustable for grip and preference by means of an adjustable flat head screw head located just below the trigger housing on the holster. The holster itself has a minimal appearance that shows off the lines of the weapon clearly and allows a tantalising glimpse of the pistol slide through the designed ‘port holes’ on the holster, which is a nice design touch, but for those not liking that they also do holsters which a more conventional appearance if that doesn’t appeal.
Again properly fitted on a belt and adjusted this should give you pretty much trouble free operation. I will say though that this is probably more suited to a range rather than skirmish wear for an airsofter as it lacks the thumb break which gives you that added security from accidental loss. I’ve been unable to try a Detonics style compact 1911 so I’m unable to state if one of these will fit this holster but I’ve tried other 1911's and a few other WE models with no issues at all.
For info on Fobus holsters check the website:
http://www.fobusholster.com/
Yosser says: Military and Serpa holsters of course all have their place but as more skirmishers are looking for more PMC and civilian load outs from ‘Prepper style’ and Zombie apocalypse survivor style these holsters will prove ideal, and of course not to mention on the range as well. With a huge selection of models, styles and options be sure to check out Fobus holsters especially if you’re looking for something to hold an unusual weapon. In the UK these are available from http://www.tactical-kit.co.uk/ for a wide of Fobus holsters. A BIG thank you to FOBUS holsters and LBT Trade for making this review possible - thanks guys.Stay upto date follow AIRSOFT ODYSSEY via TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/Airsoft_Odyssey
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Posted on September 3, 2016 at 11:54 AM
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