Rockon71385
Founding Member
Holsters, Mag Pouches, and Belts for Competition
Holsters
When you’re starting out, a simple kydex holster is always the best option. There are several companies that make good versions. Personally, I prefer a holster with a drop-offset configuration, which means it sits lower and an inch or two away from your body, making it easy to grip. A standard belt holster is closer to what you would use for CCW, but the Dropped Offset(DOH) is more comfortable and just a bit faster in my opinion. Some divisions(USPSA Single Stack for one) and organizations do not allow the DOH configuration, so keep that in mind. There is a whole separate category of "race" holsters that cost three to five times as much as Kydex holsters and may or may not provide a minuscule advantage when it comes to draw time. Personally, I think the cost and disadvantages far outweigh any advantage they provide, but feel free to check them out if you want to drop $300 on a holster and then give yourself a wedgie when you forget to unlock it before you draw.
Ben Stoeger BOSS(Expensive, but NICE.):
http://benstoegerproshop.com/bsps-boss-dropped-offset-doh-holster/
Comp-Tac(can be configured in DOH or standard):
http://www.comp-tac.com/competition-holsters/international-holster-10241
Ready Tactical DOH: https://cpwsa.com/products/ready-tactical-dropped-and-offset-doh-holster?rap=274928861&ras=raslbestseller&rastype=onsite&utm_source=retailreco&utm_medium=onsite&utm_campaign=raslbestseller
The three holsters above are all made from thermo-formed kydex, which is a high performance brand-name engineered plastic. The holster below is now made with an injection molding process with Blade Tech's own proprietary blend of plastic. The Blade-Tech guys at SHOT said it's just as good as kydex. It probably is, but as a rule injection molded products cost less to make and crack more easily.
Blade Tech(can be purchased with or without DOH attachment):
http://shop.blade-tech.com/index.php?cPath=1_23_24#.WB_mvS0rJIA
Mag Pouches
The most important thing here is to get 4 SINGLE mag pouches for production, or 3 for limited. Any single mag pouch is better than a double pouch. Personally, I love CR Speed Versa-pouches. They’re a little expensive, but they fit any kind of magazine so you can use them even if you switch guns or divisions. They’re also highly adjustable and made for a fast grip:
You can get them here: http://www.makereadyproshop.com/cr-speed-versa-pouch-black/
Ghost makes another Universal mag pouch that is quickly gaining popularity and also gives you the ability to set up your mags with the bullet pointing out or forward instead of just bullet forward. You can get those here: http://benstoegerproshop.com/ghost-360-universal-magazine-pouch-uspsa-ipsc/
There are cheaper pouches that work just fine, but will only fit one type of magazine, for those you can check any of the holster manufacturers listed above, but the best bang for the buck I can find is at ready tactical, here: https://cpwsa.com/collections/magazine-pouches/products/ready-tactical-pistol-mag-pouch
Belts
This seems like a minor factor, but having a real competition belt is a huge benefit compared to having a regular belt or even a heavy gun belt that isn’t made for competition. A stiff belt keeps your gear from bouncing around while you move around the range, and it assures that your gun and makes will be in exactly the same place you left them. You're looking for a belt that uses an inner-belt made from canvas with soft velcro around the outside, and an extremely rigid outer belt that attaches to the inner belt with velcro. I believe CR Speed invented this setup, and they're still a very popular brand. Shooter's Connection and Midway both sell knock-offs for a little less. Double Alpha also makes a good competition belt.
The original: http://www.makereadyproshop.com/cr-speed-super-hi-torque-range-belt-black/
A nice copy: http://www.shootersconnectionstore.com/Shooters-Connection-Ultimate-Competition-Belt-Black-P3898.aspx
Note: Order a belt 2-3 inches large than your actual waist size. It will make more of an overlap and hold tighter. It will also still work if you get fat later. These are available in lots of colors.
