Lawful Carry: Sidearmor Kydex Holsters

Like many of you with significant time behind the trigger, I have a large cardboard box at home labeled “Holsters.” Inside are a variety of configurations from various recognizable manufacturers as well as some lesser-known offerings. It seems I consistently discover features I like and, more pressingly, features I dislike with each. Never have I discovered the proper combination to suit my liking. Having been involved in firearms and use of force training as a student and instructor for a number of years, my quest for “The Holster” has, up until now, been a lonely road.

Enter Sidearmor—a holster and weapons rail interface company out of Flagstaff, Arizona, with over a decade of experience in the business.

Glock 17 with Sidearmor OWB in Army Combat Uniform camouflage.

I was first introduced to Sidearmor years ago by a co-worker who was most likely one of their first commercial customers. At the time of his initial purchase, my friend was working for a state agency as a tactical officer and had (and still has) a particular aptitude for, shall I say, rigorous field testing. Anything that passes the “Jon Test” is deserving of my attention. Sidearmor graciously agreed to send me a sampling of their products for review.

Sidearmor offers several popular styles of holsters for common pistols and revolvers. As I’m not a huge fan of inside-the-waistband (IWB) carry, I opted for the traditional outside-the-waistband (OWB) model. Immediately upon opening the packaging, I noticed the superior finish and detail work on the holsters and magazine carriers. Sidearmor’s holster line is all crafted from Kydex™ 100 sheet, allowing for the requisite amount of sturdiness as well as sufficient flexibility.

Glock 20 OWB in standard black, showing belt slide system.

The holster’s retention device is a spring-loaded adjustable screw between two metal plates joining the clamshell design at its open side. This simple solution addresses one of my primary peeves about Kydex holsters—I’ve seen everything from rivets to rubber O-rings as “retention” devices and was never fully satisfied with the functionality, safety or long-term fit of those designs.

The ingenuity continues with the infinitely adjustable belt slide attachment, offered in either 1.5- or 1.75-inch belt widths. Sidearmor makes you choose your belt width and allows for the purchase of an additional modular belt slide if you’d prefer both. If you subscribe to the honored mentality that stone-basics in gear and training win gunfights, not to fear. Sidearmor still produces a variant of their original design that incorporates integral belt loops for several common handguns.

Their magazine carriers are also very sturdy, made of the same Kydex material as the holster, and are adjustable in the manner of height and magazine orientation (vertical or horizontal).

Glock 20 in holster designed for light-mounted pistol.

Another area in which Sidearmor excels is their holster line designed for handguns with weapon-mounted light systems. With consideration given to many common light models, Sidearmor’s offerings are quite extensive in this area.

On the range, the holsters all facilitated a smooth draw and provided an affirming audible click while holstering; nary a bind, snag or drag to be found. Lying the holsters and magazine carriers side by side on my shooting table, I was impressed with the uniformity of their manufacture. Not a rough edge or asymmetry among the group. I really appreciate that in any product, as it shows pride in craftsmanship. I’ve been accused of being a tad obsessive-compulsive at times, and sloppiness just bugs me.

Offered in a multitude of popular subdued colors and current military camouflage patterns, Sidearmor holsters are guaranteed to appeal to any shooter’s tactical fashion sense. Additionally, the entire product line is priced very competitively. Their website is updated frequently with specials and promotions.

At first I was a bit saddened when my test and evaluation period was drawing to a close and I had to think about sending the holsters back. So I think I’ll send Sidearmor a check instead of returning my favorite holster and magazine carrier. After all, it is, for me at least, “The Holster.”