N82 Tactical Pro Update

I spent five days on the road with this holster and my SR9c. Three of those involved lots of driving, hiking, wading in rivers while fly fishing. I also did the usual - visiting family, meetings, hotels, restaurants, in-and-out of the car. I decided to take my LCP as a backup and carry the bigger SR9c for the majority of the trip, including wade fishing in the Frying Pan and Arkansas rivers. I used the N82 Tactical Pro model for this. Now, the report:

It worked very well. Although no holster "disappears", especially with a sizable pistol in it, the N82 Pro was about as close to comfortable as you can get for an IWB holster. I wore it in a cross draw position 90% of the time as I find this most comfortable and accessible while driving and sitting.

The holster, front side after the trip. Hardly any wear and no sweat stains.

 

The same holster, back side, rough suede, showing the sweat stains incurred in five days of heavy use under often hot conditions.

This is one tough, but comfy, holster. I have already sold my Crossbreed Supertuck I formerly had for IWB carry for the SR9c. The N82 Pro has too many advantages over the Supertuck to justify keeping it. It is more comfortable. The gun does not contact your body. It keeps sweat away from the gun. It has only one clip, which makes for much easier on and off. In fact, it is easy to slip the holster and gun off in the car and stow it, then, before exiting, clip it back in place. Can't do that with the Supertuck, at least not without contortions.

So, still an excellent choice for IWB carry for larger pistols like the SR9c.

I also received the N82 Tactical Pro for the Ruger LC9. It is very much like the one for the SR9c, but a little smaller overall as befits a somewhat smaller handgun. However, my experiences so far with this holster and gun combination were not as positive. The issue involves getting a quick and unrestricted draw. The N82 Tactical Pro model is made with a clear plastic shell that is moulded to have a rounded ridge that sits inside the front of the trigger guard, "locking", or securing the gun into the holster. In order to release the gun, one must grasp the butt with enough grip to twist the gun somewhat inward to release the ridge from the trigger guard enabling a smooth draw. I am having difficulty doing this with the LC9, but with the SR9c this is not an issue. After inspecting the holster and gun, and how it rides in the holster clipped to the belt my suspicion is that the problem is a combination of the overall deep carry which is dictated by the location of the belt clip positioning the grips right above the belt line, and the smaller grip or butt area available on the LC9. A smaller butt is harder to get a good grip on, especially with the grips buried close to the belt.

Drawing cleanly from cross draw or appendix positions is hard for me, and it is very difficult at the 3-4 o'clock positions. I have passed my observations along to the good people at N82 Tactical. I'll report on the outcome as things develop.

My suspicion is that the Pro model using the same design for the LCP and similar sized pistols may be even more difficult to draw quickly and cleanly from. There is even less grip area and the deep ride makes it more difficult to get a clean, firm and quick grasp for that twisting motion.

For that reason, unless I am totally wrong about this, and that could certainly be the case, I would favor their traditional design for smaller framed guns. However, I have not seen a Pro model for the LCP, so my caveat may be unnecessary. The N82 design team may have modified the design to better accommodate smaller frame semi-autos. When I have the opportunity to test an LCP model, I will report on my experiences here.

Update: I have been getting more carry time with the LC9 Pro model and can report that I am having better success getting a clean draw with it. It is not as easy as with the SR9c and requires practice. You have to be intentional and forceful. My recommendation is to unload your gun and practice the movement until it becomes second nature. It is not really any different than learning to use a thumb break or active retention holster. Problems can develop when one has many different holster styles. Getting used to, say a Bullard belt slide design where the holster is moulded to the gun, then also using an N82 Pro, or a thumb break holster could cause problems if your reaction is patterned to on while using the other. Having to correct or pause to remember which design one is drawing from is not a good thing.

With this in mind, I am narrowing my holster designs. Open top leather design from D.M. Bullard for OWB carry. I have a Bullard holster for each of my carry guns. I am evaluating three designs for IWB carry: N82 Tactical Pro, Versacarry and Remora. If I get the opportunity to evaluate a Bullard IWB design I will compare it to those other three.

The N82 is very comfortable, but with the LC9, and perhaps, the LCP, is not as quick to draw from as I like. Conceals very well.

The Versacarry is surprisingly comfortable even though it offers nothing between you and the gun - you know it's there - but not in the same league as the N82 holster in comfort. Using the "standard" height model which keeps the grips well above the belt, it is very fast. Excellent concealment and about 1/3 the N82 Pro cost.

The Remora is in the middle for comfort. It is very flexible since it is a "no clip" design and can be worn anywhere as long as it is in the waistband or pocket. It is about as fast as the Versacarry. Under some circumstances it can shift position a bit.

 

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