Versacarry Mag Release Issue - Update

As you will see a few posts back, I had an issue with the magazine in my Ruger SR9c being unintentionally ejected when I bent over sharply while carrying in the Versacarry "medium" rise holster.
I contacted the Versacarry folks about this, then set about trying to analyze what happened. As the photo will show, when I had the Versacarry and SR9c  in my normal cross draw position, while wearing my usual Wrangler jeans, the mag release button on the Ruger is positioned right underneath the sewn end of a belt loop and the heavy Bear Creek gun belt I normally wear. When I bent over sharply it put pressure on the mag release button sufficient to trip the mag release.

Mag release button exposed, but not in danger of being depressed. This is not my normal cross draw carry position but somewhat further back to illustrate the position of the various components: holster, belt loop, belt and button.

In the normal cross draw position, the mag release button is directly under the end of the belt loop and can also get pressure from the top of the stiff gun belt. As you can see, the magazine (empty) has been partially ejected. This was a result of bending sharply at the waist as if picking something off the floor.

Now, this is a situation that required a number of factors to come together simultaneously, something that is very unusual. My take on this is that when using any holster with which the magazine release button is exposed (i.e., not protected against actuation) check to ensure that there will be nothing pressing on the button while the gun is in the carry position you have chosen. If so, move the gun and holster, or use a different holster in that place. For the Versacarry line, the simplest solution would be to choose one of their holsters with a lower or higher ride which would move the mag release button to another place. I would, of course, test this with an unloaded gun just to make sure. In fact, if you use any holster that exposes the magazine release button, test it thoroughly to ensure that does not happen to you.

So, some after the fact testing and analysis shows that this issue was not simply the result of carrying my SR9c in a Versacarry holster, but carrying a semi-automatic handgun in any holster in which the magazine release is exposed. Take a look at your normal carry with this in mind.

Be safe.

Versacarry Review and Field Notes - Update

Versacarry Lineu

I took two of the Versacarry holsters provided to me by the company and sent them to two forum members to try out and report on their impressions. You'll see those two reports below. One of the testers is male, and one female, so we get good feedback from both which is important due to the differences in sizes and body builds between the sexes.

I provided these reports to Versacarry for comment. I have included those below the two reports, and also a followup to an issue I experienced with a Versacarry and my Ruger SR9c yesterday.

First report from Ms. X:

Testing done with a Ruger LC9

Design
I love the simplicity of the Versa-Carry design, even more so since they’ve added the trigger guard plate, which is reversible so it can be used whether you’re a righty or a lefty. The clip is a nice C shape, so there’s nothing for clothes to get caught on like some of the metal clips available out there.

Comfort
Comfort level is excellent, since there’s no bulky leather or kydex to deal with. (I’m pretty small, at 5’2” and 115# - so most IWB holsters that I have tried take up nearly 1/3 of my waistline). I tried the Versa-Carry in many positions – appendix, cross draw, and everywhere from 3:00-5:30 positions. Appendix and cross draw felt great for me, with minimal printing from my firearm.  I suspect a larger frame firearm might rotate a bit, and cause more printing in just about any position, but I only tested on the LC9.

Draw/Re-holster
The draw was difficult at first, due to the post on the Versa-Carry being very form fitting in the barrel, but after a few dozen draws, it seemed a lot smoother. I can get a fairly solid grip on my firearm, and the draw is quick once the holster is broken in.
I don’t always wear a belt, so I tested both ways. With a belt, the clip holds tight and the holster stays where you put it with no movement or rotation. Without a belt, however, normal movement seems to make the holster clip rotate a bit, which means the butt of your gun may not be exactly where you expect it to be if you have to reach for it, and/or you may find yourself printing more than expected.
Re-holstering is not as easy, however. If carrying in the appendix or cross-draw position, I can suck in my gut, and get the weapon back on the post (but it’s not quick). In any other position, the holster must be removed from my waistband, the gun mounted back on the post, and then the whole assembly put back in the waistband. In everyday life, this isn’t a big deal, since 99.9% of the time you would holster up in the morning, and remove it at night before bed. 

Overall Thoughts
I didn’t think I would be comfortable using the Versa-Carry due to its minimalism, even though there is a trigger guard. I found the opposite to be true, however. Since the LC9 not only has a long trigger pull, but also an external safety, I found that my initial worries of accidentally shooting myself were mostly unfounded. I do carry with a round in the chamber, even though the folks at Versa-Carry recommend that you don’t (that is NOT an endorsement to go against the manufacturer’s advice – you have to weigh the pros/cons of that for yourself and make your own decision). I typically will put the external safety on though, just for that extra piece of mind. This could create a problem if I ever have to draw on someone though, since I train with safety off, and carry in my other holsters with the safety off. 

The Versa-Carry isn’t something I will use every day, and maybe not even on a regular rotating basis. But I do feel like there’s a place for it in my holster line up – I just have to figure out where that place is. 

Second Report from Mr. X

Versa-Carry - Initial Impressions

The holster is definitely more comfortable on me than my leather backed kydex holster with two clips and I’m able to draw faster as well since I’m not messing with the leather.  Concealment is decent in the three through six o’clock range.  On me, appendix carry prints as the butt of the magazine is pushed outwards since there’s no Kydex to keep it from rotating.  Plus, since I don’t like the idea of not having a round chambered. I chambered a round but have it on safe which I feel comfortable with this since I have an ambidextrous safety. (Single side safety weapons would be hard to charge in a high-stress situation I believe).  So, long story short, having a round chambered in such an open holster makes me nervous about appendix carry.  I’d rather shoot myself in the leg or butt rather than my… well, you get the idea!

I don’t see it as a big problem, but there is also no good or quick way to draw and re-holster with the versa still in its carry position.  So, it wouldn’t be a good training holster, but seems to have a fairly quick draw speed which makes me like it as an every day carry option.  Initial draws were stiff due to the barrel post, but that seems to be getting better the more I work with it.

I would like to see the versa made with either an adjustable cant or various stationary position cant options.  For the three o’clock position, which is where I like to carry, a 15 to 30 degree forward cant would be optimal as it is easy and quick to draw and hides the flared extension on my magazine quite well.  Additionally, I’d like to see options for an adjustable clip to ride the weapon higher or lower.  As is, my SR9C rides low which doesn’t allow me to get a full 100% grip on the weapon.  Keeping the length of the plastic backer but moving the clip position down an inch would compensate for this.  Alternatively, an adjustable plastic clip (I love the clip on this thing more than the weak metal clips on most) would be ideal so a shooter could position the weapon based on their own preferences.

Versa-Carry – Extended Impressions

After using the Versa-Carry for a while, I finally gave up on it and went back to my forward-cant Kydex holster.  There are just too many negatives with an open holster that make it less than ideal for everyday carry and, now that I’m running a Smith and Wesson M&P without an external safety, there is no safe way to quickly and easily access the gun in a protection situation.  Sure, there is a trigger protector on one side, but that only helps if you don’t have a round in the chamber and if it doesn’t get snagged on your clothes during the draw.  The lack of an adjustable cant makes it nearly impossible to conceal adequately and the ability to re-holster is non-existent.  I just couldn’t see using this for anything but a back-up gun that was lightweight with an external safety and long trigger pull to boot.  Using an IWB kydex holster for everyday carry and a Fobus for training purposes suits my various needs perfectly well.  I don’t see the Versacarry staying in my line-up of holsters for anything at this point.

Response by Britton Boyd of Versacarry

Note: I have extracted these comments from Britton's email to me.

1- We are working on a unit that will have an adjustable canting feature. This is something we have been planning on doing since day one. We do know that carrying on your strong side almost requires some sort of cant at times. Once again, something we are going to release in the future when we get caught up with our massive amount of orders and production that take up all of our time.

2- With only having one attachment point, the Versacarry does need a sturdy carry belt to be most effective. The one attachment point make for our units to be inserted and removed easy, which is what we wanted in the design. 

The new revolver model has an optional trigger guard that covers both sides of the trigger. We are hoping to release those to the public later this year or early in 2013. ...I actually saw Justin (Owner/Creator) design and begin work for a new trigger guard for the semi-auto models. This new option will cover both sides of the trigger. I'm not sure of a release date on that, but will keep you updated. 

My recent issue:

After carrying my SR9c in my Versacarry all day, involving driving, walking, sitting and a general day of errands and shopping away from town, I had returned home and had accidentally dropped my sunglasses on the living room floor. I bent down to retrieve them and the magazine for the SR9c ejected itself and fell to the floor. I was wearing the Versacarry at the cross draw position clipped to my heavy Bear Creek gun belt. Upon inspecting the pistol back in the Versacarry, I saw that neither magazine release button is covered by the holster. Evidently, there was enough pressure on it from me, the belt or waistband and belt to actuate the release and drop the magazine. This would have been embarrassing at best if it had occurred in public, and unfortunate if I was doing something like ducking or crouching quickly for cover.

I brought this to the attention of Versacarry last night but have received no response as yet. I will post results when I do.

In the interim, if you use a Ruger SR9 or SR40 series pistol with a Versacarry be aware that this situation might arise if you are carrying at the cross draw or appendix positions.

I'm not drawing hasty conclusions from this until I have a chance to discuss it with the Versacarry folks who have been very responsive and positive to my questions and comments.

Holsters and Forum Updates

Since my last post, the .380 forum has been revamped into the Concealed Carry Forum. We are now accommodating all pistols that are meant for concealed carry, especially the new crop of small, or compact, 9 mm and .40 cal guns. Many of the same people who were regulars on the Elsie Pea Forum have been participating on the CC forum, so I think it will continue to grow. We have the same crew of moderators, plus on who was always on the .380 forum.



Holsters

I have been carrying and living with the Versacarry for a few weeks now and have some remarks on it. I have also received a very nice kydex holster from pjholsters.com for my LC9 which I have also been carrying. This one is very light and functional and pj has his quality control down pat. I've seen a number of kydex holsters, and this one is the best made of the lot. Some observations below.

My basic holster philosophy

My criteria are three: comfort, security and accessibility. In my view, holsters for concealed carry should meet all three of those criteria, and the best holsters will excel in all of them. Few do.

Comfort

My feeling is that if one is going to the trouble and expense, and commitment, to carry a concealed pistol, one should commit to carrying wherever and whenever legally possible. It is not a matter of, 'do I think I might be needing my gun today', it is a matter of will I have it if I ever need it. To satisfy that criteria, you must carry whenever possible, regardless of the weather, situation, clothing or company. So, a holster must be comfortable enough to tolerate all day.

Some people, and holster makers, proclaim that their concealment holster is so comfortable that some people forget they have it on. No thanks. First, if you carry any gun you should always know that it is there. Feeling the presence of your weapon is fine. Feeling irritated, jabbed or rubbed by your weapon and, perhaps, also your holster, is not. Simply put, if your carry system is not comfortable, you won't carry it for more time than you can stand, and one day or evening, you will be tempted to just leave the damn thing at home since it is literally a pain anyway. Bad idea. So, in order to meet criteria number one, it must be comfortable worn in the position, or positions, you need.

Security

An obvious criteria. The holster must fit the gun and hold it securely so that the gun, and the holster, do not move once placed into position. Some give or accommodation to one's body movements must exist, but the holster should basically stay where you put it, and hold the gun securely.

Accessibility

I am not a fan of "deep concealment" when that means positioning the gun so that it is mostly hidden below the belt line with only a portion of the butt showing and accessible. While it is important to keep your weapon concealed, it is more important in my opinion to have the gun readily accessible when needed. I've seen "deep concealment" holsters that hang the gun entirely below the belt about half way between the crotch and the belly button. You can't see it, that's for sure, but you can't get to it quickly either. So, what's the good of deep concealment when it gets between you and quick access to your weapon when you need it? No good at all in my opinion.

With that in mind, I have informally evaluated the holsters I have and use, and am trying out for the team, so to speak. I have holsters for three carry guns: Rugers LCP, LC9 and SR9c. Small, medium and somewhat large, both in weight and size, but regardless, all must successfully meet my three criteria in order for me to keep and use them regularly.

Versacarry

(Photos to follow)

Comfort

Good. But this varies with the size and weight of the gun. The Versacarry is basically a frame that supports the weapon with a plastic rod inserted into the muzzle which acts to press the frame of the gun against the vertical frame of the Versacarry to keep it secure and upright. There is nothing between your body and the gun. If you wear an undershirt, this is not really a problem if you are carrying a small to medium sized weapon. I find it to be fine with the LCP, OK with the LC9 and problematic with the SR9c.

Security

Once clipped on to the belt, the Versacarry is very secure. It stays in place. The combination of the plastic rod, reinforced with a long screw, and belt pressure will keep the gun in place. The only negative that some people might have is that this minimalist design is offered with a trigger guard only on one side. The Versacarry folks pointed out to me that this is not an issue because there should be nothing between the body or undergarment and the gun that could cause the trigger to be actuated, and they do not recommend carrying a pistol with a round loaded into the chamber.

Accessibility

The Versacarry is offered in various frame lengths for a given caliber. You can choose to have your pistol ride very close to the belt, in fact, deep enough to partially bury the grips, or up high enough for a so-called "combat" carry - grips high above the belt.

There is no re-holstering without removing the holster from the belt. Not a big consideration for a self-defense holster.

pjholster IWB

The pjholster is available online from pjholsters.com. PJ makes them from kydex with a tension screw to enable the user to adjust the amount of retention desired. A nice touch. I ordered one for my LC9, made with a straight drop and his innovative "C" clip, which is open toward the belt. The holster clips to the waistband and the belt runs through the C channel. No clip shows over the belt.

I was surprised at the quality of construction on this holster. It is excellent. PJ obviously takes great care and pride in his work, and this shows in the holster.

This model is also made from the lightest gauge of kydex he works with so it is very lightweight.the LC9 clicks in solidly and the tensioning screw ensures you get the tension you like. Mine came just right.

Comfort

Being light and with no extraneous materials, it is as comfortable as kydex can be. Probably more so than other designs. I ordered a straight drop because I like to carry in the appendix or cross draw positions and both work well without a cant to the holster. The pjholster is much like the Versacarry in that there is no "give" against your body, but I did not expect there to be with kydex. If the holster is placed exactly, I find it comfortable enough for extended periods and somewhat more comfortable than an equivalent leather holster due to it's thinness and light weight. If I had one set up for strong side carry with a suitable cant of 15 to 30 degrees and wore it strong side, I suspect it would be even more comfortable. And, if I had this exact same setup for my LCP, I suspect it would be comfortable enough for all day carry.

Security

This holster is very secure when worn with a suitable gun belt. In fact, it would probably work as well with any good 1 1/2" belt. PJ includes a square of heavy Velcro that you can attach to the outside of your belt to match up with the Velcro square glued into the channel of the C clip. This would add significantly to the "security" of location. I have not attached velcro to my belt. Without a good belt and adequate tightness, the holster can move around a bit. I think for medium and larger pistols, the belt clip, or belt loop designs would work better. The tension screw accommodates whatever level of tightness for the gun inside the holster you could want.

If absolute positioning is important to you, I would recommend either the belt loop or belt clip design. From the photographs of Paul's holsters, i deduce that the wide belt clip (or loop) designs would offer maximum efficiency without the need to resort to velcro with the "C" clip. However, I do prefer the lighter weight kydex of the "C" clip design and I don't know if Paul makes the other belt arrangement holsters in this lightweight material.

Accessibility

This is good for the way I had Paul set mine up. I would prefer having the grips ride about an inch higher, but with this holster set up with a cant, I think this would not be an issue. The gun is very accessible and draws quite easily and is easy to re-holster with one hand.

Overall

These are both lightweight designs stressing the "form follows function" school of design theory. For simplicity and ease of carry both perform well. The Versacarry does not fully cover the firearm, which for many will not be an issue. It is inexpensive and effective. I often use it with my LCP.

The pjholster is an example of quality craftsmanship expressed in lightweight kydex. It's just a damn finely made holster. It is light, covers the gun (and you) and offers good security comfort and accessibility. A definite choice for your concealed carry.

Please leave your comments, or send me an email with your thoughts.

Note on Versacarry: I have two individuals, a man and woman, who have been using the Versacarry holsters on a regular basis and will be sending me their experiences and thoughts soon. I will post them here as soon as I get them.

Posted with Blogsy

A Versacarry Issue

A brief note for those using, or interested in the Versacarry holster. I had an occurrence wearing this holster with my Ruger LCP, which, to be fair, could have happened with most clip on holsters. I was wearing it at the 3:30 o'clock position, and had been much of the day. I sat on my sofa which has substantial but smooth leather arms. The arm was toward my gun side. When I stood up, the grip somehow hit the arm of the sofa and the LCP popped out of the holster and onto the sofa. Quite a surprise.

I am currently wearing the LCP in the same Versacarry but in the appendix position. I normally carry at appendix or cross draw with the Versacarry and was experimenting with the 3:30 position. I expect this not to be a problem at the front positions. But, anyone carrying so that the grips could come into contact with something, like furniture, should take proper precautions.

Versacarry Update and Promotion Offer

I have sent two of the Versacarry holsters to a couple of members of the old Elsie Pea Forum (now Ruger Pistols Forum) to keep, use and provide me with some real-world feedback. They are husband and wife, both carry and are smart, curious and safe. I should be able to report back with the male and female perspectives on these holsters in a few weeks. So, in addition to my opinion, we will get a broader look at these holsters and how they work as everyday carry hosters.

I didn't ask the folks at Versacarry if I could do this. I informed them that I'd be getting more input on their gear and they are fine with that. In fact, they have provided me with a promotion code for your use should you decide you want to try out a Versacarry for yourself. I believe it applies to free shipping with your order. The code is:

FRE3SHP-sdcarry

If you use a Versacarry and care to comment, send me an email and I'll include your thoughts on this blog.

Back from the road trip

We recently returned from an almost two week road trip from Colorado to Iowa. Fortunately, all of the states we traveled to and through have reciprocal concealed carry agreements with Colorado. That was good, but unraveling the different carry restrictions for each state was not quite so easy. There is a site I like about US Hangun laws that helped tremendously: www.handgunlaw.us

All of the relevant factors are listed by state, including which states have reciprocity agreements with others. Passage of the national reciprocity act would make that point moot, like drivers' licenses. They are ALL recognized by ALL states. No questions asked. Why not the same for concealed carry permits you might ask? Well, the fact that most non-gun owners are uneducated in gun ownership, civil rights and the fact that regardless of the desire on many people's part that guns just disappear or be banned outright, criminals and bad people will get, carry and use guns. Like it is somehow morally superior to be found dead - shot, strangled, stabbed, bludgeoned, etc. - rather than to have to explain to the police how that person who attacked you got those bullet holes in his chest.

So, with that in mind, I put my road carry package together, suitable for many hours in the car, and for many hours in the company of hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of people who mostly do not carry guns, mostly don't like or understand guns, and who would likely freak out if they saw or suspected that someone amongst them were actually carrying a gun. Sort of like normal life, but on an amplified scale for a couple of weeks.

Being a person who understands risk analyis and is often a fan of redundant systems, I elected to take two Rugers: an LCP and an LC9. This would provide me another weapon should one become unuseable for any reason, like a malfunction of me leaving it behind somewhere (not very likely, but, hey, I've done stupid things before...) This would also permit me to balance firepower with conditions, like around the hotel room it's more comfortable to carry the little LCP than the bigger, heavier nine. With Hornady Critical Defense ammo, the LCP would be effective, especially within the confines of a hotel room, and worse case, would possibly buy me some time to get to the nine of things really went to hell in a hurry. At least that was the theory.

For holsters, I took two Versacarry rigs. Either would fit either gun and provide varying levels of deep carry. I also took a standard Remora for the LCP and two Remoras for the LC9, one tuckable, the other not.  Lastly, I took the Uncle George back pocket holster for the LCP.

I used a combination of them all at one time or another. Except for the Uncle George, most of my carry positions were either appendix or cross-draw. When in situations where one is sitting, moving about, sitting, etc. throughout the day, I favor the cross-draw position. Good concealment and easy to get to, even when wearing a seat belt. You have to get a suitable holster though, since the end of the grip may tend to protrude under your shirt. I found that the Remora or the Versacarry worked fine in this position too.

When all was over and we were back home, I got an unintended compliment from my wife. She looked at me (I was carrying the LC9 in a Remora at the time) and asked, "Did you carry your gun while we were at the reunion?"
"What do you think?" I said.
"I don't know," she said, "did you?"

I haven't answered that question yet.

Versacarry Holsters - a review

A couple of weeks ago I received a number of Versacarry Holsters ( http://www.versacarry.com/ ) for use and review. I had read a mention of these holsters on the Elsie Pea Forum (now the Ruger Pistols Forum) and was intrigued by the concept.

These are not 'holsters' as we know them, but what I woud describe as synthetic, mimimum bulk and weight, concealed carry pistol IWB attachments. But, for this review, I will still refer to it as a holster.

Examples of the Versacarry lineup

Component parts and a look at how it fits to the gun frame

 As you can see, there is only one side to this holster. The clip goes over the belt, the gun and holster inside the waistband and the side of the gun rides against the body. Or, in my case, an undershirt. On first glance, this would seem to be uncomfortable, but to my surprise, it is not. This depends, of course, on where you carry the holster - against the hipbone will not be a comfortable place. I carry Rugers, the LCP, the LC9 or the SR9c as self defense guns. Even though I have skateboard tape attached to the slides of the LCP and the SR9c to aid in racking them, I felt no discomfort carrying them as long as I positioned them properly.

The other thing that most people think right away is, "what about the trigger guard? It's only on one side. Isn't that dangerous?"

The Versacarry company does not recommend anyone carry a pistol with this holster armed with a round in the chamber. I understand this, but I also understand that carrying a semi-automatic pistol for self defense that does NOT have a round chambered is a very foolish idea. There are too many instances in which the time or opportunity to draw a pistol, then rack in a round to make it ready to shoot, is not possible. I could enumerate these situations, but I'll only state one objection: a 'bad guy' has his hands on you and you are using your non-shooting hand to fend him off while you reach for your weapon with the other. How are you going, then, to rack in a round with one hand?

So, my preference is to carry "locked and loaded".  I am not advocating this to you. You have to make up your own mind and be comfortable with the decision. This brings us back to the question of the trigger guard, which is supplied as an option and only for one side of the holster. Obviously, having a trigger guard on a holster is a great idea and for me, I won't consider one without it. The trigger guard here is positioned to guard against the trigger coming in contact with anything that might end up between the trigger and the pants' side of the holster. The opposite side, the side next to your body, has nothing to hang up on. I querried Justin, the owner of Versacarry about this. His response was that used properly, which includes attaching the pistol to the Versacarry before clipping the holster into the pants, there is nothing to hang up on the trigger. Most negligent discharges of a pistol occur when re-holstering a loaded gun into a defective or blocked holster. Besides, if you follow Versacarry's instructions and do not carry with a round in the chamber, there should be no cause for worry.

Again, like carrying with the side of a pistol against your body, the trigger guard question is one you will have to answer for yourself and be comforatable with. I personally do not have an issue with this arrangement given my comments above, but it is a personal decision.

The Versacarry holsters are sized for caliber and for length. As you can see from the photos, the pistol is held to the holster by a spring action of the plastic and metal retention rod that fits up into the barrel. The rod is positioned at a angle to the holster "frame" which flexes and pushes the frame of the pistol against the frame of the holster. The rod is made of a somewhat soft and maleable plastic, tapered a bit at the top and threaded with a steel insert to accept a long steel screw. The attachment is solid. The rod is made slightly smaller (0.015") than the pistol's barrel diameter for a good fit. I found that once inserted and withdrawn a few times, the fit is perfect and the rod is long enough that the pistol sits securely on it.

Showing rod mounted to the frame

The nice thing about this design is that a given holster will fit any number of pistols of the same caliber. My two 9 mm's and my .380 will fit the same diameter rod. The difference is in the length of the frame:

Same caliber, different lengths

For a given gun, you can get a holster that will carry it more deeply or more shallowly, depending on how you like your gun to ride above the belt line. They are also offering an adjustable holster so that it will be adaptable to guns of different thickness but of the same caliber. A nice touch.

The Versacarry holsters are made with a clip that will accommodate belts up to 1 1/2" wide and 1/4" thick, including the waistband material of the pants. They have a good video on their site about how the gun is mounted, clipped, into the holster and how the holster is attached and removed.

One quirk of this design is that if you draw your gun and then remove the holster in order to re-attach and re-install the holster/gun into your waistband, the empty holster may catch the barrel retention rod on your undershirt when taking it off. This can happen of course while you are practicing the draw from the holster with an unloaded gun of course. This is not a big deal because in a normal concealed carry situation, you won't be drawing and re-holstering your gun anyway.

Lastly, the draw. I can firmly state that there is no holster out there that offers a smoother or quicker draw than the Versacarry. Some, a few, might be as good, but not better in my opinion. The pistol slips off the barrel retention rod smoothly and there is really nothing else to impede the gun.


So, in conclusion, I think this is one of the most innovative pistol concealed carrying devices available. It weighs next to nothing. It is strong, easy to attach the pistol to and draws very easily. It also offers your option of a deeply concealed carry or one that rides higher, holding the grips higher above the belt line. It is useable in practically any position - probably not a good choice for small of back carry, but I find it works fine as a cross draw holster as well as in the other positions. As they demonstrate in their videos, it is pretty easy to attach and remove with the gun in place. And, at the current price point, the Versacarry is about half what you would expect to pay for an 'ordinary' holster with the exception of a few Galcos and the more simple leather brands. Backed by the Versacarry no questions asked replacement policy it's hard to beat.

Its uniqueness offers questions about the design that are not present with more conventional designed holsters: nothing between the body and the gun, an optional trigger guard only on one side, and the requirement to remove the Versacarry in order to attach the pistol to it. These are different factors - not "bad", but a function of the innovative design of the holster. 

 Most of us have a number of holsters in our carry 'wardrobe'. The Versacarry now has a place in mine. It's not my exclusive concealed carry holster solution, but there are times and places where it is a good choice.