Comp-TAC AIWB Holster, New Mexico and the Golf Course

 This is the new, unworn Comp-TAC Minotaur AIWB (Appendix In Waist Band) holster with kydex clips.

AIWB for the Ruger SR9c

This is the reverse side of the holster above showing the stitched in liner that covers the hardware necessary for the clips and screws to remove and replace the holster kydex shell. This is a good thing, since you can purchase a different kydex shell for a different gun and use the same leather backing and attachment hardware for it at a much less expensive price than buying a completely new holster for that other gun.

AIWB inside

The two photos above were taken when the holster was removed from the package and packing. It was unworn at that time so that you can get a good indication of the quality and amount of work that goes into these Comp-TAC holsters.

I particularly like the inside lining covering all of the hardware. I had a Crossbreed holster once that took a beating when I adjusted it a number of times for depth and cant. The Minotaur, on the other hand, uses screws with embedded nuts for adjustment and shell replacement, getting around those strange leather fasteners that dig into the leather with three sharp prongs. After removing and reusing those prong fasteners, I always bent one or more of the prongs and they never worked right again. You don't have to worry about this with the Minotaur. The clip screws are for an Allen wrench, thoughtfully provided by Comp-TAC along with the holster, and you merely unscrew the clips, remove the screw and the rubber bushing between the clip and the leather, reposition the clips and screw everything back together.

For me, the clips were set lower than I like so I moved them up for a deeper carry. Although the bottom of the clips protrude past their mounting points, once you have found the cant and depth you like, they can be trimmed off if you so desire. I did not find them to be a bother so I have left them alone.

My Ruger SR9c fit snugly and positively into the shell. All good, so I slipped the holster under my waistband and belt and slipped the kydex clips over my thick 1 1/2" belt. This was far easier than with metal clips and, once in place, the clips are unobtrusive against my black belt.

I received the holster the day before a family trip to New Mexico. I thought this was a good time to test the Minotaur, appendix carry of a larger handgun in a real-world scenario that would involve driving, getting in and out of the car, restaurants, National Monuments, and tourist-infested Santa Fe. So, I took the SR9c and an extra large capacity magazine and me and the Minotaur and the rest of the family took off. 

Over the next two days I carried my SR9c constantly, often in the midst of hordes of tourists, in museums, on shuttle busses, climbing around ancient Indian ruins and in public places where the mere thought of a legally armed citizen amongst them would have sent certain of my fellow vacationers into meltdown. Nobody saw a thing, and I was amazingly very comfortable with the holster. The Ruger rode safely and securely, never budged and stayed comfortable even during long periods of sitting.

After returning home, and spending a hot afternoon playing eighteen holes of golf, still wearing the Minotaur and the Ruger SR9c, I removed the holster and took the photos below.

 Note that the leather is virtually in the same condition as when I first received it. The shell still holds the Ruger as it should.

This photo shows the lining covering the hardware on the reverse side of the holster. Even though it has been worn through four very hot days with lots of activity and sweat, little evidence of this shows. The slight bulges where the screws are covered is more pronounced in this photo than in reality. They are not noticeable when the holster is on.

I took this photo to show how much the bottom of the holster has conformed due to sitting and rising. The leather protrusion you see, slightly bent upwards, is none the less flexible and serves to protect the top of your thigh from pressure from the pistol and kydex shell. It does that nicely and contributes to the comfort of this design.

This side shows almost no deflection.

A view from the bottom of the leather backing, lining, rubber bushing and kydex clip.

I will admit to the following advice: don't wear a large handgun in any holster while playing eighteen holes of golf, especially in the appendix position. Golfing has a lot of bending at the waist both from swinging the clubs but also from clambering in and out of the golf cart.

So, my first extended experience with Comp-TAC's AIWB Minotaur is overall very positive. It is very well thought out in terms of comfort, security of the weapon, range of adjustability (I think anyone could find the right combination of ride height and cant that suits them best, and even better, the holster is designed to, and will take, constant fiddling without breaking down, stripping screws or bending those prong-nuts many holster makers use) and provides outstanding protection for your firearm.

This model especially is very nice since the pattern of the leather backing in combination with the kydex clips is built specifically for appendix in-waistband carry, which I am liking more and more. I'll have more to say on this mode of carry, but I can say that I think this is one of the better made holsters out there. It incorporates an innovative, effective design and is backed by some good customer service people. I also have a Comp-TAC Minotaur which is designed to be worn strong side. I won't be carrying it, but I will take some comparison photos to illustrate the differences. Why? Because some holster makes would keep the same design for both strong side and appendix carry, counting on the user to fiddle with adjustments to get the right position but Comp-TAC has specifically designed the AIWB Minotaur for that style of carry. To me, this shows their commitment to customer satisfaction and excellence in design and production.

As I carry this holster more and compare it with other similar "hybrid" IWB designs, I will keep you updated on what I find.

Crimson Trace Is Participating

Crimson Trace has agreed to participate in my comparison review project by providing a new Defender series laser sight for the LCP.

After a number of missed phone calls, missing emails from CT to me (CT rep Mike Faw sent timely replies to my queries but my mail server decided to route them to the trash folder. Why? Unknown at this point, but I am investigating.) I had a conversation with Mr. Faw this morning - thanks to his call and followup to our interrupted conversation - and he will be sending a Defender sight.

I will be able to perform a direct comparison and analysis of the Defender and the LaserMax CenterFire for the same platform. This is good in more ways than one. Not only are the two companies now in competition in exactly the same market niche - add-on laser sights for the popular series of light and compact carry pistols - but this is a very important improvement for these types of self defense handguns.

I will speak to the Ruger LCP, being I have that particular weapon, and because it is extremely popular.

The LCP, and those like it, are difficult to shoot for most people in two regards. The form factor being very small, coupled with a long double-action type trigger, make the shooter's grip and trigger action very important, and, without significant practice, difficult to control properly. This coupled with the extremely short sight radius and rudimentary sights provided on the gun, makes anything other than 'up close and personal' shooting distance accuracy problematic.

Add these factors to a highly stressed and emotionally charged self defense shooting scenario and the likelihood of missing the target and hitting something or someone else you don't intend to shoot very high. Hence, the need for better sights.

In my view, this is where personal laser sights on these types of handguns really come into their own. It's not that the shooter can get a highly accurate shot placement with the laser, it is that the average gun owner can get shots at least on target, speaking of a realistic self defense scenario where you are trying to hit the center of mass of an assailant. In fact, it gets better because the shooter is not required to bring the weapon up to a "standard" ready to fire position with good sight alignment. Such a move may not be possible for a number of reasons in a real situation. Just getting the laser dot on the target is enough.

So, with LaserMax and Crimson Trace now offering sights in the same market niche, aimed for the same customers, I will be able to do a thorough comparison and report on my findings.

As to the cooperation of the companies involved, at this point, I have them about even considering the fact that both were undergoing certain organizational personnel changes when I first approached them about this project. This created delays that were not reflective of the two companies customer service practices and philosophies.

I will soon be able to begin and bring you the ongoing comparisons and results of the efforts of these two companies and their products.

The Companies Behind the Lasers

From Crimson Trace's "Contact Us" page

Lasermax Genesis

As I noted earlier, when I began this project, the companies that make and stand behind their products are probably more important than the products themselves. Of course it is important that the products do the jobs they are meant to do, and that is difficult enough. Being open to customer inquiry, criticism, ideas and complaints is just as important. If your product is showing some defect, or perhaps a design flaw experienced by some users, it is vital that the company listen to those people. Perhaps there is little to be done, or it turns out to be a personal matter not directly related to the design and manufacture of the product, but sometimes there are changes and improvements that need to be, and can be done.

Competing products also live by reputation, especially in the world of laser sights. People now communicate frequently and at awesome volumes, thanks to the internet, email, blogs, forums, and so forth. Rumor and fact are often not distinguished and both can go "viral" over the internet. It is very difficult for a company to reacquire a former customer once the customer gets a bad taste for the company or product, whether that is justified or not. In the large corporation I retired from, the rule of thumb was it is ten times harder to regain a customer than to get a new one. So, for a continuing business striving to compete and build a great rep, customer service is more than a buzzword.

So, the way in which the two companies that are the subject of my comparison review of laser sights work with and relate to their customers, and to their reviewers is an important part of their reputation in the gun world. (Recall that LaserLyte has disappeared from the scene after an assurance that they would participate. That, in itself, is not a good sign for me.)

As was true with Lasermax, there has been an organizational change with Crimson Trace. I've contacted the new person who coordinates review projects in order to inform him of what I have now, how I intend to proceed and if Crimson Trace wants to more fully participate.

According to Crimson Trace's Contact Us page, this is what they have to say about customer service:

At Crimson Trace, our goal is not to meet your needs.  Nor is it to exceed your expectations.  Our goal is to create a “Raving Fan” out of you.  To us, customer service isn’t simply answering your questions, tracking your shipment, or talking you through installation.  To us, customer service is making your experience with our brand shine so brightly that you’re amazed.  That you’ll tell others about your experience.  That you’re not just a customer.  You’re a Raving Fan!

From the Lasermax site, their Contact page:

Contact Us:

Have a question? There are lots of ways to reach out to LaserMax and we
would love to hear from you. Use any of the methods below and let us provide
the exemplary customer service you've grown to expect from LaserMax.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this works.

Lasermax Update!

I can begin this post with the assurance that Murphy is alive and well. As you probably know, Murphy's Law states that if anything possibly can go wrong, it will.

After moderating many pro and con laser sight discussions on the old Elsie Pea Forum, and being pretty much on the fence myself, I concocted the idea that if I could get samples of the different, popular laser sights for a handgun, I could evaluate them, test out their usefulness for me and report on what I found. I got a Crimson Trace laserguard pretty quickly. The Laserlyte people promised a sample, but then didn't come through or respond to my subsequent emails. The Lasermax folks were cooperative and got me to the right person to set this up. Then, things fell between the cracks.

After a few emails, I discovered that the original person handling these situations was no longer with the company, and her replacement made contact with me. She liked the idea and we began to discuss how the evaluation and review would be handled. Then more delays. I was getting frustrated with the lack of progress and posted about this here. Then, I re-established contact and we both discovered that Murphy had been at work.

The order meant to send the evaluation items to me had entered their provisioning system, then got canceled. No one knows why as yet, but they are checking into it. They obviously don't want that happening in their ordering and provisioning systems. Then, my contact in Public Relations discovered that my later emails were being directed into her junk mail folder. I wasn't the only one, it turned out. Other important contacts' emails were also being mistakenly routed to the junk mail folder. Strangely, this exact thing had happened to me on a day before. Sometimes, software is too smart for its own good.

Anyway, I think we are back on track. As I see it, this was one of those things that sometimes happens in business, and life, where a few things get off track due really to no one's fault. I should have some review items from Lasermax soon, and I can get my comparison study underweigh.

I want to thank Lasermax for being responsive and tracking down the issues that we experienced. I think one big lesson in all this is to work with other parties to resolve issues instead of jumping to conclusions and slamming people or companies without justification. It resolves around assumptions. Almost every time I've made an assumption about an issue and acted on it, without asking questions and trying to understand all of the facts and circumstances involved, I've made a mistake.

So, a big thank you to Lasermax for hanging on to good customer service like a dog on a bone. It's good to find a company that understands their customers are what keeps them in business.

Lasers: no light at the end of the tunnel

As I posted here earlier, I am trying to get a detailed comparison going with the major laser sight manufacturers. I'm a normal guy, or so some people have said. (Don't ask my kids.) I want to do a "normal" evaluation conducted over time by a representative civilian legal concealed carry person. That would be me.

Crimson Trace was the first to respond. They were quick and effective, sending me a unit for my Ruger LCP. Nice. LaserMax responded, and then the long, long saga began. Some of that is detailed here. Unfortunately, it is still going on. I've had numerous communications with LaserMax, both via email and phone. They are very nice and accommodating, but have somehow run into continuing difficulties in getting their promised units to me for evaluation.

I understand how issues come up in business. After all, I spent fifteen years in a giant corporation dealing with issues resolution on a daily basis. However, I was usually able to get the issues resolved, and to keep the effected people in touch with what progress was, or was not, being made. LaserMax is, I think, trying to resolve the issue with supporting my evaluation and review of their sights, but getting information from them is like the proverbial water from a stone. Not happening.

If I get no action this week, I will have to call off the laser sight review and evaluations. I'll do more postings about Crimson Trace, the sight and the company, but I may not be able to compare the plusses and minuses with LaserMax's products.

Oh, and Laserlyte.... they said, sure, we'd be glad to participate. Then I never heard another word.

LaserMax: a report on communication and customer service

Ruger SR9c with LaserMax Micro

As I reported here earlier, I have been experiencing communications issues with LaserMax regarding my request to acquire a review unit for testing and evaluation for this blog. After a few misfires, I sent a note to a different individual with LaserMax explaining the issue and requesting a reply. That reply came the next day.

LaserMax has engaged an experienced person to take charge of their customer relations activities and she is actively working to improve standards and response times for the company. She has a great deal of experience in the firearms industry and, from what I can judge of her actions to date, is dedicated, responsive and helpful.

Sometimes, especially in periods of rapid growth, organizations become overwhelmed and drop the ball on a few things. The good ones take a step back, listen to their customers and make adjustments and organizational changes as necessary to get back on track. I think LaserMax is doing this, and focused on improving as a company especially in terms of listening to and satisfying their customers. I am very pleased to have an open line of communication and expect to be able to review some of their products and report my findings here.

Stay tuned.

And the winner is....

The winner of the most responsive customer service is Crimson Trace. They were the last company I contacted with a review request and the quickest to respond to that. Then, they quickly dispatched a unit out to me which arrived today. Thank you, Crimson Trace for your willingness to respond to your customers rapidly and effectively.

LaserMax also responded to my request which I made about a week before contacting Crimson Trace. Although they wrote that they were getting a unit to me for review, I do not have it, nor have I had any further communication with them.

LaserLyte is evidently still searching for the appropriate department to handle my request. I have heard nothing from them since they so informed me.

Here is the unit. I will install it later today and report on how that activity went. But for now, I can say that Crimson Trace people are fast, the packaging is first rate and it got here in a hurry. The unit is well padded and protected and all the necessary hardware is included along with the installation and user manuals.

Package components from the box. The laser guard itself was securely packed in the foam envelope that it is resting on in this photo.

The essential parts. The small stickers are supplied with all laser products, although I do not plan to attach them since I will be the only one operating the unit.

Crimson Trace

Crimson Trace Laserguard on a Ruger LCP

I will soon begin my testing and evaluation of the Crimson Trace Laserguard for the Ruger LCP. I had not looked at the company website for a long while, but took the opportunity yesterday to go there and see what Crimson Trace is now up to.

When one buys a significant piece of technology, it is a good idea to know something about the company and people who make it and stand behind it. I do know that Crimson Trace was very prompt in responding to my request to test and review one of their laser sights but I wanted to know more. This is what I found on their site regarding their company and how they view themselves:

SERVICE AS AN OBSESSION

“Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better,” said Ken Blanchard in his book, “Raving Fans”.

At Crimson Trace, our goal is not to meet your needs.  Nor is it to exceed your expectations.  Our goal is to create a “Raving Fan” out of you.  To us, customer service isn’t simply answering your questions, tracking your shipment, or talking you through installation.  To us, customer service is making your experience with our brand shine so brightly that you’re amazed.  That you’ll tell others about your experience.  That you’re not just a customer.  You’re a Raving Fan!

Our Customer Service team is friendly, highly trained, motivated, and extremely knowledgeable…but everyone says that, right?  Our team is all of those things PLUS empowered.  That means, the person you get on the phone can answer your questions, take care of your needs, and provide service that is above and beyond your expectations.  Call us or email us – and you’ll find out for yourself.

That is a high benchmark to set for yourself. As part of my review of the Laserguard, I will also see how well Crimson Trace lives up to their goal. So far, they are doing fine.

Crimson Trace Replies

Fastest yet is Crimson Trace. I got a reply the next day from their Media Relations Manager with the news that they are sending a unit for evaluation. No questions or delays. That's what I call good customer service.

So, I'll soon have a Crimson Trace and a LaserMax for testing and evaluation. I will post first impressions here as they arrive, then plan on another more extensive evaluation that examines operation, effectiveness, concealment qualities, and so forth. For now, first impressions are that Crimson Trace and LaserMax are in the lead as far as customer service and response are concerned. Now, if LaserLyte decides which department will be reviewing my request, I might have good news from them too.

Eventually.

Reviews, Evaluations and Customer Satisfaction

Many of the items I review here are provided by their makers for that purpose. Not all. Some I have bought courtesy of my credit card. After doing this for a while I have formed a few opinions of the way in which companies approach review requests. First, I am obviously not representative of a large publishing concern with a huge readership. I do have a fairly steady readership and have had almost ten thousand visits since I started this blog. However, I do concentrate on a specific area - concealed carry - and attempt to be rational and as objective as a gun-toting Second Amendment supporter can be. As you will have noticed, I try hard to keep politics out of the discussion. I find that when politics and guns are mixed, any chance for rational discourse goes rapidly out the window.

Back when I was a moderator of the old Elsie Pea Forum (RIP), I saw and got involved in many discussions concerning the use and value of laser sights mounted to concealed carry handguns. Now, being of the old school and having had my training and qualifications with a handgun courtesy of the U.S. Marines and an old Model 1911 pistol, I'm not one to favor laser sights right off the bat. It became quickly evident that many of those who had these gizmos attached to their pistols really liked them. More so, many gun makers provide some of their handguns with laser sights installed at the factory. Even so, many members of the forum lined up against them and their reasons were many but the most often cited were: dependence on another piece of gear that might fail at the wrong time; turning it on; trying to find the red dot instead of sighting on the target. The laser supporters answered these in various ways but it became apparent to me that I could not be an effective part of the conversations since I have no experience with this technology applied to handguns. And, furthermore, I was unlikely to do so since they are expensive and if I did want to equip and carry them on my self defense guns, I was looking at a considerable cash outlay for the sights and the new holsters I would need. So, I passed.

However, having re-thought this, I decided that if I could get some real-world experience with various laser sights on at least one of my carry pistols, I could do a thorough evaluation from a "normal" (yeah, I know...) person who legally carries a handgun for self defense. I don't have a bias, one way or the other, nor do I support any firearms related companies or have any interest in supporting one company or maker over another. I am basically interested in reporting, from my personal perspective, what works for me as part of my concealed carry systems and training and what doesn't. In this spirit, I contacted three manufacturers of laser sights for handguns asking for an evaluation unit that I could test and report on here. I also stated that I would return the unit to them after the testing and evaluation was done. This seems like a reasonable request. I get to find out about their products, test them, report here and send them back. They are out postage and some free publicity on my blog. Of course, the publicity could be good or bad or both.

Although I have not received any product to test as yet, the two responses I have gotten are interesting.

The first company to respond was LaserLyte. They were quick to reply to my query but vague about whether or not they wanted to participate. The person who responded to me is "forwarding my request to the proper department for review". Wow. Departments. I guess they are trying to figure out which of their departments should handle this request. I'm not too thrilled by this or what it portends for me actually getting a unit to test. I am certain that I am not the first person to ask for a review unit - there have been a bunch of reviews done to date already - so why would they have to find the proper department to review my simple request. It is possible that this is a stalling tactic, or perhaps this is just procedure, how they handle unknown people out there in cyberspace who are asking them for something. I don't know. That happened on November 21. It is now November 29, eight days later so either they have a great many departments, a great many requests of this nature, or my email is sitting on the bottom of a virtual pile of emails somewhere in the proper department.

The second company to respond was LaserMax. My request went to them on November 21 and someone responded to me on November 26. It was short and sweet. Yes, they have evaluation units and will send one to me. That was good and it was customer friendly and pretty darn quick. I'll let you all know when it arrives.

The third company I contacted was Crimson Trace. I sent an email to them yesterday. I thought I had sent a contact form at the same time as I had contacted Laserlyte and LaserMax, but I don't think I did that, so I sent one (or another) yesterday. I also was in contact with a friend who is a holster maker who told me that when the Crimson Trace became available for the handguns for which he made holsters, he contacted them and requested an empty shell that he could use to make holsters for guns with their sight attached. He needed something to fill orders until the blue gun makers released moulds of guns with Crimson Trace lasers for holster makers. He sent them his web site URL and tax number and the necessary information to prove he runs an actual business. They said, sure, he could buy one from them at a discount, but were not willing to provide even the empty shell. This is not very good customer service in my view. Who knows? Crimson Trace may have adopted a more customer satisfaction friendly policy in the interim. When I get a reply from them, I will post the results here.

So, laser sights. There it is. I will test and evaluate whatever unit, or units, I can get from the makers and report my findings and personal opinions here. As this little project gets going, it is obvious that part of the reporting will include how the companies handle requests, queries and issues from their customers. For me, the attitudes and practices of companies making products plays an important part in whether I will spend my money on their goods, or look elsewhere for a similar product with good support and service.