REALteach4u
Regular Member
Due to a safety concern, I contacted Sticky Holsters regarding their product as it appeared to be a pocket holster marketed as an inside the waistband (IWB). The company was courteous enough to send me several items out of their product line. In an attempt to get comfortable enough to give these a live-fire on-range test my wife and I conducted what wound up being a daily-carry test with dummy rounds. Please note that all 4 products failed the daily-carry testing in just 3 hours and were deemed unsafe for live fire on-range testing. Thus suggestions were sent to the manufacturer to provide them important feedback.
Their website for product information and their videos.
http://stickyholsters.com/
Gear received from Sticky:
(1) LG-2 Sticky holster for a Glock 19, 23, 32, 38, Ruger SR-9, or Baby Eagle
(1) MD-5 Sticky holster for the Ruger LCR, S&W J Frames, and Revolvers up to a 2.125 inch barrel
(1) Super Mag Pouch fitting up to a double stack .45ACP
(1) Anklebiter leg rig to turn your Sticky holster into an ankle holster
Upon receipt just before the end of 2011, I opened the package and noticed the typical ziploc bags that holster makers have been using of late and a lime green backer card with Sticky's name on it, Made In The USA, and touting a Lifetime Warranty on the front. On the back of the card was their holster fitment chart. There were NO instructions on how to properly install the holster, properly wear the holster, or how to prevent a fall-through at the waistband. This was the first red flag on the product.
Per the manufacturer's own video the Sticky holster is meant to be simply tucked between the waistband of your trousers or shorts and the body with the firearm already stored in the holster and requires full removal to reholster and reinstall in the waistband. The ONLY retention for this holster is your clothing or a belt...a two-handed operation which means anyone with a physical disability limiting motion of one or both hands or arms may find this product difficult to use.
Upon inspecting the product I found it to be nylon backed with neoprene with a single stitch top and double-stitched lower. It is a very pliable and bendable holster which can equate to comfort while sacrificing firearm retention and security. On to the individual products!
The Ruger LCR holster (MD-5) put me off immediately. The stitch where the trigger guard seats into the holster is in a straight-line angle from where the muzzle rests in the holster, yet the trigger guard of the LCR and most other revolvers are round. This causes the holster to pinch and push the revolver upwards and ultimately out of the holster. No matter what my wife did to correct this issue it kept happening. The only part remaining in her waistband after bending down to tie her shoes was the muzzle trapped in the holster, just barely at that. This is an immediate safety FAILURE!
My wife was willing to endure the daily-carry test of the Ruger LCR holster with dummy rounds. Upon sitting down in the van the holster immediately popped up from her waistband, mind you she was not wearing a belt, just a waistband similar to what is shown in the video where the model does a forward cartwheel with the holster installed. She also noticed that if it is worn in any kind of forward placement on the waistline that it will dig with movement and that wearing on the small of the back was simply uncomfortable. The wearing of a seat belt made it very difficult to get to the firearm and drawing it from a seated position with the seat belt on meant the seat belt was immediately in the way of getting the firearm clear to present to a threat. Each time she got out of the vehicle or sat down in it the holster shifted and almost fell completely out of her waistband. If her blouse had not been covering the firearm it would have hit the ground.
The Anklebiter Leg Rig was tested prior to the vehicle test, immediately following my wife's issues in the house that I was able to fully replicate easily. The Anklebiter unit is considerably thick and is actually as thick or thicker than a Fobus ankle holster...and it provides less firearm retention than most other ankle holsters as there is no retention of the firearm to keep it from coming out of the holster without cutting off the circulation in the lower leg. The unit is so thick that it printed heavily with jeans and was almost as easily visible by printing in my 5.11 covert cargo's as well as my 5.11 tactical trousers.
The Anklebiter wrap requires an initial wrap around the leg with the placement of a specific pad where you want the Sticky holster installed, then there is a small piece of neoprene on velcro apparently to put over the holster to keep it in place before you close the wrap around itself on velcro. Essentially the neoprene backed Sticky holster becomes trapped between other layers of neoprene on the ankle wrap.
I conducted a 3-stomp test once it was installed. The entire set up shifted downward as expected, most ankle holsters do this. Upon closer inspection I noticed the Ruger LCR holster had shifted through the bottom of the Anklebiter unit resulting in the pistol hanging out of the top. The only thing that kept the pistol from hitting the ground was the leg cuff of my trousers. This is an immediate safety FAILURE!
The Glock 19 holster (LG-2) fit the Glock 19 well and kept it inside the holster rather well. Due to the multi-fit design I had to hold the holster open and wiggle the Glock 19 to get it into the holster. Once in the holster I installed it on the right hip, where I tend to wear my Crossbreed Supertuck. I noticed that the unit was as thick or thicker than my Crossbreed Supertuck with one major disadvantage, no safety device to prevent the holster from dropping through. I was wearing my 5.11 Covert trousers with a purpose built gun belt. I installed the holster so that there was a 1-2 inch gap between the grip of the pistol and my waistband so that I could obtain a secure grip on the firearm with my shirt tucked in OVER the firearm like I would with my Crossbreed.
As I brought my knees up one at a time to a foot stool to tie my shoes the holster shifted up and out of my waistband to the point that the forward end of the trigger guard was nearly out of the waistband. This concerned me greatly since both holsters had now popped out of the waistband before we ever left the house. I reinstalled the holster in the same fashion, this time with my shirt behind the holster, and continued the testing.
While seated in the van I noticed that the seat belt hindered my ability to retrieve the firearm as well as hindered my ability to present it to a threat. Don't even think about pulling the holster out of the waistband and reholstering while seated in a vehicle, it simply isn't safe and likely won't happen easily at all. As the testing continued the Glock 19 holster eventually shifted down in my waistband to the point that the grip of my pistol was pulling down on my belt. This could eventually lead to a pass through!
Later I noticed that the packaging had said it fit a Baby Eagle pistol, since I had one I gave that a try. I experienced an IMMEDIATE drop-through! The Sticky holster SHOULD NOT be used with the metal Baby Eagle products EVER! The only thing that stopped my custom coated Baby Eagle from going through my waistband and slamming into my tile floor was the Hogue wrap around grip I had installed as it snagged on my belt just enough to keep it from continuing to fall through. These holster issues were weight, time, and motion relative FAILURES!
Lastly is the Super Mag Pouch which was of the same construction as the rest. Single stitching along the top, double along the sides and bottom. This product came with a user-trimmable adjustment plug. It's basically scrap neoprene that you can install inside to take up space for your sized magazines. It's soft neoprene folks, so it's eventually going to become crushed by the magazine or human input.
To test this product I fully loaded a pair of 10 round Baby Eagle steel magazines with 230 grain hollow point rounds and put them in the holster after it was installed over my belt and attached with the velcro closure. The soft neoprene backer started sagging and wound up pulling on the velcro closure under that amount of weight. This was a weight related FAILURE!
After several entries and exits of our vehicle, several entries and exits into buildings, driving with it on, and changing a diaper in the back of the van with it on I can only conclude that these safety issues are severe enough for this to be considered a hazardous product. As a result I WILL NOT be able to conduct a live-fire on-range test of these products. If you choose this product, please make yourself aware of the risks.
To me, the product is what it appears to be, a pocket holster being marketed as an IWB. There is a reason manufacturers have added clips or attachment points on their IWB holsters...safety. I conducted a final test of the Ruger LCR holster just to humor myself by using it as a pocket holster. It functioned EXACTLY as pocket holsters are advertised to function. Don't be fooled by the videos!
Should the manufacturer take my suggestions to heart and make some relative safety changes to their product I would welcome a follow-up evaluation, provided they pass the daily-carry testing with dummy rounds prior to any live-fire testing beginning.
Their website for product information and their videos.
http://stickyholsters.com/
Gear received from Sticky:
(1) LG-2 Sticky holster for a Glock 19, 23, 32, 38, Ruger SR-9, or Baby Eagle
(1) MD-5 Sticky holster for the Ruger LCR, S&W J Frames, and Revolvers up to a 2.125 inch barrel
(1) Super Mag Pouch fitting up to a double stack .45ACP
(1) Anklebiter leg rig to turn your Sticky holster into an ankle holster
Upon receipt just before the end of 2011, I opened the package and noticed the typical ziploc bags that holster makers have been using of late and a lime green backer card with Sticky's name on it, Made In The USA, and touting a Lifetime Warranty on the front. On the back of the card was their holster fitment chart. There were NO instructions on how to properly install the holster, properly wear the holster, or how to prevent a fall-through at the waistband. This was the first red flag on the product.
Per the manufacturer's own video the Sticky holster is meant to be simply tucked between the waistband of your trousers or shorts and the body with the firearm already stored in the holster and requires full removal to reholster and reinstall in the waistband. The ONLY retention for this holster is your clothing or a belt...a two-handed operation which means anyone with a physical disability limiting motion of one or both hands or arms may find this product difficult to use.
Upon inspecting the product I found it to be nylon backed with neoprene with a single stitch top and double-stitched lower. It is a very pliable and bendable holster which can equate to comfort while sacrificing firearm retention and security. On to the individual products!
The Ruger LCR holster (MD-5) put me off immediately. The stitch where the trigger guard seats into the holster is in a straight-line angle from where the muzzle rests in the holster, yet the trigger guard of the LCR and most other revolvers are round. This causes the holster to pinch and push the revolver upwards and ultimately out of the holster. No matter what my wife did to correct this issue it kept happening. The only part remaining in her waistband after bending down to tie her shoes was the muzzle trapped in the holster, just barely at that. This is an immediate safety FAILURE!
My wife was willing to endure the daily-carry test of the Ruger LCR holster with dummy rounds. Upon sitting down in the van the holster immediately popped up from her waistband, mind you she was not wearing a belt, just a waistband similar to what is shown in the video where the model does a forward cartwheel with the holster installed. She also noticed that if it is worn in any kind of forward placement on the waistline that it will dig with movement and that wearing on the small of the back was simply uncomfortable. The wearing of a seat belt made it very difficult to get to the firearm and drawing it from a seated position with the seat belt on meant the seat belt was immediately in the way of getting the firearm clear to present to a threat. Each time she got out of the vehicle or sat down in it the holster shifted and almost fell completely out of her waistband. If her blouse had not been covering the firearm it would have hit the ground.
The Anklebiter Leg Rig was tested prior to the vehicle test, immediately following my wife's issues in the house that I was able to fully replicate easily. The Anklebiter unit is considerably thick and is actually as thick or thicker than a Fobus ankle holster...and it provides less firearm retention than most other ankle holsters as there is no retention of the firearm to keep it from coming out of the holster without cutting off the circulation in the lower leg. The unit is so thick that it printed heavily with jeans and was almost as easily visible by printing in my 5.11 covert cargo's as well as my 5.11 tactical trousers.
The Anklebiter wrap requires an initial wrap around the leg with the placement of a specific pad where you want the Sticky holster installed, then there is a small piece of neoprene on velcro apparently to put over the holster to keep it in place before you close the wrap around itself on velcro. Essentially the neoprene backed Sticky holster becomes trapped between other layers of neoprene on the ankle wrap.
I conducted a 3-stomp test once it was installed. The entire set up shifted downward as expected, most ankle holsters do this. Upon closer inspection I noticed the Ruger LCR holster had shifted through the bottom of the Anklebiter unit resulting in the pistol hanging out of the top. The only thing that kept the pistol from hitting the ground was the leg cuff of my trousers. This is an immediate safety FAILURE!
The Glock 19 holster (LG-2) fit the Glock 19 well and kept it inside the holster rather well. Due to the multi-fit design I had to hold the holster open and wiggle the Glock 19 to get it into the holster. Once in the holster I installed it on the right hip, where I tend to wear my Crossbreed Supertuck. I noticed that the unit was as thick or thicker than my Crossbreed Supertuck with one major disadvantage, no safety device to prevent the holster from dropping through. I was wearing my 5.11 Covert trousers with a purpose built gun belt. I installed the holster so that there was a 1-2 inch gap between the grip of the pistol and my waistband so that I could obtain a secure grip on the firearm with my shirt tucked in OVER the firearm like I would with my Crossbreed.
As I brought my knees up one at a time to a foot stool to tie my shoes the holster shifted up and out of my waistband to the point that the forward end of the trigger guard was nearly out of the waistband. This concerned me greatly since both holsters had now popped out of the waistband before we ever left the house. I reinstalled the holster in the same fashion, this time with my shirt behind the holster, and continued the testing.
While seated in the van I noticed that the seat belt hindered my ability to retrieve the firearm as well as hindered my ability to present it to a threat. Don't even think about pulling the holster out of the waistband and reholstering while seated in a vehicle, it simply isn't safe and likely won't happen easily at all. As the testing continued the Glock 19 holster eventually shifted down in my waistband to the point that the grip of my pistol was pulling down on my belt. This could eventually lead to a pass through!
Later I noticed that the packaging had said it fit a Baby Eagle pistol, since I had one I gave that a try. I experienced an IMMEDIATE drop-through! The Sticky holster SHOULD NOT be used with the metal Baby Eagle products EVER! The only thing that stopped my custom coated Baby Eagle from going through my waistband and slamming into my tile floor was the Hogue wrap around grip I had installed as it snagged on my belt just enough to keep it from continuing to fall through. These holster issues were weight, time, and motion relative FAILURES!
Lastly is the Super Mag Pouch which was of the same construction as the rest. Single stitching along the top, double along the sides and bottom. This product came with a user-trimmable adjustment plug. It's basically scrap neoprene that you can install inside to take up space for your sized magazines. It's soft neoprene folks, so it's eventually going to become crushed by the magazine or human input.
To test this product I fully loaded a pair of 10 round Baby Eagle steel magazines with 230 grain hollow point rounds and put them in the holster after it was installed over my belt and attached with the velcro closure. The soft neoprene backer started sagging and wound up pulling on the velcro closure under that amount of weight. This was a weight related FAILURE!
After several entries and exits of our vehicle, several entries and exits into buildings, driving with it on, and changing a diaper in the back of the van with it on I can only conclude that these safety issues are severe enough for this to be considered a hazardous product. As a result I WILL NOT be able to conduct a live-fire on-range test of these products. If you choose this product, please make yourself aware of the risks.
To me, the product is what it appears to be, a pocket holster being marketed as an IWB. There is a reason manufacturers have added clips or attachment points on their IWB holsters...safety. I conducted a final test of the Ruger LCR holster just to humor myself by using it as a pocket holster. It functioned EXACTLY as pocket holsters are advertised to function. Don't be fooled by the videos!
Should the manufacturer take my suggestions to heart and make some relative safety changes to their product I would welcome a follow-up evaluation, provided they pass the daily-carry testing with dummy rounds prior to any live-fire testing beginning.
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