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Gear Review: the N8² Tactical Pro IWB Holster

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Finding the perfect holster for your carry weapon is the Holy Grail of personal defense. I would go so far as to say that many CHL holders spend a lifetime looking for, and not finding, a holster that is so comfortable, so reliable, and so effortless to use, that they simply give up and take what they can find. On that count, color me incredibly lucky, for I have read the Gradus ad Parnassum, taken up my quest, and found my Grail. I suspect that for many of you, the N8² Tactical Pro IWB Holster will be your Holy Grail of Holsters, too. 

I don’t have any stats to back this up, but I suspect that most people who carry on a daily basis who are not in law enforcement, opt to carry inside the waistband. Why? It’s easier to conceal a gun that’s tucked inside your pants than outside them, unless you have a situation where you can go around with your shirt untucked, or wear a coat. Even then, the chances of accidentally giving someone a peek at your piece is dramatically reduced if you carry IWB. But carrying inside the waistband is, well, a bitch. Unless you’re built like a Chippendale’s dancer or your physique resembles a tortilla chip, that love handle/spare tire/beer gut thang flat-out gets in the way of holstering/unholstering your gun when tucked inside your pants. And despite the First Lady’s best efforts, America shows no signs of putting down Le Pomme Français and backing away from the second helpings.

I’m in that same boat. At 6’4″ and in the neighborhood of 240 to 250 lbs, I’ve got more than a little overhang over the ol’ Wranglers, if you know what I mean. But I was determined to find an IWB holster that worked for me. Most people who have walked their own trail of tears to holster Heaven recommended the CrossBreed SuperTuck. I bought one and liked it. But it falls short of perfection. For the record, here’s my litmus test for the perfect IWB holster:

Seems simple, right? So just when I’m at risk of falling in with the “might as well put up with a holster that falls short of perfection” mindset, along comes N8²Tactical.com and their IWB Holster. If you’ve read my review of their original tactical holster, my only reservation about it was that their use of an elastic pocket prevented me from doing a one-hand reholster move. And many pros recommend that you be able to reholster one-handed if you have to draw/fire in a self-defense situation, so you don’t get mistaken for the bad guy. Still, the convenience, comfort, and function of the N8² Tactical IWB Holster was enough to make me a believer.

In the course of that review, I called the company and spoke to one of the Nates myself. He told me that they were working on a second product, that would solve the reholstering, but they were going about it in a very methodical, careful manner. According to N8² Tactical, there are some serious issues with Kydex as a holster material. First and foremost, it outgasses when warm. I don’t know about you, but the idea of inhaling a bunch of gasses from my holster is not on my to-do list. Kydex can also become brittle with age, and has some other negatives as well. N8² Tactical instead opted to go with polycarbonate (a.k.a. “Lexan®”), the same material used for everything from bulletproof windows and jet windshields, to football helmets. Using Lexan, however, required them to create molds, rather than just melt the stuff over a gun, as you can do with acrylic-polyvinyl chloride (Kydex). The result is a holster that has successfully checked off each and every one of the bullets on my list.

The Pro model of the holster looks almost exactly like the earlier model. Except they’ve substituted the Lexan pocket for the elastic, and a swivel belt clip for the original’s sewn-on clip. The swivel clip allows you to set the cant of the holster however you like. The Lexan pocket keeps the holster from collapsing, insuring you can reholster with one hand. But their design has an additional advantage – retention.

When I first received the holster, I found that my Kimber 1911 slipped in to the holster like a hand in a well-fitting glove. Getting it out, however, was just about impossible. After another call to the company, I learned why. The holster is designed to automatically retain your weapon, unless you twist it clockwise (towards your back) as you simultaneously pull it from the holster. The result is a holster that has a positive grip on your gun, but offers a foolproof way to unholster it at will.

Dont’ make the mistake of presuming that this is a substitute for a locking retention holster. Then again, if you are carrying concealed, you likely won’t need a locking retention system, simply because nobody’s gonna try to take your gun if they don’t know you have one. By the time they are aware you’re armed, you’ll already have your hand on the gun.

But what about comfort? With suede on the body-size, cowhide on the gun side, and an inner layer of neoprene (wet suit rubber) in-between, the holster is comfortable and resists any sweat from your body leaching through the holster and coming into contact with the gun.

If there is a drawback to the Pro holster, it’s only the availability factor. While the regular model is available for a wide range of guns, for both left- and right-handed shooters, so far, the N8² Tactical Pro IWB is available for right-handers only for the following guns:

The good news is that they are hard at work adding additional makes and models of guns. And they are letting user requests drive which models they work on next.

I don’t want to sound like an N8² Tactical fanboy, but it’s hard not to get enthusiastic about a holster that nails every one of the things on my feature list. I also like the fact that they are a small, home-grown company, based right here in the USA.

The original N8² Tactical IWB holsters went for $39.95. They are still available. The new Pro model lists for $69.95. While the original holster is a fine piece of workmanship, the Pro model is, frankly, worth the additional 30 bucks.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Model: N8² Tactical Pro IWB Holster
Leftie Model available: Not at this time
Available for:

Finish: Natural Suede (inside) Full-grain cowhide (outside) 
Price: $69.95 MSRP

RATINGS (out of five stars)

Comfort * * * * *  
It doesn’t get any better than “I forgot I had it on.”

Ergonomics * * * * *
As long as you’re a righty, you’re in like Flynn. Currently, Lefties need not apply.

Reliability * * * * 
I’ve carried with their older holster since May. Other than forming to my gun/body, it looks new. I see no reason this one will be any different.

Customizable * 
This is a custom-fit holster for a specific gun. You want “customizable” go buy a G.I. Joe.

Carry * * * * *
If you wanna carry concealed, this is the holster for you.

Overall Rating * * * * 1/2
An excellent holster, that will earn the remaining half-star when they release left-handed versions and cover more makes/models of guns.

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