The JM4 Tactical small holster hooks onto your pants or waistband with a magnet. For those of us who’ve struggled to get comfortable with plastic clips (not magazines), it’s an attractive solution, especially for inside-the–waistband carriers. Are magnets the wave of the future for holster makers?
The JM4 Tactical holster wraps its leather around the magnet so there is no metal or plastic touching the skin. Only soft leather. While it is not cold in Wyoming anymore, it’s far from hot (we’re talking about temps between 65-85 degrees F), and so far I’ve found the holster to be cooler and more comfortable than a kydex holster. The leather is definitely top notch quality. In fact, the holster comes with a little tag which declares it as Hermann Oak Leather, the finest top-grain leather in the world. It even comes with a handy “scan tag” which will help you understand how to best break in the leather so that the holster will perform optimally.
The rare earth magnet used to “clip” the JM4 Tactical holster to your pants is extremely strong. When my husband went to take the holster from me, the two magnets snapped together, pinching my finger to the point of slight pain. So secure it is. It’s not moving and stays secure on the pants during draw. It won’t easily slide around side to side on your pants either. Well, not without pulling on the pants.
Clipping the JM4 onto the waistband of structured pants like jeans, without a belt, wasn’t an issue. It kept the gun firmly in place. That said, the JM4 holster doesn’t work on tactical (or otherwise) yoga pants. There’s just not enough structure. But that doesn’t take away from the positive aspects of this holster. It will even work on a more stretchy denim material. Think “jeggings” or “skinny jeans.”
The “small holster” is what I was sent for use with a Ruger LCP .380 and it fit like a dream. The gun slid in smoothly and stayed put until it was time to draw. There is no adjustable retention but it isn’t necessary. This holster definitely strikes a balance that’s difficult in some other leather holsters. It won’t fall out while moving about, but once needed, it can be drawn quickly and effectively.
It also is not a heavy holster, which is expected with leather, but still worth mentioning.
I also had an easy enough time concealing the gun while using this holster. Obviously, clothing choices need to be tailored if carrying concealed to avoid printing, but it worked fine with minimal printing in standard outfits.
There aren’t really any cons to this particular holster, but if I was looking for one, I’d say the magnet might not be for everyone. It’s new and may take getting used to, but that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t try it.
COMFORT *****
The holster is comfortable, but I am used to using and carrying IWB. It placed the gun at a comfortable angle for me to grab. I had no problems with the holster being hot or pinching me or leaving indentations on my skin after a full day of wear. It’s without a doubt, the most comfortable holster I own, and I attribute this to the quality of the leather.
COST ****
Depending on your leather and size choice, the holster will set you back $49.95-$79.95, with the more exotic and high line leather holster coming in at $219.99. That’s right in line with what a holster will cost you these days and just the leather itself is worth it.
CONCEALMENT ****
It’s not the smallest holster, and efforts need to be made to ensure you’re not printing if that’s important. But it can be concealed with the right outfit. Most women who carry on a daily basis understand this. Sometimes the comfort of the holster trumps the outfit. Just sayin’.
DRAW ****
Until the leather is broken in, you’ll need a bit more muscle to draw, but it wasn’t too bad. It works great for me, but some may prefer a bit of a higher ride in their holster and JM4 has the solution. They recently released a high ride holster and it looks like it would be a great option for those who seek that slight adjustment.
OVERALL ****1/2
Overall, this is honestly one of my favorite holsters. It’s a slick new idea to use the magnet in this way and it really made for an effective product. The price is resonable and it is not hard to conceal. With several different options in several different leathers colors and sizes, it’s coming highly recommended.
My intelligent forebrain was impressed by the capablites & pricing, my primitive brain (I call him Thag) grunted and wanted to see the tattoo. I’d apologize, but he’s right just enough to keep around.
Sara, do you feel this holster could be used in appendix position?
I’m curious as to how well this setup holds for a quick draw stroke, I ask because all 3 of my regular holsters now have loops instead of clips, the holster came up with the pistol once to often.
Try kydex clips. Unlike metal ones, there usually is a loop that will catch the bottom of your belt. Also will not tear up you seats.
I like the concept but in the picture it looks like the part of the holster that is outside the waistband is huge. It looks like it’s almost blocking your pocket.
I’m not sure I like the idea of magnets unintentionally moving metal internal gun parts.
i prefer to have the manufacturer mold the holster to the item.
nothing against the magnet concept per se, but magnetizing the steel components of a metal sidearm may cause minute particles of ferrous metal to congregate (cutting edges…) that i don’t want to attract.
less of a problem for a chock a block glock type thing.
custom horsehide can be found for under a hondo. this just seems spendy for sm, med, lg, no matter how rich the corinthian leather.
I wish they would extend the leather up a little higher so that your pistol doesn’t rest against your skin.
Otherwise, it sounds very nice.
It’s already been done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpB1cCfuPyY&t=29s
Ever since I put the magnet of a bicycle speedometer in a pocket and it demagnetized credit cards, I’ve been extremely leery of anything magnetic near my pockets. That wasn’t even a powerful magnet, nothing like this must be.
If you had any way to test this, I’d sure be curious as to how close a wallet can get without destroying credit cards.
If you put keys or anything metallic in the nearby pocket, is there even a slight pull near the holster magnet?
For a split second, I thought I was going to see a Tipton post that didn’t include some part of her body.
Silly me…
Ditto. Or mention tactical yoga pants. Or transgender bathrooms. Or her babies. Or being a Mommie. Or neverTrump.
At least they finally stopped headlining all her posts with “EXTRA SPECIAL WOMAN SARA TIPTON:”
Are you complaining? Good skin is good skin
Merely observing. My wife has good skin too, but she doesn’t feel the need to show it in every post she makes.