Kydex holsters are hard to get right. Despite these types of holsters probably being the most common and widely accessible holsters both in retail stores and online offerings, there are still a lot of fundamental features that some legacy holster makers have yet to incorporate into their designs to match the needs of the modern concealed carrier. A+I MFG's two owners, Aaron Jones, and Ian McGaughey are both lifetime firearms owners and shooters with Aaron enlisting in the Marine Cprots as a 0621 (Field Radio Operator) in 2015, and Ian growing up shooting, hunting, and fishing. Both Aaron and Ian are pretty excited about their expanding lineup of holsters and they recently sent me a Glock 48 Kydex Holster for review. Today we'll look at what they've sent and give you all an overview of what their holsters offer in terms of price, features, and construction quality.
More Holster Reviews @ TFB:
- Concealed Carry Corner: Importance of Quality Holsters
- TFB Review: Bianchi Shenandoah OWB/IWB Convertible Holster
- TFB Review: Blackhawk Stache IWB Premium Holster Kit
TFB Review: A+I MFG's Affordable Glock 48 Kydex Holster
The Glock 48/48MOS is designed to be worn at any position from the appendix to the 6 o'clock position. The initial impression I got from the A+I MFG holster was that it looked like 50% of what a TREX Arms Sidecar or Tier1 Concealed AXIS holster might look like and this is not by mistake. Ian and Aaron wanted to make sure that their holsters were able to be configured to the customer, by the customer. Right out of the box I noticed that everything from the ride height, cant, carry position and even the height of the concealment wing can be adjusted using either what already comes in the box or by purchasing their hardware kits which are super affordable, both under $10.
A+I MFG concealment holsters also come with a built-in concealment wedge, and also feature an open-ended design. This is an important feature as with a lot of modern concealed carry pistols, threaded barrels, and threaded-on compensators are becoming more and more common and therefore customers don't need to worry about any of their features sidelining them from having access to a quality holster.
A+I MFG also makes use of Discreet Carry Concepts J-Hooks which are some of my favorite within the industry due to them being useful even if you don't happen to be wearing a belt. Lastly, all A+I MFG holsters come standard with support for suppressor height sights as well as slide-mounted optics. Not only does this appeal to customers who carry with a red dot, but it also allows customers to experiment with the idea and switch back and forth without having to swap holsters or purchase a new one entirely.
RANGE/CCW EXPERIENCE
I prefer to carry my Glock 48 as deep as possible to minimize any extra printing. Normally this has the unintended side-effect of placing the holster frame so low that it's hard to get a full firing grip on the firearm during the initial draw. However, the A+I MFG holster comes standard with three different positions where the monoblock J-hooks can be mounted to at an even level. If you want either forward or rearward cant, the J-hooks offer you enough wiggle room to adjust based on your preference using all of the hardware that already comes attached to the holster. The A+I holster is cut in such a way that I could achieve a full firing grip from the draw almost every time despite it being mounted to its lowest position.
If I had to change anything about the design of this system, it would specifically be the binding posts. Due to the large sweat guard that exists on the holster, it can be somewhat difficult to tighten the hardware during routine maintenance. My suggestion would be to alter the binding posts so that they can't rotate within the frame of the holster and this would make it much easier to perform maintenance as well as install and uninstall the J-hooks quickly.
The overall construction quality of the Kydex portion of the holster is top-notch. The outside features a lightly textured rigid shell that has just enough flex in the sweat guard for it to allow you to bend and twist without it jamming you in the stomach. The interior of the holster features an almost polished finish that is smooth to the touch and allows for quick and easy holstering and unholstering, as an added benefit, this smooth holstering action should keep your firearm's finish nice and fresh.
I've been wearing the Glock 48 in this holster for about two months now and I've found it to be the most comfortable holster for that specific gun. Unlike some other metal clip offerings that other holster manufacturers use, Discreet Carry Concepts' clips are made from 10XX heat-treated spring steel that claims to be rust-resistant. Frequent readers of TFB will know that my alien blood sweat is notorious for corroding some of the toughest firearm finishes but thankfully the clips held up to all of the abuse I've dealt them so far which has included some short stints out in the rain where I know the holster for sure got wet.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I think Aaron and Ian have brought to the market what has to be one of the most feature-rich holsters for its price point. The holster is only $60 and provides the user with the ability to adapt their carry setup to not only themselves but the attachments that they've chosen to run on their firearm. Really the future-proofing features are just the cherry on top of what is already a holster made from quality materials and components which is a solid foundation for the rest of the features A+I MFG is putting on the table.
If you're interested in picking up one of these holsters for yourself, A+I MFG offers similar IWB holsters for not only slimline Glock pistols but also full-size Glocks like the 17, 19, 22, 35, and 35, SIG's P320 line of pistols, as well as the P365, P365XL, Taurus G2c, Springfield Hellcat Pro, and some Smith & Wesson pistols. In addition, A+I Manufacturing recently announced that they'll be expanding their holster options to include OWB (Outside the Waistband) options for some of the same pistols they have solutions for now.
In summary, for the price and features that are being offered, I can wholeheartedly recommend A+I MFG's holsters to those that are looking for a holster with secure fitment, loads of customization options, solid retention, and a smooth draw from their concealment gear.
Read the original article in its entirety at thefirearmsblog.com.
