c4v3man
06-29-2008, 07:22 AM
Now that I've had some time to wear my holster a little over 2 months, I feel I can write my opinion of it. I'll try to be as complete as I can, and will answer any questions that I can.
First Impressions
Wow, this is a big gun to carry. Sitting down with the holster in the 7:30 position (I'm a lefty) causes the barrel to touch down awkwardly. Simply moving the holster to the 9 o'clock position fixes the issue, and makes draw better in the process (although makes weak hand draw nearly impossible). The Kydex is molded to the gun quite well, however it seems a touch 'shallow', which makes it hard for me to determine when the gun is aligned in the kydex properly. I think molding a better stop-point on near the trigger guard would fix this issue.
Range Use
Heading out to BLM to run drills with my father yields good results. Gun is well retained while moving, but is easy to pull so as to not impede the draw too much. I've since figured out how to replace the gun in the holster by feeling for the sweat guard with my thumb. I can now feel when the gun is set in correctly. Does not collapse with gun removed, so reinsertion is easy. I seem to fumble alot less when inserting my gun than my father with his Glock 23 and Comp-Tac MTAC, although that may be just the box design of the Glock, instead of the slightly more pointed nature of the USP Expert. Overall very happy with it's performance.
Carry use
I'll use this holster on weekends and at night during the week when needed. When going out, it holds the grip pretty much parallel to my body, essentially a straight line at that point of the curve of my body. Thus I've found that I personally carry better at 8:30 or so, as that's flatter than at 9:00. I wear untucked polo shirts, with no apparent printing unless bent over completely, which is minimal. All positions are comfortable with this holster, sitting, standing, laying in a reclined posture, etc. I can't feel any 'edges', only a soft but firm force that is evenly distributed in the middle, dissipating at the edges. The only complaint I have is that I wish sweat guard was enlarged by maybe .5-1", as I can feel the tall target sights of the Expert at times.
Conclusion
My one complaint about the sweat guard could easily be remedied when ordering the holster. Working with Rob was excellent, he replied to my emails in a very timely manner throughout the order. My leather feels a touch softer than the MTAC, however they are similar in their design. My order took about 5 months from beginning to end. One advantage of the MTAC over the Answer is that you can order additional kydex forms to fit your other pistols. I'm not sure if Tucker uses different mounting locations for each holster, but he will not sell you alternative Kydex for your other firearms. Considering how many options there are for Expert users, I am very happy with my purchase, and am looking forward to years of use with this combination.
http://rlcompanyusa.stores.yahoo.net/answeriwbs.html
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1964/dsc03103smallys9.th.png (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03103smallys9.png)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/7233/dsc03100smallgp1.th.jpg (http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03100smallgp1.jpg)
First Impressions
Wow, this is a big gun to carry. Sitting down with the holster in the 7:30 position (I'm a lefty) causes the barrel to touch down awkwardly. Simply moving the holster to the 9 o'clock position fixes the issue, and makes draw better in the process (although makes weak hand draw nearly impossible). The Kydex is molded to the gun quite well, however it seems a touch 'shallow', which makes it hard for me to determine when the gun is aligned in the kydex properly. I think molding a better stop-point on near the trigger guard would fix this issue.
Range Use
Heading out to BLM to run drills with my father yields good results. Gun is well retained while moving, but is easy to pull so as to not impede the draw too much. I've since figured out how to replace the gun in the holster by feeling for the sweat guard with my thumb. I can now feel when the gun is set in correctly. Does not collapse with gun removed, so reinsertion is easy. I seem to fumble alot less when inserting my gun than my father with his Glock 23 and Comp-Tac MTAC, although that may be just the box design of the Glock, instead of the slightly more pointed nature of the USP Expert. Overall very happy with it's performance.
Carry use
I'll use this holster on weekends and at night during the week when needed. When going out, it holds the grip pretty much parallel to my body, essentially a straight line at that point of the curve of my body. Thus I've found that I personally carry better at 8:30 or so, as that's flatter than at 9:00. I wear untucked polo shirts, with no apparent printing unless bent over completely, which is minimal. All positions are comfortable with this holster, sitting, standing, laying in a reclined posture, etc. I can't feel any 'edges', only a soft but firm force that is evenly distributed in the middle, dissipating at the edges. The only complaint I have is that I wish sweat guard was enlarged by maybe .5-1", as I can feel the tall target sights of the Expert at times.
Conclusion
My one complaint about the sweat guard could easily be remedied when ordering the holster. Working with Rob was excellent, he replied to my emails in a very timely manner throughout the order. My leather feels a touch softer than the MTAC, however they are similar in their design. My order took about 5 months from beginning to end. One advantage of the MTAC over the Answer is that you can order additional kydex forms to fit your other pistols. I'm not sure if Tucker uses different mounting locations for each holster, but he will not sell you alternative Kydex for your other firearms. Considering how many options there are for Expert users, I am very happy with my purchase, and am looking forward to years of use with this combination.
http://rlcompanyusa.stores.yahoo.net/answeriwbs.html
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1964/dsc03103smallys9.th.png (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03103smallys9.png)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/7233/dsc03100smallgp1.th.jpg (http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03100smallgp1.jpg)