I have been carrying a gun on my hip for longer than I have been driving a car. As an early teenager, while I was with my grandpa, I had a western gunbelt that I carried a Ruger Single Six in. I would carry this with me all over the hills of his land. I carried this, along with my Savage 22 bolt action. And on the days I didn’t want to carry my rifle, I always had my handgun. And of course, I watched many of the old westerns, so naturally I tried to work on my fast draw and shooting from the hip. I never did get as good as the old gunfighters, but I could do okay against the unarmed tree stumps.
Once I got a handgun of my own, a Dan Wesson 1911, I began packing that all over the hills. I began to take my marksmanship more seriously. I also began to work on drawing from more modern style belt holsters, as opposed to the western style holsters I had been using. The modern style belt holsters presented a couple of new challenges. The first of them was the change in the location of the grip of the gun. On my western holsters, the grip was much lower than my belt holsters. Another was the change in spacing from my hip to the gun. On my western holsters, I typically have 2-3 inches of space; however, I was now carrying inside the waistband, which means the stock panel of the gun was touching my body. The third thing that changed was the angle of the gun. I was used to a straight drop, or zero degree cant, but now I had the prominent “FBI cant”. The combination of these gave me a new challenge to work through.
Fortunately, it did not take long for me to adjust to my new holster, which was a Galco Summer Comfort inside-the-waistband holster. While the IWB holster is not the most common choice for the woodsman, I chose it because I wanted to start practicing for concealed carry. At the time, I was 20 years old, and while most 20-year-olds can’t wait for their first legal drink, I couldn’t wait to get my CCW. I had my gun, holster, and the skill and knowledge to be competent. Now I just needed “permission”.
And as soon as I got my CCW permit, I wore a gun almost every day, and have been that way ever since. But as all “gun guys” know, this is an ever-evolving process. Someone rarely buys their first carry gun, and their first holster and then carries that for the rest of their days. Most of us switch guns a few times and go through holsters like they are going out of style. And thus began the quest for the perfect holster.
What I have Tried Before
Most of us know, the quest for the perfect holster seems like an endless road, a pointless journey. And after all, no one holster is perfect for all applications. And this is something I want to get out of the way right up front. I have yet to come across a holster design, by any maker, that fits every use. So, as much as I love many of my holsters, none of them are perfect for every task. This is all a balancing act. You must go into this knowing it is incredibly likely that you will wind up with several different holsters. Even if they are all good designs, of good quality, and they all fit your needs, we all have different needs, thus we have multiple holsters.
When I first started looking for holsters, I started with some of the most common, off-the-shelf designs. DeSantis and Bianchi were the two I tried first. And these holsters do what they are intended to do. They hold the guns securely. But what they lack is craftsmanship, and they do not fit the gun as tightly as other offerings. But if what you want is a good quality holster that holds the gun, is affordable, and can be had with minimal wait times, then these offerings are for you. They do the job they are intended to do. Just remember, as with most things in life, things cost what they cost, and there is often a reason for an increased cost and increased wait time.
There was a brief time, perhaps a time when I was ill, that I believed a plastic holster would be the correct choice. I know many folks nowadays are fond of these designs; however, I am not. I find them to be less comfortable, damaging to my gun’s finish, and they lack any craftsmanship and heritage. I fully understand that all of these are subjective points. Many people find them to be plenty comfortable. Many don’t care about wear on a finish. And plenty could not possibly care less about craftsmanship and heritage. But this is my page, and I do. I also find something sacrilegious about putting a fine Smith and Wesson in a piece of plastic. As we say in the fire service, letha foreva.
After I tried these offerings, I then moved to the common manufacturer that most of us are familiar with, Galco. For many years, all the gunleather I carried was Galco. I have a whole box that is full of Galco holsters, many of which still see use today. The Galco holsters are some of the highest quality factory-produced holsters. I have used most of the designs they offer: IWB, OWB, Ankle, and Shoulder holster designs. I have found all of their designs that I have tried to be well-made and do their intended job quite well. But there are two problems with my Galco holsters. The first is that the leather is a little softer than what I care for, not too soft, but softer than I care for. This is not a huge issue, but this next one is. Most Galco belt holsters are offered only with 1.75-inch belt loops, and I prefer to wear a 1.5-inch belt. This means that the holster with shift and cant on my belt. This provides issues with grip and draw. If every time I go for my gun, the grip is in a slightly different position and location, I am sure you can see how this will become a problem. So I decided it was time to go custom.
Those of you who have tried high-quality custom holsters know that they are just that. Incredibly high quality, but this often comes with a price and a significant wait time. The first custom holster I tried was the Kramer #3 IWB holster for a Glock 19. One thing that makes this holster unique is that it is made from horsehide instead of cowhide. This gives the holster much more stiffness than a cowhide holster, so much so that when the pistol seats in the holster, there is a sound very similar to the lock of a kydex holster. Another thing that makes this holster work so well for me is that it was originally designed around the Glock 19. A true match made in heaven.
What I Needed From This Holster
As I have said before, each holster has a purpose. So, what purpose did I need this holster to fill? Those who frequent the project know that I frequently use my Smith and Wesson Model 686 as my initial test gun for my 38 Special and 357 Magnum ammunition. Presently, this is also the revolver that I shoot the most. I carry this for work around my property. When I am clearing brush, maintaining trails, and things of the like, I frequently carry this gun with one or two rounds of snake shot, and then the rest of the gun with 125-grain JHP 357 Magnum from Black Hills ammunition. While the most common threat I face is venomous snakes, mostly copperheads, there are some other threats. While the Midwest isn’t known to be “dangerous game” territory, there are occasionally animals that are less than friendly. Also, there is always the risk of unfriendly personnel who shouldn’t be there. And while most people leave once they realize they are on private property, I would prefer to be prepared if they don’t.
What I decided I need is an outside-the-waistband, tight-to-the-body holster. I want to have the ability to throw over a loose shirt if I need to run into town, so I can conceal my handgun. While in this area, it is not unusual for folks to open carry, I prefer to have it concealed regardless. But I find an inside-the-waistband holster uncomfortable for work maintaining land, so tight-fitting OWB was my choice. I began to look at two of the prominent holster manufacturers, Milt Sparks and Kramer. The problem here is that Sparks has a wait list nearly a year long, and Kramer has around six months. While I still feel that their products are worth the wait, I needed something sooner. So I began to search around for other makers. This is when I found Barranti Leather.
Barranti Leather is a holster maker run by Mike “Doc” Barranti. Doc offers many traditional holster designs, but many of them feature tasteful updates and improvements. There was another problem. Doc’s wait time is around 1 year. As I searched his website further, I noticed some things that were labeled “direct line”. These items are the same as his custom offerings, but with fewer custom choices. So the same holster, but no custom alterations, stamping, and they are offered for a limited number of handguns. I found a product called the Concealed Carry Revolver or CCR. The CCR is an OWB holster that features a wide, narrow belt loop slot. This belt tunnel also features a “belt loop slot” cut that allows the holster to be positioned over a pant belt loop. This provides two benefits. The first is more placement options for the holster. The second is the ability to “anchor” the holster over a belt loop. At the time, I was carrying the 686 in a Tex Shoemaker Sloan holster. A problem I had with this is that when going from prone to standing, the holster will shift forward on my belt, causing me to have to readjust the holster’s position. The redesigned belt slot would fix this with the Barranti design. And the best part is that Direct Line gear typically ships in 3-4 weeks. So I placed my order for a Barranti CCR as well as the Barranti Spare speedloader pouch.
What I Recieved
My particular order was at my door in 8 weeks. Some may complain about this; however, considering that you are getting custom quality, I am more than happy with the 8 weeks. I ordered both of my pieces in black. I chose black for two reasons. The first is that black blends in well for concealed carry. The second is that I am boring and just like black. Both items arrived securely packaged, without damage. When I removed my holster from its packaging, I was immediately impressed with the quality. This is a step above your standard off-the-shelf holster. The finish was beautiful, the edges were well burnished, the stitching was clean, and it looked exactly how it performed. When I put the holster on, it fit perfectly onto my Kore Essentials 1.5-inch gun belt. The holster holds my 686 as close to my body as any OWB holster I have ever used, and even a little closer. The only exception to this is a “pancake” style holster. Those are the closest riding OWB holsters I have found, but the CCR is an incredibly close second. Another great feature of the CCR is the adjustable tension screw. This allows you to dial in the tension to your exact liking. I set the screw, and have yet to see it move, but we shall see as time goes on.
The Barranti Spare keeps your speedloader even closer. This design splits the cartridges over the belt, 3 in front, 3 behind. This is similar to the “Split Six” or “Second Six” pouches some of you are familiar with, but there is no flap to get in the way here. Only a friction fit, which I have found to be ample. The Spare is finished equally as well as the CCR. With this design, it is intended to grab the knob of the loader, lift it from the pouch, index the loader with your finger, and then load the gun.
Another thing that I received was fantastic customer service. I contacted Doc via phone call twice with various questions. He answered the phone promptly, politely, and answered each question I had, just like I was talking to an old friend. Those of you who have been around the shooting industry for a while may be like me and find that fantastic customer service is hard to find. Rest assured that this is not the case at Barranti Leather. No automated systems, no “sales engineers” who are more concerned with upselling and getting you off the phone. Just Doc and his wealth of knowledge and expertise.
A Note on Comfortability
I want to address something I have discussed before and will continue to discuss while we cover carrying a gun. I make remarks about holsters and accessories being “comfortable”. This is relative. Comfort while carrying a gun is an oxymoron of sorts. One must remember, anytime you add a 2-pound block of steel to your daily carry regimen, it is going to be less comfortable than not having anything at all. So we find ourselves needing to have something that is “comfortable enough” that we will carry it, but not to compromise so far that we carry a gun that is too small to fight with. In the words of Clint Smith, “carrying a gun is not supposed to be comfortable; it is supposed to be comforting”.
But what is comfortable enough? This is a decision we must make for ourselves. For me, my Glock 19 in my Kramer IWB is comfortable enough for daily carry. My Model 36 Smith in the ankle holster is comfortable enough. And my 686 in the Barranti CCR, accompanied by the Barranti Spare, is one of the most comfortable rigs I have worn. For concealed carry, this package must be combined with appropriate clothing to conceal the bottom of the holster. Those who elect to open carry, or those of us who are using this for field carry, this is a fantastically comfortable rig.
How It Is Performing
I immediately went to my basement to get some dry practice in with the new holster. The first thing I noticed was how smooth my draw was with both the holster and the speedloader pouch. Everything felt as if it had already been broken in. There were no hitches, burrs, or hang-ups. The second thing I noticed was the fact that even without positioning the holster over a belt loop, it stayed exactly where I put it. There was no chasing the holster across my belt line. And on the note of chasing the holster, Barranti’s claim of the new belt loop design causing less sag of the holster while on the belt couldn’t be any more accurate. Of course, some sag will be seen while performing repeated draws, but it is minimal.
I had some concerns about the speedloader pouch when I ordered it. And that was grabbing the know to draw the loader. I was worried about the tension that I might inadvertently release the cartridges. I have yet to do this, and I have at minimum 100 draws from this pouch. If this becomes a problem in the future, I will update this article; however, I do not foresee this becoming an issue.
The combination of the CCR and Spare have proven themselves to be a comfortable, functional, and attractive method to carry one of my favorite revolvers. I unreservedly recommend these leather goods to anyone who feels they may fit their needs. And these certainly will not be my last purchases from Barranti Leather. I currently have my eye on some options for both of my 357 N-Frame Smiths. Another product that I am looking at is his belt cartridge slide and the Ashley Snakebite cartridge carrier. My goal is to have my standard carry load in the slide, but carry two additional rounds of snake shot in the Snakebite.
As always, friends, I want to hear from you. Do you have experience with Barranti Leather? Who is your favorite holster maker? What is your favorite style of holster? Head on down to the comments and let’s talk about it.
Until next time, friends
Chuck