davem
08-31-2007, 10:52
Sorry this ended up being a little long, but I hope it benefits someone else wondering if they should order the MTAC-
Well I decided that after all the great reviews the new MTAC was receiving, I just couldn’t hold out any longer and decided to place an order. I have been looking at the CTAC for the longest time, but just never ordered. I’m one of those with a drawer full of holsters that just haven’t worked out for one reason or another, so my skepticism always prevented me from thinking it would actually work for me.
This order was for a G19 in the “slide” version with standard clips since I also have a G17. I ordered my MTAC on Saturday, Aug 25 and received it in my mailbox on Thursday, Aug 30! From ordering to receiving it in my hands was shorter than what Comp-Tac said would take to build the holster…that includes shipping from Texas to NC. Great work Comp-Tac! It also included a handwritten “Thank You” so I felt like I was more than just an order on a piece of paper. It’s the little things you know?
What can I say about the quality: A+++++++
Very impressed with the product and it screams durability and workmanship.
So now came the time to actually try this holster out. I’m roughly 5’9” and approx. 190 lbs. with a little bit of padding around the mid-section (remind me to do something about that one day!) I had already decided I wanted to go with maximum cant to wear at 3:00 – 3:30 location, so I immediately set the holster up for that. I wear my 1.5” Instructors belt all the time so I was good to go. I put the holster on, tried a few different locations ranging from 1:00 carry to 4:30 carry, and crap I just wasn’t feeling the magic. It would disappear at the 1:00 location, but that’s not comfortable for me so immediately I ruled that out. I had to make it work some other way. I moved it, moved it some more, took it off, and tried some more. Nothing was working for me and it was printing and very obvious I had something under my shirt. It seemed in the maximum cant position the top edge of the slide (rear sight area) seemed to be the offending part that was poking through my cover garment and causing the big printing issue. Would the sheeple of the world see it…probably not, but I could! Again I was thinking even the MTAC isn’t going to work for me and this is another holster to throw in the pile-
So I decided to give it a break, and think this thing out and try a different approach. I laid everything out on the table including my belt. Visualized the setup and the main issue I was experiencing. Oh yeah this was a good time to open up the 2 rolls of “Smarties” Comp-Tac included in the bag!!! They must have known I would need all the brainpower I could muster! BAM it hit me like a ton of bricks, it was the maximum cant that seemed to be causing my biggest issue and also the height at which the gun was riding which was maybe a bit too high. So I readjusted both clips down to the third hole which took out some of the cant, and dropped the height down as far as it could go. I also noticed that the kydex part of the holster already has a slight forward cant to it anyway. So just maybe this was going to work.
I put my belt and MTAC back on. I started at the 4:30 position but my mid-section padding (spare tire) tends to push the grip out causing it to print…again the printing issue is probably only to my critical eye. So I start moving it inch by inch trying to find the sweet spot. I get somewhere around the 3:15 area and what do you know all of a sudden the grip is tucked nicely against my side, the height was good and I was able to get a good grip on the gun, and it felt great. So I slid the holster around to exactly 3:00 position and it still felt good, but just slightly less comfortable. Back to the 3:15 location it went and it stayed there for the rest of the evening while I just messed around the house. Standing, sitting, bending, it didn’t matter because it felt great! The leather backing is super comfortable against the skin and never pinches or bites. It can only get better from here when it begins to break in a little more.
The other thing is that the MTAC adds very little to the overall profile of the gun which helps wearing it IWB. It is probably as close as you can get to just sticking the gun itself in your waistband. The offset clips, the 1/2 thickness of the Kydex and leather backing all work together to keep overall thickness to a minimum. This was my biggest concern because other IWB holsters I have used make you feel like you are putting a brick in your waistband! The MTAC solved this issue for me and is so much more comfortable. I assume the CTAC would have the same results.
So, get off the fence and order this holster! I was leery about it for so long, now I am seeing MTAC work for me! I still have a lot of evaluation to do, but initially it seems to be the solution to my drawer full of holsters problem. Once you get it, be open minded, mess with it, adjust it and try everything before getting discouraged like I almost did. Oh yeah and enjoy the Smarties too!
Well I decided that after all the great reviews the new MTAC was receiving, I just couldn’t hold out any longer and decided to place an order. I have been looking at the CTAC for the longest time, but just never ordered. I’m one of those with a drawer full of holsters that just haven’t worked out for one reason or another, so my skepticism always prevented me from thinking it would actually work for me.
This order was for a G19 in the “slide” version with standard clips since I also have a G17. I ordered my MTAC on Saturday, Aug 25 and received it in my mailbox on Thursday, Aug 30! From ordering to receiving it in my hands was shorter than what Comp-Tac said would take to build the holster…that includes shipping from Texas to NC. Great work Comp-Tac! It also included a handwritten “Thank You” so I felt like I was more than just an order on a piece of paper. It’s the little things you know?
What can I say about the quality: A+++++++
Very impressed with the product and it screams durability and workmanship.
So now came the time to actually try this holster out. I’m roughly 5’9” and approx. 190 lbs. with a little bit of padding around the mid-section (remind me to do something about that one day!) I had already decided I wanted to go with maximum cant to wear at 3:00 – 3:30 location, so I immediately set the holster up for that. I wear my 1.5” Instructors belt all the time so I was good to go. I put the holster on, tried a few different locations ranging from 1:00 carry to 4:30 carry, and crap I just wasn’t feeling the magic. It would disappear at the 1:00 location, but that’s not comfortable for me so immediately I ruled that out. I had to make it work some other way. I moved it, moved it some more, took it off, and tried some more. Nothing was working for me and it was printing and very obvious I had something under my shirt. It seemed in the maximum cant position the top edge of the slide (rear sight area) seemed to be the offending part that was poking through my cover garment and causing the big printing issue. Would the sheeple of the world see it…probably not, but I could! Again I was thinking even the MTAC isn’t going to work for me and this is another holster to throw in the pile-
So I decided to give it a break, and think this thing out and try a different approach. I laid everything out on the table including my belt. Visualized the setup and the main issue I was experiencing. Oh yeah this was a good time to open up the 2 rolls of “Smarties” Comp-Tac included in the bag!!! They must have known I would need all the brainpower I could muster! BAM it hit me like a ton of bricks, it was the maximum cant that seemed to be causing my biggest issue and also the height at which the gun was riding which was maybe a bit too high. So I readjusted both clips down to the third hole which took out some of the cant, and dropped the height down as far as it could go. I also noticed that the kydex part of the holster already has a slight forward cant to it anyway. So just maybe this was going to work.
I put my belt and MTAC back on. I started at the 4:30 position but my mid-section padding (spare tire) tends to push the grip out causing it to print…again the printing issue is probably only to my critical eye. So I start moving it inch by inch trying to find the sweet spot. I get somewhere around the 3:15 area and what do you know all of a sudden the grip is tucked nicely against my side, the height was good and I was able to get a good grip on the gun, and it felt great. So I slid the holster around to exactly 3:00 position and it still felt good, but just slightly less comfortable. Back to the 3:15 location it went and it stayed there for the rest of the evening while I just messed around the house. Standing, sitting, bending, it didn’t matter because it felt great! The leather backing is super comfortable against the skin and never pinches or bites. It can only get better from here when it begins to break in a little more.
The other thing is that the MTAC adds very little to the overall profile of the gun which helps wearing it IWB. It is probably as close as you can get to just sticking the gun itself in your waistband. The offset clips, the 1/2 thickness of the Kydex and leather backing all work together to keep overall thickness to a minimum. This was my biggest concern because other IWB holsters I have used make you feel like you are putting a brick in your waistband! The MTAC solved this issue for me and is so much more comfortable. I assume the CTAC would have the same results.
So, get off the fence and order this holster! I was leery about it for so long, now I am seeing MTAC work for me! I still have a lot of evaluation to do, but initially it seems to be the solution to my drawer full of holsters problem. Once you get it, be open minded, mess with it, adjust it and try everything before getting discouraged like I almost did. Oh yeah and enjoy the Smarties too!