If you’ve ever walked the floor at the SHOT Show you know the feeling of sensory overload. With over 2,000 manufacturers represented, it can be difficult focusing on everything you are seeing. Especially when it comes to the same types of products being sold by numerous companies. This is the case with holsters. As you walk the show, there are so many holster makers, they all start to run together, so how does one stand out from the crowd?
Martin Lukacko with FALCO Holsters made sure his company got my attention. They had an impressive booth showcasing some beautiful leather holsters and Martin was happy to show them off. I spent some time looking over their various designs and was impressed with what I saw. Falco Holsters started as a garage company back in 1989 making leather falconry gloves in Slovakia, Europe. They have since grown into a high end leather holster company with fits for over 3100 handguns and over 60 tactical lights. They are custom hand-crafted so you get the perfect fit for the most popular or rarest of guns. We agreed to have Martin send out some holsters for us to review and after a few months of wear, here are our findings.
C806 Mayer Pancake OWB Nylon Holster
The Mayer is a nylon pancake holster designed to be worn on the strong side of the body. This is a classic design that provides a comfortable OWB carry while still hugging the body for good concealability. FALCO reinforced this holster at the top with leather which helps ensure it retains its shape. This along with the molded sight channel really help when drawing and holstering the firearm. This model has the thumb retention strap for those wanting a manual retention holster which is not a bad idea when carrying OWB. I wore this holster with my Sig P365 and found it very comfortable and easy to draw and holster.
C113 OWB Leather Holster
For those who just simply prefer leather, FALCO makes this leather version of the pancake thumb break holster. Like its nylon counterpart, it is comfortable and easy to wear. Falco claims they make this holster with only their best leather hides and I believe it. This holster looks, feels and even smells nice! I wore this with a Glock 17 with a Streamlight TLR-7A light. This makes a pretty big carry package but this holster handled it just fine.
F906 Hybrid Double Magazine Pouch
When we carrying concealed it is a great idea to carry spare ammo. When we go to the range to practice, most shooters always wear a spare magazine holder. The Hybrid Double Magazine Pouch fills both of these needs. It is made of very nice black or brown leather on the backside while the front magazine holding area is form fitted out of Kydex. It comes with different belt clip options allowing the user to wear it OWB or IWB. The center tension screws allow you to adjust it for a perfect fit for your magazines and your desired retention. I wore this pouch with Glock 17 mags both IWB and OWB. While I am not a fan of wearing an IWB mag pouch, I must say this was pretty comfortable. The OWB carry was great and it stayed firmly on the belt while doing fast mag changes. FALCO also makes several IWB single mag pouches in both leather and Kydex if you prefer to just carry one.
G118/S Tactical CCW Belt Pouch
526/2 Paddle Pouch
A popular segment of the CCW holster market is the belt pouch holster. The belt pouch is designed to look innocuous and appear to be nothing more than some kind of utility pouch. FALCO makes several of these, including the G118 and the 526 models. The G118 is a multi-pocket affair with belt loops on the back. The 526 is square shaped and flatter on the front side featuring a flush zipper pocket and a mesh pocket. The back features a belt paddle which gives this pouch a lot more stability, especially when drawing the gun. I liked both of these pouches but felt the G118 could benefit from a belt clip of some kind in addition to the belt loops. I really liked the 526 and I don’t normally wear a gun in a belt pouch.
C105 Shikra Open Top OWB
One of the most popular designs for an OWB holster is an open top with a forward cant. FALCO’s C105 Shikra fits this bill. Made from top grain leather, this holster hugs the body for a comfortable carry while the open top lends to a smooth draw and easy holstering. The Shikra can also be customized in several ways to include colors, cant, a sweat guard and different belt loop sizes. I wore this one with a Sig P365 and found it held the gun well and was very comfortable.
D128 Leather Shoulder Holster
If you’ve never worn a shoulder holster, and most of my students haven’t, I can tell you they are a great way to carry a firearm. I didn’t wear one for the first 10-15 years of my police career but once I tried one, it became one of my favorite carry methods. FALCO makes several models of shoulder holsters including the D128, a premium Italian leather horizontal carry holster with a host of premium features. The retention on this holster is two-fold. The first being passive retention which is achieved via two side retention screws. The second is the steel reinforced thumb break. The holster has a soft black underlay which protects your gun’s finish. It also has a raised sight channel to protect the gun sights along with aiding in drawing and holstering. Finally, it comes with a cross shoulder harness and a double mag pouch to balance out the rig. I wore this one with my Glock 19 with a red dot sight and found it to be extremely comfortable, even with the weight of two extra magazines. The belt tie downs really help but I wore it without them as well.
There are a lot of holster companies on the market, some of them good but many not so much. FALCO is one of the keepers. They have been around for over 35 years and offer a lifetime limited warranty and worldwide Fedex shipping. They are making high quality products that not only look good but work well. Whether you are a sportsman, law enforcement, military special ops or a trainer, you will find something you like. Take a look at them, you won’t be disappointed.