Revolver Holsters

When it comes to firearms, you should always find the right accessories in order to make the most of your purchase. You want to have scopes that fit the rifle you’re using, the right speedloader that perfectly drops your next rounds in every time, and a gun safe to keep everything nice and secure.

The same is true with revolver holsters; you need to find that perfect revolver holster that’s going to fit your lifestyle. Sometimes you might need more than one holster for the same gun, because different days require different ways to access your firearm.

With so many types of revolver holsters out there, you might be wondering which kind is for you. Speed Beez is here to help. Let’s take a look at three of the most common types.

Kydex Revolver Holsters

It’s no surprise that Kydex revolver holsters have taken over as the most popular type of holster on the market. Kydex holsters, which are made from an acrylic-polyvinyl chloride composite, are custom-fitted so that they hold and protect a revolver better than any leather case ever could. While leather reigned for more than a century, Kydex holsters have the following advantages:

• Form-Fitted – The acrylic nature of Kydex allows them to be perfectly molded to each particular revolver. Once it’s formed, it is completely rigid.
• Toughness – The polyvinyl, or PVC part of the Kydex, makes it tough and scratch-resistant. It’s also chemically resistant.
• Waterproof – Leather isn’t waterproof, so Kydex can protect a firearm from direct splashes. Leather can stretch or shrink when it gets wet, while Kydex does not.
• Lower Friction – Kydex gives a smoother draw because there’s less friction than with leather.

The most common place to find a Kydex holster is out in the open on someone’s belt. Because these revolver holsters are form-fitted to each revolver model, it grips it like a tailored glove but releases it when removed at the right angle. Even if you trip when walking through the woods, the chances of it falling out are very slim. At Speed Beez, we carry revolver holsters for S&W, Ruger, Colt, and Taurus.

Competition Revo Speed Holsters

Competition speed holsters are made to handle many different situations than your typical belt holsters. A traditional holster is made to keep your revolver in place as you get in and out of the truck, step over a fallen log, or reach for your wallet.

A speed holster doesn’t have to worry about that. Sure, it has to be secure enough to hold the revolver, but its primary concern is releasing it so that you can take a bead on the target. It’s not meant to be used to help you cross the creek; it’s meant to be used to help you get the best score in a shooting competition. Speed Beez has all of our Smith & Wesson speed holsters right here.

Concealed Carry Holsters

When you need to carry your firearm discreetly (and have the permit to do so), concealed carry holsters are a great option. Our Blade Tech holsters can help you secure your S&W J-Frame or Ruger LCR so that it stays in place, meaning you’re not going to bump it loose on your trip to the Kwik-E-Mart. Like Kydex holsters, these are form-fitted so that they hold the revolver perfectly until the moment you need it.

Those are the basic types of revolver holsters that you might need throughout the day, but that’s not all you need to know about them. Keep reading to find out more about what you should look for in a holster.

What You Should Look For In A Revolver Holster

Now that you know what the most common types of holsters are, you might be wondering what you should look for in a revolver holster. After all, a plastic bag from the grocery store could be one way to carry a gun, but it’s not going to give you what you really need. Let’s take a look at the aspects of a holster that you want to look for when you purchase one.

Retention Should Be A Primary Concern

What’s your gun holster there for? That’s right, to hold your gun. It’s not supposed to let it go until you draw it, which means that it should be securing the gun as much as possible. Modern acrylic-polyvinyl chloride (Kydex) holsters don’t rely on anything to retain the firearm other than being form-fitted to a particular model, so there are no straps over the hammer keeping it in place. That’s why it’s so important to get a high-quality revolver holster that perfectly matches your revolver.

Consider the places in which you’ll be wearing your holster. You need it to retain your revolver while you’re getting in and out of a vehicle, climbing over a fence, or riding a horse. With so much jostling and your body getting into so many different positions, it’s easy to see why retention is so important in a revolver holster.

A Revolver Holster Should Be Comfortable

You always want to make sure that a holster is as comfortable as possible. After all, you don’t want an uncomfortable holster making the decision as to whether you take your revolver with you or not.

Some holster sellers suggest that a holster is only good when you forget that you’re carrying it. In some cases, that’s true, especially with concealed carry holsters. But that ideal makes sense with handguns weighing less than a pound…we doubt you’re going to forget that there’s an extra 4.5 pounds of Ruger Super Redhawk hanging on your hip! So even if you don’t forget you’re wearing a revolver, it’s still important that the holster is as comfortable as possible so that you don’t mind wearing it for extended periods of time. It also shouldn’t get in the way, which is why…

It Should Be Low Profile

You really want your holster to stay out of the way. You don’t want to be brushing your arm against it with every step, have trouble buckling your seatbelt because it’s too thick, or have it catching on branches on a walk through the woods.

Because Kydex revolver holsters are custom-made per model of handgun, they are eliminating any materials that doesn’t need to be there. Leather holsters have to make room for the stitching, and a form-fitted one is considerably more expensive. Having a holster being only slightly thicker than the gun itself means that there’s much less material to get in the way.

It Should Ensure Safety

Safety is the most important aspect of any holster. First of all, it’s vitally important for it to hold onto the firearm at all times (see “retention” above). It’s also important that a holster protects the trigger of the gun, because you don’t want any anything getting in there and causing an accidental discharge.

A well-made acrylic-polyvinyl chloride holster can handle these safety concerns. The Kydex is perfectly fitted to the trigger guard, meaning there no way your finger or a stick could ever get in there to pull the trigger. And, like we said, it’s going to grab onto your gun until it’s pulled out at just the right angle.

Drawing Should Be Easy

We keep talking about how important it is for your holster to properly keep your revolver in place, but it’s also important that it let go when necessary. A draw should be quick and easy, which often means that the holster is in the same place you left it. You’ll want to be sure to practice with the draw, because the angle of release is very important in getting the fastest draw possible.

Re-Holstering Shouldn’t Be A Chore

With modern holster-making methods, this isn’t such a big deal anymore. But if you pick up an old revolver and its holster, you may find that the holster doesn’t stay open after the revolver is removed from it. Instead, it collapses and might require two hands (one squeezing the holster in order to get it to open, one holding the pistol) in order to reholster the gun. This is almost universally a thing of the past, though.

You Need Protection For Your Firearm

You paid good money for your revolver, which means you probably have no interest in having it scratched or ruined. We hate to sound like a broken record, but once again it’s the ability to retain the gun securely that leads to the best protection of a gun. After all, keeping it from falling on the concrete is the best way to protect both the finish and the usability of your revolver.

Kydex revolver holsters are incredibly durable, thanks to the PVC that’s in them. This will keep your revolver protected when you scrape up against the wall or take a tumble during a hike. Kydex is also waterproof and chemical resistant, so they should hold up for many years without needing to be replaced.

Price

We won’t pretend that price doesn’t play a factor in how people choose their revolver holsters, Of course it’s something they’re going to consider when picking one out. There are cheap holsters out there that will get the job done but won’t meet all of the criteria mentioned above. And there are expensive holsters that cost $200 dollars or more that might meet all of the criteria but don’t really provide any additional advantages.

We think we’ve hit that perfect sweet with the price of our Kydex revolver holsters. They’re just the right price to offer all of the necessary benefits we’ve been talking about while at the same time being affordable.

We’ve talked quite a bit about what you should look for in a revolver holster, so next we’re going to discuss why leather holsters just don’t cut most of the time.

Why Kydex Revolver Holsters Beat Leather Holsters

So we’ve been talking about the different types of revolver holsters that are available and the many criteria they need to meet in order to be considered safe and reliable. But with Kydex holsters being all the rage, you have to wonder why leather holsters have gone the way of film cameras. (Sure, they’re still used, but not nearly as much as they used to be.)

Leather dominated the holster market for centuries, and it made sense at the time. They were rugged, able to be cut and fitted, and made from readily-available material. But since acrylic-polyvinyl chloride (aka Kydex) was invented in 1965, it’s slowly taken over the holster world. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that Kydex is so ubiquitous.

They Fit the Gun Better

There seems to be an obsession with the idea of something being handmade. We value the idea that someone took their time making something, and that it’s going to be a little bit different from the last one they made. After all, there’s always variation when something is handmade, changes that come about because of human error and whimsey. This makes your handmade shirt, handmade wallet, or hand-battered chicken tenders different from everyone else’s. (This last one has always confused us a little, we admit. Why do we want somebody touching our chicken tenders?)

Kydex revolver holsters certainly aren’t handmade, and that’s a good thing. Every one is made to be just like the last, because the mold’s purpose is to replicate holster after holster that fits your revolver perfectly. You don’t want any variation when you’re looking for perfection.

There’s No Hammer Strap

When you’re interested in drawing a revolver as quickly as possible, you really don’t need to be fidgeting with a strap that’s keeping the revolver securely in place. Leather holsters required this for years, as they were pretty much just a leather bucket into which a firearm was dropped. The leather itself wasn’t providing enough friction to keep the gun in place as someone fell over or dismounted a horse.

Kydex revolver holsters beat leather ones because they don’t need them. The angle at which the pistol can be removed is very specific, and the Kydex grabs onto it perfectly until the gun is ready to be drawn. If you find yourself hanging upside down a lot, maybe you need that hammer strap. If not, go with the Kydex.

Kydex Tends To Be Cheaper

A really good leather revolver holster can cost quite a bit of money. Because of the work involved in crafting one, they can be $200 or more. If that’s the look you’re going for, that fine, but it’s going to cost you.

Kydex holsters, on the other hand, are mass-produced. And, as we discussed above, the mass-production aspect actually makes it a better product. You don’t want to go too cheap, though, because those that are “too good to be true” are often made with less exacting forms and lesser-quality acrylic-polyvinyl chloride.

Kydex Uses Less Material

While some leather revolver holsters are form-fitted to a specific model, including showing the outline of the trigger guard, there’s still additional material present that you won’t find with an acrylic/PVC holster. Leather holsters have to allow room for the stitching, and the nature of leather means that it just can’t be as form-fitting as Kydex.

The idea behind Kydex holsters is that they’re using the least amount of material possible so that there’s less to get in the way. This means that your holster will have a lower profile; you’ll be bumping against it less, and it should be more lightweight as well.

Leather Will Slide On The Belt More

A traditional leather revolver holster just used a simple loop through which a belt is placed. This allows it to slide back and forth on the belt as you move, meaning that the gun isn’t always where you left it.

You should know exactly where your gun is at all times, down to the millimeter. If you’ve practiced enough you should be able to grab it with your eyes closed. Kydex holsters have attachments that will stay on a shooting belt much better than your average leather holster.

Leather Suffers Wear and Tear

Some people don’t mind the way that leather looks when it gets worn, while others can’t stand the moment that a leather holster gets rubbed the wrong way. And the fact is, leather can get rubbed the wrong way in just about any situation, whether it’s rubbing up against a seatbelt or heading out for a single walk in the woods. Oh, and leather can also change shape if it gets wet, certainly something you don’t want to deal with when you’re looking for a revolver holster that fits perfectly. Eventually the stitching is going to start coming out if you wear it long enough.

Acrylic-polyvinyl chloride holsters, on the other hand, are incredibly rugged because of their plastic nature. They’re waterproof and won’t get out of shape like a leather holster can.

Do Leather Holsters Still Have Their Place?

We’ve been tearing down leather holsters this whole time, but they’re still being made for some reason. We can see three reasons why people might still decide to go with a leather holster for their revolver.

First of all, there’s something to be said for the craft of leatherwork, no doubt about it. It’s an art, and if you’re looking for an artistic endeavor instead of a more practical one, leather stamping can truly make them look beautiful. On top of that, some people really do like the way that leather wears. They enjoy the scratches it receives from walking through brush.

That brings us to the final point: leather can look better with older styles of guns. You’ll notice that we carry Ruger revolver holsters for the Redhawk but not the Blackhawk. That’s because the Blackhawk was designed during the time of television westerns and has a more “cowboy look” to it than modern revolvers. We certainly understand why someone would want a leather holster for their Blackhawk instead of a Kydex one.

So, we can’t deny that leather has its place, but for most people out there Kydex revolver holsters really do make a lot more sense. They fit better, they hold better, they release better, and they really do hold up to the everyday use a lot better. There’s also a lot less upkeep with a Kydex holster. But how are you going to carry it around? Let’s take a look at choosing a gun belt for your revolver/holster combination.

Finding the Right Gun Belt For Your Revolver Holster

Okay, so far we’ve been discussing the different advantages that a good Kydex revolver holster can provide you, why they win out over leather holsters, and the different types that people might use throughout the day. But where are you going to put this holster? Sure, there are vertical shoulder holsters and concealed carry holsters that you can keep closer to your chest, but when it comes right down to it, most people are keeping their revolver holsters on their belt.

Of course, you already have a belt that you wear every day. You’re good to go, right? Wrong! The cheap belts you’re going to find at Walmart or Target simply aren’t made to deal with the added weight of a holstered revolver. In fact, you could buy a $500 custom belt to go with a handmade suit and it wouldn’t do what you need a gun belt to do. After all, a typical belt is designed to put up with the weight of your pants and whatever you put in them, which seldom equals more than two pounds.

You need a dedicated shooter’s belt because it’s not just there to hold up your pants, your wallet, and your keys. A shooter’s belt also has to hold up your full revolver holster, speedloader holder, a good knife, and anything else you need on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at what makes a shooter’s belt so much better than any belt you’re going to find at a clothing store.

It’s More Rugged

When you spend good money on a properly-fitting shooter’s belt, you want it to hold up. Most of the belts we have are made from either plastic-reinforced leather or military-spec webbing, meaning that, barring some mishap with a sharp knife, it could be the last gun belt you ever buy.

It Won’t Stretch

Under the weight of a fully-loaded revolver, most belts (even leather ones) are going to stretch. It doesn’t matter whether you’re carrying a less-than-a-pound Taurus Ultra Lite .380 or a 5-pound Smith & Wesson .500, that extra weight is going to put downward pressure on the belt. Sure, it will do that over time if you’re just standing in place, but it’s made much worse if you’re walking around. If a belt stretches, it could break, and that’s going to be a bad situation no matter where you are (because it could take your pants down with it).

Even if it doesn’t break, you now have a stretched-out belt that’s not keeping your revolver where you need it. You should be able to grab your revolver with your eyes closed the first time you reach for it, and you can’t afford to have it hanging two inches lower than it used to.

You Need A Strong Buckle

The buckle shouldn’t be the weak point in your belt, but it is in nearly every instance. That’s because the average belt buckle is made from low-grade steel, and with enough pressure will bend over time. They’re simply not meant to hold up to the stress of those extra pounds of your sidearm being pulled down by gravity.

Take a look at the Instructor Belt. The Cobra buckle is the strongest quick-release buckle on the market. It’s a load-bearing buckle, meaning that it retains its strength no matter what angle it’s receiving pressure from. Why choose something like this? Because it was built to keep your revolver holster where it is at all times.

You’ll Get Better Increments

What’s one of the most annoying aspects of owning a belt? For most people, it’s the fact that the holes are so inexact. Using one hole makes the belt too tight around the waist, the next one makes it too loose. You could drill a hole in-between, but that only weakens the belt. And are you going to drill another hole between the next two when winter comes around and you gain a few pounds? You make your belt a little less strong each time. Of course, some belts tried to fix that with a webbing pattern though which you poke the pin, but the webbing itself is so weak that it stretches and ruins the belt.

You’re much better off getting a professional shooter’s belt that gives you a more accurate size without putting undue weight on the holes (because there are no holes). Take our Blade Tech nylon belts, for instance. Instead of a pin, this belt uses a ratcheting system so that it can be adjusted in ¼” increments. This means that you get a much more accurate belt size every time, whether it’s before or after a big lunch! Belts like these are perfect for anyone who wears a revolver holster on their belt every day.

The Options

Speaking of “every day” belts, not every gun belt is going to be used in the same way. Let’s take a look at the different types of belts available to carry your revolver holster.

For Every Day – The best belt for everyday wear of a concealed carry holster (or just about anything that adds quite a bit of weight to your waist) is the Ultimate Carry Belt from Blade Tech. They can carry just about anything you need them to, from the heaviest pistol to the lightest plinker. You can also put on speedloader holsters, cell phones, knives, radios, mace, and more and have no problems carrying them all day long.

For Competitions – Competition belts certainly look cool, but they don’t have to be fancy. In fact, they’re not generally meant to be worn off the range. This isn’t so much of a “pants-holding-up-belt” as it is as it is a “specialized utility belt.”

The extra-wide belt helps to distribute the weight of a revolver over more area, meaning that it’s very comfortable. It’s also easy to remove when you’re not shooting, in case you don’t want to be carrying around your marksman’s revolver and speed holster on your hips for hours in between rounds at a competition.

For Dressing Up – So you’re heading to a more formal event but haven’t been without a revolver on your hip in public in years? You go to put on one of the webbed shooter’s belts but the wife says “no way, put on something nice.” That’s where the leather belts come in. These belts look at nice as anything you’ll find in a high-end clothing store but are specifically made to hold up to the added weight of a full revolver holster. Just like the nylon belts we mentioned above, these belts work in ¼” inch increments, so you’ll always have a belt that fits perfectly.

You’ve spent good money on your firearm and revolver holster, so doesn’t it make sense to keep it exactly where you need it? An average belt just isn’t going to cut it, so make sure to check out all of our options right here.

What A Revolver Holster Should NEVER Do

So we’ve gone through the different types of revolver holsters there are and the best belts that you can put them on. And we spent quite a bit of time giving you some advice on what you want to look for when you’re looking to buy a revolver holster.

When you’re shopping for holsters for revolvers, it’s important to remember that you’re not just judging it by what it does do, but also by what it doesn’t. After all, not all holsters are created equal. Let’s take a look at some of the aspects that should make you leave that revolver holster on the shelf.

It Can’t Get In The Way

It doesn’t matter whether you’re out hunting or are just riding down the highway; a revolver holster simply cannot get in the way. You certainly don’t want one that makes it stand out from your hip so that you brush your wrist against it with every step you take. It also needs to be as low-profile as possible so that it’s not constantly being snagged by branches, seat belt buckles, door handles, or cabinet knobs.

This isn’t just about annoyance, either. You want to keep your firearm as close to your body as possible, because you really don’t want anything to grab it and pull it from its holster and cause an accidental misfire.

It Can’t Be Too Heavy

When you were young, what was in your pockets? Not much, probably. Maybe a few coins, a pretty rock, something you picked up off the playground. But none of it had to be there. As we get older, we keep adding more stuff we have to carry. It starts with house keys, then pocket knives, then wallets, then car keys, and now we all have to have cell phones on us at every moment. You now need a belt not to keep your pants up but to keep all of that stuff in your pockets up.

Guns are heavy enough on their own, so you really don’t want to add even more weight if you can help it. As tough as they are, Kydex holsters are still amazingly lightweight., usually only a couple of ounces. That’s a big deal when compared to the weight of your average leather holster.  

It Can’t Fall Off

A revolver holster is there to hold your gun securely, which is what a Kydex holster does. But the holsters for revolvers also have to attach as securely as possible to your shooter’s belt so that they’re not flying off and smacking into the concrete. This not only protects your handgun, but also is an excellent way of ensuring that there’s not an accidental discharge that could send you to the emergency room.

It Shouldn’t Move On Your Belt

You should know where your revolver is at all times, down to the inch. It should be either right where you left it in the gun safe at home or right where you left it on your belt. We’ve said it time and again, but you should be able to place your hand directly on the handle without even looking. We’re not talking about fumbling for it either or finding that your revolver holster has slid forward three inches on your belt loop; it should be exactly where you left it when you put it on.

They Can’t Drop The Gun

Oh boy, here’s the big one. It’s pretty obvious that a revolver holster has to keep your revolver in the holster. Dropped guns are dangerous, no doubt about that, but they’re also a huge embarrassment if it happens in front of someone.

With lighter revolvers, there’s a chance that a lesser holster could leave it behind in a car. Not only does that leave you unprepared if you need it, but it could also fall into the hands of someone who’s too young to know not to play with it. Holsters simply have to keep your weapon securely in place.

They Can’t Allow Damage

How much did you pay for your revolver? $300? $500? $1000? No matter how much you paid for it, it’s unlikely that you don’t want it damaged in any way. You don’t want scratches on the barrel from walking through the brambles, you don’t want it scraping up against a concrete wall, and you don’t want it falling to the concrete (something that would probably send you to the gunsmith for repair). A good holster is going to keep your fun protect from as many sides as possible and prevent both cosmetic and function damage.

It Can’t Get In Its Own Way

Of course, it’s not all about keeping your gun right where it is. If that were the case, then you could have a locked flap over the hammer so that it would take a minute to get the revolver from its holster. A good revolver holster should release your firearm when you want it too, and do so quickly. You don’t want any part of the holster to get in the way when you draw. That’s yet another advantage of Kydex holsters, because they’re so spare that there aren’t any extra pieces to hamper your draw.

Part of that has to do with your grab. When you’re ready to take hold of the revolver’s grip, you don’t want to actually touch the holster in any way. All you want to find in your hand is the gun itself.

It Can’t Be Uncomfortable

What happens when a holster for a revolver is uncomfortable? Well, first of all you’re going to get mad at it. You’ll try wearing it in many different positions, changing it and drawing attention to yourself in public. A revolver holster should be as comfortable as possible so that you’re not constantly readjusting it. Finally, you’ll stop wearing an uncomfortable one all together, which means that you’re going to be without your revolver until you can get another holster.

It’s vitally important that you find a holster that doesn’t get in your way, drop your weapon, or get regulated to the “unused gun accessories” heap that so many of us have. Instead, buy the right one the first time and you’ll be wearing it in comfort.

Ways To Carry Your Extra Ammo Next To Your Revolver Holster

In the age-old argument about which is better — revolvers or semi-automatics — there are some good arguments to be made on both sides. For semi-autos, people love the easy trigger pull, the low profile of extra clips, and the extra safety features. Revolvers, on the other hand, are easier to clean, don’t get jammed as easily, and they’re not useless if you misplace all of your clips (the cylinder will always be in the gun).

But there’s one thing that can’t be denied. In almost every case out there, a semi-auto is going to have more ammo capacity than a revolver. While revolvers tend to keep between five and ten rounds (with the 10-shot options being pretty small .22 cartridges), semi-autos can start off carrying seven rounds of .50 cal. and have no problem fitting in 15 rounds of some pretty hefty 9mm parabellum.  

Because of this lower capacity, people have been looking for ways to make reloading a revolver as quick as possible. The two most common methods are speedloaders and moon clips. But then you have to answer the question “what’s the best way to carry the loaders and clips?” Let’s take a look.

Speedloader Pouches

Speed Beez is best known for the high-quality, easy-to-use speedloaders we design and manufacture here in the United States. Speedloaders are devices that grab onto all five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten cartridges at one time and drop them into the revolver’s cylinder with the push of a button. They’re often used at a firing range with a loading block, allowing a shooter to reload again and again without fear of dropping live rounds onto the floor. It’s really a timesaver when you’re “in the zone.”

But if you’re not on the range and want to have those next rounds at the ready when you’re out in the woods, what’s the best way to carry around a loaded speedloader? That’s where our speedloader pouches come in. These pouches securely hold your loaded speedloader securely in place but then release them when you need to reload quickly. We’ve created them in various sizes to accommodate our multiple calibers of speedloaders, so you can get them for your .22LR speedloaders, .22 Magnum speedloaders, .38/.357 speedloaders, and .44 Magnum speedloaders.

You can clip these speedloader pouches right next to your revolver holster or place it on your opposite hip. If you have multiple speedloaders, you can easily wear more than one of these quick loader holsters on your shooter’s belt so that your next 20 or more shots are available just an arm’s length away.

Moon Clips Belt Racks

Moon clips are much, much simpler than speedloaders and are seen by some people as disposable. Moon clips tend to serve two very distinct purposes. Like speedloaders, they are used to reload your revolver quickly. These flat pieces of metal hold the cartridges in the same position as your cylinder’s chambers and stay in the revolver while it fires. After that, all you have to do is drop the moon clip into your hand and you don’t have to worry about a bunch of spent brass rattling around in your pocket. At the range, you can have a dozen or more moon clips lined up and ready to fire.

Unlike speedloaders, moon clips are often used to fire rimless cartridges in a revolver, something that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. We have .40 S&W moon clips, LCR 9mm, .38/.357 mon clips, .45 ACP moon clips, Governor moon clips, and 9mm/.38 moon clips.

So, once you have your moon clips all loaded up and ready to go, how do you carry them around on our person? You could use the speedloader pouches, but we’d like to suggest something specially made for moon clips: our moon clip belt racks. These racks use posts in order to hold moon clips securely next to your revolver holster, keeping those next rounds at the ready. Click that link and you’ll find a great option to attach to your shooter’s belt in two-post and eight-post options.

You never want to be without the ammo you need, and now you have two efficient ways to reload your revolver. Grab your revolver holster and your speedloader pouch (or moon clip posts) and you’ll be reloading faster than ever with Speed Beez. It certainly beats carrying eight revolvers!

How To Pick The Right Revolver Holster

Earlier we discussed the few times when you might not need to use a Kydex gun holster. Most of the time the reasons that people pick a leather holster are purely aesthetic. They’re often holstering a retro firearm, or one that at least has cowboy stylings. In this case, we’re really not going to tell them that they haven’t picked the right revolver holsters.

But for most situations, Kydex holsters are simply a better option. In most every case they fit revolvers better and are easier to draw. But when you need to find the right revolver holster, how do you pick it? Let’s take a look at what most people go through to get the best revolver holster for them.

First, Find The Right Revolver

We’ll tell you something you probably already know: your revolver is more important than your holster. A revolver without a holster can still be used, but a holster without a revolver? You could carry a really wide pack of gum in it, we guess. Unlike the mythical Excalibur’s scabbard, just wearing the holster isn’t going to protect you from wounds in battle.

So first you have to find the right revolver. Are you looking for something for handgun hunting? It’s certainly going to be a different gun than what you’d need for a competition. Concealed carry firearms can be different than something you might want for home protection. So before you starting looking for that perfect revolver holster, make sure you’ve got the right firearm that you want to carry.

Next, Decide What You’ll Need It For

Not every revolver holster is right for the job at hand. If you’ll be using it in competition, you’re going to want a speed holster so that you can truly compete. If you’re just looking for something to wear around the woods, you’ll be able to find a very unobtrusive holster that fits on your shooter’s belt. And if you need concealed carry holsters, you need to find one that will stay comfortable no matter where it is on your body.

Finally, Find It Here

You want a acrylic-polyvinyl chloride (aka Kydex) holster that was specifically made — form-fitted, to be precise — for your revolver. That means that it’s going to keep your revolver where you want it and release it quickly. You need to look for one that was made not just for your make of revolver but also for the exact model. Not only that, but barrel size has to be taken into account so that you don’t have too much or too little material to protect your firearm. 

It’s not always obvious which revolver to purchase first (or next), but the good thing is that, once you’ve made that tough decision, the holster options are plentiful and available to you. So, what are the most popular revolver holsters out there? Let’s take a look.

The Most Popular Revolver Holsters We Sell

Up above you’ll find seven tips for finding the right revolver holster. We hope we’ve helped you learn a bit more about what a revolver holster has to do and how finding the right one is very important keeping your firearms and those around you safe.

Now that we’ve delivered that information, we hope you don’t mind us telling you about the revolver holsters we carry. We have the revolver and speed holsters around that fit dozens of the most popular firearms out there, and as new ones are released we’ll be getting new holsters to hold them.

Taurus Revolver Holsters

Taurus might not be as well known to the general public as the other three companies we’re going to talk about today, but they’re certainly had their share of hits when it comes to revolvers. These successes have also run the gamut in terms uses, from the Ultra-Lite .22LR all the way up to the ultra-powerful Raging Bull in .44 Magnum. Somewhere in the middle are the Taurus Model 617 and the Tracker Model 627.

There are few revolvers that have much quite as much a splash as the Judge, though. This versatile firearm (and the similar Taurus Defender) can handle .45 Colt and .410 shells and is touted as the ultimate home defense weapon. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t take it out and about, and that’s why we carry a Judge revolver holster for it.

Smith & Wesson Revolver Holsters

S&W is perhaps the most well-known gun manufacturer in America. It’s been incredibly successful, and that’s in part to the great variety of firearms they’ve made over the years (and continue to make today). That’s one reason we carry more Smith & Wesson holsters than for any other company. We carry the holsters for the really big revolvers — think Dirty Harry’s Model 29 and its stainless steel 629 brother — that fit so well that you’ll barely notice the extra five pounds you’re carrying on your hip. We can go even bigger than that, though, because we carry holsters for the S&W Model 500 on the X-Frame. We also carry revolvers that will handle most J-Frame and K-Frame revolvers in a variety of barrel lengths.

We mentioned the Taurus Judge up above, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention The Governor. With a scandium alloy body (or a slightly heavier stainless steel), The Governor is an excellent contender for “best home defense revolver.” Its default ammo is .45 Colt and .410 shotgun, but you can also drop in .45 ACP with moon clips. And yes, we have The Governor holsters.

Colt Revolver Holsters

For a company named after a young horse, Colt sure does use a lot of snake names for its revolvers! We have Kydex holsters that will fit the most popular of all Colt’s revolvers, including the Python, the King Cobra, and the Diamondback (they really need to make an air rifle called the Garter Snake.) From .22LR up to .357 Magnum, we can protect your Colt. No matter if it’s a 2-inch snub nose up to an 8-inch King Cobra, we can keep it in place on your hip.

Ruger Revolver Holsters

Founded in 1949, Ruger is known for its wide variety of pistols. One of the most popular is the Security Six revolver, which was a staple of police, security officers, and home defenders for years and chambered .38 Special and .357. Though they stopped making them in 1988, it was replaced by the GP100, a revolver that’s still being made today. The GP100 comes in 10-shot .22LR but can be as powerful as .357 Magnum. Want something bigger? The Super Redhawk comes in .44 Magnum, .480 Ruger, and .454 Casull. We have revolver holsters for the larger models as well as the more compact Super Redhawk Alaskan, a sidearm developed specifically to help someone survive a large animal attack. Of course, there’s also one of our favorite small revolvers, the Ruger LCR. We carry moon clips, speedloaders, and of course, LCR holsters for this incredibly versatile firearm.

With over 150 different revolver holsters to choose from, we carry one for most every revolver on the market today from the four top brands. We also carry some for revolvers that aren’t even made anymore. Grab just what you need right here.