I just received a holster in the mail for my Springfield EMP 9mm and thought I'd throw a quick review together. I am in no way affiliated with Remora Holsters other than being a new customer.
I am currently waiting on a Crossbreed ST as well as a matching belt/pancake/mag pouch combo from Adams Leather Works. However, it was my desire to find something that I could easily "throw on" for those times when you're lounging around the house or have to run out and grab the mail. I saw Remora holsters mentioned and did some research, and I found overwhelmingly positive reviews. So I ordered one on Wednesday last week (the day before Thanksgiving), and I received the holster in the mail via USPS yesterday (Saturday). That is REALLY quick turnaround considering the holiday.
OK...enough chat, let's see the holster. This is a reinforced top Series 12 (designed to fit 3" 1911's) with the optional sweat shield:
This holster is designed to be worn without a clip. It has a very "grippy" rubber-like fabric which covers the entire outside of the holster including the seams. This material has great purchase on fabric and skin as well as most other things, but it's not the least bit sticky. It is intended to be worn IWB with or without a belt. The inside of the holster is a more standard nylon-type woven lining. This particular hoster has a reinforced top to assist in re-holstering as well as a sweath shield. The reinforced top is simply a plastic liner between the layers of the sheath which prevents it from completely colapsing from the pressure of your waste band. Price ranges from $25-$35.
So, with the description out of the way, how does it perform?
Let me say that I am awaiting my CHL (cue the sound of drumming fingers...), so I haven't had opportunity to wear the holster out and about. However, I have worn it around the house and in my vehicle to get a feel for how it performs.
Construction: This holster is very well built with no rough or catching edges. The outer material feels quite durable, and Remora has a "no questions asked" lifetime warranty on all their holsters.
Fit: It fits the gun nicely. Obviously not a boned or custom fit, but the Series 12 does indeed fit a 3" 1911 very nicely. The gun fits down well in the holster with the entire trigger covered, and it is as secure as you'd expect from a fabric pouch-type holster.
Reinforced top: The plastic liner sewn into the sheath does help keep the top open to assist with re-holstering. It's not going to be like a kydex holster and slide right in, but getting the gun back into the holster required little effort.
Drawing: The inner fabric lining presented no snags and allows for a smooth, fast draw. Getting purchase on the gun is acceptable when holstered, though the design of the holster does necessitate you to grap your gun very slightly lower on the grip than you would typically.
Wearing: The outer rubber-like fabric definitely does its job. In a decent fitting pair of jeans, I actually had to unbutton to get the holster positioned at 3:00-3:30 becuase the fabric grips so well. A bonus to the no-clip design is infinitely adjustable cant and position of the holster. It's pretty easy to find a comfortable spot. I wore the holster and my SA EMP with both blue jeans (without a belt) and gym short (with a draw string), and the holster did it's job. Working about the house and lounging on the couch caused no significant change in alignment, and at no time whatsoever did the holster/gun feel insecure or uncomfortable. With gym shorts, pulling the draw string helps to increase holster retention, or you can just place the holster within your gym shorts and inside your boxers to get a little more retention. Moving about in a normal fashion in gym shorts caused no significant change in alignment, though it's not as firmly placed as inside the waistband of blue jeans. I've read of people jogging with the holster on, and I believe it.
Concealing: In heavier clothing, concealing the 3" 1911 was no touble at all, with my sweet spot being around 3:30 on my strong side. With thinner and tighter fitting t-shirts, I found printing to be more problematic at this position because of my build, so a 1:00-2:00 position was more concealable. The infinite cant adjustment mentioned earlier is very nice, and it's easy to find a comfortable, stable, and concealable position. The no-clip design also allows the holster to ride low against the waist band for better concealment. One draw back is actually the sweat shield which extends a good bit beyond the back of the gun and creates a point which prints in lighter clothing.
Draw backs: As just mentioned, the point created by the top of the sweat shield creates some increased printing. Another possible draw back would be instability in very loose fitting waist bands (though, ANY type of carry in very loose waist bands would be less than ideal).
Summary: Overall I'm very pleased. This is the perfect solution (for me) for a quick run out to the store or the mailbox or even just lounging about the house. I can even see it being a go-to on more than just those occasions. It is comfortable, secure, and simple. And being able to wear it with gym shorts is a plus. Because the holster is grippy all the way around, it actually secures to your body or undershirt and is partially held up by that friction. That allows it to stay in place without pulling your pants down. I'm going to order a second holster without the sweat shield for better concealability to reduce printing.
--NEB