Good Morning, MorthernLights,
I have a lot of holster experience. You don't have to take my word for it. You can look at my accumulated collection, some of which have never seen a handgun.
I've learned the expensive way that what is excellent for a person doing the recommedning might not be perfect for you. A holster should be comfortable, provide fast access to your gun, and hold you gun securely. A snap closure on top of a holster is not a good retention device. It can be very easily defeated.
I own custom holsters. There're of excellent quality created by accomplished aritsans. But I'd be lying if I were to write that they're better quality than Galco.
You've got part of your foundation set: you want an OWB holster. Great choice. I've never been a fan of IWB holsters even though I own a few, 2 of which have never been close to a waistline. I hope you're getting the picture. Envision me sitting on a tropical island beach drinking an iced cold Modelo and checking out bikinis. That's probably close to the amount I have invested on holsters that have never been used or slightly used.
Now you oughta figure out what you want your holster to do. Will it be for concealed carry? Will it be for competition shooting? Will it be for every day, all day carry? Will it be for trail use? Where on your waistline do you want to carry your gun?
Trust me here & learn from my expensive mistakes. Trying to force a holster to do what it wasn't intended to do will cost you $$$ and indigestion. That means you might need more than one holster. I have a High Noon Speedy Spanky paddle hoster. It's purpose is brief use such as running to an ATM during nighttime. It's an excellent paddle holster that provides excellent gun retention. BTW, no holster can provide 100% gun retention. Were it so, you wouldn't be able to get your gun outta it. It's a good idea to have a good quality paddle holster for times when brief carry is required.
As most people here have guessed -correctly- since I've joined, I'm old school: blued steel & wood guns, leather holsters. But as an old dog, I'm learning new tricks. I've recently bought a Blackpoint Tactical Leather Wing. I love it. I might buy another. You might want to check out a Leather Wing. It's one excellent holster. It has officially become my primary holster for the very infrequent times I carry a concealed handgun.
This might help you; maybe it won't. Pick a single gun for bipedal self-defense. It'll help you save money on holsters that'll wind up in boxes stowed in your garage. Trust me. I have boxes of 'em stowed in my garage for reasons I ain't yet learned and probably never will.
Self-defense is a very pesonal concept. What works for one might be all wrong for another. But there is some science to it: muscle memory. You'll be operating on it should, God forbid, a bad guy want you autopisied the following morning. If lead were airborne, you're not going to want to divert synapses energy to figuring out what gun you're carrying. Pick one and make it your ALWAYS carry gun. For me, it's a Sig P239 .40 S&W. But I could make a full-size 1911 work. For trail use where wild critters dominate, I'll carry either a 1911 or a P229. That begets another aspect: if a gun ain't comfortable to carry, more often than not it won't be carried. My GP-100 has been left behind because it ain't comfortable to carry in a trail outfit. Open & exposed holsters will cause your gun to become snagged by snagable things you didn't know existed until your gun got tangled up in it.
Here's the best advice I can give which I wish someone had given me before I had bought the ranch, cowhide included. Firstly, determine what you want your holster to do. Then go to a gun show where you'll find lots of holster vendors, one of whom could be me. Try on as many as you can until you find the sweetest apple in the orchard.
If you can find a bargain on someone's mistake, which could be one of my many mistakes, buy it provided it will work for you. Resale value of holsters ain't good. There's nothing wrong with going with another's mistake as long as it's not a mistake for you.
If you go new, you will get what you pay for...most of the time. A lot of $$$ doesn't always mean a lot of quality. Custom can be good. But custom might not be better than brand named holsters. Galco makes excellent holsters. BTW, for concealed carry, Galco Avenger is tough to beat if it can be beaten.
I sincerely hope that this longer-than-intended missive helps you avoid my mistakes. If I can help a gun owner save money, I will. Money is better spent on ammo than on holsters that were perfect for the shooter recommending it.
Keep in mind that you might need more than one holster. I've yet to find a perfect holster that works for all applications; however, Leather Wing looks like it might come darn close.
I wish you the absolute best in findng the perfect holster for your requirements.
