Great value and of high quality materials - 5.11 Tactical ThumbDrive Holster

First of all, know that I have a BIG box of holsters of various kinds...over the years I've tried different designs and gotten to know what works for me. Also have seen some really horrendous holsters that I should have chucked in the trash but I keep them around to remind me to do my homework before buying stuff.

That said, I have two of these holsters for my range belts...one holds a P229R .40 Dark Elite and the other holds my P229 DAK. Same holster, fits both guns well. I would definitely buy again if I needed to. I have both in drop leg configurations...one on a 5.11 belt and the other on an ATS Tactical belt.

First of all, the holster materials are solid, thick where needed and tolerances are close so the guns fit well. The holster mounts to the 5.11 drop leg system with three simple allen screw connections. The holster comes with belt slide and paddle accessories if you wish to carry that way.

Second, the thumb drive mechanism is smooth and easy to train on. I like thumb-activated retention releases much better than flip over or god-help-you trigger finger releases (don't go there). I had hundreds, maybe thousands of draws and the mechanisms are as smooth as the day I bought them. One note...you simply must learn to depress the thumb release before you begin your draw...if you pull on the gun before fully depressing the release, you are going to frustrate yourself and not like the holster. Learn. Practice....it will become smooth in one or two practice sessions. The vast majority of folks that complain about this holster(a minority of overall reviews) are those that cannot get used to activating the thumb release first.

Third, the holster is adjustable for cant and ride, so you should be able to fine-tune to your preference, although I don't feel a huge difference after playing with them on every possible setting.

Fourth, these take paint very easily. They only come in black, so I've painted one with plastic-compatible paint and it has held up very well...just make sure not to get paint down in the release mechanism or inside the holster just in case.

Overall, I rate this highly...you may get a smoother draw from a hard kydex holster with no retention, but that's more a plain range use. You may look cooler with a beautiful leather belt slide, but you won't get as good a draw. It's all about what you need.

Personally, this fits what I need, especially with the drop leg accessories. Some of my other holsters include 1791, Alien Gear, some custom stuff, so I do not believe in cheap stuff. This works well, and it also is a good value for the money.