5 Best Leather OWB Holsters of 2024

One of the most popular ways of carrying a firearm is outside the waistband (OWB for short). It is a concealed carry specifically common among policemen and bodyguards. Below you may check the guide dedicated to OWB holsters for different weapons. All of the holsters are made of leather.

Pros of using OWB holsters made of leather: 

• Concealed carry;
• The comfort of wearing heavy firearms;
• Quick draw and re-holster;
• Different designs are available;

Since the market is overstuffed with OWB holsters, you may need a detailed buying guide compiled by experts and users. Also, check the comparison table to distinguish top 5 OWB leather holsters. 

Winthrop Holsters OWB Pancake Holster– the best fit for most gun belts!

Its leather construction makes it look great and is also more durable. It also has very cheap rates, which is another great reason to pick it out over others.

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Relentless Tactical OWB Leather Gun Belt– the best for handmade design!

When it came to its leather construction, they found it great too. This has a longer life and does not feel flimsy like OWB holsters made of nylon. It has 2 slots, which the users liked too.

This is helpful for those people who ought to stay on duty all the time, such as policemen and security officials. The most appealing features are the sweat-guard and leather design. Therefore, if you love these almost as much as we do, then you have to go for them.

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1791 GUNLEATHER 3-Way SIG P365 Holster– the best for concealed carry!

Veterans, active service specialists, law enforcement, sportsmen and hunters love the leather holster’s warmth and ease. Quality and handmade design are the qualities used in all models of holsters by this manufacturer.

This holster could be a great fit for weapons with barrels of 4 or 5 inches, since it has the proper duration. It is perfect even for those who like a practical belt, since it fits too well.

People who bought this holster recently provided mainly good reviews. They noticed that the leather framework was very helpful and fashionable. They also lauded the holster for its quick and effective craftsmanship. This keeps the holster much better and more secure than most other models under this price category.

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MASC HOLSTERS Leather OWB Holster– the best for quality!

The holster can be quickly moved between horizontal and vertical positions using 2 screws on the leather paddle.

This MASC holster is made of leather that is environmentally cool, odorless, of the highest standard and is formulated with anti-carcinogenic chemicals approved by foreign authorities. On the other side, in conjunction with the belt, plastic and stainless steel metal attachments are often carefully chosen to prevent harm to the belt, textiles in fabric and human skin.

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STICH PROFI Makarov OWB Holster– the best for durability!

Fit, black finish & stitch is on par with higher-costing holsters from major manufacturers.

This is a Russian manufactured product of high quality, the fit and finish are fantastic and it is comfortable on a decent belt until you bring it in. If you’re trying to find a new, military grade for your Makarov OWB holster, this might be a nice choice.

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The Buyer’s Guide

Types of OWB holsters

The two main OWB holster styles are pancake holsters and paddle holsters. The distinctions between the two types are mainly attributed to personal choice and how you prefer a gun belt. This is how they differ: 

1) Paddle holsters. Paddle holsters are popular among people who bring on and off their weapons during the day. Instead of getting belt loops, these holsters use a wide piece of material that connects to the holster frame and is used to slip through the waistband to serve as an anchor.

This is good to make sure you can quickly take on and off your belt, but it’s a poor move if you’re planning to wear your belt all day and conceal carry it. Many people find these holsters awkward, since the wide piece of paddle against the skin may feel rough and chafe.

Even they prefer not to rise as heavy as pancake holsters because it’s almost difficult to have a fast load paddle holster. This makes paddle holsters more difficult to hide, combined with their added weight and size.

2) Pancake holsters. These holsters have belt loops either immediately behind them or in line with the holster frame. They are supposed to be inserted into your belt and held as near as possible to your body. These holsters are perfect if you are planning to carry your weapon all day, and they are not particularly concerned about how long it takes you to bring your weapon on and off.

For concealed carry, pancake holsters are significantly superior since they give the slimmest appearance of all OWB holsters. Typically constructed of two pieces of material combined with the belt loops inserted into those two parts, they are then adjustable to spread your gun’s weight around the beltline, rather than focus it on one location.

The only major drawback is how long it takes these holsters to get on and off. Halfway, you have to cut your belt, loop it through the holster, and place the belt back on.

Retention

If the harness is made of leather or Kydex, it should be in a position to maintain the weight of the weapon when it is put upside down. Usually, standard OWB holsters are equipped with a locking system that places friction on the trigger guard to guarantee that the gun remains in place.

Materials

Many luxury versions are equipped with Kydex or leather. For longevity and efficiency it is better to choose the OWB holsters made of 1-inch thick leather. When buying a leather gun belt, though, make sure it’s made of genuine leather. Which prevents decay and allows for constant use. There would be no coated pins, mounting points or rough edges in a well-made device too.

Adjustability

Because each individual has a different body structure, it’s crucial to find a unit that fits your body. If built for flexible fabrics or featuring interchangeable belt loops or buttons, make sure it is crafted to suit your style for carrying.

Although OWB holsters definitely present a few obstacles, with a little advance preparation, most citizens can quickly experience many advantages of this method of carrying a weapon. Having the best out of the waistband holster is exceedingly simple after you acquire the appropriate clothing to conceal your weapons safely and securely.

Useful Video: Carry options 2 OWB Holsters

Final thoughts

Leather OWB holsters are a very popular option for a lot of people, depending on the firearm, depending on their personal preferences.

When a lot of people will purchase a leather holster, especially those who are unfamiliar with them, they find out very quickly that a new holster is often very difficult to get their firearm in. In fact, some people will actually send the holster back, thinking that it just does not fit. In some cases, it may not. However, if it is made specifically for your firearm, if it’s brand new, it’s going to be stiff and it does require a break-in period. There’s a few things that you can do to speed up the break-in period a little bit and help your gun fit in the holster just a little bit faster and make it a little more comfortable for you.

The holster, in most cases with most leather holsters, when you get them, and you got to put your firearm in them, it is extremely difficult. They are very tight when you first go to put that firearm in there, and the reason for that is the way that leather holsters are molded.

You will see on some videos where some of the craftsmen are demonstrating how they make their holsters. They will wet-mold these holsters. A lot of them will take them and put them into some warm water and then mold them that way, and that’s a very good process. However, one of the things that happens a lot of time with leather is that, as it dries, that leather will shrink and, once that leather shrinks, the gun fits much tighter into that holster, and it needs to be stretched back out.

Some of the steps that you can do to ensure that the holster stretches properly and that your firearm fits are by loosening it up, by stretching that leather out again. You’re only doing it dry. You don’t want to put it back in the water or anything like that. Some people say that you can put mink oil or some type of other leather oil on your holster to loosen it up. However, one of the things that you run into doing that is you will lose a lot of the form, a lot of the detail and the form that you paid for in that holster.

Another area of strain is, once you do get that in, it’s often difficult to strap that gun in there, so what we’re going to do to help that is just to work the leather just a little bit just when you get it. It might take you a few days to get it loosened up, but this is some of the things that you can do to help. Just take the strap itself and then just work it back and forth, and what you’re doing is stretching those leather fibers and, over some time, they’re going to stretch anyways. This process just helps to speed that up and make your gun fit in the holster a little sooner.

Another trick here to be able to get the firearm fitting in there is to take a plastic bag. One thing is that it helps to protect the finish on your pistol. You simply put your pistol in the plastic bag, and again it helps to protect the finish. The other thing that it does is just that small gap that… just that little bit of plastic, the thickness of that plastic helps to stretch that leather just a little bit more. You take the holster and put your firearm in it, and you want to push down on the back of the slide. You want that chamber closed, and then, once you get that holster in there, you can strap it. It takes a little bit of working with to get that in there all the way, the way that it should be.

After a couple of days of your firearm being in the holster, you should be able to remove it, and, again, it’s going to be a little stiff coming out, and then remove it from the plastic bag, and you should know very soon how well, how much better that it fits. Just slip it down in there, pull the strap over it, and strap it in with no problem whatsoever.

The more you use the holster, the easier that it’s going to become, the more broke-in that it’s going to become. This is just one little way to help speed up the process to make it a little more comfortable for you, a little easier to draw your firearm. That’s really like how a holster like that looks with a classic firearm.

Whether you have the first concealed carrying, or have years of practice, moving to an outside waistband belt makes you understand it is an outstanding carry method for a fire gun. You can’t go wrong with either of the models mentioned here, or with some of the other leather OWB holsters that these manufacturers have produced. Only make sure you’re keeping your hands on and using the latest OWB holster you can manage depending on the unique case.

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