RO Gunleather review update PLUS IWB Mag Carrier Review - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

KI4LIV · 07-10-2008, 06:51 PM

Update on the R.O. Gunleather IWB concealment holster review and a Review of the R.O. Gunleather Double Stack 45ACP Mag Carrier
July 10th, 2008
Review by Jonathon Whipple, KI4LIV.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not affiliated with the manufacturer of this product, however I have requested the authorization of him prior to posting this review.

Back at the end of January you may have read my review of the R.O. Gunleather IWB concealment holster. That original review can be read here:

R.O. Gunleather IWB Holster Review

That review was my first ever – this would be my second. Very much like the first, I am still more of a technical writer than a reviewer (or grammarian for that matter!), so please take that into account when reading this. I hope you find this review informative!

This review is to update you on how that product is holding up, and to introduce you to the newest member of their product line – a double-stack .45ACP IWB magazine carrier.

The holster has now lived through 6 months of me wearing it daily to work, at work, home from work, and while out and about both alone and with my family. The holster has shown absolutely no signs of wear; in fact, I would have thought that I would have at least had to have taken some black shoe polish to it to keep its black finish. That’s not the case – it still looks as good as new!

It has put up with my sweat, with me occasionally over-oiling my pistol, with being between my pants or shorts and bare skin, being between my outer shirt and T-shirt, and everything else that comes in the life of a concealment holster.

The snaps have held up superbly, and still will open only when pulling in a downward fashion. Are they going to pop off of the straps anytime soon? No way, no how, fuhgedaboutit!

I have also gone for a mile run with this holster in my pants. It held the pistol nice and tightly and at no point was I concerned about my weapon falling out. Yes, I realize when you see my gut in the photos below, you’ll think, “Yeah RIGHT!” , well, I’ll tell you this - Not as Lean, Not as Mean, but STILL A MARINE!

I recently contacted the manufacturer of my holster, R.O. Gunleather ( ROG holsters rog holster rogholsters gunleatherusa gun_leather gun leather holster IWB ) to suggest that he post a link to the previous review on his website, that maybe it would be of interest to his customers. He responded back that he had a new product, and asked if I would like to be a “Beta Tester”. Being that I work in the computer world, my ears perked up when I crossed the words “Beta Tester” and gun accessories J .

Mr. Olsen shipped me an IWB Mag Carrier for my XD45 and wanted my feedback on the comfort, build, etc etc so that he could evaluate whether he wanted to market them.

This is what he sent – of course, magazine not included

!

It’s made of the same leather as the holster, and is very rigid.

Being that this was a “Beta”, I did not anticipate any of his ROG branded stamps in it – there were none. Here’s a photo of the back side of it.

The snaps are of the same directional-opening type on the pistol holster, and are securely fastened into the leather. As I had mentioned on the pistol holster update, there were no signs of them coming off – I anticipate the same will be said 6 months down the road with these as well.

Just as with the pistol holster, stitching is very well done. Again with the mag carrier, I attempted to pull apart the leather pieces – YEAH RIGHT – it wasn’t happening! The stitching isn’t coming apart unless you cut it intentionally! Here you can see a few lines of the stitching up close.

Lastly on the mag carrier, here is a photo taken of the opening for the mag. Being that it is so rigid, it will not close when you take the magazine out, making it easier to replace the magazine into the carrier.

And now for something that I should have included in my previous review – photos of me wearing the holster AND mag carrier concealed.

I am a fairly thick guy, which I believe will help me conceal pretty much anything I carry unless I am wearing spandex (sorry, had to give you that visual J ), but I can actually wear a shirt that is an XL , when I normally wear an XXL, and still conceal these two products very well.

The shirt shown is an XXL, and the shorts are of the “relaxed fit” variant. Because of the pistol and mag carrier, I’m afraid I simply wouldn’t be overly comfortable, or comfortable at all for that matter, if I had “Regular Fit” pants on. This is no big adjustment for me though, as about 90% of my pants are relaxed fit.

The pistol is being worn on my right hip at 2:00, the mag carrier at 10:00. You’ll see that the only “bulge” you can see at those points is actually love handle, not my pistol!

A quick story about how well these concealed my pistol and mag. Last week the wife and I took a drive to Ohio to stay with her sister – one that I just simply don’t get along with. I took my pistol, knowing that Ohio recognizes the Florida CCW license and knowing that my wife’s sister LOATHES firearms and wants them nowhere near her, let alone in her home! We were there for 4 days and nights, with me carrying from the time that I came out of the bedroom in the morning until I went to bed. She never noticed (Darn – I was hoping to get thrown out, as I didn’t want to be near her in the first place

)

These photos go a long way at showing how well Mr. Olsen’s products conceal your pistol and magazine. I said it before in my previous review – his products are exceptionally well made, very very reasonably priced, and he’s got a great personality to boot!

I am happy to say that based on the feedback of all beta testers, including myself, Mr. Olsen of R.O Gunleather has decided to make the double-stack 45ACP mag carrier part of his product offerings!

His product line these days includes:

IWB Concealment Holsters at $39.99 each for:

5" 1911 Colt Government
4 1/4" 1911 Colt Commander
3 1/2" 1911 Colt Officer's Model
3" 1911 Colt Defender

Glock 20 21
Glock 17 22 31
Glock 29 30
Glock 19 23 32
Glock 26 27 33

Springfield Armory XD 4" bl
Springfield Armory XD 3" bl
Sigarms 220 226 non-rail
Sigarms 228 229 non-rail
Sigarms 229R
Sigarms 245
Sigarms 239

Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 45
Heckler & Koch USP Compact 45 acp
Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 Compact
Heckler & Koch P 2000 SK

Belt Holsters at $39.99 each for:

5" 1911 Colt Government
4 1/4" 1911 Colt Commander

Springfield Armory XD 5" bl
Springfield Armory XD 4" bl

Glock 20 21
Glock 17 22 31
Glock 19 23 32

Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 45
Heckler & Koch USP Compact 45 acp
Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 Compact

Sigarms 220 226 non-rail
Sigarms 228 229 non-rail

IWB Magazine Carriers at $24.99 each for:

Single Stack 45
Double Stack 45
Double Stack 9mm / 40 cal.

BELT Mag Cariers at $24.99 each for:

Single Stack 45
Double Stack 9mm / 40cal.

Shipping & Handling
1 - 2 holsters are shipped U S Postal Priority Mail with a Delivery Confirmation for $6.00.

Texas residents must pay 8.25% State Sales Tax on the total amount which includes shipping & handling.

His only method of payment is Pay Pal.
Sorry, no mail in payments.

As I said in the previous review, you get exceptionally good products for your money, and I will continue to endorse R.O. Gunleather’s goods to anyone looking for a great holster or mag carrier at an affordable price!

R.O. Gunleather can be found at http://ROGHolsters.com or by email at GunleatherUSA@Yahoo.com .

I hope you have found this review to be informative and worth your while!

Please drop me a message if you have any questions!

Jon Whipple/KI4LIV

DPGDirk · 08-13-2008, 04:13 PM

I can't get his website to come up, but I'll throw my .02 cents in.

I heard someone say that the ROG IWB was more comfortable than their Crossbreed Supertuck. I found that hard to believe as the CB Supertuck is a very comfy holster. I've been carrying with one daily for the last year and a half.

I went ahead and bought one of these IWB holsters, since they're only 39.95!!!
I figured I wouldn't be out much if I didn't like it.

The verdict?
I LOVE this holster and it's now my daily carry for my XD .45.
I just bought another one to give to a friend of mine who also carries in a supertuck.

I personally do find it more comfortable than my Crossbreed, which I didn't think would be possible.

The ONLY thing that I think could be improved with this holster would be to make it with a higher inside top piece for a sweat shield. It's not a comfort issue at all, but I think some would prefer the extra protection from potential rust.

The holster was a bit slower to draw from at first. The Crossbreed has a kydex outer (and firmly set belt clips) which makes for a very fast draw.
I wrapped my XD in about 4 layers of wax paper and let it sit in the holster overnight. Then, I drew and reholstered the gun with the wax paper on it about 50 times.
Now, the draw is nice & smooth.

I also like how the ROG holster can be more easily tilted forward while driving in a car. I just reach back under the ducktail of my holstered XD with my right thumb and tilt it forward. Very easy and makes driving on more pronounced seat bolsters nicer.
I carry around the 3:30 position.

Some IWB holsters won't stay open when the gun is drawn, requiring a 2 handed reholster. This one stays open and allows easy 1 hand reholstering, which is good, as I shoot 4 or 5 IDPA matches every month.

Fit, finish and stitching all look first rate.
For the money, I cannot imagine how you could beat this holster!

KI4LIV · 08-13-2008, 04:57 PM

Good to know that I'm not the only one who felt as strongly about this holster as I did!

07-10-2008, 06:51 PM	#1
KI4LIV XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Merritt Island, FL Posts: 266	RO Gunleather review update PLUS IWB Mag Carrier Review Update on the R.O. Gunleather IWB concealment holster review and a Review of the R.O. Gunleather Double Stack 45ACP Mag Carrier July 10th, 2008 Review by Jonathon Whipple, KI4LIV. PLEASE NOTE: I am not affiliated with the manufacturer of this product, however I have requested the authorization of him prior to posting this review. Back at the end of January you may have read my review of the R.O. Gunleather IWB concealment holster. That original review can be read here: R.O. Gunleather IWB Holster Review That review was my first ever – this would be my second. Very much like the first, I am still more of a technical writer than a reviewer (or grammarian for that matter!), so please take that into account when reading this. I hope you find this review informative! This review is to update you on how that product is holding up, and to introduce you to the newest member of their product line – a double-stack .45ACP IWB magazine carrier. The holster has now lived through 6 months of me wearing it daily to work, at work, home from work, and while out and about both alone and with my family. The holster has shown absolutely no signs of wear; in fact, I would have thought that I would have at least had to have taken some black shoe polish to it to keep its black finish. That’s not the case – it still looks as good as new! It has put up with my sweat, with me occasionally over-oiling my pistol, with being between my pants or shorts and bare skin, being between my outer shirt and T-shirt, and everything else that comes in the life of a concealment holster. The snaps have held up superbly, and still will open only when pulling in a downward fashion. Are they going to pop off of the straps anytime soon? No way, no how, fuhgedaboutit! I have also gone for a mile run with this holster in my pants. It held the pistol nice and tightly and at no point was I concerned about my weapon falling out. Yes, I realize when you see my gut in the photos below, you’ll think, “Yeah RIGHT!” , well, I’ll tell you this - Not as Lean, Not as Mean, but STILL A MARINE! I recently contacted the manufacturer of my holster, R.O. Gunleather ( ROG holsters rog holster rogholsters gunleatherusa gun_leather gun leather holster IWB ) to suggest that he post a link to the previous review on his website, that maybe it would be of interest to his customers. He responded back that he had a new product, and asked if I would like to be a “Beta Tester”. Being that I work in the computer world, my ears perked up when I crossed the words “Beta Tester” and gun accessories J . Mr. Olsen shipped me an IWB Mag Carrier for my XD45 and wanted my feedback on the comfort, build, etc etc so that he could evaluate whether he wanted to market them. This is what he sent – of course, magazine not included ! It’s made of the same leather as the holster, and is very rigid. Being that this was a “Beta”, I did not anticipate any of his ROG branded stamps in it – there were none. Here’s a photo of the back side of it. The snaps are of the same directional-opening type on the pistol holster, and are securely fastened into the leather. As I had mentioned on the pistol holster update, there were no signs of them coming off – I anticipate the same will be said 6 months down the road with these as well. Just as with the pistol holster, stitching is very well done. Again with the mag carrier, I attempted to pull apart the leather pieces – YEAH RIGHT – it wasn’t happening! The stitching isn’t coming apart unless you cut it intentionally! Here you can see a few lines of the stitching up close. Lastly on the mag carrier, here is a photo taken of the opening for the mag. Being that it is so rigid, it will not close when you take the magazine out, making it easier to replace the magazine into the carrier. And now for something that I should have included in my previous review – photos of me wearing the holster AND mag carrier concealed. I am a fairly thick guy, which I believe will help me conceal pretty much anything I carry unless I am wearing spandex (sorry, had to give you that visual J ), but I can actually wear a shirt that is an XL , when I normally wear an XXL, and still conceal these two products very well. The shirt shown is an XXL, and the shorts are of the “relaxed fit” variant. Because of the pistol and mag carrier, I’m afraid I simply wouldn’t be overly comfortable, or comfortable at all for that matter, if I had “Regular Fit” pants on. This is no big adjustment for me though, as about 90% of my pants are relaxed fit. The pistol is being worn on my right hip at 2:00, the mag carrier at 10:00. You’ll see that the only “bulge” you can see at those points is actually love handle, not my pistol! A quick story about how well these concealed my pistol and mag. Last week the wife and I took a drive to Ohio to stay with her sister – one that I just simply don’t get along with. I took my pistol, knowing that Ohio recognizes the Florida CCW license and knowing that my wife’s sister LOATHES firearms and wants them nowhere near her, let alone in her home! We were there for 4 days and nights, with me carrying from the time that I came out of the bedroom in the morning until I went to bed. She never noticed (Darn – I was hoping to get thrown out, as I didn’t want to be near her in the first place ) These photos go a long way at showing how well Mr. Olsen’s products conceal your pistol and magazine. I said it before in my previous review – his products are exceptionally well made, very very reasonably priced, and he’s got a great personality to boot! I am happy to say that based on the feedback of all beta testers, including myself, Mr. Olsen of R.O Gunleather has decided to make the double-stack 45ACP mag carrier part of his product offerings! His product line these days includes: IWB Concealment Holsters at $39.99 each for: 5" 1911 Colt Government 4 1/4" 1911 Colt Commander 3 1/2" 1911 Colt Officer's Model 3" 1911 Colt Defender Glock 20 21 Glock 17 22 31 Glock 29 30 Glock 19 23 32 Glock 26 27 33 Springfield Armory XD 4" bl Springfield Armory XD 3" bl Sigarms 220 226 non-rail Sigarms 228 229 non-rail Sigarms 229R Sigarms 245 Sigarms 239 Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 45 Heckler & Koch USP Compact 45 acp Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 Compact Heckler & Koch P 2000 SK Belt Holsters at $39.99 each for: 5" 1911 Colt Government 4 1/4" 1911 Colt Commander Springfield Armory XD 5" bl Springfield Armory XD 4" bl Glock 20 21 Glock 17 22 31 Glock 19 23 32 Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 45 Heckler & Koch USP Compact 45 acp Heckler & Koch USP 9 40 Compact Sigarms 220 226 non-rail Sigarms 228 229 non-rail IWB Magazine Carriers at $24.99 each for: Single Stack 45 Double Stack 45 Double Stack 9mm / 40 cal. BELT Mag Cariers at $24.99 each for: Single Stack 45 Double Stack 9mm / 40cal. Shipping & Handling 1 - 2 holsters are shipped U S Postal Priority Mail with a Delivery Confirmation for $6.00. Texas residents must pay 8.25% State Sales Tax on the total amount which includes shipping & handling. His only method of payment is Pay Pal. Sorry, no mail in payments. As I said in the previous review, you get exceptionally good products for your money, and I will continue to endorse R.O. Gunleather’s goods to anyone looking for a great holster or mag carrier at an affordable price! R.O. Gunleather can be found at http://ROGHolsters.com or by email at GunleatherUSA@Yahoo.com . I hope you have found this review to be informative and worth your while! Please drop me a message if you have any questions! Jon Whipple/KI4LIV __________________ -- Light is faster than sound... Perhaps that explains why some people appear to be intelligent - until we hear them speak! Last edited by KI4LIV : 07-10-2008 at 07:03 PM.

08-13-2008, 04:13 PM	#2
DPGDirk XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Rose Hill, KS Posts: 314	I can't get his website to come up, but I'll throw my .02 cents in. I heard someone say that the ROG IWB was more comfortable than their Crossbreed Supertuck. I found that hard to believe as the CB Supertuck is a very comfy holster. I've been carrying with one daily for the last year and a half. I went ahead and bought one of these IWB holsters, since they're only 39.95!!! I figured I wouldn't be out much if I didn't like it. The verdict? I LOVE this holster and it's now my daily carry for my XD .45. I just bought another one to give to a friend of mine who also carries in a supertuck. I personally do find it more comfortable than my Crossbreed, which I didn't think would be possible. The ONLY thing that I think could be improved with this holster would be to make it with a higher inside top piece for a sweat shield. It's not a comfort issue at all, but I think some would prefer the extra protection from potential rust. The holster was a bit slower to draw from at first. The Crossbreed has a kydex outer (and firmly set belt clips) which makes for a very fast draw. I wrapped my XD in about 4 layers of wax paper and let it sit in the holster overnight. Then, I drew and reholstered the gun with the wax paper on it about 50 times. Now, the draw is nice & smooth. I also like how the ROG holster can be more easily tilted forward while driving in a car. I just reach back under the ducktail of my holstered XD with my right thumb and tilt it forward. Very easy and makes driving on more pronounced seat bolsters nicer. I carry around the 3:30 position. Some IWB holsters won't stay open when the gun is drawn, requiring a 2 handed reholster. This one stays open and allows easy 1 hand reholstering, which is good, as I shoot 4 or 5 IDPA matches every month. Fit, finish and stitching all look first rate. For the money, I cannot imagine how you could beat this holster! __________________ XD .45- 4" service model- Springerized PFF Polished Barrel, Feedramp & GR, Dawson Sights, (Target rear/ Fiber-optic front) Springer Carry Trigger, Factory Clean-up, Extended mag release, snakeskin grip stippling & custom refinishing, etc XD 9mm Service Bi-Tone w/ Tru-Glo F/O Sights & PFF Polished Barrel & feedramp, etc Kahr P-45 http://www.precisionfirearmfinishing.com Last edited by DPGDirk : 08-13-2008 at 05:12 PM.

08-13-2008, 04:57 PM	#3
KI4LIV XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Merritt Island, FL Posts: 266	Good to know that I'm not the only one who felt as strongly about this holster as I did! __________________ -- Light is faster than sound... Perhaps that explains why some people appear to be intelligent - until we hear them speak!

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