Beretta 8040 in Remora IWB

I was skeptical. I didn’t think it would work. I got proved wrong.  It’s really easy to let your pre-conceived notions take over when you encounter something that is similar to products you’ve seen before that don’t have a very good reputation. I’m primarily talking about those cheap nylon holsters that have the metal clip on them that tend to fall apart and couldn’t stay on a belt if it’s life depended on it. You know the ones I’m talking about.

I’ll say it right off the bat, the Remora Holster isn’t that kind of holster, well it kinda is but it isn’t. Let me explain. It is a soft IWB holster that has no clip, or any other kind of belt attachment for that matter. It relies simply on friction and the textured rubber material of the outer skin to keep it in place, and it works very well and only seems to get better as it’s warmed by body heat. The holster’s body is made of a thin closed cell foam and the inner liner is a fairly slick high denier nylon material that offers a very comfortable and fast draw. Re-holstering can prove problematic but Remora does offer a reinforced top model if that’s a concern of yours. Remora actually offers a whole host of custom touches for their holsters. There is a leather lining option, a belt clip option, the reinforced top, a white one (like an iPhone), a bra carry option for the ladies, and more that are to come as time goes on I’m sure.

So I began my testing of the rig and I was immediately struck by two things, how comfortable it is and the quality feel of the construction and materials. Too many holsters out there really let you know they’re there. They poke and poke and poke and really make you have a bad day, especially when you carry a full sized gun like I do. You do have to wear a belt or something with heavy elastic or a drawstring to maintain pressure on the holster. With this kind of holster you have to keep it in place with tension but those of you that regularly wear a belt anyway won’t be put off in the least. The holster worked perfectly with jeans and the ubiquitous 5.11 tactical pants but the real test came with this pair of L.L. Bean hiking shorts that I have. They have  an elastic waist with a built in belt and have a lining much like a bathing suit. They are insanely comfortable but aren’t really well suited for CCW given how thin and light weight they are. Well I’m here to tell you, the combo of these shorts and the Remora was a match made in heaven. The holster stayed tight to my skin and was held in place more than adequately by the elastic and built in “belt” of the shorts. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not gonna run a marathon with it or anything but for day to day life this holster is quite secure. One very cool ability of this holster is that you’re not locked into a particular style of carry. If you want S.O.B, you’ve got it. If you want cross draw, you’ve got it. If you want no cant, well you’ve got that too. All is possible and all are very comfortable. One more method of carry I found that suited the Remora extremely well was tucking it in between the center console and seat in my car as a secure car carry method.

So let me get to the down side of the holster. I had a good friend of mine also test the holster while I was away in a state where I couldn’t carry a gun. He is a tow truck driver and is constantly in and out of his truck, crawling around on the ground and contorting himself into all kinds of strange positions on a daily basis. He also happens to be a rather skinny individual and initially had a difficult time finding a spot where the holster would hold secure. Once he was able to find a place to carry the holster it stayed firmly where he put it throughout his daily activities, but it would take a fair amount of training on his part to learn a draw from a new position. I don’t suffer from that same affliction and was able to find plenty of places where the holster could be comfortably secured, most importantly I was able to place it exactly where I position all my other holsters.

I found in my testing that the Remora is well suited for an EDC holster as I’ve been using it as one for a couple months now. If you require higher retention or a holster that will stay in place during more rugged activities then the Remora may not be for you however. As stated before Remora offers a few different options for their holsters so it’s worth checking out their full line up to see if they have one for you.