Blackhawk Leather Hoster for Glock 26

I recently purchased a Glock 26 and of course that means that I am back in the market for a holster.  The Glock 26 does fit my Glock 19 holsters, but the shorter grip makes it harder to get a secure grip on the weapon during the draw so I thought a Glock 26 specific holster might be better.  I have a Galco Kydek holster that works fine, but the hard corners dig into my side and I have always preferred leather holsters.  So I purchased a Blackhawk Leather Inside the Pants holster today from a local gun store.

Reinforced Mouth for One-Handed Reholster

My initial impression was that this holster is very comfortable and well made for a mass production holster.  Blackhawk selected a good quality leather, used a very tight stitching pattern, and molded the holster perfectly for the gun.  I particularly like the reinforced mouth which does a good job of keeping the holster open for a one handed reholster.  On the downside, the holster is a very tight fit out of the box.  I had to loosen the retention screw almost all the way to get a smooth draw.  All leather holsters loosen up as they break in so this would not be a big issue if it wasn’t for the belt loop.  The belt loop is oversized to fit up to a 2 inch belt so the holster shifts around considerably during wear and especially during the draw.  I literally pulled the holster out of my pants a couple of times while drawing before I got it adjusted properly.  Another concern is the belt loop snap.  For some reason, Blackhawk uses a standard snap and it is way too easy to unsnap the holster.  More than once, I have unsnapped the belt loop just pushing the pistol securely into the holster.  I’d much rather see a unidirectional snap as is used by DM Bullard and other custom leatherworkers.  I’d prefer a metal clip rather than the belt loop.

Blackhawk IWB Holster

Overall, this is not a bad holster and it is not a great holster.  It will do the job and should last for a long time.  If you need a holster and don’t want to wait several months for one of the custom craftsmen then I wouldn’t hesitate buying one of these.  For me, however, I suspect it will eventually end up in my holster drawer.

Summary:

The Good:

• Quality materials and construction
• Comfortable, slim design
• Reinforced mouth for one-handed rehostering
• Retention adjustment screw

The Bad:

• Excessively tight fit out of the box
• Belt loop permits too much holster movement during wear and draw
• Belt loop snap not “unidirectional”
• Belt loop not adjustable for depth of carry

Verdict:  Readily available and an OK holster while you wait for your custom job.

Update (Aug 12, 2010):  I ended up returning this holster.  The biggest issue is that it just wouldn’t stay in place during the draw.  Even with the retention adjustment screw completely loosened, the belt loops permitted too much movement of the holster.  I think Blackhawk makes a similar holster with a belt clip which would probably work fine.  I really wanted this holster to work, but in the end I wasn’t willing to trust my life with it.