As a firearms instructor at a live fire facility I carry every day. I almost never carry concealed because I live in Texas and they allow open carry. Also, on the off chance I need to use it I don't want to have to clear clothing to draw it. Almost all of the holsters I use are made with Kydex and are BlackHawk brand with level II retention. This works well for me but I preach to my students that just because I like it does not mean that they will. To those who are just getting into carrying a firearm, I usually recommend that they wear the holster they chose for at least one week before deciding if they like it or not. This is because they are new to carrying and just about any holster will feel foreign to them and may be uncomfortable at first.
You may ask, Why Kydex? This is because it is durable and will not retain moisture like leather or nylon will. Sure, the more you draw from it, the more wear will show on the finish of the gun but I just need a functioning firearm, not a pretty one. Why did I choose BlackHawk as my brand of choice? They are usually a little cheaper in cost then some of the other companies and speaking from experience, you will still get years of use out of them. Do I need level II retention? In Texas they do not stipulate any level of retention as a requirement but because I choose to carry openly, I prefer to have some type of retention just in case someone tries to take it from my holster. The only issue I found annoying when using this holster is the way it was worn. The two options it usually comes with is the larger paddle type that slides into the pants or the belt loop attachment. As a fix to this issue I purchased the BlackHawk Quick Release Dial so I can remove and reattach the firearm with ease and I'm not in public messing around with my belt every time I want to remove it or put it back on.
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