I like the metal reinforcement at the mouth of the holster. If only there was a way to add this same reinforcement down into the holster, just behind where the belt loops are. If your belt is tight, it will collapse that part of the holster when you try and get the gun back in - makes practicing your draw difficult. Admittedly, in a self defense situation, holstering the firearm is the last thing on the list. It draws smooth and is a nice, snug fit. Unfortunately the sharp edges on my new 1911 aren't very kind to the inside of the holster. I get little pieces of machaca or powdered beef jerky on the front sight, covering up the dot. I'm sure with time and some more practice it will stop doing this. But I noticed this the first time I drew the gun out of the holster. Comfortable and high quality construction but would pay more for an ultra heavy duty model.

[GALCO RESPONSE]

Thanks for the positive review, AJ!

This is the first we've heard of a Royal Guard closing under belt pressure. The combination of horsehide and metal reinforcement makes it a pretty rigid design as it is. You must like a really tight belt! Makes sense, since a tight belt actually increases comfort with IWB carry. For practice, consider loosening the belt a notch so the holster isn't being squeezed quite so hard.

The phenomenon you're seeing is called "etching." It happens when guns with sharp edges meet leather. We generally recommend "dehorned" guns for carry, but of course you can't round off a front sight.

One thing to look out for is "bowling" in your draw motion - basically applying forward pressure on the pistol before it clears leather. This often causes the sight scraping you're describing. The sure tell is to look at the holster's collar indent - if it's scraping there, you're probably bowling. Just work on coming straight up out of the holster before pushing out and you should be good.

Galco is my go to leather holster maker! Love the royal guard 2.0 iwb holster. Great quality build at a reasonable price. Great fitment for my gen 3 g19. Very little break in needed. Fast shipping from galco and it was in stock! Many thanks

Galco’s products simply exude quality. As soon as you take it out of the package, you can tell that this holster is well made and is going to last for a long time. I’ve heard that there can be some break-in work to be done on Galco holsters, but my 1911 fit firmly and smoothly - perfect! Fit and function are exactly what I was looking for. Highly recommended.