Uncle Mike's Off-Duty and Concealment Kodra Nylon Ankle Holster

Right up front: I hate having to wear this rig, but it's everything you can expect for the price.Overall I'll wager that most who ankle carry have NEVER drawn and fired from this orientation, so I'll lead off by saying that regardless of the holster brand you should think really, really hard about adopting it. I am not a fan of ankle carry at all but there are occasional circumstances that make it the only option (even pocket carry is ruled out). Practicing draw-and-shoot from an ankle rig is impossible at all but the most specialized and exclusive CQB training facilities, so I had to improve my skills using wax "bullets" in my basement for live practice. If you're not ready to do what's necessary to deal with the difficulties of weapon presentation from an ankle rig, don't buy one.OK, so the holster... it's typical Uncle Mike's: humble but sturdy materials and good construction. (I have an Uncle Mike's Pocket Holster that at $9 is one of the most useful purchases I've ever made.) As for one of the big complaints here, that "the gun prints if you're wearing jeans": what in the world did you expect? I'm an old guy so I wear classic "George" (WalMart) or Dockers pleated, cuffed trousers for biz casual or similar cut in dress slacks, with a proper "break" over a dress shoe. If you're under 35 you don't know what that means (because hipster look skinny jeans or gangsta pants), but let's just say old-fashioned manly business pants. Proper trousers conceal a J-frame just fine, and I suspect the .380 or Micro-9s in the modern world will disappear just as well. I don't see how anyone thinks anything bigger than the Little Kahrs could work.My little S&W revolver is an airweight, so the holster does a suitable job of holding it up. If you're trying to tote anything that weighs much more than a pound/450-odd gm fully loaded, it's going to be a disappointment. Old-school all-steel pieces like a PPK or Makarov are just going to slip down, and short of you spending $$ on a custom leather rig cut for your calf and ankle it's not gonna work. That does NOT make it a bad holster. Just recognize that whatever has driven you to the extreme compromise of ankle carry will also force you to a very lightweight weapon.Note that my 442 is hammerless, which Uncle Mike's clearly and boldly states is NOT suitable for the retention strap. That's correct. But I cut a 1/4 x 1 in strip of two-sided Scotch Exterior Mounting Tape tape on the surface where the hammer should be and the strap stays snug but doesn't interefere with a positive draw. I'm sure Uncle Mike's wouldn't accept this mod as a suitable arrangement, but I have found it to be very secure. (You can buy the tape here on Amazon, BTW).Enough. The holster does everything that an inexpensive ankle rig can accomplish, which by its very nature is a huge pile of compromises. It lets you proceed about your day armed, but not readily so. Use good judgment in making this choice and practice the necessarily awkward presentation of a minimally-sized and challenging weapon as much as you can if you head down this path.

First Impression: The packaging wasn't the fanciest around, it just came in plastic-wrap with a cardboard label. I'm not huge on presentation, so no points lost there on me. Playing around with it out of the bag, it feels nice and sturdy. The material of the holster is a heavy duty nylon, the same kind they use on sports backpacks, but a bit thicker. The included calf-strap is a softer, stretchier material, which is appropriate.Fit: This part will come down to the user. I'm right handed and wear this on my left-leg (weak side) on the inside. The comfort is about as good as it gets for ankle holsters, though a combination of factors required modification for me. First, I carry a Glock 26 in this. Fully loaded, it is quite a heavy gun for its size, so the calf-strap is a must, even with high-top shoes or boots. Personally, I went so far as to get another calf-strap. The second factor which led to that was that I am extremely small-boned (most adults can wrap their fingers, middle-to-thumb, around my ankle), so the tendency for the gun/holster to sway out of position or drag downwards was fairly high for me - though such is of carrying on your ankle. The third big factor was that I wear sucks under the holster (so the holster does not contact skin), increasing tendency to slide/sway. I've been told that not wearing socks under the holster would help, though I find it a discomfort I can't quite get over. So my modifications were to make it wrap tighter around my ankle (by a few sewed-on items) and to use a second calf-strap. I am under a great impression that most people would NOT have to go this far, I merely mention this as some may be small-framed such as myself.Usage: Modifications aside, this fit perfectly and worked as needed. The Glock 26 is small, but a bit thick, but concealment remained excellent. As long as you don't intend on running a marathon or playing basketball, it stays in place well, especially with the calf-strap. Over time, once you break it in, the comfort is great. Depending on how heavy your gun is, though, walking with that weight strapped to you may take some getting used to. During that period I just explained that my leg hurt and my friends waved it off as a limp.Overall: While I did take 1 star off because I had to modify it to fit my frame, it's a great product. I didn't feel the need to penalize it any further than for the lack of availability of a smaller fit. I have an IWB holster that I use in conjunction with this, depending on situation. Overall, I've been very happy with this holster, and would definitely recommend it if you are looking to get an ankle holster.