If you are looking for a tactical holster you should seriously consider a drop leg holster. Designed to be used in a wide variety of situations. From hiking through the woods to tactical drills you can’t go wrong. The military and law enforcement communities have long known the advantages, but they’re only recently being used in the civilian market. Though not perfect for everybody these holsters are an excellent option for a wide variety of applications.
There are a ton of great drop leg holsters to choose from. Some of them are overly expensive while others are downright cheap. My favorite all around drop leg holster is the Blackhawk Omega VI Lightweight Holster. It’s durable enough to stand up to professional use without costing a small fortune.
Why Wear a Tactical Leg Holster?
Finding tactical gear always forces you into a difficult situation. Unless you have military or law enforcement experience you’re probably unfamiliar with leg holsters. Primarily used by the military they’re designed for the battle field.
When you have a ton of gear you want to spread weight throughout your entire body. From a military standpoint your pistol is going to be used as a sidearm. So it’s designed to give you more access to your primary weapons magazines. It’s essentially out of the way until you actually need to use it.
Before you jump all in you should seriously consider your needs. They’re typically slower than a traditional OWB holster and don’t offer much of an advantage in day to day activities.
Most commonly used while performing strenuous and fast paced activities. It’s the perfect holster solution for hiking, hunting, four wheeling, climbing and anything else that requires a lot of movement.
What’s The Best Drop Leg Holster?
1) Safariland Tactical Holster
There aren’t many companies that make holsters as well as Safariland. They make high quality products designed for law enforcement agencies and professional use. Their drop leg holsters really are the best tactical holsters on the market.
In the past 5-10 years the law enforcement community has really started to embrace this drop leg holster. With dual locking mechanisms and a secure yet comfortable design this holster is about as secure as you can get. You can even add additional locking mechanisms to fit departmental standards.
This holster is absolutely top of the line in every way. It has a rugged durable design, comfortable padding and reliable secure fit. The design is almost indestructible under regular use, but if you have any issues Safariland has excellent customer service.
If you’re active law enforcement or need a holster on duty you can’t go wrong with Safariland. While it’s not the cheapest on the market it’s certainly worth every penny.
2) BLACKHAWK! Omega VI Ultra Universal Modular Light Holster
Notable Features:
- Premium Universal Design
- Built for Professionals
- Quick Detach Buckle
- Comfortable Design
- Easy Adjustments
The Blackhawk Omega VI Ultra Universal holster is easily the king of drop leg holsters. Blackhawk is one of the few companies that makes a holster suitable for everyday carry.
The main difference between this holster and the other ones on the market is the price. The high price allows additional quality that the cheaper manufacturers just can’t match.
The Blackhawk Omega 6 holster is a universal solution. This holster was designed for law enforcement and military use. The three buckles and allow you to easily adjust and remove this holster.
It can be adjusted to fit people of almost any height and frame. The elastic straps are much more comfortable than a lot of the other cheaper alternatives. The universal design should fit just about any medium to
There is an additional front mounted pouch to carry an extra magazine knife or light. The Blackhawk holster is available in black,
3) Condor Tornado Tactical Leg Holster
Notable Features:
- Affordably Priced
- Durable Construction
- Multiple Color Options
- Fits Most Mid to Full Sized Pistols
The Condor Tornado Tactical leg holster is easily one of the most popular holsters on the market. The competitive price and universal design make this holster hard to beat.
The Condor Tornado holster is designed to hold almost any medium to full size pistol. It doesn’t matter what accessories you have on your gun this holster should work. It is the perfect choice for hunting or a trip to the range.
Condor Tornado wen all out designing a comfortable yet durable holster. Designed to be used by people of all heights and weights. Suiting many body types, the holster has a ton of adjustment options for a custom fit.
While the initial fitting will take you ten to fifteen minutes the fit is well worth the wait. All you need to do is adjust the fully adjustable leg strap with a
With its wrap around design, that will allow you to carry almost any pistol regardless of size or accessories. You can even adjust this holster to work with your red dot or mounted flashlight.
Additional velcro straps work as a retention system to secure your firearm. You can also carry an additional magazine or flashlight in the holsters side pouch. Functional in almost any situation, it’s sturdy enough to carry while riding an
4) UTG Special Operations Tactical Leg Holster
Notable Features:
- Affordably Priced Holster
- Easy to Adjust
- Fits any Sized Leg
- Multiple Color Options
The UTG Special Operations holster is another very popular option. If you’re looking to spend the bare minimum without suffering quality issues try this holster.
Available in 4 different colors you should be able to find one that fits your needs. This holster falls into the urban tactical market and will fit most medium to large frame pistols.
UTG designed it to be useful for almost anyone. The universal design will fit almost any frame size and pistol. It doesn’t matter if your a 5ft 100 pound woman or three hundred lb man this should fit your leg.
The UTG holster offers a double thumb break security system that will keep you in control of your weapon. You can feel confident your firearm will stay secure. It doesn’t matter if you’re hiking through the woods or jogging to stay in shape. If you’re looking for an affordable solution give UTG a try.
5) UTG Elite Tactical Leg Holster
Notable Features:
- Affordably Priced
- Easy Adjustments
- Medium to Full Sized Pistols
- Sturdy Construction
Yet another great option, the UTG Elite Tactical holster uses a no frills design that simply works. It’s a great option if you don’t want to be loaded down with all the extra pouches. Giving everything that most shooters need. You get a convenient way to hold your firearm and a additional magazine.
If you’re on a tight budget this is another great option. The low price doesn’t mean that this holster is bad quality. In fact, it’s one of the most popular holsters on the market.
For the majority of people it will do everything they need. With adjustments to accommodate any medium to full size pistol and an additional magazine. What more can you expect for the price. I wouldn’t recommend it for everyday carry, but for occasional use it fills a necessary purpose.
6) VooDoo Tactical Drop Leg Holster
Notable Features:
- Value Priced Holster
- Sturdy Canvas Design
- Multiple Color Options
- Secure Fit
The VooDoo Tactical holster is another quality option that can fit just about any gun. Where this holster really shines is
The weight of your gun is spread throughout your entire thigh allowing it to move with your leg. It shouldn’t rub uncomfortably or cause chafing issues.
VooDoo Tactical designed this holster with a very wide platform that sets lower on the leg. If you’re
With multiple adjustments to fit just about any gun from the smallest 380 to a full size 1911. The open bottom allows you to use this with a long barrel revolver or suppressor. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about dropping your firearm thanks to the reinforced retention strap. Like the other holsters, there’s an additional pouch that will allow you to carry an additional magazine or flashlight.
Drop Leg vs Traditional Holster
Deciding to wear a drop leg holster isn’t a decision that you should take lightly. If you are in law enforcement there needs to be a reason to make the switch.
They might look functional, but they’re often slower than a traditional holster. Requiring a lot more training to master a quick draw. The only time to make the switch is if it offers tactical advantages.
You’ll notice a serious advantage when using it for your sidearm. When carrying a rifle these holsters will move your secondary firearm out of the way. It gives you more room for additional magazines and gear in your chest rig.
Disadvantages
The primary disadvantage is going to be a reduction in speed. Extending your draw stroke will slightly reduce your draw speed. When a fraction of a second matter you want the fastest draw possible. It also doesn’t make sense to shift the weight from your hips(which are strong) to your leg(which is weaker) unless you gain a tactical advantage. My favorite use is while hiking through the woods with a backpack. It gives me better access to my gun when I have a full pack.
Unless you have extremely long arms you will have to bend slightly to reach your firearm adding a fraction of a second to your draw speed. With serious practice you can learn how to reduce your speed, but you’ll never get back to normal. It doesn’t matter how high the holster rides it’s still going to be farther than a traditional hip holster.
Your gun will most likely wobble and could cause chafing issues. The amount of wobble will largely depend on how much gear you have on your rig. The more gear you have the more it’s going to move. Some holsters are better than others, but being on your leg it will definitely move more.
Are They Comfortable?
For the most part they are going to be comfortable, but it will depend on which one you buy. Since everybody has different length legs it’s important to buy a holster that fits your body type.
Where the holster rides on your leg plays a huge role in overall comfort. Unlike with traditional holsters there’s a little skill involved with fitting your holster. You’re going to need to learn how to properly fit the holster to your leg. It doesn’t matter how nice the holster it will be uncomfortable if it’s improperly worn.
That being said they were initially made with the military in mind. So it’s a one size fits all solution that you should be able to find a proper fit. Since they’re made to be worn during strenuous activities they’ll withstand some serious abuse. Whether your climbing, running or jumping you won’t have a gun digging into your side. You’ll be able to carry more gear without negatively affecting your movement.
How To Wear a Drop Leg Holster
There are a few common mistakes you are going to want to avoid in your initial fitting. Once you figure out what you’re doing all of these mistakes can be avoided. With a little experience you get your rig setup in a matter of minutes.
Hanging Too Low: The biggest mistake I see beginners make is wearing their holster to low. You can definitely tell a rookie cop by they’re holster placement. The holster should be as high as possible without being blocked by the rest of your gear. Going down to low will throw off the your legs weight and cause serious discomfort. Going low will also increase draw distance and therefore time draw time. Wearing your holster to high will change up the angle that you can draw. Also slowing down your draw speed.
Wearing it Loose: The only reason to wear this type of holster is when you’re doing strenuous activities. So a loose holster will end up flopping around throughout the day. You shouldn’t be able to get more than a finger between your holster and leg. Any more and it will rub you the wrong way and tug uncomfortably.
Wearing The Wrong Belt: When wearing this style holster you are going to want to pair it with a high quality tactical belt. The belt will help you spread the weight throughout your hips and prevent your gun from sliding down.
Are Thigh Holsters and Hip Holsters Different?
There’s no real difference between a thigh and hip holster. It all depends on how high you wear the holster up your leg.
Shorter people tend to wear their holster higher up their hips to accommodate their short arms. Likewise taller people tend to wear the drop leg holster farther down the thigh.
What’s The Best Drop Leg Holster For You?
What’s nice about leg holsters is that they are a one size fits all holster solution. So most of the time you don’t need to purchase an expensive holster.
Most of these holsters are designed to fit any medium to full size handgun, so you should only need to purchase one quality holster. Unless you are going to use it everyday you probably don’t have to spend a lot of money.
For the majority of people the Condor Tornado Tactical or VooDoo Tactical holster will be your best bet. These holsters offer a lot of quality at a very affordable price. If your life is going to be on the line, or you are going to use this as an everyday carry holster I would recommend the Blackhawk Omega VI. The cheaper holster simply can’t match the quality the Blackhawk holster offers.