The Ruger SR40c is a fantastic, compact handgun that is most ideal for self or home defense. If your area allows concealed carry, youâre going to want a solid holster to go along with it. Thankfully, there are plenty of options online because the SR40c is fairly common and easy to accommodate. We picked out the best Ruger SR40c holsters on the market, and weâll tell you which was out favorite at the end of the review.
For this article, we decided to stick with only leather or Kydex holsters. While there are many great polymer holsters available online, leather and Kydex both have their own set of unique qualities that ensure the protection of any handgun you holster within them. When leather is treated properly, it will last a long time and only get better with age. The exterior will always be tough, but the interior of a leather holster should be soft and smooth to guide your weapon as you draw it. Kydex is popular for its ability to be molded super thin and remain highly protective. It wonât let anything bump your pistol, but the interior wonât scratch your slide either. In our review, we chose two leather holsters and two Kydex holsters to compare.
OutBags Brown Genuine Leather OWB Belt Holster
Materials â If youâre looking for affordable genuine leather, then look no further than OutBagsâ outside the waistband pancake holster. The leather is hand molded, and itâs hand dyed to preserve the natural characteristics of the leather. That being said, the lightness or darkness of the brown dye will vary, since it is intended to look natural. The inside of the holster remains soft, so you Ruger will easily glide in and out as needed. There is reinforced stitching around both the belt loops, under the trigger guard, and across the barrel. This option is available to purchase for left handed or right handed shooters.
Performance â If you like the soft feeling of genuine leather, then this is a great choice for you. It also happens to be the cheapest option within this review! The nice aspect of this holster may also be its greatest downfall. The hand craftmanship is very good, and many people prefer a more natural leather look over the highly molded type. However, since itâs hand molded, you will probably have to work with the holster a little bit yourself to get it into the right shape. Youâll appreciate the softer feel of this leather because it will keep your Ruger well protected, and youâll have an effortless draw. As a pancake holster, it should fit really tightly against the body.
What we say â The OutBags OWB Belt Holster is the best Ruger SR40c holster for anyone who loves leather, but they donât like over-molded leather that has lost its aesthetic. This option should last you for a while, as well.
- Hand molded and dyed
- Soft interior
- Reinforced stitching
- May need additional hand molding down the line
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Tagua Thumb Break Leather Belt Holster
Materials â Another genuine leather option, the Tagua outside the waistband holster is offered from Holstermart USA. This option comes in all black, and it is precision molded to the shape of your compact Ruger. There is reinforced stitching around the edges of the holsterâs shape, at the trigger guard, and across the barrel. The muzzle is open ended. This holster will sit at a forward cant outside the waistband, and it holds nice and tight to the body. For retention, a wide thumb break closes at the rear with a snap closure. Simply pop it open with your thumb and draw in an instant.
Performance â As our other leather option, Tagua takes a step outside of the handcrafted looked, and is closer to what we see more often on the market. As a black holster, it will be more discrete as well. The precise molding on this holster helps keep your Ruger SR40c as close to the body as possible, in addition to the cant and carry style. For the record, a thumb break will slow down your drawing speed, but the snap closure is very wide, so you wonât be guessing when you reach down to release your weapon. Thereâs a little give and take, but this is a great option for compact pistols.
What we say â Taguaâs outside the waistband holster is the best choice for those who want a higher level of retention on their leather holster. It is much more low profile as well.
- Genuine leather precision molded
- Low profile and discrete
- Wide thumb break closure
- Thumb break slows drawing speed
Everyday Holsters Ruger SR9c/SR40c Hybrid Holster
Materials â Everyday Holsters offers an inside the waistband hybrid holster that promises load of coverage. The brand also offers a lifetime warranty with their product. A wide back panel is made of premium black leather, so it flexible but durable against the body. The gunâs holster is made of .06â thick Kydex, which has been thermo-molded to the shape of your Ruger SR40c. There are for adjustable retention screws: two around the trigger guard and two across the barrel. There is a belt clip on either side of the holster, and both can be adjusted for height, cant, as well as additional retention.
Performance â As we move on to Kydex, we thought this hybrid of both the molded polymer and durable leather was a great transition. We are also moving into inside the waistband territory! Everyday Holsters is a great brand that we find a lot of gunowners really love. They offer simplistic holsters that do exactly what they need to do at an affordable cost. Whatâs not to love? Our one uncertainty here is that this is a lot of holster for a compact weapon. The wide back panel will ensure your comfort throughout the day, but thereâs a lot of material being used to holster a small pistol. However, that does not take away from the fact that your Ruger will be well retained until needed.
What we say â This hybrid holster is the best Ruger SR40c holster for anyone who intends to wear it during long periods of time or all day. If you walk around a lot or are very active, this is the one for you.
- Wide back panel supportive and comfortable
- Molded Kydex retains weapon well
- A lot of adjustability
- A lot of holster for not a lot of gun
Blade-Tech Holster Klipt
Materials â Blade-Techâs inside the waistband holster is made entirely of Kydex, although the seller calls it thermo-molded polymer. This holster is molded exactly to the shape of your Ruger, and it comes in all black. This option is entirely ambidextrous, and it can be worn on either side of the hip. There are two retention screws in place, both under the trigger guard. These two retention screws are also what hold the belt clip in place. The belt clip can be adjusted for ride height, but not cant. The Kydex material will protect your SR40c from scratches and bumps. Being made from one, uniform material, drawing will go quickly and smoothly without you having to fumble around with the holster.
Performance â Of all the holsters in this review, the Blade-Tech Holster Klipt is the slimmest of them all. Since itâs made entirely of the thin Kydex, your Ruger will be held well in place inside the waistband. This is the best option for anyone who is serious about conceal carry. Plus, you can tighten those retention screws as much as you need to without worrying about the material cracking or snapping. The ambidextrous clip is nice, but we wish it has its own set of retention screws. This may save some hassle, but if you donât get it quite right, youâll throw the balance of the holster off.
What we say â This is the best holster for anyone who needs the least hassle and lowest profile possible for their concealed carry.
- Made entirely of thin Kydex
- Ambidextrous
- Simple design is low profile
- Shared retention screws with clip
Our Favorite Ruger SR40c Holster
For the Ruger SR40c, our favorite holster had to be the last one listed in this review: the Blade-Tech Kilpt inside the waistband holster. This is a pretty popular style made by Blade-Tech, and they make it for a wide range of handguns. You can be sure youâre getting a holster that was uniquely designed for your specific pistol. Kydex is a great material because it can really take a punch, but it hardly takes up any room or add any weight. Especially when it comes to concealed carry or self defense, weâre going to choose Kydex over leather. While we could have chosen the hybrid, we think, ultimately, that one would be better suited for larger handguns. You should see a lot of life out of the Blade-Tech Klipt holster, and we recommend it to anyone with a compact Ruger.
The Ruger SR40c in action!