This review is way overdue. See, I met Gabe New, the owner of KSG Armory, when we both attended Gabe White’s Pistol Shooting Solutions course last October. While chatting at the end of the two day course, I learned about Gabe’s business and mentioned I wouldn’t mind if he sent me one of his holster’s to try out and review. I didn’t think anything of it again until a few days later he contacted me asking for a shipping address so he could send me a holster. A few days after that, I received a brand spanking new Halcyon holster made specifically for the VP9 with a mounted Trijicon RMR red dot sight.
Having spent several months wearing this holster, one would think I have a lot to say about it. Truth is the main reason it has taken me so long to put this together is that I’ve struggled to articulate my thoughts on it. I suppose I’ll start by saying it’s an extremely durable high quality holster and have no reservations suggesting it to folks who are in the market for an inside the waistband (IWB) holster. Honestly, I could stop there. However, I’ll explore it in a bit more depth.
The full Kydex shell fits snugly and uniformly around the VP9. As Ace Ventura would say, “like a glove”. There is essentially no extra material – which, coupled with a precise fit, leaves us with relatively no excess bulk. That makes the holster very comfortable to wear in either the appendix position or the strong side. I mention this because some all Kydex IWB holsters leave a little something to be desired in the comfort department and I didn’t find this to be the case with the KSG Armory Halcyon.
Aside from being a small comfortable package, there is a lot here that makes this holster a good quality holster. First off, the fact that it has a full Kydex shell is important because it means the holster will not collapse in on itself while worn when the pistol isn’t in the holster – which is important for safely returning the gun to the holster. Next, the trigger and guard are completely covered by the Kydex which is also an extremely important feature. Both of those features are essential to minimize the likelihood of a negligent discharge when placing the gun in the holster. Another important feature is retention which keeps the gun from falling out of the holster unintentionally, in the case of the Halcyon the retention is fully adjustable. One more thing to mention is the shape of the holster allows the carrier to draw the pistol from and return it to the holster while maintaining a full firing grip.
All in all, the holster hits all characteristics expected of a good high quality holster. Perhaps too well. While it’s a minor thing, the material over the trigger guard makes it nearly impossible to manipulate the magazine release paddles of the VP9 while the pistol is in the holster. I don’t expect this to be a problem with pistols with magazine release buttons, but it is something folks should be aware of.
There are quite a few options to pick from when ordering a Halcyon. The first option is the pistol model. While the Halcyon is not available for every single pistol in the market, most of the commonly carried defensive pistols are available as an option. As of writing, this includes several Glock and Heckler & Koch models, some 1911s, a couple of S&W, Beretta, and CZ models, plus a few more. The holster is available in several different color variations including some carbon fiber, Kryptek, and Multicam options. The height of the sweat guard and the length of the holster can also be customized. By default the holster is designed to be compatible with pistol mounted red dot sights, but this can be changed.
There are several attachment options available to choose from. These options include soft loops which allow the holster fit belts with widths ranging from 1.25″ to 1.75″. Another option is a 1.5″ Discrete Carry Concepts (DCC) monoblock clip (pictured above). The last option is a pair of DCC clips which allow the holster to be tucked under a tucked in shirt. All of these options allow the height and cant of the holster to be adjusted. When ordering, a customer can select as many as two options or as little as none. Yes, that’s right. None. The reason for the no option is because the holster is compatible with the Phlster Enigma.
The last thing to mention in terms of customization options is the belt claw which is used to rotate the grip into the body making it easier to conceal a larger pistol. By default the holster includes a Modwing (pictured above) which includes two claw sizes to adjust the rotation angle. Another option is the RCS VG claw which only works with right handed configurations. The last option is the Darkwing by Dark Star Gear. In a similar fashion as the belt attachment options, a customer can select as many as two options or as little as none.
I almost forgot to mention that an optional closed foam wedge is available for a few extra dollars. This is something that folks who intend to appendix carry will want. It’s not a bad idea to add this option if one isn’t completely certain they will only carry this holster on their strong side.
As I’ve mentioned, I found this holster to be an extremely durable high quality holster. It should be pretty obvious there are a lot of different ways to customize and adjust this holster. While all of the different options might be a little overwhelming to folks new to concealed carry, it’s important to know that good feature since it allows the holster to be fine tuned for the individual. For those interested in the holster but not sure where to begin, I suggest starting with the default configuration and going from there as all the optional attachments, belt claws, and wedges can be purchased at a later time.