You’ve decided to carry your gun concealed. You like your IWB holster, but you can’t always use it, depending on your outer garment and the attire needed for your intended destination. You want a holster that looks stylish, doesn’t attract attention and maybe you’re going to a social function that you can’t wear a shoulder or waist holster and you don’t carry around your ankle (that’s kind of a long reach, anyway).
Let me introduce you to the Sneaky Pete Holsters. They are available in ballistic nylon and leather. The leather holsters look like you’ve got a large cell phone strapped to your waist and are very nice-looking. They are available with clips or loops to fasten them to your belt, all dependent upon your preference.
Sneaky Pete Holsters makes the holster to meet the size of the gun you intend to carry, and they have several selections regarding the belt attachment device and some other useful features. They also have a few other nifty items available for purchase such as their bullet bricks, belts and magazine holsters.
I’ve personally been using a Sneaky Pete to carry both my Ruger SR9c and my LC9 guns. Since the two guns are both very different in size, I do have two separate holsters. There are some restrictions you have to follow in order to use this holster. Since they are custom fit to the gun in question, you cannot add things like pinky extenders, lasers, extended magazines, etc., after you order the holster. They will not fit into it. However, on the ordering page online, they do ask for most models of guns, what accessories are installed. For instance, my LC9 has the laser, I made sure it was noted in the order process (which is a simple pull down menu) and it fits just fine. They are available in both right and left handed varieties.
The holster itself is well made. Heavy stitching is evident everywhere, and the interior is made of leather as well (at least on my two leather holsters). The closure flap is held down by two medium sized magnets, which do a surprisingly good job of keeping it closed at all times. There are two matching magnets in the closure face of the holster the meet with the flap. It actually takes a little effort to open the flap, so you have to decide to open it, it won’t open all on its own. The sides appear to be plastic reinforcements covered by leather to retain the opening of the holster. Inside it, you’ll find some factory installed dividers to keep your gun upright and secured in place.
I personally like the clip version. I have a few other holsters with those clips made out of leftover M60 tank parts. You know the kind. Where they cannot be pulled off by Hercules and they’ll slit your wrists with the sharp edges of the metal. Pete’s are thankfully better. The clips are riveted on, and then covered in leather up to the top of the clip. At the bottom edge, they are beveled so they don’t slice you or your belt when taking the rig off or putting it on. The edges of the clips won’t cut you, either. I like that kind of attention to detail. All too often some ‘manufacturer’ slaps together some industrial parts sewn into a piece of leather to make a few bucks. You buy it, you hate it and there’s money down the tubes. That won’t be the case here.
Like anything, you’ll need to practice drawing from the holster. I’m very comfortable drawing from mine, and have never had any issues with the gun catching on anything either on the way in or out of the holster. I would recommend a two-handed draw with this holster, the same way I would with a loose outer garment such as a shirt. I’m right-handed, so I sweep the magnetically closed flap upwards and hold it with my left hand while drawing the weapon out with my right. I find it to be fundamentally the same as wearing a loose fitting over-shirt. However, because the holster is so inconspicuous, personally, I find it much easier to deal with than many of the waist band holsters. There is no concern for printing, nor is there any fear that the gun might drop out accidentally (by being pushed up when seated).
Overall, these holsters are quality made and fit your weapon of choice very well. I use mine more often than most of my other holsters. I have yet to have someone approach me and ask what it is. I think that says a lot. My only gripe at this point is, I can’t get a holster that accommodates my Ruger SR9c’s pinky extender. That would make the unit wider, but, what’s another 1/2” or so? In the photo to the right, this shows the size difference between my LC9 and SR9c holster (yes, I know the LC9 holster is a bit scratched up, I use it. I’m sure a little boot polish will make it as good as new!). Here you can see that each holster is sized for the gun it is intended to support. The LC9 holster is on the left of the photo. I will mention that my Kahr PM/CM 9 fits nicely in the LC9 holster with the extended magazine with just the slightest wiggle room at the top. Not ideal, but it certainly works. Pete does make a holster especially for the Kahr PM/CM9 without the extended magazine. Maybe they’ll read this and do a little re-tooling. Either way, I highly suggest you get your hands on one of these. It’ll make your EDC easier than all that shirt stuffing you’re doing now.
To view more information or purchase one visit Sneaky Pete Holsters.
At least for the Glock 19 I was able to add a trigger laser to my pistol and still use the same Sneaky Pete holster — a forward mounted laser/light would not have worked.
I camouflaged my plain black SP holster with vinyl lettering spelling out a well-known phone/tablet company. That worked well, but when the letters got worn and ragged, I decided to replace them with one of SP’s “First Aid Kit” patches.
I’ve had several people (I think they had been drinking) come up and ask me if it ‘really was a 1st aid kit.’ Calling attention to the holster really defeats the purpose. SP should skip those sales ploys and work on meeting the other needs of their customers.