The incredible rise in the number of CCW holders has been a boon to holster shoppers. Today, there are more holster options than ever before for folks who carry a pistol on a daily basis. It's great to be able to choose between so many ingenious new styles, designs and materials, but all those choices make shopping for a holster more confusing than trying to pick out a new neck tie.

Choosing the right holster style is a personal decision based on your specific mission, wardrobe and body type. Choosing the right material from which to craft that carry rig is not exactly cut and dried either.

Leather has long-been the pistolero's holster material of choice. But the introduction of Kydex rigs put the smackdown on leather's domination of the holster market. Suede, nylon and injection molded synthetics have further cut into leather's market share. Following is my take on the pros and cons of the more popular holster materials.

Nylon
Ballistic nylon and Cordura nylon holsters are widely used, primarily because they are cheap. That's never been a good selling point to me, but lots of folks must think cheap is a good thing because the flimsy, ill-fitting pistol pouches are awfully popular.

The only nylon rigs I have any use for are those that attach to tactical vests or fasten via hook-and-loop into the pockets of specially made concealment pouches in duffle bags or fanny packs. These applications hide their flaws and are ideally suited to nylon. The only other redeeming qualities I could come up with are that nylon is fairly weather-resistant, fast-drying and easy to clean.

Unfortunately, the list of nylon's drawbacks is lengthy. They soak up moisture, oil and dust, which can lead to corrosion or excessive finish wear. Nylon holsters are flimsy and thus require the user to use both hands to re-holster their pistols. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that most nylon holsters are offered in very general sizes. Consequently, few fit properly. Those crappy thumb breaks that attach via hook-and-loop fasteners to the holster aren't much help, nor are they conducive to a speedy draw.

The oversized belt loops and belt clips that come on most nylon holsters don't hold the pistol in one place on the belt. That makes a fast, consistent draw almost impossible. That slop also allows the pistol to sag away from the body, which makes the pistol's butt stick out and "print"--not a good thing for a concealed carry rig.

Finally, nylon doesn't last as long as Kydex or leather. Quality-wise, Cordura nylon rigs are much better than standard nylon and are usually sewn with long-lasting synthetic threads. New Cordura nylon rigs from companies such as Spec Ops and Tactical Tailor feature Kydex or polymer inserts that give them the improved fit and weapon retention are another step in the right direction, though I haven't seen any models aimed at the concealment market yet.

Kydex
Kydex is, in my opinion, the best holster material that wasn't sliced off a previously living beast. Kydex is a stiff, stable material that doesn't, in my experience, expand or contract enough to make a difference in weapon fit. That means your gun will slide right out of your rig and into action no matter how hot or cold it is. That may not seem like a real-world possibility, but I recently heard of a situation where an off-duty police officer was shot when he couldn't get his pistol out of a cheap, injection-molded rig that had shrunk around his pistol in extreme heat.