Tuesday, February 1, 2011

MArooned Product Review: Dragon Leatherworks Talon, Redux

I posted my initial impressions of the Dragon Leatherworks Talon pancake holster shortly after receiving it. I held off on an overall review a bit, wanting to "test drive" it more than just wearing it around the house for a few minutes, and gave it a couple of weekends' worth of wear before finishing my review. Two weekends isn't really enough to get the true measure of a quality holster, but I figured folks don't want to wait two or three years for the long-term review...

So. How does it carry?

Close up

There's the Talon in her native habitat, at roughly 4 o'clock on a 1.5" 5.11 Tactical belt. The Talon distributes the weight of a 2.5 pound gun very well - I carried the 1991A1 Compact for most of the day both Saturdays and half of each Sunday, and at no point did I actually feel like I was toting a 38 ounce firearm. It held the gun firmly, did not shift on the belt at all, and generally just behaved itself perfectly. Here's a longer shot:

1911s and LL Bean

Yeah, it does stick out a little - that's what OWB does. Under a sweatshirt or fleece vest, there's nothing showing - I took this setup all over creation the past two weekends and never got so much as a second glance. With proper cover, it's quite concealable - it's just not something you're going to be able to get away with hiding in the summer time. Of course, that's not what OWB is meant for, and someone buying a pancake holster shouldn't expect ultimate concealment.

The beauty of carrying a handgun in an OWB holster is that it is comfortable. You don't have a lump in the small of your back, or an odd growth roughly over your kidneys, or a distinct square lump in your pocket. The Talon distributes the weight of even a heavy gun well - it would be a treat to carry one of the S&W scandium sub-compact 1911s in this holster, with a weight of only 24 ounces - making even larger guns available for defensive use.

The fit is superb - I put the Colt Gold Cup and Smith & Wesson SW1911 in this Talon as well as the 1991A1 compact - holding the gun tight and secure but still allowing a smooth, fluid draw. It's molded beautifully for ~ 4 o'clock carry, settling in on the belt and holding the gun tight to the body with no tell-tale angles jutting out . There is no appreciable "lean" whatsoever - at no point did my cover garment get hung up on the butt of the gun (and that's with the Hogue monogrips, too, which are extra-sticky).

All in all, it's a quality holster at an excellent price - a hearty MArooned endorsement for the Talon!

That is all.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cute ass Jay. What were we talking about?

Robb Allen said...

Let me pile on and just say that yes, this is one comfortable holster.

As someone who lives in a state where OC is frowned upon (unless you're fishing, camping, or hunting) I can't really take it out for a spin safely outside the home, but wearing it around the house I just couldn't get over how comfortable it was. It was almost like I wasn't wearing a pistol as it wasn't jabbing me in the ribs.

And it's fantastic quality!

Anonymous said...

Your mustache is epic.

Also, I'm glad to hear that Dragon Leatherworks makes good stuff.

Anonymous said...

I think Jay needs tighter pants if he's going to be posting his ass on the internet. Just sayin'.

Jay G said...

*facepalm*

Anonymous said...

Instead of tighter pants, perhaps a tasteful camo G-string, with a belt for the holster of course.