Brigade GunLeather M-1 Hoplon, The Holster I Want For My Remington R1 1911...

...but of course, as my luck would have it, the holster maker has suspended taking orders due to having too many orders already! The holster I want can be seen, along with many others they make, on this page for Brigade GunLeather:

http://www.brigadegunleather.com/gunholsters.html.

Now, I know it would be quicker to just give you the link to the particular holster I want, and I will do that in a moment, I am only linking to that page because it shows the 'no orders for now notice' at the top of the page.

Brigade GunLeather M-1 Hoplon

The holster I would like to get from them, once they start taking orders again, is the M-1 Hoplon. It would be the one in the photo and at this link: http://www.brigadegunleather.com/m-1hoplon.html.

I like almost everything about this holster and only have a slight reservation about the type of belt slot on the backside of the holster. I am used to a flat one not one that sticks out like that but it will do because this is the only holster I can find that meets all of my other criteria. It is similar to the Bianchi Askins' Avenger (I have one of those for my Beretta 92FS pistols) in design of: the holster body, open muzzle end, extra leather strip at front of holster mouth, and the location of its belt slots. It has the addition of a thumb break design which is a very big plus over the Bianchi Askins' Avenger. It also has a lower cut front than the Bianchi Askins' Avenger - neither a big plus or minus for me but it may wind up making my draw a bit faster from it than from the Askins' Avenger. I am debating getting it lined or unlined.

I have sent the company an email requesting that they put me on their list of customers in waiting. I am going to call them this coming week to see if they can give me an idea of when they expect to be taking orders again.

I have done a lot of searching on the Internet for the type of holster I wanted. I have a Don Hume holster (sorry I cannot recall the model and don't have it handy to check on it) for a Glock 19 (used to be one of my issued guns). It was of a very similar design and was the holster I wore for the most years while a federal agent. Like a Bianchi Askins' Avenger, the Don Hume rode pretty high, fit snug to the body, had the added leather around the front of the holster mouth, had an open muzzle end, and was a well made production holster. I liked that holster more than any other I have ever worn, even more than the Askins' Avenger (which I believe is of somewhat slightly higher quality overall) if only because the Don Hume holster had the addition of a the thumb break retention strap. I imagine that the Brigade GunLeather M-1 Hoplon, which as I said has the thumb snap retention strap, would be similar to and possibly exceed the Don Hume, if not also the Bianchi, in quality of workmanship and materials. I hope so since I will be ordering one if they can make it for the Remington R1 1911 (which they do not list but they do list the 1911 5" model and I believe the Remington R1 1911 fits that bill). I can only hope that the holster is as impressive in the flesh as it looks on their website. If I do get it and like it, I will ask if they can make it for the Beretta 92FS also and get one for them too if they say they will make it. Yes I have two of the Berettas but I will only get one of these holsters for the 1911 and one for one of the Berettas as I am not a Nelson Rockefeller or a Bill Gates in the finances department. The one for the 1911 will come first and foremost so I can start carrying that pistol, as soon as feasible, in excellent leather.

All the best
Glenn B