I’ve used a lot of pocket holsters over the years. With doing my Pocket Pistol Roundup of 2023, and my ongoing Round 2 series, I’ve been experimenting with even more varieties of holsters. I thought I had found my favorite kydex holsters a number of years ago, but that changed last summer. Our Sean B. recommended that I give Aholster a try, and I’m a convert now. What does AHolster do that makes their kydex pocket holsters so good?
Who Is Aholster?
Aholster is a veteran owned and operated holster maker based in Tennessee. They’ve been making holsters for over 20 years now, but I’ve only been a customer for about a year.
They’ve got a lot of products on offer, from belt holsters, to pocket holsters, to mag and speedloader pouches, to revolver speedloaders too. Our topic today are both of Aholster’s pocket offerings, the Pocket Aholster and the Pocket Backbone. Both holsters are very similar, with the Pocket being their standard pocket holster, and the Backbone being a skeletonized version of that holster, albeit only available for revolvers.
Before getting into the holsters themselves, I’d like to talk about communication and lead times. I placed my first order with Aholster last Spring, and made an error when doing so. The owner of the company (Alan) was extremely quick to contact me, and to assist with fixing the error. Like all of the great holster makers, having good customer service is paramount, and having an actual person to hear from is extremely important too. Lead time was estimated at 2-3 weeks on both of the occasions that I’ve ordered holsters from Alan, and they were made, shipped, and delivered within that window both times.
AHolster has the good qualities for the behind-the-scenes of a great holster maker. What about the holsters make them so good?
The Pocket Aholster
The Pocket Aholster is the holster that the company is really known for. It’s a simple kydex pocket holster, but it works really well, and is constructed wonderfully too. Alan offers the Pocket for a ton of guns (basically any small or midsize gun on the market), and I’ve got four of my own.
Both holsters are made in the same method, with a single piece of kydex that has been folded and molded around the gun. Retention is merely a loose friction fit, as your pant pocket is meant to be the securing factor. It’s also a really easy design to draw and use.
To draw with the holster, it’s as simple as forming the grip on the gun, and pulling it out of the pocket. There are two hooks on the holster (one at the top and one at the bottom), which are designed to catch the seam of your pants as you’re pulling the gun out. I’ve found that it’s a hard draw to screw up, and is pretty consistent with most pairs of pants.
When choosing a holster, you do need to choose whether it’s going into a right or left pocket. Alan molds the holsters to follow the contour of your pocket/thigh, so make sure that you select the correct one.
Cost for the standard Pocket Aholster is $39.97, and you can get it in a few different colors. I like black, so I have black holsters.
What if you want a slightly thinner Pocket Aholster for your wheelgun?
The Pocket Backbone
The Pocket Backbone is really simple. Take the revolver holster, and do a cutout where the cylinder is. This makes the profile a little thinner in the pocket, which is always nice.
Aside from the cutout, it’s the exact same holster as the normal Pocket. I like these for my Airlight S&W guns, as with the aluminum cylinders, I don’t have any rust issues when I sweat on the cylinder.
Price for the Backbone is a little more than the Pocket, at $43.97. You’ve got 13 revolver options, and 4 colors of kydex. I took the Henry Ford approach for mine.
How is the shooting performance with the Aholster designs?
Shooting Performance
I don’t have much to say here. The Pocket and Backbone are both really easy to use. Reach into the pocket, form the grip, yank the gun out, and start shooting. These are easily the simplest pocket holsters that I’ve ever used.
One nice element of the Aholster design is that it seldom leaves your pants on a draw. I’ve had plenty of pocket holsters that go flying once you draw, and these don’t do that. Very nice for getting reps in at the range.
For actually putting the gun into your pocket, my recommendation is to put the gun into the holster, and then put the entire unit into your pocket. For shooting the your gun at the range, I’d recommend this technique, rather than trying to fish a loaded gun into the holster in your pocket.
So the holsters are easy to use. How well do they roll into your Every Day Carry?
EDC Use
If I have regular pants on (not gym shorts), I’m generally packing a second gun in a pocket. With the Aholster designs, it’s really quite pleasant.
For kydex holsters, I’ve always found that they work better in lightweight material pants. I’m generally in light to medium weight khakis, which leads to great carriage with the Aholsters. Whether I’m out running errands, working in the workshop, or going hiking, the gun is comfortable in the Aholster, and is staying upright in my pocket.
Another use that I’ve found for the holsters are inside of bags. With the flat bottom of the holster and the grommet there too, the Pocket and Backbone do great in a single bag or fanny pack. I lash a little paracord through that grommet, and attach it to some point in the bag. The drawstroke is the same, but with the rope yanking the holster off, rather than the two hooks. In my Osprey Daylite, or another good fanny pack, it works great with a revolver.
The gun is going to be the lion’s share of the weight for carry, but the holster weight matters too. What are the weights of the Aholster rigs?
Pocket Aholster Weights
These weights are for the holster only, and with the holstered guns fully loaded. For the autoloaders, this means the flush-fitting mag, and a round in the chamber.
- Glock 42 (7 rounds of Hornady XTP 90 gr)
- Holster Weight: 1.6 ounces
- Loaded Weight: 17.7 ounces
- S&W BG 2.0 (11 rounds of Hornady XTP 90 gr)
- Holster Weight: 1.3 ounces
- Loaded Weight: 16.5 ounces
- Ruger LCP Max (11 rounds of Hornady XTP 90 gr)
- Holster Weight: 1.3 ounces
- Loaded Weight: 15.7 ounces
- S&W 442 (5 rounds of Federal Gold Medal Match 148gr wadcutter)
- Holster Weight: 1.3 ounces
- Loaded Weight: 19.1 ounces
The G42 holster is a little heavier due to the extra kydex to cover the longer gun. No surprise there.
Pocket Backbone Weights
Since the Backbone is only for revolvers, the weights are for the holster itself, and the wheelgun with a full cylinder.
- S&W 43c (8 rounds of Federal Punch 29gr)
- Holster Weight: 1.6 ounces
- Loaded Weight: 13.4 ounces
- S&W 351c (7 rounds of CCI Maxi-Mag 40gr)
- Holster Weight: 1.6 ounces
- Loaded Weight: 14.2 ounces
The Backbone weighs a little more than the normal Pocket, despite the big cutout. The kydex has been made thicker around parts of the holster to reinforce it, which is where that extra weight comes from.
Overall, the Aholster Pocket holsters are really lightweight rigs. I can dig that.
Do I have any gripes with the holsters?
One Gripe
My only gripe comes when carrying the with the J-frame Pocket Aholster.
The cylinder is just ever-so-slightly uncovered at the rear. The design isn’t bad, it’s just that the sliver of cylinder there will catch sweat in the pocket, and will rust the gun. This is much more of an issue with the 442 and its carbon steel cylinder, but an extra quarter inch would fix that. Minor gripe, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it.
Aside from this gripe, I’ve got nothing negative to say about the Aholster line.
The Verdict
You saw the title of the article. Aholster has become my favorite line of pocket holsters. They do nearly everything perfectly, and are offered for a ton of guns. I’ve got one for every pocket pistol that I started testing in 2024, and they get used a ton. The Pocket is my go-to, but the Backbone is great if you’ve got a stainless wheelgun, or an aluminum/titanium/scandium one.
I’ve not got much more to say. I love these holsters, and would easily recommend one if you are in the market for a great pocket holster.
Video Work
While writing is my primary way to provide you with information, I’m also making videos over on YouTube. You can find that work over at my channel, linked here.
I’ve got a video overview of the AHolster pocket holsters, which you can find down below!
Additional Reading & Patreon Link
Looking for information about concealed carry and holsters? We’ve got plenty of articles covering that!
- Conceal Carry: Comforting or Comfortable? Why Not Both?
- Much Ado About Holster Length
- Harry’s Holsters Infiltrator Review
If you’d like to support me on Patreon, I’ve got the link for that here. Nearly everything that I do on Primer Peak is paid for out of my own pocket, and my content is not shilled or driven by manufacturers or companies. If you decide to donate, I’d really appreciate it, as it would allow for me to continue to bring you quality work.
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