Stay Ready Gear Full House

AIWB Holster Review

I was looking for a light bearing concealable holster for my issue P2000 plus Streamlight TLR7, and I decided to buy a traditional AIWB design from Stay Ready Gear. Joe from Stay Ready Gear had asked me to review the Full House, so when I bought the Trey holster for my own use, and Joe shipped a Full House along with it for a review. There is no Full House for the P2000 + TLR7, so I needed both. Worth noting, the Full House is is available for the G19 + TLR7, which will be my preference when I get issued a Glock.

I’ve been using it for a while and I can offer a real review, so here goes:

BLUF: The best way to carry Appendix Inside the WaistBand (AIWB)

The Full House has converted me to AIWB carry. I’ve tried a few different AIWB holsters with smart designs and features, but never really liked it. My main complaint is that the bottom of the holster tends to push or dig painfully into the inguinal area when sitting with an AIWB holster positioned to the strong side of the centerline. The Full House solves this issue by straddling the centerline and distributing the “footprint” of the holster. I usually carry with a ratchet style belt, which enables me to loosen the belt and hike the holster up slightly when sitting for extended periods. This causes the gun to print, but is a huge comfort improvement during extended drives.

I had been carry carrying the Stealth Gear USA kydex hybrid at 3:30-4:00, and was content with it. Carrying on the hip does have disadvantages, including sitting on your gun when seated, not only uncomfortable in and of itself, but also contributing to longer term discomfort originating from long hours of duty belt wear sitting in a vehicle. Furthermore, the accessing the weapon is slower and more involved. It takes more practice to make sure the cover shirt clears the grip, as well as potential for snagging on seatbelts, etc.

On the other hand, The Full House keeps the gun and a reload front center for faster, more instinctive draw. I’m very conscious about potential weapon takeaways, so I appreciate that the weapon is in the wearer’s peripheral vision and away from others’ reach, particularly when bending over et cetera. The Full House moves the holster from the hip, which means the wearer doesn’t sit on it, but also means the weapon doesn’t bulk, pull or print asymmetrically, which compromises both concealment and comfort.

I’ve carried with the Full House in a wide range of clothes, with multiple belts and during tasks ranging from plain clothes on-duty wear to grocery shopping with a toddler. A quick note on belts: my go to is a ratchet style, because it allows me to adjust the holster on the fly, but the buckle on top of the holster can print, whereas a lower profile belt, like the Emdom Adam, Velcro or G-Hook style prevents the buckle from printing. Simply put, I carry with the Full House whenever possible, and it’s my favorite holster.

I warned Joe that I would be honest, so I’m not going to skip the downsides. Comfort and concealability can depend on body type. I’ve never been accused of being skinny, and the holster generally rides comfortably, but the AIWB design means that extra tacos and donuts can cause the holster to dig more than a hip rig. Conversely, slim builds may find that the bulk of the holster front and center might prove difficult to conceal.

I think the “stock” configuration of the clips could be tweaked. I relocated the clip from over the mag to the support side to better pull, the holster into an even curve across the abdomen. This isn’t a big issue, I tweak all my holster some way or other, but it leaves an ungrommeted hole. The top edge of the holster is also a bit even. These last two are cosmetic details that will never be seen. Usually I roll my eyes when reviewers make similar issues, but I told Joe I’d be brutally honest, and that’s about all I got.

I moved one of the clips to the outside of the magazine to putt the holster in just a little more.

For my final test of the Full House, I took it on vacation. I believe the truest test of a concealed carry holster is flying armed. Obviously this is a pretty exclusive club – Federal Agents, Flight Deck Officers and Law Enforcement in certain circumstances – but the cramped, inherently uncomfortable environment paired with the importance of discretion is a challenge. The Full House rose to the challenge; all the advantages of the holster combined into a great solution. There’s a lot of kydex on the market, but the Full House is definitely a prime option.  Get it because it’s a great holster, get it because Joe is a fellow LEO, and get it because it’s Migra Gear approved!

When you head over to stayreadygear.com use MIGRAGEAR10 for 10% off!

Fine Print: This is an unpaid, review about gear I evaluated upon request.  I do not receive any compensation for use of my promo code. My opinions and endorsements are my own and do not represent my employer. I run my IG @migra_gear and post reviews here on Black Sheep Warrior to give end users useful advice on gear and to give credit where due for well-designed and quality made gear.