Similar to shoulder holsters, ankle holsters get a bad rap at times. Sometimes, ankle holsters are portrayed in movies with such silliness that the overall perception of this concealed carry method leans toward being sophomoric. That’s too bad because ankle holsters are legitimate concealed carry solutions, provided you have one similar to this DeSantis Die Hard Ankle Rig, an $88.99 offering from a stalwart holster manufacturer. I have used a handful of ankle holsters from a variety of manufacturers, usually to carry a J-frame snub-nosed revolver. But my Die Hard carries a SIG Sauer P238 Spartan, a .380 measuring 3.9 inches tall and 5.5 inches long and weighing 20 ounces. The P238 is fun to shoot. It is not too small but small enough. It carries pretty well in the DeSantis ankle rig but is best as a backup to another gun. Here is what I love and hate about all of it.
Love: Concealability
An ankle holster offers better concealability than most other carry rigs out there mainly because hardly anyone thinks to look at your ankle area for a weapon. You have to wear traditional pants in order to properly cover an ankle holster, but that’s fine because you blend in by wearing nondescript, basic clothes. The DeSantis Die Hard mounts on the inside of the leg opposite of your gun hand. Because I am a righty, that means mounting the P238 on the inside of my left leg. In this location, my pant legs fall just to my shoes, touching the top of my dress shoes with a slight bend in the cuff. If I sit down in a chair, my pants naturally come up a little bit, but if they are sized correctly, the Die Hard will stay covered. The pant cuff rises only to the bottom-most part of the holster as it sits on my ankle. I cannot cross my left leg over my right lest the gun be exposed, but I cannot do that move anyway. However, I can cross my right over my left, which still hides the gun but makes it very difficult to access. Leg crossing aside, most movements I do in traditional pants adequately cover the holster. And since the holster is black, and I usually wear dark socks, there is some additional stealth working for me. Jeans are a bit more difficult since they are not cut like traditional pants, but depending on which pair I am wearing, I might be able to get away with it. Traditional pants or dress pants are the best bet for concealability though, and they allow plenty of fabric and space for regular movement and maximum cover.
Love: Customizable Stability
Most ankle rigs have some kind of hook-and-loop closure to secure the holster onto your ankle. The Die Hard also employs a neoprene band which naturally has some stretch to it. This means you can put the ankle holster on as tight as you need. How tight? Somewhere in the middle. You don’t want the gun to flop or move, and you don’t want your foot to go numb because you’ve cut off the circulation. This will change depending on what socks you are wearing. If there is any chance at all that you will need to run with this ankle holster, DeSantis offers a calf strap that loops around an O-ring on the holster for additional stability. One other notable stability feature is the Die Hard’s thumb-break retention strap. The P238 is not coming out unless I thumb the retention off.
Love: Comfort
Concealability and stability are nothing if the rig is uncomfortable. For the all-important comfort factor, the Die Hard’s neoprene band does its part for comfort, but the key is the sheepskin sewn into the rig behind the holster. This keeps the gun and holster from digging into your ankle bone, which otherwise would cause you to limp around and growl like a pirate. Sheepskin is a soft, comfortable, breathable padding that cushions and stabilizes the holster all at once. Granted, it takes a bit to get used to wearing an ankle holster, but once you do, it is gloriously comfortable. There is no holster or belt digging into your gut and no big gun dragging on your shoulders or waist. The P238 is about as much gun as I would want to carry on my ankle. Any heavier, and people would notice a change in my gait. Smaller J-frame revolvers and other smaller guns would carry even better. Their weight (or lack thereof) contributes to even more comfortable carry.
Hate: Access
What I dislike about this ankle holster is true for all ankle holsters: It simply takes longer to access and deploy a gun. It is no knock against the mostly excellent DeSantis Die Hard. But then again, the point of an ankle holster is to maximize concealability, customize stability and provide comfort. It is perhaps primarily for a backup gun. So, as with most concealed carry rigs, we are back to the matter of compromise. What are you willing to give up in order to gain? When I am wearing the Die Hard (and other ankle rigs), my deployment scheme is to drop to my right knee, pull up my left pant leg with one or both hands, grasp the gun, thumb off the retention and draw. From there, I am at a kneeling position and pretty much at low ready. It just takes longer to get there than with other carry solutions.
For more information on the DeSantis Die Hard visit DeSantisHolsters.com.
Do you carry a gun in an ankle holster? Is it a primary or a backup? What are your insights and tips on carrying concealed in an ankle holster?
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I use this holster for my sig. The problem I’m having is that my magazine is ejecting on it’s own. Do you know what may be causing this? My division is saying that I’m “wearing it wrong” and that I should use the calf strap. I’m calling bullshit on that. There is a magazine release button indentation on the inner foam part of the holster right behind the plastic clip that attaches to the calf strap attachment. Help!
Gene DeSantis has been hard earned for years. I can tell all the old man that I want it is worth every penny!!!
I don’t currently ankle carry, but if I did I would use my Ruger .380 as a back-up. I am in the market for a 9mm for my EDC. My Makarov shoots like an extension of my hand, comfortable and accurate. But it is heavy. And cartridge specific. But a sweet home defense gun. I don’t expect to ever be in an extended gun fight, so I don’t worry about having enough ammo during a normal day. I know where every round goes, although, thanks to my old friends Bob and Weave, they may not go where I wish they had. You can bet if I am reduced to defending myself with the .380, I am going to be very judicious with shot placement.
I carried a .380 PPK in an ankle rig as a BUG when I was in uniformed patrol, but I won’t wear an ankle holster with that direct style of Velcro attachment. I prefer the security of the kind where the strap goes through a ring of some sort and loops back across the ring onto the Velcro. Much more secure system.
My first ankle carry started with a S&W Model 36 .38 Special w/3″ barrel to back up a Colt series 70 1911 in .45 ACP.
My second ankle carry was a Glock 27 in an ankle holster with a Colt Delta Elite 10MM as a primary.
My current ankle carry is a Ruger LCP in .380 ACP with trigger mod/Laserlyte side laser + under barrel auto on light backing up that same Gen 2 1/2 Glock 27, now with a Lone Wolf 9MM conversion barrel, XS F-8 sights & guide rod laser as my primary.
It rarely gets cold where I live but when it does I carry a G19 primary and the G26(27) on my ankle. This is ideal as I only have to carry one G19 spare mag that can be used for both guns.
I like the Sig P365 but am not convinced of its reliability yet given all the problems reported and two recalls, so far.
I’m considering two Glock 43s for both primary & backup with one spare mag for standard carry.
In hot weather when wearing shorts I carry the G26(27) at 3 O’clock and the LCP in a pocket holster or if running, etc., the LCP appendix with a North American Arms .22 Mag in an iPod or cell phone case on my arm, which works surprisingly well. Actually, the LCP fits perfectly in an old cell phone belt case and the NAA mini-revolver can fit even in the ID pocket on my running shorts or swim suit.
When I was on road patrol and wearing long pants this was the ankle holster I carried my Glock 27 back up. I agree with the author about this holster and the one bad aspect of a slow draw. Make sure that the pants are loose enough that you can easily pull up the pants leg to access the gun during a draw.
I’ve yet to find an ankle holster I can use due to almost freakishly muscular calves forcing the muzzle into my medial malleolus, even with the garter strap.
I have the same problem. Calves look like a couple boston butt’s hang’n down there. Anyone make a ‘behind-the-knee’ holster?