I had decided to take a low light handgun class this year and wanted to train with both weapon mounted and handheld flashlights. This put me on the search for a holster for my M&P 9 and a tlr-1s Streamlight. Luckily for me, the Gut Level Gear Holster came on line. After looking over the product line, I decided to order one up from Steve Griffin the owner. A little background on Steve. Steve served in the Army for 11 years, a police officer for 20 years and has shot in various forms of competition for over 30 years. That's quite a resume for making a holster that truly works. The years of serving the public as a police officer probably aids in his ability to listen and evaluate your needs for your holster.
On to my holster. I decided on a Guardian Kydex outside the waistband holster. This holster is offered with or without light and with a few different mounting options. You can choose from tek-loc, Safariland ELS or belt slide. I chose the belt slide which seems to work the best for me. Fit and finish were great, granted its not hand tooled leather but nice none the less. Its a clamshell design with two tension screws on trigger guard side. There is no distortion in the bend and all edges are clean and smooth. Belt slide mounting hardware is well away from the gun so no worries of contact. Retention is on the flashlight, mine was perfect no adjustment needed. I carried the empty holster to work for almost two weeks, and gun and holster for 3 weekends. Overall impressions were great. It was well balanced, tucked close to the body and rock solid. Draws were quick and re-holstering was easy. His experience shows through in quality and practicality. The M&P with the light is not my daily carry, but could be thrown into rotation anytime with this holster. I'm definitely ready for my classes now.
Firearms Inside Reviews - 8 Key Points
Claim to Fame: High quality, durability and custom construction.
Target Market: Concealed carriers, sportsmen, competition shooters and armed professionals.
FNB's (Features and Benefits of this Product):
- Thick Kydex
- Solid platform
- Quick delivery
What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?: Black, but most other colors are available by order.
What other are saying: As mentioned above, this company is brand new. No others reviews out there yet.
Price Point:
- $60 (with light)
- $50 (without)
I need it now ! Availability: Contact Gut Level Gear at info@gutlevelgear.com, Facebook, or (502) 548-1729.
Our Rating:
+ Nice heavy gauge Kydex + Excellent fit/finish + Great service + Many styles of holsters
- Has the most popular gun molds now, but may need to order mold for some guns
Score: 9.5 
The quality of work and customer care are top notch. I've since gone back for 2 more, 1 of which was a custom holster for my 2.5" Crimson Trace S&W 642. Highly recommend, its where I spend my money now for Kydex holsters.
