As anyone who carries or even just regularly shoots a certain pistol or pistols at the range will know, there’s a mind-boggling number of holster makers out there—from well-known high-dollar brands to mom-and-pop outfits you’ve never heard of outside of that gun show you just went to.
And while I don’t have especially deep pockets—quite the contrary—I have always more or less subscribed to the consumer maxims “You get what you pay for” and “Buy once, cry once.”
To the point, I’d been searching for a holster for the CZ Shadow 2 Compact. Everyone who makes holsters makes one for a 1911 or a Glock. Shadow 2s, not so much.
And after a couple months of browsing websites, online forums, and generally overthinking the situation, I decided to go with one of the mainstays from UN12’s earliest days: BlackPoint Tactical.
BlackPoint’s Leather Wing in particular. The Leather Wing is an evolution of the traditional Kydex holster designed to more readily conform to your beltline. The Kydex footprint is minimized, as they say, where excess Kydex is trimmed away from the holster’s sides and replaced by the eponymous “Wings.”
These wings are supple leather panels that support both the Kydex core and the belt loops, and they give the overall construct a much more pliant form than Kydex alone might. Since the belt loops ride further out on the wings, and not the Kydex itself, it gives the holster both a wider footprint along the belt’s length and that aforementioned pliancy—allowing it to curve with your waistline, enhancing support and concealment.
For the time being, concealment is not such a big issue for this gun, since this is a range-day rig and not currently for EDC. Although it could be easily used for that latter case.
In practice, I wore it all day today at the range and at times forgot it was even there, such that I found myself laying the gun back down on the bench as I am so used to doing.
The holster includes BlackPoint’s standard Sweat Guard, a Kydex panel that extends from the holster’s top and sits between your body and the firearm firearm. It protects you from contact with the gun and the gun from contact with you, and also serves as an indexing point for “ease in holstering.”
As with all BlackPoint holsters, the Leather Wing is made to order and highly customizable. I went with simple black for the Kydex pieces—back and front—and brown for the leather.
For those who want more personalization, the Kydex parts are available in a wide range of colors and with several licensed patterns, including Kryptek and MultiCam. These can be paired with five colors of leather for the wings.
The holster itself can be cut to accommodate RDS/RMR optics, as this one was, and can also accommodate tall sights and threaded barrels. The standard metal belt loops are available from 1.5 to 2 inches and additional loops can be added to your custom order, including DCC loops, IWB loops, or MOLLE clips.
The holster itself can be set for a straight, vertical draw or canted 15 degrees forward. And of course it can be set up for right-hand or left-hand use. Light-mount versions are also available for several BlackPoint holsters, including the Leather Wing.
I should note here that this holster is made to fit the full-size Shadow 2, but it also fits the compact models like a glove (you’ll just have about an inch of unused length at the bottom). The retention is incredible, giving you a satisfying ‘snick’ when the gun slides home.
Although it is amazing out of the box, retention can be fine-tuned via the tension screw included for that purpose.
As noted, BlackPoint holsters are generally made to order, so there is a standard lead time involved in making yours. They are available for a wide range of makes and models… possibly the most we’ve ever seen. For example, in addition to the Shadow 2, the Leather Wing can be had for seven other CZ models.
Whatever gun you carry, BlackPoint Tactical probably has a holster for it.
BlackPoint Tactical
Leather Wing
MSRP: From ~$99
URL: blackpointtactical.com