What should a person look for to determine what the best J-frame holster for concealed carrying is? There are a few different aspects, just as with a holster for a semi-auto, that a person should always look for in a holster.

After all, there are a number of people out there for whom concealed carry was perfected with J-Frames and other snub-nose revolvers.

First, a J-Frame Holster Should Cover The Trigger Guard

If there is one universal among all holsters, including every J-frame holster one can purchase, it's trigger guard coverage. Almost nothing else is as important.

Adequate trigger guard coverage in a Carry Holster is the number one defense against accidental or negligent discharges. Since a pistol cannot discharged a round without the trigger being pulled, keeping the trigger isolated from any and everything possible is a must. For a holster to do that, the entire trigger guard (or nearly the entire trigger guard) must be covered once a pistol is holstered.

Granted, a J-frame and other pistols with double-action triggers have something of a failsafe, namely the long and hard double-action trigger pull. Requiring 12 pounds of pressure for the trigger to break instead of 6 or fewer pounds can practically dictate that nothing is going to result in a discharge unless the trigger is deliberately pulled. By contrast, a live single-action trigger can be tripped by much less.

A Revolver Holster Should Carry Easily

Revolvers, even compact models, can be a bit more hefty due to all metal construction and as a result, a revolver holster should make carry easy.

A J-frame is smaller than compact pistols, yet can weigh the same amount as a polymer-framed striker pistol of larger dimensions and double (or practically triple in some cases) the carrying capacity. One has to select a holster that, once secured to the wearer via a gun belt, manages the weight well.

Furthermore, a good carry holster should be comfortable. Poor quality holsters don't provide enough of a cushion for a person to carry comfortably, as the carrier will feel the gun through the holster. If you can read the maker's mark through your skin, you have a poor quality holster.

A holster that easily and comfortably carries a pistol once secured via a gun belt is one that the carrier can feel confident in. As a result, a person will be less likely to find excuses not to carry, a common occurrence after a person purchases a poor quality holster.

If a person is going to carry, they should carry everyday. Otherwise, what's the point?

Concealed Carry Holster Means Concealment

Lastly, a good concealed carry holster for a J-frame should make concealment easy. The clips should not be too obtrusive or obvious when they sit on the beltline. A concealed carry holster shouldn't print through garments, though the gun may to a slight degree. A good concealed carry holster should allow a shirt to be tucked over it if need be.

Concealment outside the waistband should be sufficiently high-riding for an untucked shirt to cover it.

A good J-frame carry holster, like any holster, should either come pre-set for the grip cant angle of the wearer's preference, or be set up for custom adjustment. That way, the wearer should be able to set the holster to carry the best way for them, not just how a holster company sets it for. After all, a person who likes how their holster carries their gun is more likely to carry it as often as possible.