What Is A Combat Cut?

One of the features of our holsters - and a feature touted by many other manufacturers - is a "combat cut" to the holster. The "combat cut" removes any material that might interfere with getting a full grip on your pistol as you draw. 

Many of our products are the "hybrid" holster style, meaning a softer backing material is paired with a hard polymer outer holster shell, molded for your specific make and model firearm. Hybrid holsters of previous eras could interfere with getting a full firing grip on the draw. 

You should be able to get a full grip on the gun, with the fingers under the trigger guard and the web of the hand (for semi-autos) under the beavertail/back of the frame, fully grasping the pistol. A combat cut makes that easier by removing excess material. Gripping the firearm as high up on the gun as possible is optimal. If the shell was adjusted to center the beavertail for comfort, it would not be comfortable to do draw practices as the skin between the thumb and forefinger would be repeatedly rubbing against the edge binding.

The beavertail will not be centered on our holster base to ensure the combat cut, and often will be hanging off the edge of the base, as pictured below. 

1911s tend to be the trickiest for the combat cut, as the beavertails are generally more aggressive than most other pistols.

Grip size, hand size and holster style can all impact how well the combat grip works for you. Our established combat cut is very much a "one size fits most".  With our Cloak Series holsters, the more the combat cut is opened up, the trigger guard coverage lessens. 

There are a few options to try if you find the beavertail pressing against you uncomfortably. 

If you are still not 100% set on the exact position that you are wearing the holster, you might try adjusting the cant, ride height and or position of the holster.  The Inside the Waist Band Holsters will have an adjustable cant and ride height, however the Belt Slide and Belt Holsters do not.   The adjustment just might mean a half inch to the left or right, or it might mean adjusting the holster's belt clips to adjust the angle and/or how it sits along the belt line (if possible).  This can be tedious to explore but worth it.  It might mean wearing the holster for a full day with usual activities and seeing if the comfort of the holster alters throughout or if certain activities negatively impact comfort- think of your commute, for example, and how often you are in and out of vehicles.  

With ShapeShift Series holsters, there may be an option to alter the alignment between the Shift Shell and backer:

Altering the position of the 2 screws used to connect the holster shell to the holster backer will change the alignment enough to more center your firearm or open up the combat cut more for larger hands.

With Cloak Series, it may be a matter of retention adjustment if the placement of the holster on the body cannot be altered.  The idea is to reduce the pressure of the beavertail on the body, so using the largest screws and spacers may help potentially.  Depending on your retention expectations, you might try using the largest spacers at the mouth of the holster and relying on tighter retention around the muzzle of the firearm, or, you might try using the larger spacers around the slide of the pistol and having tighter retention along the trigger guard.   These suggestions are going to largely be dependent on where you are wearing the holster and how you want your retention.