Delivering a fine balance of craftsmanship, style, and real-world performance, Galco’s new Masterbilt holsters and accessories hit the right note for those who appreciate premium gun leather
by Rob Reaser
Beginning with the first two humans, whom God clothed with the skin of a sacrificed animal because of their rebellion, leather has served mankind through a multitude of roles. In an era of advanced polymers, carbon fiber, laser cutting, injection molding, and automated machining, hand-crafted leather still sits at the pinnacle of gun holster design and, for many, performance. Leather holsters appeal to a classical firearm tradition — in the U.S. especially — with their unique feel, appearance, and fit. In time, a leather holster becomes a custom mediator between a gun and its master, molding itself to each so that the three become one.
Galco has, for many decades now, been a leading manufacturer of high-end, hand-crafted holsters and their accessories. And while the company has stayed apace with the evolving needs of personal defense practitioners, competition shooters, and defense professionals — as well as changes in handgun designs and deployment applications — it has never let go of its hand-crafted leather heritage.
That commitment to peak quality finds no better expression than in Galco’s new Masterbilt series of gun leather.
For several years, I have carried my MILSPEC 1911 in Galco’s Concealable 2.0 OWB holster, and I dearly love everything about it — the high ride, optimal cant, and close-to-body fit. In fact, it is this holster that made my 1911 a viable option for daily carry. Today, it shows the expected signs of much use, but those scratches and a couple discrete wrinkles add character and witness to the binding “oneness” of a quality leather holster.
Naturally, when Galco announced the new Masterbilt series, I was intrigued and so put this on my “must-try” list.
Per the company: “Galco’s Masterbilt holster series combines our finest-quality premium leathers with the skills of our most experienced craftsmen. The Masterbilt series is the pinnacle of leather holster construction, unrivaled by anything on the market. Masterbilt holsters get their final drying on a last, a solid form around which the holster is dried. They’re ready to go – right from Galco – with little or no break-in required. With detailed hand molding and full-grain leather lining, Masterbilt holsters are not only beautiful, but supremely functional.”
Masterbilt Thunderclap Holster
The first thing I noticed when I slipped my 1911 into the out-of-the-box Masterbilt Thunderclap holster was that Galco wasn’t being hyperbolic by saying the Masterbilt holsters are “ready to go.” My Concealable 2.0 demanded no small amount of effort to fully seat into the pocket as well as a bit of a break-in period/stretching before reaching the ideal balance of retention and draw smoothness. The fresh Thunderclap had no such issues, no doubt due to that final drying step on a last. Between this and the careful hand-molding process, the Thunderclap fit the gun like the proverbial glove with ample retention.
Edging quality is superior. There are no rough spots, fuzzies, sharp angles, or hiccups. This comes from carefully sanding the bonded, multi-layer leather to a uniform contour, burnishing the edges, and sealing them with lacquer. The result is an edge that is ultra-smooth and is resistant to the effects of daily wear.
The draw is slick, and part of that can be credited to the fine leather lining. Constructed of premium, American-produced steerhide, the holster’s interior is as smooth as its exterior. This makes for relatively effortless ingress/egress while delivering the all-important acceptable level of retention. The molded sight rail is also generously proportioned to prevent the front sight from scrubbing or snagging on the leather lining.
Another benefit of the smoothed interior: reduced finish wear on the handgun.
Unlike my Concealable 2.0, the Thunderclap has a straight cut across the holster’s reinforced mouth. This exposes the entirety of the gun from the rear of the trigger guard back.
The Thunderclap has a subtle forward cant. Galco says it promotes a wrist-locked draw stroke. My wrist isn’t exactly “locked” when drawing from this holster, but the gun’s near vertical orientation in the holster allows for a more natural wrist position when grabbing the grip. That said, I haven’t quite gotten used to this geometry change compared to the more aggressive forward cant of the Concealable 2.0.
As you can see, the gun rides high in the holster. That’s great for weight distribution and for those who maintain a more “vertical and flat” midriff. That body profile, unfortunately, doesn’t describe me at the moment (but I’m working on it!). For those with a bit more “roundness” in their dimensions, the high ride and slight vertical cant causes the grip to print fairly easily under a cover garment.
The Thunderclap utilizes the more traditional pancake design, wherein the gun sits squarely in the center of the folded leather pocket. This contrasts to Galco’s heralded forward-molded design, where the two-piece leather construction features a flat back panel with the molded gun pocket on the outer panel. As a result of this pancake design, the Thunderclap does not hold as tight to the body as some Galco holsters like the Fletch High Ride, Concealable 2.0, or the Exotic Concealable.
In sum, the Thunderclap is an exquisite dress holster, fully functional for any outside-waistband application. But if you want the dual function of discreet wear and optimal concealability for a larger-size handgun, this is not your best choice.
Needful Accessories
To ensure a presentable ensemble for any occasion, Galco rounds out its Masterbilt holster offerings, which include four handgun holster styles and three shoulder rigs, with a Masterbilt belt and double magazine carrier.
The belt is made of double-thickness steer hide sporting a snazzy brass buckle that Galco investment casts in its own foundry. This is a flat buckle with a post that slips into the belt holes. This keeps the assembly neat and tidy, with no excessive bulk to get in the way. Quick on, quick off.
I found the 1.5-inch-wide belt to be plenty sturdy for supporting the hefty 1911 with 7+1 rounds on board plus two loaded magazines in the magazine carrier. The finish and stitching work are a perfect, high-end match to the Masterbilt holster and mag carrier.
One of neat things about this belt is that it tapers down significantly from the area right before the adjustment holes begin all the way to the end. This further reduces bulk at the front of the waistline and makes it much easier to thread the belt through pant loops and holster/mag pouch loops. A small detail, perhaps, but it makes a big difference. If you’ve ever fought with super-thick gun belts, you’ll appreciate this feature.
Finally, no kit is complete without a mag pouch. The Masterbilt unit is a dual magazine carrier, built to the same quality standards as the holster and belt. As with the holster, the interior of the pouch has a smooth finish, not the typical flesh-side leather you find inside most mag pouches. The mags go in easily and stay put until you pull them out. Dual belt loops with snaps help distribute the weight and allow for easy on/easy off if you don’t want to remove your belt.
The takeaway from my time with Galco’s Masterbilt series gun leather is that these are fully functional pieces well-suited for EDC use for those who appreciate the best in quality materials and hand craftsmanship. As for deep concealment, the Thunderclap is not your first choice. Perhaps Galco will bring in a Masterbilt version of their Concealable 2.0 holster into the series? Time will tell. Should function and high style be dual priorities for you, then you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option.
