FAQ

Standard holsters and carriers are made to order with a 10-day lead time. Level II duty holsters carry a 20-day lead time due to the additional retention hardware and testing. Lead times refer to manufacturing time before dispatch.

We ship by courier across South Africa. Shipping is free on orders over R1,500.

Payments are processed through PayFast, which supports South African credit and debit cards, Instant EFT, and the other local methods PayFast carries.

Contact us as soon as you can on info@highlanderholsters.co.za. Because every holster is moulded to your specific firearm, light and options, we can change or cancel an order at no charge right up until we start cutting it. After that the holster only fits your configuration and cannot be resold, so cancellations are handled case by case.

If you have picked the wrong option, tell us straight away. We can almost always sort it out before the order reaches the workshop.

Every holster is moulded to a specific firearm and weapon-light combination. Check the Available Models page for what we currently make. If yours is not listed, request it on that page and we will tell you where it sits in the queue.

No. We work from our own moulds, so we never need your pistol and you never send us anything. What we do need is for your exact firearm and light combination to appear on the Available Models page. If it is not listed, we cannot make it yet.

Yes. We don't hold generic stock. Each holster is built for your selected firearm, light, carry position and options once you order.

Kydex® T thermoplastic, in 0.08″ (2mm) or 0.125″ (3mm) depending on the model and your preference. Thicker Kydex is stiffer and more rigid, thinner is lighter and more comfortable against the body.

The hood has to close over everything sitting on top of the pistol, so what matters is height, not simply whether an optic is fitted.

Optics. A low-profile red dot generally clears the normal hood. A taller optic housing does not, and needs the large hood. If the hood cannot close over the optic, the holster will not work.

Hammer-fired pistols. Some models go to the large hood automatically, so the hood clears the hammer whatever condition the pistol is carried in. We apply that where it is needed, you do not have to work it out yourself.

If you are unsure, email us the exact pistol and optic before ordering.

The hood locks the pistol in place and is set by drawing it back over the slide when you reholster. To draw, a forward and downward push of the thumb releases it, and strong springs snap the hood clear of the pistol.

The forward and downward motion is deliberate. Other hood designs release sideways or rearward, which fights your firing grip. This one keeps your thumb clear of it.

The pistol can still be drawn. The hood is designed to fail safe rather than lock the pistol in.

Duty holsters are drilled to the Safariland hole pattern only, which fits UBL, QLS and most standard duty mounting hardware. Combat loop is not offered on the duty holster.

If you do not already own a belt attachment you will need to add one, otherwise the holster cannot be worn.

Mid-ride sits higher and tighter to the body. It is lower profile, better in a vehicle, and the right choice for most people.

Low-ride hangs further down the thigh. Choose it if you wear body armour or a chest rig, or run a long-slide pistol.

If you chose low-ride, yes, we strongly recommend it. On a low-ride mount the gap between the belt loop and the hood release button is tight, and the QLS spaces the holster out so your thumb has proper room to work the hood.

Otherwise it is optional. It is worth having if you run more than one pistol or holster, since it lets you swap holsters on one belt mount in a second.

It stops the holster lifting and swinging when you draw, run, or wrestle for the weapon, and keeps it in the same position every time so your draw stays consistent. If a holster has ever shifted out of position on you, this is the fix. Strongly recommended with a low-ride UBL.

It is our own design, a small plate between the holster and the thigh strap. It drops the thigh strap lower and lets it move, so the strap stops riding up and catching in the crotch, which is the difference most people notice first.

It also lets the holster swing with your leg instead of being locked solid, so you can bend, sit, drive or run without it twisting out of place. It needs a thigh strap to work.

Flush it with clean water if it gets dirty, and let it dry. It has no spring-loaded balls or lubricated steel plates, so it needs no oil or grease. Do not oil it.

Measure your belt, not your trouser loops. A 1.5 inch clip suits most standard belts, including the majority of gun belts sold in South Africa. Choose 1.75 inch only if your belt genuinely measures 1.75 inches, which usually means a heavier duty or competition belt.

A clip that is too wide lets the holster shift around on the belt. One that is too narrow will not go on at all.

The claw presses against the inside of your belt and rotates the grip of the pistol in towards your body. That is what stops the grip printing through a shirt, and it is the single biggest factor in how well an appendix holster conceals.

Yes. The holster is shirt tuckable, so your shirt goes over the holster and under the clip.

The clips can be set in three positions, which raises or lowers how deep the holster sits in your waistband. Higher is easier to draw from and slightly less concealed. Lower conceals better and is generally more comfortable seated. Try all three before settling.

Yes. Two J-clips are supplied as standard, which is more stable on the belt than a single clip.

Yes. The holster indexes and retains off the weapon light rather than the pistol, so it will not hold the pistol correctly without the light attached.

No. The shell is moulded to one pistol and light combination. If you change your light you need a new holster. Worth thinking about before you order if you are still deciding between lights.

Yes, and usually faster than it wears the pistol. See the wear section below.

Yes. Same claw, same three ride height positions, same two J-clips, shirt tuckable, and the same colour and clip width options.

OWB holsters can be drilled to either.

Safariland takes a UBL, QLS and standard duty hardware. More options, more adjustment, more cost.

Combat loop threads straight onto your belt. Fewer parts, less money, and it holds the holster higher and closer to the body, so it is tidier and less prone to swinging.

Choose whichever matches hardware you already own. If you are starting from scratch and just want the simplest thing that works, the combat loop is it.

Not really, and that is not what it is for. Even on a combat loop, which sits closest to the body, the pistol is still outside the belt and will show under a shirt.

OWB suits the range, the farm, open carry, and beginner to intermediate competition. If you need concealment, look at the appendix IWB holsters instead.

0.08″ (2mm) is lighter and available in all colours. 0.125″ (3mm) is stiffer and more rigid, and is black only. For hard use or a heavier pistol, go 3mm.

Yes, that is what the QLS is for. One half bolts to your belt mount and the other to each holster, so you can pull one holster off and click another on in a second. One belt system, multiple holsters.

It fits most double stack 9mm and .40 magazines, including Glock, CZ, Canik and similar. If you run something unusual, ask before ordering.

Forward, as standard. If you want them facing rearward instead, select the opposite hand to your dominant one when you order. So a right-handed shooter who wants rounds facing rearward selects left hand.

Yes, using the MRD (Magazine Retention Device).

Both are available. Choose the appendix IWB variant to carry it concealed alongside an IWB holster, or the hip OWB variant for the belt.

It suits almost all torches with a 1.0 inch body. If yours is larger or an unusual shape, ask before ordering.

Far less than a holster would. The carrier is flock-lined with a velvet-like surface that sits gently against an anodised body, rather than gripping it tightly the way a moulded pistol holster does.

Rinse by hand or run it through a dishwasher. Avoid solvents.

Yes, and this is the single most common maintenance issue we see. Kydex flexes every time you move, and that constant working will back retention, clip and mounting screws out over time.

Apply a medium strength threadlocker such as Loctite 243 when you first fit the holster and again whenever you adjust the tension, then check the screws periodically as part of your normal gear check. Do not use a high strength permanent grade, as you will not be able to adjust the holster afterwards. If you do lose a screw or a clip, contact us and we will send replacements.

Yes. A new holster is meant to feel tight and will loosen slightly as it beds in. Adjust the tension screws once it has settled, then threadlock them again.

See our Holster Setup & Instructions page. As a rule, keep the shell clean and free of grit, and keep the screws threadlocked and checked.

Yes. Kydex is a hard thermoplastic and every holster is moulded tightly to one firearm and light combination. That close fit is what gives you retention and a repeatable draw, and it is also what wears the finish. Contact points on the slide, frame and muzzle burnish first and then wear through with use. This is normal for a working holster and it is not a defect.

Usually faster than the firearm. Weapon light bodies are typically anodised aluminium, which marks more readily than a slide finish. On light models with very few retention points the holster grips a small area, so the wear concentrates into one or two spots rather than spreading out.

Yes. Any holster worn on the body picks up dust, sand and lint, and trapped particles cut into a finish far faster than clean Kydex does. Rinse the shell with clean water and let it dry fully whenever it gets dirty. Do not oil the holster and do not use solvents on it.

No. Finish wear on a firearm, weapon light or optic is normal use of a working holster and is not covered by returns, refunds or warranty. If you own a firearm or light that you need to keep unmarked, do not carry it in a Kydex holster. You are asked to confirm that you understand this before you check out.

Kydex is tough, but it is a wear item. Rather than promise an unrealistic lifetime warranty, we offer practical cover on the holster itself: free replacement in the first two years, half price from two to four years, and a quarter off after four years.

Broken clips and loose screws are replaced free of charge at any point, though threadlocker will prevent most of the latter. The warranty covers the holster, not the finish or condition of your firearm, weapon light, optic or belt. To claim, email info@highlanderholsters.co.za.

Because holsters are made to order for a specific firearm and light, please choose your configuration carefully. Finish wear on your firearm, weapon light or optic is not a defect and is not grounds for a return. For our current terms, see our Return & Privacy Policy.

We supply security companies, law enforcement and retailers. Teams do not all have to carry the same pistol, and mixing models across one order does not affect your pricing. If a firearm and light combination is not on our Available Models list, we can develop it, with the design and setup cost waived from 10 units up. See Business Solutions for volume bands.