Witness Match with rail - SP01 holsters compatible?

[cpa5oh]

I'm prepared to modify a WSM II holster for use with my EAA Match with rail...but then I just got to thinking, would any of the holsters that are made for the CZ SP01 work with the EAA Match with rail? Has anyone ever tried it?

I have a CZ 85 Combat that I shoot in Production...I held it up to the Match and, other than the trigger guard being flat in front of the 85 combat, seems like everything that has to go into a holster is pretty much the same (save for the fact that my 85 combat doesn't have a rail like the SP01 has.)

I'm thinking of ordering a DAA PDR holster made for the CZ SP01 and seeing if it works before I go the WSM II route...it's got a tension adjusting knob to where, I'm thinking, if the Match doesn't fit perfectly, I may be able to just loosen it up before each run then tighten it back up when I'm done so I can paste, keep score, and reset steel without worrying about my gun landing on the ground.

[HostileHabitat]

I took a Blade-Tech hoslter for the Match with no rail and took an embossing gun lightly to it on both sides and stuck the gun in it to push out the sides while the plastic was soft. Worked perfect!

The trick was to take it nice and slow with the heat so you don't bubble up the plastic.

[CleverUsername]

Hennings sells a bladetech for the match with the rail. The match is a bit wider then the sp01, not sure how well that would work.

[cpa5oh]

I do know that Blade-Tech makes a holster for the Match with the rail and that Henning's sells them, but he is out of stock and he's not sure when Blade-Tech will get him new stock. When I look at Blade-Tech's website I see "5 week lead time" up at the top...if I could get my hands on a Blade-Tech, that's what I'd use and that'd be the end of that...as it is, I think there's going to be a wait of indeterminable time and this gun is like the neglected step child of the pistol world while getting great reviews from everyone that has shot one.

I don't know what people have tried and what they haven't tried. In my search of the internet, I found mention of folks using WSM II open holsters (after modifying them - I'm a little bit afraid of that,) a Blackhawk Serpa for the Sig 229, the Bladetech...someone mentioned the itac from a 24/7 OSS (definitely doesn't work - I have one and tried it)...I'm going to try some different things that I haven't found to be ruled out and post the results here.

- Tried a Blade-Tech DOH for a Glock 34 (my backup Production gun) - while clearly not intended for the Match, after loosening the screws to open the holster up a little bit, the holster holds the gun snugly (it won't fall out unless I shake it upside down) and the gun comes out smoothly on a draw (it comes out easier than it goes in.) I don't know that I'd buy a Glock 34 Blade-Tech DOH for the purpose of using it with the Match, but it'll work. Might cause some funny wear marks on the pistol, though, since it isn't made for the pistol.

On Thursday a DAA PDF holster made for the SP01 is going to arrive and I'll post the result. (I've got other use for it if it doesn't work for the Match.)

Edited August 29, 2012 by cpa5oh

[cpa5oh]

Got the DAA PDR holster for the SP01 today. The gun fits and it's secure. Problem is the gun doesn't always want to come out of the holster smoothly - sometimes it's like it's stuck to the lining of the holster. That could just be how the suede lining is until it gets broken in - DAA's website says that it won't release as smoothly as it will once worn in and reviews of the holster say that they had to used oil to make it work. Also could be because it isn't made for this gun. I'll spray it down with silicon spray and try to break it in tomorrow and over the weekend. This should work. If it doesn't end up working out, I'm going to try the BladeTech Speed Rig holster for the SP01.

[jmbaccolyte]

I do know that Blade-Tech makes a holster for the Match with the rail and that Henning's sells them, but he is out of stock and he's not sure when Blade-Tech will get him new stock. When I look at Blade-Tech's website I see "5 week lead time" up at the top...if I could get my hands on a Blade-Tech, that's what I'd use and that'd be the end of that...as it is, I think there's going to be a wait of indeterminable time and this gun is like the neglected step child of the pistol world while getting great reviews from everyone that has shot one.

I ordered direct from Blade Tech because Hennings was out of stock and it took almost "5 weeks". I was worried it might be longer, but it was a few days sooner than they estimated and it fits my late model (plastic grips & bought new in January) Match with the acc. rail perfectly.

[cpa5oh]

Yeah I may end up ordering from Blade Tech before it's all said and done. I did run the DAA PDR holster for the SP01 yesterday in the Limited division. It worked fine, but I had to take it easy on the first inch of the draw otherwise I wouldn't have been confident that I was going to not pull the holster up with the gun. For my skill level, this holster is probably more than fine for the railed Match. What I really want to do is fit up an open/race holster to this gun since that's what everyone around here in the Limited division is using. *Probably* going to order the DAA RaceMaster for the squared trigger guard Tanfoglio's and see how that works (before and after modification.)

[Skydiver]

If you come up with a design for the wedge in the DAA RaceMaster that works with the round trigger guard for the Match, sign me up for at least 2. My experiments with an older wedge as I tried to adopt it for the Match resulted in failure. Yes, I can keep the gun locked in the holster, but the because of the round trigger guard, I could twist the gun about 45 degrees. It's secure in the sense that the gun won't fallout, but I doubt your squad mates would feel comfortable seeing you with the gun swing around wildly.

I tried using some epoxy to fill in the side of the wedge where the square trigger guard normally goes, but a round trigger guard just leaves empty (and thus the swinging). Unfortunately my plastic molding skills with epoxy suck. I'm tempted to someday carve a wooden prototype as a proof of concept. If it does work, I'll see if I can get some piece of Delrin to be milled the appropriate shape. Right now that someday is a long ways off.

[cpa5oh]

I was going to order a DAA RaceMaster made for the flat trigger guard Tanfoglios...and if that didn't work, I was going to try the insert for the SP01. Everyone that has a Racemaster that I know really thought that would work because of the tension adjustment...

Last night I stumbled upon the Safariland 014, which I understand is their latest (early 2012) open competition holster. The product page on Safariland's website is here: http://safariland.com/DutyGear/product.aspx?pid=014 Scroll down from the picture to the area where they show what guns the holster is supposed to work with - you'll see "EAA" with models listed as being "Witness, Witness Compensator, Witness Gold Team, Witness Limited." Witness MATCH isn't explicitly listed, but I have a regular Witness and it seems to me as though the Match's trigger guard is the same as the regular, steel Witness. Then if you do a google search for "Witness Compensator" you'll find some pictures of Witnesses with trigger guards that are rounded like the Match's. So I've ordered one and hopefully it'll be here by the end of the week. $168.00 from Midsouthshootersupply.com. They only showed the black one in stock on their website...that's good because I didn't want a red one. I'll of course report back as soon as I try it...I'll return it immediately if it doesn't work.

Having said all of the above, the DAA PDR holster for the SP01 seems like it works better everytime I work with it. As I said earlier in this thread, the fit is great...it's just that the serration on the slide of the Match wants to grab onto the suede lining which makes it so the gun basically can't come out. I'm not good enough to pull straight up 100% of the time, and I don't want that in my head at the line, which is why I'm still looking for options. I'm going to keep working this PDR holster, though - definitely using it for my CZ 85 Combat going forward, as the gun comes right out FAST for a Production holster.

One last thing - I emailed DAA and asked if they could custom make a Racemaster insert for the Match...they said they'd need the gun in their shop and they do not have one. I imagine sending them my gun is either impossible or next to it. They said there is no demand for products for the Match.

[cpa5oh]

Safariland 014 arrived today. It'll work on this Match w/rail with some adjustment (no modifications...just adjusting it using the adjusting points built into the holster.) The entire trigger guard isn't covered by the holster but the part of the inside of the trigger guard that you can see is behind the trigger and you can't even get a finger in there. Once tightened down (using the tension adjuster hand screw) and locked (using the locking lever) the gun isn't going anywhere. Unlocked and with the tension adjuster loosened the gun will only come out if lifted straight up out of the holster. Not sure if I'd trust running with this in the unlocked position and the locking lever has to be deliberately hit to unlock the gun...but I can't recall any stages where I've had to run with the gun holstered, so that may never be an issue.

Probably would take some time to become faster on the draw with this Safariland vs. a BladeTech or the DAA PDR (SP01 model.) That's probably going to have to do with how I've got the holster setup (you can adjust it infinitely.) Meanwhile, the DAA PDR SP01 model is breaking in to where 95% of the time I've got no issue pulling the gun from it. When I do have an issue with it it's because I didn't pull straight up out of the holster. But when I don't pull straight up out of the holster with the Safariland the gun doesn't come right out, either...so in that regard, both holsters are the same.

[JGus]

I have a railed EAA Witness Elite Match in .40s&w. I also have a Baby Desert Eagle II 9mm all steel model with the 4.52" barrel that's also railed, and I discovered about a year ago that the EAA fits perfectly in the kydex holster I have for my Baby Eagle.

I bought the holster from CDNN Sports. It's a basic kydex, inexpensive holster. But, I also used a Blade-Tech drop and offset attachment that I took from another holster I had and attached the Baby Eagle holster to so that it is dropped and offset. And now I use it for both my Baby Eagle and EAA.

It's kind of a piece meal holster, but it works great and it looks like it all came as one package.

Just a thought.