Those who know me in real life know I’m a sucker for clever names. I guess it comes from my penchant for puns. So when I received my Galco Gunleather KingTuk IWB for review, I had to chuckle. KingTuk. Nicely played, Galco. Kudos to your marketing team. They did their job. But did the product development team do theirs?
The KingTuk is a classic Kydex and leather hybrid design that has become a mainstay for holster companies offering strongside carriers a comfort option. A molded Kydex shell sits in the middle of a soft, yet stiff enough leather backing. The design has enough stiffness to stay firmly upright and in place but soft enough to mold to the wearer’s side within minutes of installing it on the belt.
Speaking of installing the holster, two beefy plastic clips with serious teeth hold the holster firmly to the belt but offer enough flex for easy on and off over a thick leather gun belt. Unlike a lot of holsters, the KingTuk’s clip hooks are deep enough to also hold firmly on a thinner nylon belt. Not every holster clip does that. In fact, many of the ones I’ve tested are too shallow and tend to pop off over the course of a day, sometimes not even holding at all. Not so with these clips. They held true all day.
The clips are ride-height adjustable with a flathead screwdriver applied to the single on each one. While I like the convenience of only having to adjust one screw, I don’t like the instability it provides if the lone screw comes loose or backs out. I would like to see two screws on each side.
I’m not a big IWB tuck fan, but if you are, the KingTuk is designed just for you. Not only are the belt clips beefy and strong, there is also have a wide enough gap between the clips and the leather backer to easily tuck your shirt in if you prefer that look.
I would like to see some sort of retention adjustment. Leather wears over time, opening the gap between the leather and Kydex. So far, nobody seems to have figured out how to add a retention device to a hybrid (at least not that I’ve seen — if you’ve seen one, comment below). Fortunately, the KingTuk’s factory retention was fine, but I’m sure that would change if I used it longer. Draws and holstering were easy and firm, and the gun felt secure all day long.
The KingTuk is not optic compatible, another feature I would like to see. Perhaps they might change the design as more customers ask for it. However, at $79, the KingTuk is a great option for a comfortable strongside IWB carry.
