M3 owners check in !!

i'm looking at a holster for my future M3 and surefire only offers one in polymer. i wanted to know how it has worked out for you? does it scratch up the light? i've heard the polymer holsters do that.

i really prefer a nylon pouch and so far have only found one in the blackhawk line, wasn't a very good pic and by the looks of it i don't think i like it.

comments/suggestions welcome.

I have the Blackhawk holster. It works, but I'm not especially thrilled with it. I prefer nylon pouches like the one Surefire makes for the 6P/G2, or like the Ripoffs pouches.

You can try the Blackhawk 9N Nylon pouch, that's how I carry my M3 however it's not as tight as a 9P in a 9P pouch. maybe a 8X pouch might give a better fit, I have yet to try the M3+BH-8X combo

I'm not a big fan of the V71 combat holster. SOEgear makes a pouch for the M3 as well. I've haven't got a pouch for my M3 yet, I'm still waiting for a friend to do a custom one for me.

Geoff

SOE. Simply the best.

The Spec-ops holster is the way I plan to go, It has a stiffened back portion so it can be reholstered w/o being a pain. Spec-ops is what I ment to say,DO'H/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif

Spec-ops Brand has a decent holster that works on a belt, vertical or horizontal( a good way to carry a light as large as the M3) on a pack strap or LBE with the MOLLE or RACK system etc. and it features what they call the "Shine-Thru" feature which is a nightvision friendly blue lens in the bottom that allows you to shine a less bright, concentrated blue beam out the bottom of the holster for map reading etc. This is the Spec-ops brand not the Special Operations Equipment brand.

Blackhawk also makes a horizontal pouch that has loops for extra batteries that fits the M3, It's called the Duty Surefire Accessory Pouch and looks a heck of alot better than their Surefire Millenium M3 holster( I think the Spec-ops Brand holster is the better of the two nylon holster type) The Surefire Accessory pouch has a full closure and probably the best protection. I don't like the single vertical belt attachment option of the SOE gear stuff as I like to put my light on my pack straps sometimes I also don't like the big *** side release buckles on the SOE.

I carry my C2 in a Sidearmor hard carrier and wish they would release a model for the M3. These are pretty expensive at around 30 bucks a pop, but I like the tension adjustment and bezel down carry. I make custom kydex and concealex sheaths for knives and one for the Inova X5T and haven't worked the bugs out of carriers for Surefire lights, but will soon hopefully.
Later,
TSG

i had a soe gear once and wasn't impressed. it was exspensive as was the shipping charge, and it was defective. soe is not in the running for me.

thanks for the info guys, i'm going to check out the specops.

I have a blade-tech holster on order which I have heard good things about. I'll post more when it arrives!

I bought the SOE M2 pouch, which is basically a smaller size version of the M3 pouch. It took me over six months to get it (not I might add the fault of SOE) and I was disappointed by the design! I should add that the pouch itself is really well put together and the workmanship cannot be faulted but the design just doesn't allow for secure carry. It is very easy for the restraining strap to slip over the bezel of the light during energetic use and in these circumstances the M2 is liable to go 'walkabout' which would not be cheap! I have no reason to think that an M3 would be any different!

Doug

Footnote: I now use the pouch to secure my E2e and KL1 combination. I was worried about the restraining stap doing the same with the E2e bezel but as I always use the E2 filter rubber on my KL1 this has not happend and the rubber acts as a very secure friction fit under the strap.

M3Turbo isn't available yet from anyone I can find...

TSG, I would be interested in anything you might come up with!