I have been experimenting with the Smith 327PC as a viable carry piece for the wheelgun savvy shooter for a bit more than a year now. I finally got the stocks/grips situation solved with the VZ N-frame boot grips, and they’re fantastic. After I got all of that locked in, I needed a carry option.

Unfortunately, not every holster works for every gun out there. What I mean by that, is that first, not every maker supports every model of pistol and revolving pistol, and not every holster model works for every handgun. For example, I’m a big fan of the Tucker Gunleather CoverUp, and I have a few for both J and K frame revolvers. For those small and medium frame revolvers, that holster works great. But with the N frame 327, it just didn’t work. I’m a big guy and the footprint of the holster wouldn’t fit in the space between my hip bone and my belt buckle. So the search continued.

I next tried an old favorite I’ve had luck with in the past. Kramer holsters is an American classic builder, creating tough-as-iron Horsehide holsters. Although the rig was comfortable and well-made, the ride height and cant didn’t work for me. It’s a beautiful holster though. The search continued…

I loved the gun, but still hadn’t found a good way to carry it. I had a Simply Rugged Sourdough which is AWESOME for 3-4 o’clock carry on the hip. But unless I’m in uniform, I prefer to carry AIWB. It just works better for my build and how I shoot and fight. I should’ve thought of this earlier, but I emailed my friend Dale Fricke and asked if he could make a version of his Archangel for the 327. I have used a version of Dale’s Archangel going back to the early 2000’s. Dale makes some of the most rugged AIWB holsters around, and he supports a huge number of handguns INCLUDING every S&W revolver around.

The biggest objection most people have to using kydex with revolvers is that they’re hard on the finish. I think that’s probably true with any holster, regardless of material. I have seen high grade 1911’s that have never been in anything outside of a Milt Sparks Summer Special and have NO finish left on any edge of the gun. I haven’t really ever been one to concern myself so much with the esthetics of my tools, so I find the accelerated wear from kydex to be a non-issue for me.

I emailed Dale Fricke on a Monday…and had the holster in less than a week! That’s a tremendous turn-around time for a custom maker, and was a pleasant surprise. I immediately unwrapped the rig, affixed it to my belt, then did a series of unloaded dry practice runs to see how it rode and presented…all systems go! I loaded it up, and hit the trail with my Weimaraner to see how it wore in relatively vigorous waking/jogging/stepping over several miles. No hot spots, no shifting, no tipping, and no idiosyncrasies that cause a commonly overlooked holster issue…the unconscious, “holster check.” Lots of people do a great job of hiding big guns, but give it away with their incessant picking to see if their gun is, “still there.” I work to NOT do that and using sound gear that works as it should makes confident carry easy!

Dale’s holsters are made of thicker kydex than most makers use. This means that while his holsters appear to have less detail molding, they’re actually more rugged and have less edges and angles that create hot spots of pressure when worn. And they still have a positive seat on reholster (an audible, “click,”) There’s a distinct difference these days between the makers who design and build holsters made for actual wear and hard use, and those who design and make holsters that are intended for Instagram photos…know the difference. 😉