I noticed a lot of guys use the Tactical Tailor single 5.56 mag shingle for a holster and was curious if it works just as well as a holster or is more a "well, I can wedge a pistol in in" solution?

I have been thinking of slapping a holster or mag shingle on my chest  rig and attaching some pistol mag pouches on the front.  The TT single shingle is deifnitely cheaper, but I wondered if it really was that secure and I am assuming the bungee consdierably slows down the draw time.

for hard field use i wouldnt trust it.  i dont even trust a thumb break, i like an airborne strap.  depends on what your going to be doing.

I don't think you'll need to use the bungee over the mags if you don't want to.

I just got mine, and I think they stay in there pretty firmly, but I haven't used them while running yet.

Quoted: I don't think you'll need to use the bungee over the mags if you don't want to. I just got mine, and I think they stay in there pretty firmly, but I haven't used them while running yet.

LOL, I suspect you only read hlaf of the header and skipped most of the body of the text.

The question was not if the TT single mag shingle worked well with mags, but rather how well it worked as a holster.  

If you hook the bungee over the grip safety, the gun's not going anywhere. Not as quick access though--I usually just hook it over the firing pin area of the slide. I wouldn't be too worried about losing it and won't be buying a dedicated holster.

I have used it, or one of mine several times for carrying either a full sze, or an alloy framed Commander and it works like a charm.  Obviously not like having another holster, but works really well for a pouch that has a completely different intended purpose.  Security is A-OK and I have never had a worry about losing a gun. Yes the strap isn't as quick as a thumb break, but that con be altered. Like most, just my 2cents.
Ciao
Bikeboy

Personally, I really hate holsters that do not allow you to obtain a firing grip on the pistol while it is in the holster. Since the TT shingle uses a bungee retention, I don't see how that would be possible. Are you looking to just carry a pistol around or do you need to be able to access it under time pressure? If it is the first, then I imagine the shingle would work just fine. If it is the second, then I'd look at the TT holster.

I currently have a Bladetech, TT, and Blackhawk M4/lflap holster all designed to be mounted onto MOLLE rigs. The Bladetech is a great holster; but a crappy mount that only works as a crossdraw on the chest. I modified the mount with a SERPA plate; but that has still been a problem as most of the weight is about the mount plate and it flops around. The BHI holster is basically a regular MLCS-style double M4 pouch with one end sewed for a barrel and a velcro thumb break included. It isn't any different from sticking a gun into a mag pouch really and I don't care for it, though it secures to the PALS webbing well.

I just got the TT to remedy defects in the other two and haven't had time to check it out yet. It secures to the webbing better than the Bladetech and lets me get a full firing grip which were two of my biggest complaints so far. It looks like the thumbbreak could potentially slip off the pistol though and the thumbbreak is the only thing holding it in. So time will tell on that...

Quoted: Personally, I really hate holsters that do not allow you to obtain a firing grip on the pistol while it is in the holster. Since the TT shingle uses a bungee retention, I don't see how that would be possible. Are you looking to just carry a pistol around or do you need to be able to access it under time pressure? If it is the first, then I imagine the shingle would work just fine. If it is the second, then I'd look at the TT holster. I currently have a Bladetech, TT, and Blackhawk M4/lflap holster all designed to be mounted onto MOLLE rigs. The Bladetech is a great holster; but a crappy mount that only works as a crossdraw on the chest. I modified the mount with a SERPA plate; but that has still been a problem as most of the weight is about the mount plate and it flops around. The BHI holster is basically a regular MLCS-style double M4 pouch with one end sewed for a barrel and a velcro thumb break included. It isn't any different from sticking a gun into a mag pouch really and I don't care for it, though it secures to the PALS webbing well. I just got the TT to remedy defects in the other two and haven't had time to check it out yet. It secures to the webbing better than the Bladetech and lets me get a full firing grip which were two of my biggest complaints so far. It looks like the thumbbreak could potentially slip off the pistol though and the thumbbreak is the only thing holding it in. So time will tell on that...

I would choose security over speed.  I currently have several M12 Biacnhi holsters if that gives any indication of my feelings on the subject.

I think you may also have stumbled upon the problem I am having...what I REALLY want is a holster that has a bit more retention than a thumsnap (say a thumbsnap and a flap too) that also has PALS webbing on the front and is MOLLE mountable. The TT shingle doesn't have the flap, but I honestly don't trust snaps as much as the bungie...may slow the draw but the pistol is not going to fall out unless the pouch itself fails, as opposed to a snap coming undone.  One thought was to build a flap for the TT modular holster or even use a spare Bianchi M12 flap (although I would much prefer velcro to the hook thingy.)

I have been fiddling around with gear designs lately, and wht I really wish someone made was a 1911 holster that attached to PALS webbing, had a velcro flap to keep the mud/crap off the pistol most of the time (but the flap could be roleld up ala Emdom mag pouch style), a thumbsnap for non-flap security, and a two-mag pouch on the face which was covered by the flap.

This would give me the option of 1. Full security and cover for the mags and pistol for rolling in the mud or 2.  Pretty much ready to go with a thumbstrap to secure pistol and mags exposed.  

I have yet to find a holster that allows this.

Let me know how the TT holster works.  I was going to place an order with TT in the next day or two and might slap one on to my order.  Too bad the Blackhawk holster doesn't have PALS webbing on front, it would do almost exactly what I want with that an a dual pistol mag pouch with velcro on the face for the flap to attach to.

Make that the thrd product that no one makes which I am going to have to build myself! (followed by an afforable AK mag pouch in multicam, and a bib that allows for easy donning/doffing of a split-front chest rig.)

Well, I run a Hi-Power and the velcro thumb-break for the BHI pouch is crap. I have been unable to adjust the thumbreak to where it will both secure the pistol when not using it and release the pistol when I do want to draw. I think if you were running an M92 or something a bit beefier it might work.

I think one prolblem you are going to have is that the velcro for the lflap would necessarily interfere with PALS webbing on the front. I'll let you know how the TT holster works out.

check this holster out.
sealsactiongear.com/catalog/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=540
only one i can think of with a flap is the military ones, or a blackhawk spec ops.