Cherries Medina holster for Glock 43 - Review

[SuedePflow]

This Medina holster made by Cherries Apparel is somewhat unique in that it was designed to be a BWB (Below The Waistband) holster. I prefer deep appendix carry, so this WBW holster appealed to me. I couldn't find any info on this forum regarding this holster, so I figured I'd give my review of it.


I ordered this holster on 3/22 and received it on 5/2, so they held up to their 6 week lead time, which is on par with many other holster suppliers.


Upon inspection, I noticed that the "finish" isn't as nice as many of the other holsters I've seen and used. By this, I mean the finishing work. Like all other Kydex holsters out there, the cut edges were sanded/polished smooth. But they left a sharp plastic burr rolled into the inside of the holster in many areas. The Kydex on the interior was wrinkled, not smooth. Not a big deal, but maybe worth mentioning. And the cut on the plastic clip has zero finishing work. It came complete with sharp corners. For a $90 holster, it seems to be lacking in the fine details department and resembled something more inline with being homemade by an average Joe.







So, I insert my unloaded G43 in to see how retention is. Not bad in this department. In my honest opinion, the holster contacts way too much of the gun and retention is a little bit on the high/tight side. But this is just me being picky. The gun fit well, and there wasn't any real issues here.










Next, I inserted a loaded mag, chambered a round, and attempted to reinsert my G43. Emphasis on attempted. It seems that the folks at Cherries were unaware of the fact that the extractor on the G43 kicked outward a bit when a round is chambered. This holster does not accommodate a chambered gun.







At this point, this holster has a failing grade and is going to need to be returned. I contacted Cherries and explained the issue and showed them these images. They believe the error is an isolated issue - meaning they somehow made my one holster without regard to the extractor, but all other G43 Medina holsters have been made properly to account for it... The offered to replace it if I pay to send it back to them. No offer of a freight prepaid call tag...




I mulled it over for a week trying to decide if I wanted a replacement or a refund. I fit the holster on my person to get an idea of how it wore. One thing I noticed is that it felt bulky, which is should not with such a small gun. At the widest point, my gun measures 1.02". The width of this holster measures in at 1.84"! Nothing like adding an inch to the width of your carry piece...! This is due to two reasons. 1) They mold in a raised area for the hardware to attach the clip. And being an ambidextrous holster, this raised area is on the front and back of the holster. These combined add ~ .500-.600" to the holster's overall thickness. If they could figure out a 'slimmer' way to attached the clip and/or ditch the idea of making it ambidextrous, it would really slim down the design and make this a more comfortable holster. And 2), They use rubber spacers between the clip and the holster body. This again, adds thickness and simulates bulkiness. I assume the reason for these spacers is to make reholstering easier. Nevertheless, it comes at some expense to comfortability.


My biggest complaint has got to be the printing. At almost 2" thick and hanging from one side of the holster, it has a tendency to rock the muzzle forward. This causes it to print badly through denim. Again, I believe this would be less of an issue if they could slim down the design.






In the end, I have requested a call tag and a refund. I really like the idea of this holster, but do not like the implementation of it. I cannot recommend this holster until the quality and design improves and the price comes down out of the clouds.



Pros:
Nice body lines in regards to covering the trigger guard and allowing a full grip.
The felt on the outside is a nice touch.
The idea of BWB is excellent and worth improving on.
Retention is effective.


Cons:
Sub-par finishing work.
Not designed to work with a loaded chamber.
Bulky/Thick.
Expensive.
Poor customer service.

[DrScaryGuy]

Good review. I had never heard of these people before, but I'll probably remember them now
You could probably get a different extractor without that stupid loaded chamber indicator. what happened to the good old days when we were responsible enough to just know or check that the guns were loaded? does a nub fix that for anybody?

[SuedePflow]

FYI: They've refused a call tag and refused to credit back shipping both ways. They also said they will hit me with an $8 restock fee, "per their websites FAQ". WTF?

This is the customer service of this company after charging me $97.95 for a holster that doesn't even accept a chambered gun. Buyer beware.

Good review. I had never heard of these people before, but I'll probably remember them now
You could probably get a different extractor without that stupid loaded chamber indicator. what happened to the good old days when we were responsible enough to just know or check that the guns were loaded? does a nub fix that for anybody?

Yeah, chamber indicators seem like one of those things dreamed up by a legal team, not people that actually carry condition 0 or 1 every day. I don't even know if a different extractor exists. But I'm certainly not going to spend more money trying to make this $100 holster actually work.

[DrScaryGuy]

call your credit card company. you made a good faith effort to return a faulty product. if your cc doesn't back you, get s new cc.

And the $8 IS on their website, but that really should NOT apply to faulty products. especially if you're the first one reporting the problem with a new product, they OUGHT to be thanking you.

Q. What is your return policy?
A. You have 15 days after you receive your item(s) to return for a full refund, minus $8 for restocking. Items need to be in very good condition for a full refund. Items will be inspected and you will be contacted on status of refund.