Falco Holsters, a Slovakian company, offers a wide variety of holsters with fits for a great deal of handguns spanning many different makes and models. Among these holsters is the Falco A-107, a classically-styled IWB (Inside The Waistband) straight-drop, leather holster with an old-school flair.
Given the recent work I’ve done with the MAC MEU(SOC) 1911 pistol, I picked up a black Falco A-107 to pair with this pistol. Since both the pistol and holster have an old-school vibe, they complement each other well.
Falco A-107 Holster Overview
A-107 holsters are made from two pieces of leather, and ship dyed either brown or black. The first is the single piece that folds over to create the holster’s body. The second piece is stitched over the first and is cut out to create a pair of soft snap loops that are used to affix the holster to the belt. This piece of leather, with the rough-out facing out, also reinforces the area over the “sweat guard” off the main holster body. I welcome doubling up over the sweat guard area, especially with a 1911 pistol, because it’s also the spot where the thumb safety protrudes the most. It really helps things, especially with an extended thumb safety such as the King’s Gunworks 201-A that’s part of the classic MEU(SOC) build.
Regardless of the finished color, all leather must be dyed. Because my holster is matte black, its edges are painted with a light grey color. Similarly, the A-107’s stitching matches and contrasts against the black dye. As a means of attachment, the A-107’s belt loops are long enough to work with standard-width 1.25- or 1.5-inch wide gun belts.
Falco A-107 Carry Mechanics
I was drawn to the A-107’s generally vertical and neutral layout. As an IWB holster, this orientation lends itself better to appendix inside the waistband (AIWB) carry, my preferred form of concealment. Not only is AIWB the position I’m the most versed in, but it’s more challenging for me to conceal pistols from the traditional IWB behind-the-hip position. My concealment issue is magnified when trying to carry guns with full-length grips, like 1911s. With this holster, the pistol’s grip can often print too much, and wearing overly bagging clothing or a fishing vest isn’t something I’m interested in.
Good concealment with the Falco A-107, whether it sits behind the or forward of the hips will depend on the wearer and the relationship with their belt and the pants they wear. Because this holster has no wings or wedges, concealing it properly requires a little more attention from the user. Personally, the A-107 started riding better after experiencing some [healthy] weight loss. I do appreciate that the 1911’s longer 5-inch barrel and slide means that the holster comes with plenty of “keel” for stability–at least as far as the A-107 pertains to 1911s.
From a vertical positioning standpoint, this holster seems to work best when it sits as low as possible (which is why the weight loss helped me). In my case, it appears that the inguinal crease helps indirectly support the holstered handgun.
I do wish this holster’s molding was a little bit more defined, as good molding helps with retention and structure. Likewise, I wish the sight channel also had a little more definition. Standard-height sights fit just fine, but they may drag depending on entry angle while re-holstering.
Drawing And Holstering From The Falco A-107
Some leather holsters need to break in period to fit their respective guns, not unlike baseball gloves do with your hand. Falco included a “holster break-in kit” with my A-107. However, in my case, I didn’t really need to use it as the holster was not overly tight right out of the box. My break-in process was minimal: I just left the MEU(SOC) inside the holster and parked them together in my safe for a week or two. I found it helpful to slide various 1911s in and out of the holster in order to wear away at the rough-out. With the MEU(SOC), it was initially quite “grabby”. My smooth-polished Colt Competition 1911 has a slightly smoother draw. I know more reps will make this a non-issue.
The Falco Holsters A-107s doesn’t really have a retention mechanism, so the best way to modulate pistol retention is by playing with the belt’s tension around your waist. Similarly, to be extra safe, I like to slide my support hand’s thumb behind the holster to support it as I slowly and methodically re-holster my gun. Remember, re-holstering is not a race and this is a sensible move to make sure the gun returns safely.
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