PHLSTER

Light Bearing Enigma (Gen1) – Is Your Holster Shorter Than the Faceplate?

DO NOT CUT YOUR ENIGMA FACEPLATE

The Enigma faceplate is made of a woven polycarbonate material. Cutting the faceplate will cause it to delaminate, and could cause the faceplate to fail. Failure of your holster system puts you at risk for severe injury or death. (It also voids your warranty, which will be the least of your concerns, but still.)

The faceplate will delaminate even if you attempt to seal it with heat. Find out why here. Do not cut your faceplate. 

Tegris is a woven polycarbonate material. Do not cut your faceplate, or you could cause it to delaminate.

Legacy Instructions for Gen1 Faceplates

This article is for first generation Light Bearing Enigma faceplates, which have a leg leash tab that sticks out. Newer LBEs do not have this part, so these instructions are not necessary. (Sorry, we do not sell Enigma faceplates separately.)

What to do with the leg leash tab

The LBE was designed for the Floodlight holster, which accommodates full size lights and duty-sized weapons. If your holster shell is smaller than the floodlight, the leg leash attachment point may stick out past the shell, which can make it dig into your thigh when seated.

When using the LBE with a smaller shell, you can solve this issue by folding the leg leash attachment under the faceplate and trapping it under the faceplate or under the nearest screw.  See the written instructions here for detailed photographs.

NOTE: Normally we say not to crease the faceplate material, however in this specific case, it’s fine. Since this is part of the official product instructions, creasing the leg leash tab will not void your warranty.

DO NOT CUT OR MODIFY YOUR FACEPLATE. See the Enigma Safety page for more details.

Fold the leg leash tab under and trap it underneath the nearest screw. Click the picture for full instructions.

Do you need extra holster length?*

*If you’re carrying a longer-muzzled gun or a revolver, adding extra holster length may not be necessary for you, but for short semiautomatic guns, it’s often helpful.

Guns with short muzzles can be top-heavy and difficult to conceal comfortably. To solve this, some holsters have extra length added to the muzzle end. Like the keel on a boat, the extra muzzle length helps balance the holster, making it more comfortable and easier to conceal. This is especially true if you have a bit of a belly, which tends to push the grip out more and make the muzzle dig in.

Note that while extra muzzle length reduces grip printing, it can increase muzzle printing, which can be a concern with lower carry positions and tight fitting pants such as leggings or yoga pants. 

Learn more about the Keel Principle here.