Guns: DeSantis Super Fly Pocket Holster review

Pocket carrying a handgun is convenient, and it's my preferred method of carry, especially if I need to tuck in a dress shirt (which rules out most waistband holsters). Unfortunately, since there are billions of pockets in the world, of all shapes and sizes, there is no one perfect pocket holster.

One holster may sit perfectly in the front pocket of a pair of blue jeans; that same holster could flop around like a fish out of water in a large cargo short pocket. Anyone who totes a gun inside the pocket is thus forced on a never-ending quest to obtain holsters for every conceivable garment.

The latest pocket holster I've tried is the DeSantis Super Fly. It's the sequel, so-to-speak, of the popular DeSantis Nemesis line of pocket holsters. If you're not familiar with the Nemesis, it has a tacky outer surface that helps it stay in the pocket during a draw. Below is my Nemesis, cut and modified to fit the S&W 642 J-Frame revolver better:



As you can see, I had to cut off large chunks of the holster that were superfluous, as well as reinforce the barrel opening with stitching. With these modifications, it's pretty much as small as a J-Frame holster can be. What I was finding, though, was that the modified Nemesis had a tendency to fall over sideways in the pocket - it was too small for some pants.

Enter the DeSantis Super Fly. It's like a Nemesis on steroids, with more rigidity, supposedly due to flexible polymer inserts (I can't be sure since I can't feel them inside the holster, but in any case, the material is definitely stiffer). It costs twice as much as the Nemesis - is it worth it?



Well, at least you get more for your money. The Super Fly comes with an ambidextrous velcro shield that attaches to the side of the holster in order to prevent the gun from printing. The shield works okay, but interferes with obtaining a firing grip during a fast draw. I use the shield more for when I have a particularly large pocket to fill, like an outer jacket:



Here's the holster with the shield off:



The Super Fly fits the J-Frame quite a bit better than the default, unmodified Nemesis - there's a little extra headroom for the muzzle and the sides of the gun, but nothing too egregious. Drawing the gun, especially without the shield, is swift and sure.

Here's the Super Fly in a jeans pocket. It rides pretty well, though if you know what to look for, you can probably spot the revolver's grip in this picture:



Overall, the Super Fly is a good holster that represents an improvement over the Nemesis, at least in some respects. Truth be told, I'd get the Nemesis and other cheap pocket holsters first before you splurge on the Super Fly, but it's a good option for those who have a big wardrobe.