Galco Speed Paddle Holster for S&W L FR 686 3-Inch

This holster is exactly what it says. I was skeptical by the couple of bad reviews on here. It is a well made hard leather hip holster that can be worn with or without a belt. It is a right handed holster. The reviews that say it doesn't fit means that either they didn't follow the instructions to stretch and fit the holster properly or they don't have a Smith and Wesson 357 magnum 7 shot with a 3in barrel. The holster is a very tight fit when you get it. You have to wrap the weapon in Saran Wrap or freezer wrap 3 times then place the weapon in the holster slowly and let it sit for like 30 mins. Thereby stretching the holster. Remove the weapon and repeat the steps, adding more layers of wrap as necessary until you end up with the desired fit. Works perfectly. Well done. 5 stars

For the negative reviews, which I expect are from shooters with little or no experience...1. Leather has a break in period. Saying it doesn't fit is just silly.2. A .357 is a heavier revolver. Of course you need a sturdy belt. Common sense. It's not the holster. It's the revolver. Maybe go get a .38 Airlite.3. No where does this say it's a CCW holster. Unless you're IWB, it's going to print and ride away from the body.*I'm not sure why more people don't Google or research these things before buying a holster, or for that matter, a gun.

I took a chance and bought this holster based on a reviewer who said the Ruger LCRx 3 inch revolver would fit. Well, it fit like a glove. Yay! The only issue I have with this holster is the paddle is too short. Couple more inches would make all the difference. Fobus figured this out and makes their paddles much larger now, but they don't make one for the Ruger. Other than that the holster is beautiful and very well made.

Firstly I should say, I love Galco and I have many of their products. My 3in 686 fit perfectly in this holster, which was great because it seems no one makes holsters in this barrel length.I also should say I didnt own a paddle holster before this one. I was disappointed. Maybe it's too heavy of a gun for this product, or maybe the paddle design just doesn't work well with the weight. Either way, it shifted constantly and the paddle would ride up and almost fall off my belt. It's as if the paddle is too loose, and doesn't grip onto the belt.Leather quality is great, and I suppose at the range this is fine. But for all day carry I can't trust this product.

After a break in period the weapon fits securely in the holster. For a weapon of this weight you will need a good quality pistol belt. I purchased an Ackers dress pistol belt on Amazon that is reinforced to prevent the weapon from sagging out to the side. Your typical consumer belt is not stiff enough to hold the holster comfortably or safely enough. If you carry a weapon you need to think of a quality holster and belt as a system. Skimping on one or the other will not yield satisfactory long term results. A little extra money paid up front is well worth your comfort and safety.

The leather on this holster is top notch and that is the only good thing I can say about it. The only way I can get my gun in the holster completely remove the retention(?) screw.....even the molded gun shape in the leather SHOWS the gun won't fit because the molded trigger guard shape goes right where the hole is for the screw. The Paddle part of the holster has this heavy gun sitting WAY TOO high above the belt making the gun pull away from the the belt. This leaves a gap between belt and hip that also causes the gun to "flap" against you as you walk.The positioning of the holster on this paddle is very poorly designed. I was able to put this holster on a Blackhawk paddle which carried the top of the holster at the top of the belt. This made the gun MUCH more balanced to carry, add to the fact that the Blackhawk paddle is 1.5 times wider made it even more stable.This rig may be fine for a J frame handgun, but is not good for the heavier L frames. IMO.

Great holster for my s and w 686 plus !! Came a bit tight so I simply followed the directions (blocking) and it fits perfect and snug. It's quality leather so this process can be repeated for an even looser fit if I need.

Was looking for a OSWB paddle style holster for my S&W 686 revolver with a 3" barrel and this holster fits the gun perfectly. Was a little tight when I first got it. After i performed the famous wax paper trick it loosened right up. Holds the gun tightly but not to the point where you can't get it out. Very nice thick leather around the gun. With a plastic slip on slip through belt clip.