The primary characteristic that often distinguishes duty holsters from all other holster designs http://www.holstersgun.net is retention. Modern charter compulsion duty holsters are available with varying levels of retention security (i.e. Even I, Level II, Consistent II+, Aligned III, etc.); some security extras are passive (such as retention screws, decoy straps, and Safariland's SLS hood guard accessory), while others are active and call for deliberate manipulation by the officer during the draw (such as traditional thumbreak snaps, Safariland's SLS system and SLS Sentry accessory).
Tactical/Military holsters are frequently made of nylon or plastic. They may be ersatz in a camouflage pattern to rivalry the wearer's uniform. They are often of a drop-leg design. Some military holsters still appropriateness the hoary "flap" design, which is cumbersome and slow on the draw, but provides great protection coverage for the holstered gun against the elements.