Wait! Before you spend your hard-earned cash on a heavy-duty, hard pistol case, you should consider purchasing a soft pistol case! There are many benefits that come with a soft case. Whether you’re transporting a single weapon or multiple handguns with magazines, you can find a great option in this review of the best soft pistol cases on the market. As always, we’ll tell you which was our favorite case at the end of the review.
 Top Pick | Bulldog Cases Pistol Rug |
| $23   Shop NowClick to read my review |
 Best Budget Buy | Uncle Mike's Medium Pistol Rug |
| $8   Shop NowClick to read my review |
 | Allen Torrey Pistol Case Black |
| $17   Shop NowClick to read my review |
 | VISM by NcStar Discreet Pistol Case |
| $15   Shop NowClick to read my review |
There are a couple of reasons why many gun owners choose a soft pistol case over a hard one. The first reason is that they are significantly easier to stow away. You can slide a pistol rug into a backpack, or you can carry a lightweight case that holds multiple pistols without straining your shoulder. The other reason is that soft cases are way, way cheaper than hard ones. Unless you’re checking your pistol case on an airline flight, you should feel safe looking into a trusty soft pistol case!
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Things To Consider When Buying Soft Pistol Case
When it comes to selecting the right pistol case, always check what is truly appropriate for your needs and avoid wasting money on buying the wrong item.
Size
Whatever case you choose, make sure it’s the right size for your gun. It’s not good to be too big or too small. So it’s best to double-check to see what should work for your handgun. It’s an important first step in purchasing a soft pistol case. The single gun case is intended to protect a single gun. They are lighter, more compact, and easier to transport, but make sure the fit is correct.
Locking Mechanism
A soft case will never be Fort Knox, but you don’t want it to be easy to open or rip apart either. Make sure it has at least two zipper handles you can secure together with a padlock.
Padding
Padding should be used to protect your gun from falls, bumps, and sliding around. In the event that any of these things occur, the inside of the case must hold the gun in place. Most soft cases have enough padding to keep your gun securely in place during transport, so you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged.
Security & Protection
To be clear, a soft case will not protect your gun as well as a hard case, but it will provide adequate protection for how it will be used. When it comes to transporting a gun to a distant area or simply storing it in a safe place, a soft case should be enough. But, if it is used for long-term storage or long-distance transport, a hard case may be the best option.
Price
What matters here is that you buy what best meets your needs, regardless of how high-end or secure a gun case lock is. Additionally, there are many soft cases available that provide a nice feature while also being reasonably priced. So you could look into that as well.
Now that we’ve seen the factors to consider when buying a soft pistol case, let’s move on to our top picks.
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The 4 Best Soft Pistol Cases
Bulldog Pistol Rug Black
Materials – The Bulldog pistol rug is made entirely of ballistic nylon. The heavy-duty material is water-resistant on the outside to deflect moisture from weather or for easy cleaning. Two nylon strap handles are attached on both sides of the rug. A full-length zipper runs across the entire exterior edge, so you can fully open the case. Inside the pistol, the rug is soft padding for your pistol that is 1.75 inches thick. Choose between sizes, small, medium, or large for any size pistol or handgun you own. Depending on which size you select, this option is available in black, muddy girl camo, and pink.
Performance – As far as pistols rugs go, we definitely prefer this one over the second option within this review. Why did we include the second choice then? Our answer is the carrying handles. Pistol rugs are perfect for just that one pistol, especially if you’re toting a subcompact or compact. While carrying handles are convenient, they can get in the way if you can just easily grab the pistol rug in your hand or tuck it away in its storage area. However, we prefer the handles, and the exterior nylon on this selection is one of the more durable. Nearly two inches of padding is also a really nice touch. That’s a little thicker than the padding you’ll see in a lot of other soft-carrying cases. Other than that, Bulldog’s choice here is pretty standard. It’s also the cheapest within the review!
What we say – This is the best pistol rug for those who want to use the carrying handles, even with a single pistol. You could also hang the case on a nail or hook when not in use, leaving more storage space in drawers for other things.
- Made of heavy-duty nylon
- Water resistant
- Multiple color options
- Carrying handles may be unnecessary
Uncle Mike’s Medium Pistol Rug
Materials – This pistol rug from Uncle Mike’s is also made of a heavy-duty nylon exterior that repels water. It does not include carrying straps, but it does include a very small nylon loop for hooking onto other gear, if possible. A zipper runs the full length of the exterior edge. Inside the pistol, the rug is a softly lined interior over thick padding to keep your pistol protected. This option here is in a size medium. It accommodates revolvers with barrel lengths up to four inches and large autos with barrel lengths up to five inches. Uncle Mike’s sells size small and size large pistol rugs as well on different selling pages. All options are available in black only.
Performance – As we said, we included this second pistol rug since it lacks carrying handles, which can be unnecessary for some. Even without the handles, this choice isn’t “worse” than Bulldog’s case in any capacity. It’s just a different option. We love how dark matte black the exterior is, making it very discreet and easy to conceal in your car or in a backpack – wherever you’re storing it, essentially. The outside nylon is perfectly water-resistant (at least as resistant as any nylon case can be), and the inside is padded perfectly. The seller page suggests also storing compact weapons within this size case, but we would suggest purchasing the small-sized offering from Uncle Mike’s for your compacts or subcompacts.
What we say – This is the best pistol rug on the market for those who don’t want the carrying handles and want the lowest profile option available.
- No handles getting in the way
- Dark black exterior is to conceal
- Water repelling nylon
- No way to hang or secure for storage
Allen Torrey Pistol Case
Materials – The Allen Torrey Pistol Case is another soft case for a 10-inch handgun with a sturdy polyester interior and exterior. This black case with gray stitching is a stylish mix. It has an accessory pocket where you may keep some of your firearms equipment or cleaning materials. The case weighs 5 ounces and measures 10.5 inches in length, but they also make a longer soft case that measures 11.5 inches if you need more space.
Performance – The Allen Torrey Pistol Case is, in my opinion, a competitive option. A big, zippered pocket on the front of these soft cases is ideal for keeping your cleaning supplies or spare mags. It also has a carrying handle and the main zipper stretches two-thirds of the way around the case, allowing it to open completely and fold flat for use at the range as a pistol rug. Inside the case, you’ll find a muzzle pocket where you may put the barrel or front part of the slide to keep the handgun from rolling about when moving it. For further security, thread a tiny lock through the zipper pull and metal D-ring, and you’ll be good to go.
What we say – This is the best soft pistol case for people who desire a compact soft pistol case with accessory pockets and can function as a pistol rug. It certainly gets the job done for a modest price!
- With zippered accessory pockets
- Lockable
- Main zipper stretches two-thirds of the way around the case to function as a pistol rug
- Carrying handles may be unnecessary
VISM by NcStar Discreet Pistol Case
Materials – This unassuming pistol case is the final option, also made from nylon. Inside the case are two padded compartments with soft lining which can each accommodate up to a full-sized handgun. Also included are six elastic loops, which can transport six double stack magazines or twelve single stack magazines. All compartments are secured with heavy-duty, non-rust zippers. Two nylon wrap-around carry handles make NcStar’s soft pistol case easy to lift and move. They close together with a Velcro wrap. You can purchase this case in black, black with pink trim, blue, camo, green, or tan.
Performance – Did you expect anything less from us? Of course, we included a NcStar VISM product in our lineup! We can’t deny the near-cult following of the brand, and they seem to knock most other brands out of the park every time. What we like most about this option is that it’s easily one of the most discreet-looking cases on the market, so it does its name justice. At the same time, it’s nice to have so many color selections to choose from, although not the most important factor. We also appreciate that NcStar included a Velcro strap to secure the nylon straps together. It’s just makes carrying the case a little more convenient. Though poor stitching has been reported, I doubt it is prevalent in all items. This is still one of the most excellent soft pistol cases available.
What we say – This is the best soft pistol case for those with multiple weapons and wants the best of the best. You can carry up to twelve magazines, and nobody would be any the wiser!
- Low profile appearance
- Holds up to twelve magazines
- Available in many color options
- Reports of poor stitching
Wrap Up
We chose the Bulldog Cases Pistol Rug as our favorite soft pistol case in this review. The simple reason is that it’s a durable and practical case that does the job for just over $20.
In all honesty, all of the selections we picked were great options for any gun owner, depending on their needs. But the VISM by NcStar soft pistol case can conveniently carry multiple weapons, is lightweight and easy to move, and comes in a variety of colors. In addition, the case is affordable and contains two padded pockets with soft lining. Fill your VISM bag with goodies and take it to the range, hunting trips, camping trips, or wherever your heart desires!
