Milt Sparks VMII vs. C5 Leather Montana XLT

As a longtime user of MS VMII holsters, I went out to try a C5 Leather Montana XLT holster for my STI Tactical 4.15.
I ordered the C5 because the shorter wait time (3-5 weeks) and cost ($80 shipped).
I received my holster the other day and ordered on 9/11.
Taking it out of the box, the C5 is a nice holster, and looked similar to the VMII.
Last night I put it on and practiced drawing from the holster.  I noticed that something didn't feel right compared to my VMII's, and looked at my VMII and saw the differences that were affecting my draw.

Here's a few side by side pics.  my SACS 9mm is in the VMII and the STI Tactical is in the Montana XLT:

can you see the difference in the photo's above?

here's some close ups of what's causing the issue:

and another angle.  The sweat shield of the C5 is lower, which prevents a good grip on the gun when drawing.
You can also see that the C5 is thicker and the sight channel isn't as nice as the VMII

lastly i like how the straps on the VMII are attached, it seems to keep the holster lined up on the pants better.

The extra leather that goes past the end of the slide makes it a little less comfy (to me) than the VMII.