All posts in Holsters

We can give you gun holster options, and point you in the right direction

Gun HolstersWe can’t accommodate everyone in this industry because the tactical world is much like the restaurant business.  What do you want for dinner?  Are you for Italian Food, Seafood, going away camping?   There are a lot of advantages with Kydex holsters but we’ve seen so many of them break, that leather still seems to have an edge for longevity, even the cost of various types of leather holsters can vary in quality and features.  I’m still old school with shoulder  holsters, especially when I’m toting a large frame revolver or semi-auto handgun.   The Galco Miami Classics are still very popular with detectives but there are plenty of people buying smaller “off duty” handguns and recently many of our Law Enforcement are looking for Diamondback .380 holsters and Glock 42 holsters.  It always takes awhile for the holster market to catch up to the sales of new firearms but if it’s a good firearm, someone is going to make a holster for it.

If you are looking for leather  holsters, we often point people towards Desantis Holsters, Galco Holsters and Don Hume holsters.   Each of these holsters has different qualities and styles and the vary from expensive to inexpensive depending on the one you want.    If you are looking for inside the waistband gun holsters there nylon holsters like the Elite Survival Systems belt clip holsters which are very universal and fit a lot of firearms and are also ambidextrous.   The Desantis Insider is pretty popular because they are a little over $20 but leather sometimes has its drawbacks in very hot weather.   The new rave seems to be tuckable holsters and Galco Holsters has a pretty big selling rate for the Smith & Wesson bodyguard, check out all of the products we sell and if you don’t see what you are looking for feel free to ask.

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Want a light? No, not a Bud Light, a new TLR-1 300 Lumen one and a Holster that takes it!

Safariland HolstersHandguns with TLR-1Probable the increase in holster sales with flashlights is due to all of the technological advances being made and that they are so  much more powerful and durable that if you have a light on your car, your bike or at your front door, why wouldn’t you consider it on your firearm.   Sure I am well aware of the fact that a light on a firearm should not be used as a hand held light because you would never use a weapon mounted light for searching.    The Streamlight TLR-1S has the strobe built into it and I am already aware of two incidences where police did not have to shoot because they were trained to “strobe” someone and used tacticals to subdue the bad guy without firing a shot.   Strobes on flashlights are not going to do the same as a taser or stun gun, but they can buy you a second or more of reaction time.   As a matter of fact, any powerful flashlight can give you a second or two in reaction time, if deployed properly.

Safariland leather duty holsters and concealment holsters are hands down the first place we go when someone wants a handgun light and although there are good companies like Blade-Tech and Desantis, none of them have the selection that Safariland has.   Recently the more “off duty” holsters have been popular with the6378  Safariland Holsters like the 6378 ALS or the 5188 paddle holsters.  It’s all about how much retention you want, as far as I know there is always a level of adjustment to these paddle holsters but the ALS is probable the best “off duty” holster if an Officer is trained to use 6280 style thumb release with the hood.   I would definitely not go back and forth between the Blackhawk Serpa Index finger release and any of the Safariland ALS or other Retention holster.  I think a similar problem can be had by going from an AR15 with a B.A.D. lever on your SWAT Gun and then a standard trigger on your Patrol vehicle, under stress, one mistake can be costly.

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Looking for a holster with a light? There really aren’t a lot of good options but Blade Tech Holsters might have it

Blade Tech HolstersWe’ve heard about Blade Tech for years but after finally getting to check out some of their holsters, they really are worth looking at especially if you are looking for a holster that you can have a TLR1 type of light on it.   We hear about all of the custom kydex companies but there are always wait times, and I personally have seen more than a few that just didn’t cut it in the durability department, but if you have the time, there are training courses you can take where you can learn how to do it yourself.    I have yet to jump on the Handgun/Light Combo because it’s more bulk than I think I need for every day carry, but since most Flashlights especially the Streamlight TLR-1S have some much of a higher output, you are really getting a good return on your investment, and more and more of our local Police Departments  have Officers that are using them.

There is a certain amount of training you should go through if you are putting a light on  your handgun and we’ve heard from several State Police  Firearm Instructors that a lot of guys are having trouble shooting their pistols accurately and activating the lights because they are putting pressure on the switches while trying to grip and fire the gun, so don’t just throw it on and think you are going to be fine.   Check out what Blade Tech holsters has to offer and if you are a Glock person, they definitely seem to be fans of those firearms and there are inside and outside the waistband holster options that won’t break the bank and you won’t have to wait 3-6 months to get them.   They also have several Sig Sauer holsters and I expect to see more Smith & Wesson M&P and Springfield XD holster options.

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Shopping for a gun holster? Help make our job easier!

Gun HolstersIf you are going to a gun show this weekend and you are looking for a new firearm, please be aware that getting something that recently came out might mean not finding a manufacturer that makes a holster for it.  We’ve been really happy with Elite Survival Systems in recent  years because they tend to be the first ones to have something available whether it’s a Ruger LCP or Ruger LCR with or without a laser or more recently the Glock 42.   It’s hard enough trying to find .380 ammo or magazines for the Glock 42 but we had several customers pick them up right after SHOT Show and happily found a belt clip holster or a pocket holster right off the bat.   If you are going to drop the money for a customer kydex holster, that’s probable the next possibility of getting a holster.

Right now we are monitoring several gun holster manufacturers to full fill some requests from various customers about some of the new Sig Sauer firearms  but it’s not a good idea to invest in holster inventory if we have no idea if the firearm is going to gain traction in the Law Enforcement Community and become an active duty weapon.   Desantis Holsters and Galco Leather holsters are 2 companies we highly suggest checking out because they seem to be on the ball of producing some of the nicest leather goods and also have a growing Kydex and Kydex/Leather hybrid gun holster product line.   The Galco Kingtuk and the Desantis Scorpion and Desantis Intruder Gun Holsters seem to be hot items because the two clamp holsters although they take some getting use to have a very stable platform and don’t wobble like many single clip holsters do.

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The other ways to CCW, Elite Survival Systems Holsters

Elite Survival Systems HolstersThere seems to be a major wave towards Kydex holsters but I have to be honest,  I  have broken so many kydex holsters that I can’t really claim they are some major advancement.   The things I like about Kydex holsters is when you need to re-holster a firearm, you can hear it go in and you can also easily do it.   Most leather holsters will begin to flop over time and you may need to open them up a little when re-holstering, but the good thing about leather Duty Holsters or IWB and OWB gun holsters is they tend to last a very, very long time.   I have never been able to completely move away from using nylon holsters because there are just certain methods of carrying a firearm that make me choose a less expensive option but it gets the job done.  One of the most popular selling holsters in our store is just slightly over $20 and it is the Elite Survival Systems Belt Clip holster.

There aren’t too many options out there for the Glock 42 and the size 7 BCH holster is an ambidextrous holster that you can use inside or outside the waste band.  If you need a quick option for your Glock 26 or Glock 27,  Elite Survival Systems Holsters has a inexpensive CCW holster for you.  Don’t forget about belly bands and ankle holsters, but those will take some adjustment to because they are primarily backup gun options, primarily the ankle holsters.  Shoulder holsters still have their place and Elite Survival’s nylon shoulder rigs all come with magazine pouches so for medium and large frame auto’s these are very comfortable options to consider.   Pocket magazines are also available and highly recommended if you are carrying a small capacity magazine.

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Galco Holsters the STOW-N-GO vs Kydex and Nylon

Galco HolstersWe sell tons of CCW holsters and usually leave it up to the customer to decide on what they want, everyone’s tolerances are different and adjusting to certain levels of discomfort and limitations in movement are going to have to be accepted.   “I want a comfortable Holster” and when we get asked that, we tell them to get a pocket holster and see what there reaction is.   There are some pretty nice pocket carry friend pants available the 5.11 Covert Khaki 2.0, not to be confused  with the earlier covert khaki pants (which I don’t have a fond opinion of) are one of the few non-tactical looking pants that have deep pockets.   If you are stuck on carrying a larger frame firearm, you are going to have to accept that certain methods of carry are going are not going to work for you.    Leather has a very nice look but even from a Law Enforcement standpoint, leather is on it’s way out and  more people are going for leather/Kydex hybrids and STX finishes.

The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard is probable one of the most popular off duty firearms in our area and the most popular holster that we are getting positive responses from is the Galco Stow-n-go holsters.   This soft suede like  material, depending on the size of gun you have, doesn’t dig into  you the way that Kydex inside the waist holsters often do and if you are fond of Galco holsters as a brand name this is something to consider putting into your Summer carry CCW or Off Duty holster options.    The Sig 239 is also a very good match for this holster as well as many Glock firearms and Sig Sauer firearms.    We’ll be looking out for the Glock 42 holsters which I’m sure will  be out shortly.

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Don Hume Leather Holsters, Pretty Darn Good if you ask me

WeDon Hume Holsters found out about Don Hume Leather Holsters much in the same way we find out about other products, customers ask us on the phone or in our store if we carry them.   Once we started testing out the various CCW holsters we had access too, the sales went through the roof and so many people told us they they heard good things about them and wanted to know if we could get more of them in.  Well, we did an haven’t looked back, some leather holsters especially from Desantis and Galco are very nice looking but you are going to be paying almost double for a similar holster and price points are pretty important in this industry, people just don’t want to blow a whole bunch of money on something if they don’t feel the need to.

Glock gun holsters are probable the biggest sellers and the H715 style Don Hume IWB holsters are the ones in highest demand.   I have several of the jit holsters and and an H715 for a j-frame revolver and they have do me well.   Glock handgun holsters, Sig Sauer handgun holsters and the 1911 are probable the most widely asked about in our store and the H721 belt holster with the exposed slots for the 1911 and Para Ordnance p14 are always on order with Don Hume Holsters.    We have had a few people say the finish wore off on them but that is something that when it’s tucked inside the waistband and you don’t have to report to someone complaining about your uniform isn’t going to be a problem.   Their pocket holsters have also been big sellers.  If price points matter to you check out Don Hume Leather Holsters the next time you need a gun holster.

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The Glock 42, holsters and sight options

Elite Survival Systems HolstersIt’s safe to say that the Glock 42 is the big hit this year and everyone is scrounging to pick one up.   Hopefully, Glock Inc. designed the gun right and there aren’t any recalls on it, but in my opinion I doubt they’ll hav a problem putting a .380 pistol out there.   From what we are gathering, the gun is a hot item, but hardly anyone out there makes a holster for it yet.   New pocket guns seem to be the big draw because smaller usually meant more fragile and high maintenance, but technology seems to be advancing and that is changing.   We carry a lot of different Kydex and Leather gear, but  Elite Survival Systems tactical nylon gear is a staple in our product line because there are so many variables out there that the Elite Survival Belt Clip Holsters are the quick fix for our customers that walk in and just need a holster.

The belt clip holster is an ambidextrous holster and all  you need to do is pop the clip out and switch sides depending on whether you are right handed or left handed.   It is possible to use these Elite Survival Systems holsters as an outside the waist holster and for under $22 bucks, it’s a very versatile option.   They were the first ones to get the LCP holsters with the Crimson Trace Laser and are often a multi gun holster option.   Depending on the climate you are in, leather may not be a good idea because we’ve seen plenty of people rust out screws or barrels due to corrosion.  These are extremely popular holsters for Kahr Pistols, Ruger LCP, Ruger LCR and small to medium frame semi-autos.

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Muscle Memory avoid deviating at all costs

Blackhawk Serpa HolstersBlackhawk retention holstersThat’s my short answer on the Blackhawk retention holsters if you wanted an opinion.  I’m not a big fan of taking novice gun owners or new recruits with a holster like this because I’ve seen it all on the firing line.   The NRA has really good standards for training new students, children and even adults.  I have rarely seen a new handgun shooter start off shooting on a table but I’ve gone back to that when watching new people walk up to a firing line and do the dumbest things.   You can judge competency by someones education level nor the muscle mass.   I’ve grown tired of being at public firing ranges whether indoors or on a State Game range and looking down the barrel of someone taking their girlfriend to the range or a newly hired Police Officer that was issued a sidearm but can’t handle the 45acp recoil.

When my life is on the line which it is every time a gun is unholstered, I have my tolerance levels and keeping a controlled environment is my protocol.  Once someone has been trained on using a firearm, adapting to a retention holster like the Blackhawk Serpa holsters is just learning another device.   It’s a bad idea starting out with both and many, many departments hire not on experience, there are always new people learning to shoot and it’s very common to see firearms instructors put bans on this holster system when training new students or unknown discipline.  I do use these holsters as a paddle holster as well is the drop leg format and I do have respect for them.

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Don Hume inside the waisteband holsters

Don Hume leatherDon Hume pocket holstersWe’ve been selling these for more than 4yrs and they are still one of our top selling holsters.   From a personal point of view, these holsters are a little rough looking but if you don’t want to go with some of the Nylon holsters we sell and are sure you want a leather holster, these are are very well priced compared to the Galco leather and the Desantis leather holsters we sell.  The Desantis insider is a inexpensive leather holster but it’s  not as hard and the same priced Don Hume ones.   All leather holsters should have a short break in period because if they don’t they may be a little too loose at some point in the not too distant future.   Securing a firearm is what a good holster’s primary role should be and not all holsters are quiet, some rattle and allow movement.

Inside the waistband holsters are hard to shop for and I can recommend enough to check with people that are already  using certain holsters before you put too much money in an unknown.  We always have first time CCW holsters and Don Hume holsters are usually suggested along with our nylon belt clip holsters and many of the Fobus products to get something from a starting point.  It’s not that we think they are not good holsters it’s just that they are not they pricey and can be had for around $25-$40.  Compare that to Crossbreed holsters and some of the Galco leather holsters and you’re at about 1/3 of the cost.  Once a gun owner has more experience in knowing what to buy they can spend all they want with us, but we always try to help customers avoid buyer’s remorse or have to deal with returns.

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