All posts in Holsters

Want a comfortable holster? Get a pocket gun

pocket holsters“I want a comfortable holster” is the top question being asked of us in March 2014,  we never mind getting asked questions like this because we know right off the bat that this person doesn’t have the slightest clue as to what they are looking for.   In the last 2 months we’ve had 3 people walk out the door regretting buying a particular firearm at a gun show because “they got a good price” on it, but found out nobody has a holster for it.   Ask all of the people with the Smith & Wesson shield how many holster options they had in the last year.  People normally choose a firearm because it fits withing their criteria of what they can carry but often the only holster options are not going to be idea.   Sure you can get a paddle holster for just about everything but what are you going to have to wear to conceal a paddle holster in 90F temperatures?

In most parts of the United States you are going to have climate changes and holster options can vary depending on  your wardrobe.  There are plenty of firearm you can put in your pocket if you wear the right kind of clothing but we choose to stock the Elite Survival Systems pocket holsters because so many people don’t use a pocket holster at first and end up finding out the hard way about how much lint there is floating around.  Now that Glock is making the Glock 42 .380 pistol, it’s hard to not consider some sort of pocket gun in your CCW routine.    The reason to use a pocket holster is to keep it lint free as well as reduce printing and also make sure you do proper testing with your clothing because not all pants pockets will grab onto the pocket holsters out friction designs and it won’t separate from the gun when being drawn, clothing materials can matter.

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There’s a reason these can be expensive

Desantis holstersSticker shock just goes with this business, people that have no idea why things are priced the way they are but it’s extremely rare for me to personally say something in this industry is over priced.  Recently several customers have told us they had issues with certain weapon mounted lights and all I could tell them is there is a reason why people spend another $100-$200 for Surefire flashlights over some of the lesser expensive weapon mounted lights.  In the 10yrs we’ve been in business nobody has returned a Trijicon ACOG saying it won’t hold zero and the glass fell out.   I’ve had it happen to me personally with 2 optics, but both of those were under $200.

The same is going to go for firearm holsters and I can tell you from personal experience that I have broken, and had plenty of inferior holsters before I started increasing my investment amounts.   I’ve had plenty of broken kydex holsters in my life but have not ever had any Leather Desantis Holsters break, tear, or rattle.  There are plenty of magazine pouches I’ve used where once they were broken in, the mags started to rattle and it was just downright annoying.   A customer recently returned a Don Hume holster that had the finish peal off it but I told him that’s why they are $20.  The closest Desantis holster to that design started at $54.99 and nobody returns them because the colored peeled off.

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You’ll need more than 1 gun and 1 holster for CCW

gun holstersMuch of the Concealed Carry world is about personal choice and our diverse product line of Don Hume gun holsters should fulfill most of our customer needs.  If you are not looking for a locking holster and want something fast and easy to and comfortable to wear, try the Don  Hume Jit holsters for your Glock 19, Sig 239 or whichever semi-auto or revolver you need.  The Jit holster sits securely on your belt and sits at a very comfortable level for easy retrieval.  Pocket holsters are  must to avoid problems with firearms rotating and the pocket holsters will place your holster in a secure upright position and help keep lint and other nasty things a pocket can hold away from your handgun.

If you’re looking for a durable, clip on holsters it’s hard to beat Don Hume holsters. Don Hume holsters in soft pocket clip on, waistband clip on with thumb break, front pocket ambidextrous, Ankle safe and much much more. Don Hume holsters are made for your concealed carry gun or duty holster needs and are made for your revolver or semi-auto. IWB is hands down the most concealed carry friendly method and the IWB clip on gun holsters are very reliable if a good gun belt is used. Pocket carry is becoming more and more the norm these days with more reliable compact semi-auto guns. The pocket protectors are a must for anyone trying to keep lint off a firearm which can affect the reliability and performance.

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Don Hume gun holsters, what’s the appeal?

Don Hume HolstersI was shocked at how many people were calling us 2yrs ago over these Don Hume holsters and I’m still uncertain as to when the good reviews about this product line took off but it must have been fairly recently.  There are some good Concealed Carry magazine reviews out there as well as many bloggers that post reviews, test, and long term evaluations about products but it’s rare to see a run on production line like this.  I picked out a few holsters for myself but avoided the leather inside the waist because I had some issues using leather gun holsters in the Pennsylvania summer heat and moved on to kydex.   We did have a recent issue with one of their holsters starting to peel it’s finish after just a few days of use, but I think that was a situational issue where the user was wearing  a seat belt that wore the finish off in 24hrs.

Things like that can  happen with any product if it’s put to adverse or stressed situations and every piece of gun gear or tactical gear will fail at some point.   These are very stiff holsters and like all leather holster, not just Don Hume holsters there is always going to be a bit of a break in period.  I wouldn’t get too worked up about this because it’s good that the holster has some break  in period s0 it properly forms around the gun.   A very common  problem with kydex holsters is they will start to rattle and even some Glock guns will not work in kydex holster depending on whether it’s Gen 2 Glock or a Gen 4 glock.   Don Hume inside and belt loop holsters are a great way to conceal carry firearms without blowing a hole in wallett.

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Quick fixes when you have a new gun but need a holster

Galco holstersThe new shooters are usually the ones that come in and ask the most generic questions but we’ve trained our staff be polite, even when asked those silly NEWBY questions.   I am going to be writing up a sheet and put it on our wall with all of the basic questions that people ask and they’ll have to think it over and come back to us with all of the answers.   This week we put in our orders for the 2014 products we will want to bring in stock for our Tactical store.  Many of the leather products are what fits the bill for our customers but they are about 2x’s as much as some of the paddle holsters and the inexpensive Galco stow-n-go holsters.  Those usually run in the $30 range but there are some drawbacks to those designs.

First of all, it’s better to have a holster than no holster but Kydex has gained a lot of traction in the CCW world because if you can adjust to them, they are a very good option to eventually consider.   The only problem with the Galco holsters with the Stow-n-go style is “reholstering.”   Once you draw the gun from the holster, it’s not really a good idea to shove it back in.  There are some safety issues to think about when using some IWB holsters that are nylon or of a very soft material.   I have seen some accidents with Glock handguns where people have a shirt or string that gets caught in the holster area and they gun holster pushes the gun too hard and it sets off the trigger.  It’s much better to unclip the holster and then reholster, and then tuck it into your waste.

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Don Hume holster why do we sell so many?

Don Hume HolstersThe simple answer is they are well made and inexpensive holster that gets the job done.   If you work in our store for very a full day I can guarantee that you will hear from atleast one customer a day walk in the door and ask for a holster for a specific gun but have absolutely no idea what type of holster they are looking for.   My first response is always this, “do you want leather or kydex? “A nylon holster or retention?” and most of the time the customer doesn’t have a clue as to what I’m asking about.  Price ranges of holsters can vary dramatically and usually that’s a follow up answer to the above mention questions.  Don Hume holsters aren’t the prettiest but for under $40 they are very stiff holsters that do  a very good job.

I personally moved away from leather holsters but depending on the time of the year I would never push someone away from them.   We are a stocking dealer for the Don Hume holsters and we offer a pretty good selection of Glock, Sig Sauer and J-frame holsters  in our store.   The Don Hume jit holsters a very fast holster but I recommend them for medium or small frame guns.  The largest gun I use in a Don Hume Jit holster is a Sig 228 because I’ve found larger frame guns to stick too far out the bottom and in my opinion can cause a safety issue because they can be pushed upward and out of the holster in some situations.   I highly recommend the holsters for IWB carry.

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Tactical gear for yourself or send your spouse for a gift certicate

Philadelphia Police SuppliesIn this industry, it is so technical that it’s very rare for someone  in the Law Enforcement community to send someone in to shop for them.  We get a lot of last minute buyers when someone finds out they got moved to a SWAT Team or recently got hired to be a  Police officer in the Delaware County, Chester County or Philadelphia Police Department.  Usually customers come in in waves, after Graduations at the Philadelphia Police Academy or the Delaware County Police Academy.   Recently we started getting customers from the Montgomery County Police Academy Training Center.   Each week we’ve been setting up 1 or 2 Police Departments for their Clothing Allowances and logistically speaking, the customers are glad we are here in Delaware County so they can walk in and walk out.  Shopping for tactical pants, shirts and body armor is something that people want to do in-store and not online.

Our 1500 sq ft Broomall, Police Depot and tactical store is in the heart of Delaware County in the Broomall Industrial Park.   We are a stocking dealer for many in the region and we are a good source for Philadelphia Police Supplies from tactical boots from the Original Swat Footwear company, Tru-Spec, 5.11 tactical, ATS Tactical,  Streamlight Flashlights like the Stinger and Strion, which are rechargeable flashlights that the vast majority of Upper Darby, Marple Township and even the State Police are using.  We stock many of the handcuff and Safariland products that new Police Officers will need for their duty gear.  CR123 batters are something we need to keep in store at all times because most local places that sell them are 50% more than what we charge.

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Fobus and Glock issues

Fobus holstersWe recently got some negative feedback about a Fobus holster we sold to a customer and then went back to Fobus’ customer service to find out what the issue was.   Apparently there are some fit issues with the different Generations of Glock guns and Fobus holsters so now we have to be more cautious about selling them to customers that walk in and buy them for Glocks.   The gun will fit into the holster but the amount of force you need to do to “click” it into the holster and then draw it out is excessive.   If you put a hair dryer to the holster and edge something in it you can soften the holster up to get it to fit properly but that’s a headache for a first time Fobus holster customer.  In 2013 we’ll probable bring in more of the Fobus E2 holsters because there is more adjustments you can do with the tension.

Fobus holsters are the first paddle holsters we suggest to customer if they ask for a paddle holster because after that, you normally have to move up to the $40 dollar range and usually that means a sale for the Safariland holsters.   I do like Fobus holsters myself and they are great for winter carry and I normally carry a larger frame gun in the Winter and this is a much more comfortable way to carry instead of IWB.  The Sig 226 in .357 Sig is my preferred gun for winter because the more penetration through clothing is something that many of my Law Enforcement customers suggest because of all of the statistics on what happens when bullets go through clothing.

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Keeping your light on your gun but switching holsters

safariland holstersWe  have a lot of Cops come in here and ask us for paddle holsters that hold the TLR-1S flashlight.   Some of the Pennsylvania State Troopers have recently switched to the Glock 21 but they are using the Surefire X300.   The holsters are going to be different depending on the light you use, but it’s a royal pain for them to have to show up in court and have all of their duty gear on them.   We  had a lot of requests for these holsters and started stocking them.  The problem with dealing with the Safariland product line is that it tends to be on the expensive side and some of the small time dealers don’t stock the real fancy holsters and rarely stock duty gear.

The Safariland 6280 is the most common duty holster in our neck of the woods but it’s not a good CCW or off duty holster.  Nobody wants the rention even if they like Safariland holsters because the duty gear with the retention hood is meant to protect the Officers gun from being used against him or for flying out of his holster during a pursuit.  The Safariland 5188 is the Glock 21 holster that is getting the most use around here and it does work with the Surefire X200 light if you are using that.  Think about the holster you really are looking for before you pickup some odd ball flashlight that nobody makes a holster for.

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IDPA competition shooters, where to start? We’ll tell ya!

Blackhawk Serpa HolstersJust had another local guy that was getting into shooting IDPA and was not sure where to start from.  We have been getting a lot of customers walking in here trying to figure out what the best holster was for them to get and we always start with the Fobus gun holsters.  Paddle holsters are easy to get on and off and Fobus makes a good product for in the $25 price range.  They are very good for open carry or winter carry.  When it’s time to pick out magazine pouches, we offer nylon, open kydex mag pouches and the Blackhawk single and double stack magazine pouches.  I personally like the Blackhawk open magazine pouches because they have a little bit of tention that keeps the magazines from rattling or coming out under certain levels of shaking.   I always warn people about open magazine pouches because sometimes people do lose gear when moving.

You definitely are not going to want any type of holster with level 2 retention but there is nothing wrong with the Fobus E2 type holsters because you can adjust the tension to your tolerance levels.  The Blackhawk Serpa holsters are more popular with law enforcement and it’s not safe for them to carry guns out in the open without level 2.  Lots of Police Officers get hurt on the job just from scuffles and it gives a little more comfort knowing that in a scuffle the gun is not going to come loose.  Most of the differences between Safariland ALS and the Blackhawk Serpa is about preferences, but they are all very popular with Glock owners.

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