All posts in Holsters

Simple Solutions for holsters, some feedback from shoppers

Blackhawk HolstersBeing in the E-commerce business and having customers walk in, in a retail situation, gives you a very good perspective on how people shop and what actually closes the transaction.  People walk around and pick things up as they go around but until we explain to them that they can try things on, sometimes people go back and put it on the rack. We’ve had lots of returns and exchanges on gun cases recently because guys pick up a gun case they like and have no idea what the specs are on their handguns or rifles.   It’s a very hard thing to do and normally our customers service Reps. are suppose to give our customers our return police because we know we will have a large volume of returns on certain categories of products.  It basically goes with the tactical community.

Tactical Nylon companies are dime a dozen and and sometimes it’s very hard for us to stick with one product line for everything.   People want what people want and many of the times they know the Blackhawk Holsters just by knowing the Blackhawk Serpa or  just the prominence of the Warrior wear has being a very successful product line.   We were very disappointed in one of our vendors for not following through and bringing in more of their product lines.   Blackhawk has a very nice rifle case and nylon tactical product line and many Glock owners are using their stuff.  The stow-n-go holsters are probable the best selling CCW holsters for local police detectives.

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Tactical holsters, duty holsters and off duty holster options for Safariland

safariland holstersWe’ve expanded our tactical holster line in recent months and really moved away from just CCW style holsters and into a lot of Law Enforcement products.  It seems that a lot of our local Delaware County Police Departments and even Philadelphia Police are not happy with various vendors and then there are also a lot of tactical teams that do different types of training than Patrolmen and want various holsters with flashlights.   Most Patrolmen want to keep their load as light as possible so sometimes tasers and pepper sprays sit back in the locker.   We had some requests for Safariland Level III holsters for Glock 21 and Glock 38 guns so we decided to check out some of their Paddle holsters that hold the TLR1 flashlights.

The Glock 21 seems to have taken over most of the Delaware County and now the Pennsylvania State Police.   The State Police have switched from the Glock 38 to the Safariland holsters that hold the Glock 21.     They are using the Surefire X300 as opposed to most Police in our using the TLR1 Flashlights.   Its sometimes easier for Police to take their duty guns and just use a paddle holster if they have to appear in Court.   We are still in the early stages of figuring out what type of holsters we should stock because just a change on one person at a Police Department can mean a change in firearms and duty gear.   Switching from the Safariland 6280  holster to the 5188-3832 holster is a very easy thing and we have a store full of them for right handed and left handed shooters.

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Galco Kingtuk Reviews and lots of feedback

Galco holstersI have a ton of holsters in my closet, mostly nylon ones I picked up at various points of my gun carrying carrier.   Most of them don’t get used but they are still there because I may occasionally use them for open carry or when I am going on a hike.   I use various IWB holsters in the summer but have retired my leather ones because they don’t hold  up very well in the Pennsylvania summers because it can get pretty darn  hot up here and Kydex holsters are what I switch to.  I have tried various kydex holster companies, and some of them fit me well, but there are always small things about them that I wish would get improved.   Most of the kydex holsters I’ve used in the past broke up on me in less than 2 years and I just stopped buying certain brands.  There is still a desire for leather holsters because they look nice, but leather is not as good in the long term for re-holstering firearms.

I have checked out some of the Crossbreed holsters after many of my friends have suggested them, but after looking through some of my dealer product lines I found something very close.   The Kingtuk holster made by Galco Holsters are a great find,  I’ve sold many to Detectives and CCW holders that have not come back and complained about them.   Some of the Desantis IWB holsters like the Scorpion didn’t hold up because the clips were made of kydex and broke after several weeks of wearing them.  The Kingtuk holsters are a tuckable holster that work well with the Sig 229, Sig 220 and most all of the Glock holster including the larger framed Glock 21.

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Fobus holsters vs other paddle holsters, some thoughts from a retailer

fobus holstersI have several product lines that I have brought in for myself just because I knew I would probable end up buying several items from it for my own personal use.   One of those product lines is the Fobus  one and I can’t say it was because I was a huge fan of the entire product line, it’s just that they make an  extremely practical holster for a very low price.  I’ve been testing out a Safariland 6378 paddle holster and after a long break in, i do like it but there were some issues originally.  I have to say that as far as securing to my belt, I don’t find the Safariland holster to be more secure even though it’s a little more difficult for me to get off.  It may sound like a contradiction, but I had some issues with the gun pulling the holster off my belt when i was 90% sure the gun was secure.   It hasn’t happened since the holster was broken in, but when the gun was tight, it did happen.

The things people have told me they don’t like about the Fobus paddle holsters is they aren’t that strong, well, for most holsters, if you pull on certain parts of them, yeah, they can break and Fobus holsters aren’t exactly built like a tank.   I do think that they Fobus holsters that are the paddle design are very good for IDPA, winter carry, or even for your first 2 day training course.   Paddle holsters always seem to be more comfortable than IWB , but they aren’t always as secure.   Some of these holsters can be had with a belt loop design, but I’m not a huge fan of those.  If you know people are complaining about the lack of retention or adjustable tension, check out the Fobus E2 holsters, the bad thing about those is they aren’t making them for too many guns.

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Leather holster options, it is all about preference

Galco holstersI’m not a big fan of all of the stuff we carry, we carry over 25,000 products and there really are different levels of quality with much of it.   We have cheap aftermarket magazines that some people love buy and just use them as range mags, and others only buy factory magazines.   When it comes to choosing a good CCW or duty holster it’s really like matching shoes to an occasion.   Not all gun leather is the same and there are different features and functional differences.   I noticd that much of the Desantis leather goods have very polished looks to them and they seem to love making black leather holsters.   Don Hume holsters are hot sellers but they are not very pretty holsters to look at.

Holster stiffness and business reputations are things that we let our customers figure out.   We only stock name brand products like Galco holsters and some of their competitors.  Each of the leather makers has there pros and cons and some of them dabble into kydex holsters. The paddle holsters from each manufacturer have different cants and also different levels of gun coverage and it’s up to the user to know what they really need.  Make sure you pay attention to your holster fit guide, and if you are ever not sure if your gun is going to fit, don’t guess at it, call of the manufacturer and ask.   You don’t want to find out later that the trigger isn’t fully covered or that the holster will un naturally become loose because it was never intended to fit that one.

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When it comes to duty or primarly weapons, stick with the norm!

Blackhawk serpa holsters I have people walk in our tactical store all the time asking for some odd ball revolver holsters ect.  I understand people being sentimental about carrying a gun that you had since 1973, but if you have a gun that has been out of production for 30+ years, don’t except to many holster companies to be making a holster for it.   We direct people to a local custom kydex company because it’s too much work for us to call around to find a holster that once it comes in, it’s not what they wanted.   Some leather holsters can cost up to $150 or maybe more depending on what it is you want, but that’s really a royal pain to deal with.   We still get Police Chiefs that want to always try something new or in all honesty, you wonder if there are kick backs or something because they ended up with a Beretta PX4 instead of a Glock, M&P or Sig Sauer.

The next headache we deal with is the amount of research we need to do to get a holster for concealment that takes all of the tactical lights that are Police Officers are using on the streets.   The Blackhawk Serpa holsters we have been selling are very popular but there are not a lot of options if you want a Level 3 or a TLR flashlight.  So many people are putting lights on firearms, and that was not common at all a few years ago.  It’s always good to have a light on your gun because identify a threat is probable the most important thing you can do and given the statistics for when crime happens (low light) you don’t want to be without one.  You might want to think about a Glock.

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Desantis holsters, leather, kydex, sof-tuck ect…

Desantis holstersWith so many changes taking place to firearms these days, it’s hard to keep up with all of the gun designs, Desantis Holsters has options for full size, medium size autos and many of the popular .380 CCW guns. The firearm industry has grown so much in regards to concealed carry and holster  makers have had to really stay on top of the demand for .380 caliber pistols.  We are a stocking dealer for Desantis holsters and our most popular Leather gun holsters.   Desantis has a holster for you if you are carrying a small compact firearm like the Ruger LCP or if you are looking for a traditional leather shoulder holster.   The Desantis Scabbard with thumbreak is still a popular holster for Law Enforcement and Under Cover police.   The Speed Scabbard is basically the same holslter without the thumb snap retention.   Desantis inside the waist holsters are also available in different types of material.  Desantis also has ankle holsters and Kydex holsters.   Large frame guns like the Beretta 92 or Glock 21 need a lot of support and balance due to their size and weight.

The Desantis Thumbreak scabbard is still one of our most popular Detective and Law Enforcement holsters and even though there are Safariland holsters and Blackhawk Serpa holsters in wide use, thumb break holsters are still in use.   There are always varying degrees of retention in gun holsters but Desantis holsters has their staple of leather holsters, but so-tuck holsters for the Smith & wesson bodyguard and Diamondback .380 pistols are in wide use for off duty Law Enforcement.   My personal preference is the Desantis Speed Scabbard due to it’s 2 position belt options and the fact there is no need for me to use any retention, it is an excellent outside the pants holster, and the Desantis gun belts are a good match for any medium or large frame semi-auto.

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A very successful year in Delaware County

philadelphia police supply storesThis year was a very successful year for us in the Delaware County area in launching our tactical store and we double the size of our business in the first 6 months.  People are still finding out about us via word of mouth whenever they need a new holster, police boots or even just Ambulance companies hiring and people  needing to get a pair of pants.  Much of the product line we stock in our store is for people to checkout instead of buying it online.  Duty gear like handcuff keys and various police belts are things that people in the Law Enforcement industry lose or wear out over time and are always in need of.    Police vests, tactical pants, uniform pants, belts, hydration unites, SWAT team bags are things that are always wearing out and need to be replaced.

We’ve learned there are so many types of handcuffs, swivel and hinged doesn’t always narrow it down, some are different weights and types of metal.  The items we have brought in this year are the Safariland lightweight handcuffs and in our region there are no Philadelphia Police Supplies shops around here and many of our Law Enforcement Officers are very happy to see a business like this open up.   Tactical vests, body armor are all things people need to be sized up on and this is something that has to be done right so that there are fewer returns.   We stock a large number of Blackhawk serpa holsters, safariland products, pepper spray, mace, tasers, batons, police badge holders and more and more duty gear.

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The differences between all of that tactical nylong companies

bulldog gun casesI will admit first off that we sell a ton of nylon gear, bags, molle and holsters from a great many manufacturers.   There are differences in quality and you do get what you pay for, but the truth of the matter is that nylon is not going to cost you what some of the leather or customer kydex holsters are going to so you are more than likely going to get a less expensive item.   We  have a large selection of belt clip  holsters because so many people come into our store and need a holster but they don’t really have any particular brand or style.   Some of the IWB holsters are ambidextrous and this pretty common in this industry.   We have Bulldog, Uncle Mike’s, Elite Survival Systems and even some of the Voodoo tactical products.  Some of the range bags from Bulldog are very simple and there products are reasonable priced.

Instead of using a rifle sock, I’m a big fan of the Bulldog Economy gun cases because they offer more protection and have handles and they are practically in the same price range is a rifle sock.   I usually transport my 22 Caliber rifles or my Remington 870 shotgun in my Bulldog gun cases because they are very long but not high value rifles so there is no need for me to drop $100 on a heavily padded rifle case because I have $2000 tied up with a carbine and it’s fancy Trijicon ACOG optics.  There are several range bags, gun cases, pocket holsters, shoulder holsters and even some tactical holsters that are definitely pick me ups.

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Leather holsters, best looking?

galco holstersYes, I admit it, there have been times I have picked out a holster just in the same way that women pick out shoes for a night  out on the town.  I have some really nice shoulder holsters that I have picked up from Galco that I use when I go up to the mountains or go to the mall and have a heavy winter coat on.  I really like carrying full size semi-autos but you really feel it when  you carry for very long or have to sit in a car.  We have a  lot of Police Officers tell us they hate getting in and  out of a car with some of their duty holsters because they ride up when they sit down.    Police officers no longer just carry handcuffs, a gun, and a baton.  They have radios, cells phones, tazers and more.   Finding a way to make it more comfortable to carry a firearm is something that Galco leather has done.

Probable the most popular gun holsters out there is the Miami classic shoulder holster.  This was probable Galco Holsters most famous image when the Miami Vice TV show was on the air.   I see plenty of Federal Agents carrying the Sig 229 DAK and the Glock 19 in this type of holster and recently we had several detectives and special agents still sporting this type of shoulder holster.   Most good shoulder holsters will be about $100 although you can get them much cheaper if you go with a nylon design.  There are big differences in the shoulder support of a holster and some of the reviews about these in the past have been repeated by many of my peers.   Some designs really cut into your neck and shoulders so you really have to put one on and make sure it works for you.

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