Tactical Pants and real CCW

I have been trading back and forth between 5.11 tactical clothing, Woolrich Elite Series and the much newer Eotac brand.   I will admit that I understand that many of these brands may be personal preference, but there are  huge differences in the fit and feel of the pants.   If I just take the covert pants from 5.11 and the Woolrich Elite 4909 pants vs the Eotac pants.   Woolrich and Eotac look similiar, but none of them fit the same.   While I find the 5.11 pants to fit more like normal fitting jeans, the inside the waist pockets are not very useful if you are going to be sitting down a lot.   I can carry a small j-frame revoler inside the pants without a holster, but the locations of the pockets aren’t very comfortable.

I took a Sig 239 9mm 8rd magazine and put it in the rear pocket and when I sat down it, was not comfortable to wear at all.   I think these pockets lend themselves more towards putting a wallet or handcuffs in them than a firearm and accessories.   Next I tried putting a Streamlight Scorpion in various positions and none of them worked.   I tried to pocket carry and inserted a Smith & Wesson 38 Special I had around and it could not be concealed in these tactical pants at all.  They were in 5.11 tactical pants, but not these?   With both the Woolrich Elite 44909 and the Eotac 205 jeans, these were not the traditional straight leg jean, and the fit was different for each.   I personally like the Eotac color, Woolrich pants were too purplish and baggy.   Both pants were pocket friendly and my vote would go for Eotac by far.   I do think the rear ID pockets are a little over done when you keep the water bottle pocket below it.   That strikes me as a little too tactical and not discreet.

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The FN 5.7 as a defensive weapon

I first saw the 5.7  in all it’s glory with what I would consider to be AP ammo.   I heard a few people mention that they thought that this gun should be illegal, but ballistically it couldn’t do anything that the much more common M855 or SS109 could do.   Yeah I know that a criminal might prefer a handgun to defeat a police officers armor, but the last Police Officer killed here in Pennsylvania was killed with an SKS with standard ammo and a 30rd magazine that actually jammed.   The SKS can take detachable magazines, but I have never seen them hold up as well as the AK family of guns with these mags.   The 5.7 has the ballistics of something close to the 22 magnum, and even though that is not a very powerful stopping round it is as effective as the person carrying it.

I don’t know of any reliable 22 magnum semi auto guns, I know a few pocket revolvers that were fun to shoot, but if you want a small and light semi auto with similar 22 magnum ballistics and has a much  higher capacity, there’s nothing wrong with packing the 5.7 FN.  I think there are better calibers for duty officers, but there are a number of gun holsters like the Blackhawk Serpa that can be had for this gun.  Unfortunately the piece of crap that killed our soldiers at Fort Hood used this firearm arm very effectively, but hopefully anyone reading this will know that every firearm used in the hands of a good and law abiding citizen is an asset to society.

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The stuff you read about on the internet about Fobus

Fobus HolstersI’m sure the majority of what you read about various holsters is mostly based on peoples personal tastes.   Guns and accessories can suit your purposes just fine if they are use appropriately, but there is a lot of BS on gun forums.   Probable 75% or more of what you read about accessories on gun forums is propaganda either for a product or against it.  One of the biggest BS bits of  info I saw on the  internet was about how easy it was to break Fobus Holsters.   There is a youtube video of a guy with a holster on and another guy walking up behind him and breaking the gun and the holster off.   The reality is this, if you give anyone enough time, they can mess up your life.

I could do something even better than that, how about sneaking up behind someone and hit the mag release and take the magazine out of their gun while it’s in the holster which leaves them with one round in the chamber, better yet, just hit them with a baseball bat and take their gun and their wallet from them.  If they have an AR15  using GI Mags, why not sneak up on them and use a pair of vise grips and pinch the mag well so the gun jams on them.  Sure you can break certain holster designs easier than others, but I’m not going to toss my gear out a window and find out if it breaks from a two story window.   Fobus holsters are simple to use, they are primarily used for people carrying large sized autos and don’t need retention like a thumbstrap or serpa holster does.

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Shoulder holsters being banned from Defensive training?

I first heard about this 3 years ago when I was taking a class, and I’m glad I didn’t bring my Uncle Mike’s vertical holster with me when I was taking the class, but it really wasn’t that style that was an issue.   Understandable so,  shoulder holsters, if not properly used, can be a hazzard to people behind the firing line, especially if it is a vertical rig.   Everyone seems to think of the Galco holster The Miami Classic when they think of that style of carry, but not all holsters are like that.   They look cool, but standing next to several people with that style of carry isn’t going to  be safe when everyone is holstering and un-holstering.

I do not think that shoulder holsters are less safe, and I personally think they are very practical for people that do a lot of driving, and it’s one of my favorite ways to carry a large size semi-auto.   Paddle holsters and OWB holsters are hard to draw from in the seat position and Bulldog holsters along with Uncle Mikes make very inexpensive holster rigs.  The Bulldog holsters have a double magazine pouch which gives you a little bit more weight distribution.   Shoulder holsters aren’t the best for CCW because the straps can ride up on you, but if you wear the appropriate clothing they can work.

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Options other than paddle holsters

I think the real question that some people need to think about when they are going to take a firearm to a Carbine course is to take some serious thought into what kind of retention they want.   I have never seen a firearm come out of a Fobus holster on the firing line, but I have seen gun magazines pop out of that type of magazine holder.    Blackhawk makes a better magazine holder due to the fact that there is actually tension on the mag in the holder.   If you are carrying an M4 around, and you need a sidearm, I strongly recommend you have a holster that has a thumb break or a Blackhawk Serpa type of holster.

One other suggestion I have because I have a pile of these types of holsters is the Uncle Mikes hip holsters.    I have a few that have a magazine holster right in front of the gun holster which is a nice way to carry a backup mag, you always know where it is in relation to the gun, and if you are carrying a lot of gear, it’s nice to keep the spare mag next to the spare gun.   I have some of Uncle Mikes  holsters that are leg holsters, hip holsters and should holsters.   There have been a few modifications they have made to the shoulder holsters which in my opinion were an improvement.   The magazine holders are now on the opposite side of the holster and you don’t have to carry them separately.

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Fobus gun holster reviews

I am a strong believer in having atleast 3 magazines for every semi-auto handgun you own and having atleast one holster for it.   If you are every in a situation where you may have to give a family member a firearm, it’s in my humble opinion a good idea to have it in a holster especially if it is loaded.   Even though most gun fights are usually only a few rounds, magazines can break and nightmarish situations can occur.   I actually know someone that was in a defensive situation here in Philadelphia where he was attacked by multiple persons, and you could have used an M4 in a concealed carry situation and still may not have been able to hold off what had occurred to him and his family.

If I owned a gun shop, I’d probable sell Fobus holsters for half price to just about anyone buying a medium or large frame firearm.    These holsters are very good for open carry or for winter carry under a vest or a jacket.    The only down side to these holsters is that they can become uncomfortable to use when shooting on the ground.   I have a few of the magazine paddle holders and I find it to be a little too much to take if I have paddle holsters all around my belt line.   For real seriou

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Keeping it lightweight and simple

I know the idea of keeping it simple may mean carrying a larger auto and no spare magazines for concealed carry, but my idea of keeping it simple is usually pocket carry.     Sometimes people can go overboard with the CCW and even though you are well withing  your right to carry a gun legally, if you are packing too much gear, there’s a pretty good chance you will eventually be outed or “made” by someone that you don’t really want to know what you are carrying.   I have had atleast 2 times in my life where someone I barely knew, figured out real fast that something metal on my belt line, that wasn’t where my cell phone was. was there.

Every time you walk past someone in a close environment, there is a good chance you will get an “excuse me” and they will bump up against you.   People don’t realize how often it actually occurs, but elevators stares, doorways ect, are known for bumpin.   Carrying at social environments like business meetings is something that even more bumping can occur.   Sounds funny, but I speak from experience.  Sometimes I carry a Kahr K9 in 40 in one of my many Galco holsters that is an ankle holster.   This is one of the best ways to avoid bumping and being made in a white collar or close quarters social environment.   Find a good gun shop that allows you to try them on.

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Cold weather and wet weather and CCW

Recently we had a Thanksgiving Day parade here in Philadelphia.   The parade started off with snow and cold weather, but it ended up turning to rain about halfway through the days events.    It was a good reminder for people that wearing warm winter clothing doesn’t mean you’re going to keep dry.   I remember all of the warnings I got in Boy Scout camp about keeping dry even when we felt warm.   Sometimes we forget how much sweat we generate under our clothing in the winter, but we will find out when we have to get into a sleeping bag.

When you are looking to put on layers of clothing to keep warm and learning how to adapt your concealed carry methods to a warm, but dry way of carrying.   Check out the  Woolrich Elite Parka Style 44420.   This is something you can practically wrap up in  your car and will be easy to stow away when it starts to rain.  You can easily move some of your tactical gear, like flashlights and knives into this parka and keep from burying your gun under layers of clothing.

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Glocks and IWB carry

Maybe I’m not that experienced with carrying Glocks for concealed carry, but I often find them to be more comfortable being carried in a leg holster or paddle  holster.   The same goes for revolvers, I rarely see people carry any type of revolver in a holster.   Peoples tolerances for carrying can drastically vary due to body sizes.   When I got serious about moving away from a Taurus T85 38 Special and was looking for a durable semi-auto with more punch, but not much larger, I came to the conclusion that it was either the Glock 26 9mm or a Sig 239.  The Sig 239 won out because it was slightly thinner, but not really a lighter gun.

When you are deciding on a firearm, don’t worry about the weight of the gun.   If you get a good gun belt you shouldn’t notice weight as much as you will notice the size of the barrel.   I still find the 1911 to be one of the most comfortable guns to carry because it has such a thing frame and is balanced very well, but my Wilderness 5 stitch instructor belt supported it so well I couldn’t tell the difference between my Sig 239 and a 45acp full size 1911.  I tried on various Don Hume holsters, Galco holsters and Bianchi and found the Don Hume and Galco had a lot of good options.   It’s good to find a dealer that has  a return policy where you can try it out in your own home and then return it if you have any issues with the fit.

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Putting a price on gun safes

When I think back to the first Gunvault gun safe was that I picked up and how much I liked being able to store loaded firearms in easy to open storage, I can’t believe the technological improvements there have been to an already original idea.     I work in and out of various locations where sometimes I have to actually take my firearm off and on 3 or 4 times a day.    Various security and Government buildings that I’m in don’t allow this so I have to think about the type of gun holsters I am wearing and how easy it will be to get things off and on.   I still mostly use paddle  holsters or clip on IWB holsters because they are so easy to get off and on.

One issue that has been been happening to several of my computer friends is they can’t leave things in their car at all anymore.   I know of 2 smash and grab incidences in recent weeks where lap tops were stolen, but even though I know better than leaving my stuff in sight, you never know when it could happen.  I have been looking more and more and getting a Gunvault gun safe bolted to my car floor or in the trunk just so that anyone that gets into the car would have a heck of a time trying to pry the safe out.   Getting my lap top is one thing, but a criminal getting my firearm is something I want to avoid at all costs.   The difference between the biometric gun safes and the regular ones is about a 100 bucks, but I’m not really looking to pay that price for quick access when the gun is really only being stored there for anti-theft reasons.

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