All posts tagged Ankle Holsters

Getting picky about gun holsters is the norm

We get so many phone calls asking us basically asking us to tell people how to dress themselves when they get out of bed in the morning.   Maybe 5% of the questions we get asking about tactical clothing and concealed carry clothing are about how someone will look in the clothing once they put it on.   The same goes for gun holsters.  People often ask us how they feel and how well they are made and all of this really comes down to your personal preference.  I can give you a calorie count for every food item you eat, but you gotta tell me if you liked eating it.

Going through your house and pick out the type of clothing that you can wear all year long is probable impossible for you unless you live in a desert or the North Pole.  Just like we need rain coats when it’s raining and winter coats when it’s snowing, we need gun holsters and clothing for changes in weather and seasons.  Most people don’t carry a shoulder holster when they are living in t-shirt and flip flop land and nobody is going to tell you that you have to wear a leather holster in 100F temperatures.   You have to find what feels right and works for you and then think about another scenario for the other things.

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IWB is the number one method for CCW

Even though IWB is the most popular, I’m well aware of the number of people that do not carry this way.   I’m not going to start mentioning fat people jokes, because I’m not fat and trying to get away from this method in the near future because it’s getting to be too uncomfortable.   Maybe it’s some of the new tactical pants I have been trying out, but I’ve been getting some serious bruising from Kydex holsters lately.   Paddle  holsters are fine for Fall and Spring, but if I have to wear a heavy winter coat, I prefer to carry with a shoulder holster.    I’m still up in the air as to what kind of shoulder holster to get because shopping for holsters is like buying clothing, it may fit you, but comfort and flexibility is something you find out later.

Pocket carry means for most of us that we are carrying a small gun, and not everyone feels like that is enough of a gun.   I’m not real big on arguing about caliber wars, but I am  big on carrying spare magazines and more ammo.    I’m fine with 2 magazines of .380 vs carrying a 5 shot .357 magnum.   IWB gun holsters are something that needs to be matched up to body size, some guys can fit a Beretta 92FS IWB but that pretty much eliminates anyone that is thinly built.   I would make sure you match your shirts up to your CCW method and check yourself in the mirror or ask a family member you trust to ask you if they can tell where your gun is.

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Are pocket holsters necessary?

And before you read much further, the answer to that is a resounding yet.   I know you don’t always need to have a holster, but it’s a darn good idea.   There are some safety issues that need to be considered when pocket carrying.   The first thing this is you have to be consistent in where you are going to put your gun and gear.  If you forget to put and put your keys on the same pocket as your gun and you don’t have a pocket protector, bad things can happen.    Lint build up may not b e a major concern for revolvers, but it is a serious issues with semi-auto guns.

I was fortunate enough to have witness someone show up at a gun range for training that brought his Glock 17 to the range.   He was told to clear his chamber and when he did, a pile of pocket lint came out of the guys gun that it was amazing that so much could build up in it.   This guy didn’t even pocket carry, but he said that it  had been about a year since it was cleaned last.   It’s amazing how clothing sheds and frayed strings.  I have a few pocket guns and use the Don Hume gun holsters I know Dean Speir keeps a good account of Glock accidents, but sweatshirts ect that are not designed for CCW can be dangerous and not using any type of holster is not advised.

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In praise of the Sig 239

I have to force myself to buy various technical gear and sometimes even firearms just to stay on top of what is out there.   I still haven’t jumped into the .380 market, but at some point I’ll settle on some kind of pistol.   I was never big on j-frame revolvers until I went to 5 weddings in one summer and got tired of putting a Sig 239 in a pocket.   The pants I was wearing could fit a Sig 239 very easily, but the gun was so darn heavy that the constant off balance pull it had was as bad as jock itch.   I started out with a 38 Special snub nose T-85 for CCW and got tired of it real fast.   I then tried a Colt 1911 for  a little, but didn’t like the idea of having to disengage a safety.

After several months of not knowing what to carry, I carried my Beretta 92FS and one spare magazine.   It was ok, for a little while, but if I need to carry it for more than 5 days, I got sore spots on my hips.   A friend of mine has his own gun holsters company and offered to make me a holster, but I knew that I was on the verge of changing my concealed carry gun so I held off.  Like a freakish bought of karma, I walked into a gun shop and saw a used Sig 239 for sale, called up my buddy and told him to make a holster for me and here we are 8yrs later.  The Sig 239 is by no means a light handgun, it is small, but this is a combat worthy and durable firearm.

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CCW for the skinny guys

I’m talking about guys here because I don’t k now very many females that carry guns IWB or pocket carry.   I’m not sure why, but most females I am friends with carry in a purse or carry in a paddle or strong side holster.   There are many ways of carrying a gun on just a belt line.   You can carry with a belt loop, double belt loop, clip on or paddle holster.   I have a few backup holsters that are the Don Hume jit holsters that work very well for me because they keep the gun up and don’t take up very much room like a paddle holster.  I also can’t feel it push against my body at all when I am sitting down, unlike the IWB holsters.   I am still looking to pick up a crossbreed holster for a Sig 239 in 40 S&W because I’ve heard they are the most comfortable holsters.   I’ll find out and tell you my thoughts later.

I have never been a big fan of putting on a holster that need to through with a belt because I really don’t feel like having to do that every morning when I get up and go off to work.  That extra 20 minutes of wiggling things around and trying to line up the holster to the belt loops ect. is rather annoying and a clip on the belt gun holsters takes 2 seconds.   I do believe that I may have found a replacement for my paddle holsters which I tend to only carry when I am wearing a vest.   The Don Hume Jit holster may work for you if you have a large cut shirt, but us skinny guys don’t have the shape to hide very much unless it’s flat up against us.

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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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Don’t burry your weapons under clothing

I think there is a point that people really can get carried away with the CCW point of view.   There were a few wacky incidences that occured over the years where a gun owner got himself or herself into a gray area and really invited trouble.  The whole open carry debate can be a powder keg amonst many on our side of the aisle, but not invited problems is something we should be trained to think about.   Don’t put yourself in a situation where the method in which you are carrying is going to make you stand out.   For example, we have a lot of customers that carry full size autos that want to carry their firearms in jackets and they always want to know which vests or jacket it will work in.    If this is what you want to do, go ahead and do it, but if you are standing out on a football field at your kids football game and you are the only person wearing a jacket and it’s 70F out, you are going to be out of place, and may invite problems from a smart ass anti-gun person that knows you may be in a grey area by carrying a gun on school property.

I have stated several times that some of the toughest people I know don’t always carry firearms, and many of the best trained shooters are carrying j-frame revolvers.   This has slightly changed in the last few years since there are some reliable .380 pocket guns coming into the market.   I really don’t have much experience with these, but since many of them are new, it’s sometimes a good idea to just sit back and see how well the products hold up and what their reputations are.   There is not always a real need to get too exotic with gun holsters.   A good pocket carry gun could have 6 or 7 rounds of .380 or 9mm and depending on your body size, you may even be able to get a .40 S&W gun in there.  Pocket carry is probable one of the most comfortable ways to conceal a firearm and won’t restrict much of your movement.

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Galco ankle holsters

The ankle holster is a very unique method.   It is not easy to draw from when in the standing position, but for those that do a lot of driving, this is an excellent position to draw from while in the seated position.  Shoulder holsters come as a close second, but a high level of practice can probable equalize them both.   If you are considering carrying a firearm in an ankle holster.  I strongly advise that you really think about carrying the lightest firearm you can.   The Kahr P9 and J-frame revolvers seem to be the most popular because you may feel like the holster is moving around on you even if it is not, depending on how heavy the gun is.

The holsters we sell are broken down into two groups, Concealed carry and tactical holsters.   Much of the clothing we sell also fits into this category.   While some undercover law enforcement may use concealed carry methods and Galco holsters has many options, most of the pocket and ankle holsters we sell are for white colar gun owners that need to be as discrete as possible.   A new market seems to have emerged in the last year with the flood of new .380 pistols.    Many of us may have started out carrying the biggest firearm we owned when we first started to CCW, but we found out very fast that certain climates and physical situations can be very uncomfortable if we have a firearm jabbing us in the side.   Galco holsters have a very good reputation of being consistantly made and in the 4yrs we’ve been selling them, have never had a fitting issue.

 

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Concealed carry pants and backup weapons

tactical pantsI still run into friends that laugh at the whole concealed carry market and say that the pants and shirts all look tactical and not very concealed carry.   There are arguments all over the internet about not wearing camoflauge while carrying a gun or wearing anything that makes you look like you’re packing.   Well, I’ve spotted plenty of off duty cops that were wearing t-shirts and jeans, but the shaved heads and the polite manners basically gave away the fact they were LEOs, so how do you hide that?

Here’s the realty,  keep your eyes open, situational awareness is more important that what type of clothing you are wearing.   I agree that looking like a SWAT team member with tactical pants  might make you a primary target if you are in the middle of a bank robbery, but if you spotted the bank robber first and left the building or confronted him before he confronted you, who cares what you are wearing.   In this day and age, with so many pocket guns ect.  many regular clothing designs are not comfortable to use if you are carrying mace or firearms and accessories.  The Eotac style 205 pants have side zipper pockets that can hold firearms or mace and are very good for backup weapons.   The Kimber Guardian angel works very well in these pockets and although there are other similiar looking pants out there, these look more like men’s jeans and feel like them wear other tactical pants or concealed carry looking pants are a purplish blue and not very manly looking.

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Belt holsters and pocket guns

gun holstersI highly suggest that when people are carrying  a firearm, even if they are not carying  a backup firearm, should at the very least have atleast one other item on them that they could consider using in a defensive application.   Some may sound funny, but if you were a bad guy, getting a set of car keys jammed in their face or having a belt buckle being used as a pair of brass knuckles or a whip is not something they would want to be hit with.   If you are carrying a pocket gun, and don’t have the ability to comfortable carry mace or another less lethal weapon, try using a belt that has a slightly heavier than normal belt buckle and remember that you can always use it as a whip if need be.

The best CCW methods are hinderance in other situations.    Something like an ankle holster would be a good backup method or white collar environement where someone in an office environement or seated postion may find it practical.    Driving in a car while dressed up and heading to a wedding may make you look like a nice juicy target for a theif who spots your wifes diamon earings and may target you for a car jacking ect.    Ankle carry can be good in these types of situations.   Pocket carry is probable the most pratical and easiest to access, but you are most likely shooting one of the smallest capacity or caliber firearms.   Ankle gun holsters are completley impractical if you are going to be doing a lot of street walking and trying to pull a firearm from your ankle in the middle of a hostile situation is something I don’t even want to think about.

 

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