All posts tagged Beretta 92 holsters

Blackhawk Serpa’s, Glocks and training…

If I think about the handguns I own, the last handgun I have picked up in recent years was a Glock 19.  From my experience with firearms, it’s mostly about preference because so many handguns are far more reliable than they were 20yrs ago.  Lubricants like Slip 2000 and M-Pro7 have gone a long ways form where CLP started from and that was enough to get a firearm to last several hundred if not thousands of rounds longer.  When people get into these debates about handguns and how many rounds they will shoot before jamming up, you really have to be realistic, nobody carries hundreds of rounds of handgun ammunition around with them even in combat.  It’s mostly officers that have sidearms and the  majority will have an M16 with them.

Glocks will run longer but there is also something to be said about a device being easy to use and user friendly.   Thumb breaks have been around for a long time but there is something to be said for Blackhawk Serpa holsters  since they seem to be a perfect match.   I have never had fit issues with the Serpa unlike what I have had with some of my older model Fobus holsters.    It is easy to train someone who has their basic firearm safety down, to use the Blackhawk Serpa retention holster.   We are a stocking dealer and have most of the Glock holsters for left hand and right handed gun owners.

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Inventory Availability for Don Hume holsters

We got in a very large shipment of the much sought after Don Hume holsters.  I just had a customer come in here and ask what the big deal is with them and I told him that the big deal is that these are the best price leather holsters out there.  They definitely are not the nicest looking holster which Desantis and Galco will show you but if you are on a budget.  You can get a good holster for under $25.   Now that so many people are packing, not everyone really knows what it’s like to carry and how comfortable certain types of holsters are.  There are many of our customers that don’t want to carry IWB because it’s not very comfortable but from a defensive standpoint it probable is the most recommended method of carry.

I do like the Don Hume Jit holsters and if you compare these $20 holsters to the Desantis Scabbard you are going to spend 2x’s as much for a similar holsters but they are not as nice looking but they get the job done to some degree.  Most of the Don Hume holsters that I use are for small or single stack magazines.  I have noticed that the j-frame and Sig 239 holsters work very well but the Sig 228 holsters seem to flop a little and in my opinion aren’t as secure.   Some of the flopping can be avoided with a paddle holster or an IWB holster.  Do your research on the size of the gun you are using and see what other people are saying.

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Safariland retention and thigh holsters

For those that work in the industry you see new products and supposedly new accessories that people want to pump you up about.  Marketing and advertising products are going to try and get you to believe that you need to buy it, but there are many things that are all about preference and styles.   Some products like the Safariland ALS are tried and tested and we’ve sold so many of them that it’s not something we’re expecting to see improved upon.

While the Beretta 92 or more commonly known as the M9, is still military issued, most in the Special Forces prefer to use something else. Most of our customer base use Glock firearms because the low maintenance firearm and the time tested Safariland holsters have the most reliable locking mechanism for Law Enforcement and Military applications. Every Police Officer that walks in our store prefers Safariland. The Glock 17  is still the most popular firearm we sell holsters for.

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Shoulder holsters are not out of style

I know that many gun ranges do not allow people to train for defensive shooting classes with shoulder holsters and I complete agree with the reasons.   I still believe that if you have to carry a full size auto, carrying it in a shoulder holster is the way to go.   For driving in vehicles whether for military purposes or for concealed carry, it is a practical way to defend yourself.  I think the vertical should holster is a much more practical and safer way to carry in a shoulder holster but small or medium size firearms work well in horizontal rigs.   I find the Elite Survival systems holsters to be the best nylon holsters but you get what you pay for.  Some of  my Uncle Mike’s holsters worked well but they are not as comfortable to wear.

There have been some pretty big design changes and I like many holster makers, the contour of the holsters has been modified.   The Miami classic holster from Galco holsters is still a very widely used holster for law enforcement.  This is probable the coolest shoulder holster and with a Glock 19 it works very well.   For winter carry these are above the belt line and are not something that will restrict you with the type of jackets you wear.  We have had some issues with customers buying the Woolrich Elite Algerian Jackets and then not like the length of the jacket.  Our answer is that it’s a jacket not a coat and if you want to wear this you need a different setup.

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Yes, there is a difference between Gaclo, Don Hume and Desantis

When we got the Galco and Desantis holster catalogs we were pretty overwhelmed by how much stuff they had in there and it was really hard to figure out what we should start bringing in.  First, I can’t say that one is better than the other because each has certain products that are tried and tested and look at function well.  The Miami Classic shoulder holster is still very popular with Law Enforcment because it has that “look” that some professionals want.   Most major companies like Galco, Don Hume and Desantis have very consistent quality products and we never get complaints about fit unless it’s a novice gun owner that doesn’t  know they need a break in period.

There are many differences in hand sizing and not every ones fingers are going to reach.   There are tuckable Desantis Holsters that have caught on with many white color concealed carry holders.   Not all pocket holsters are the same and each holster may have an edge functioning with you with a certain type of firearm.  I’ve got Don Hume Jit holsters for many of my medium frame guns but it didn’t work quite so well with my Glock 19. It was something about the balance and the depth of the holster but for my Sig 239 and my Smith & Wesson 38 Special, it’s actually my favorite firearm holster for the majority of my guns.  You probable won’t know until you tried them though.

 

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Full size guns and holster options

I have stacks of gun holsters in my closet but in all honesty I still use most of them.   I carry for work but sometimes I just feel like carrying something different and I’ll break out a Beretta 92Fs in a shoulder holster or a Sig 226 in a Miami Vice Classic holster.   Sometimes its just fun to put one on and get the gun out of your waistband.   I personally prefer to carry a firearm inside the waistband for concealment but when you have to do heavy lifting or bending over a lot.  Sometimes  you can develop bruising or soreness depending on the holster you are using. Kydex is great and so are some of the Kingtuk style holsters but there are body movement limits.

When I just want to get moving and I have a concealment vest or jacket on, I have a lot of fun with my Fobus holsters.  I never understood why people bash Fobus holsters as being inferior because for $20 they make a darn good holster.  I have never had fit issues with them and I have yet to have ever broken one.  They are very easy on off holsters if you think you have to do banking or go into a Government building and remove your firearm.   Fobus holsters are very well balanced with full size firearms but a bit of an overkill for j-frame revolvers.

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Is your gun holster going to get you killed?

I remember hearing all of the stories about how AR15 rifle jam and that they need to be cleaned.  Well all of this is true but the complaining seems to be exaggerated.   All firearms will eventually go down if they are not cleaned or maintained which in my opinion is a better term, but some may last longer than others.    I have seem ammunition malfunctions occur in rifles where just the slightest burr on the bullet can cause a feeding problem and taking your gun apart or clearing the malfunction can be difficult.   The same type of thing can occur with any mechanical device, ever get your shoe on your foot all wrong and have trouble getting your socks pulled up?  Mechanical parts will eventually cease up or jam up at some point.

Gun holsters have become far more complicated anymore and with everyone and their dog putting on sights, laser or just night sights, you can end up needing a different holster unless you’re brave enough to tweak the holster yourself.  Recently we had a tactical team show up at our store and pick up some of the Blackhawk Serpa holsters we sell and asked them what they were seeing in the Law Enforcement Community after all of the recent  hoopla.  I already knew the answer to this but I sometimes like to test out the customers we have and find  out what their opinions were of this mechanical device.  The answer was, it’s a mechanical device and it can fail.

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Observing who uses the best stuff

There are so many things in this industry that are well made, but all have their good and bad points.   Some things are all about preference and not really better than the other.  For instance, there is a certain point that a discussion about 9mm firearms being better than one another is and dumb conversation because as long as the gun is reliable  for the first 5 rounds, in the real world the hits are all that counts and most shootings for even law enforcement are in the single digits.  The Sig 228 is a good firearm but will need more lubrication to run properly than a Glock.   If you are going on long deployment the Glock is an obvious lower maintenance firearm.

One thing we do see though is military personal mostly Special Ops that stop in our shop all buy the Safariland holsters.   I personally have no problem with the drop rig Blackhawk holsters but the Safariland holsters are the ones that the pros use and that is something to pay attention to.   I’ve always liked my Beretta 92 pistols and even though they are still being used in the military as a primary sidearm the guys that have the option to carry something else, do.

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Gun holtsters for the M9 firearm

Every time we get an order for a Beretta 92 holster we pretty much know it’s a Military customer.   Since we deal with so many soldiers deployed over seas and have been an established business for 7yrs people are finding out about us.   There are some new finishes for the Blackhawk Serpa holsters but most people still stick with the Black versions.  One reason I believe the Beretta 92FS has survived all of these  years is that it for the most part is easy to  use for left handed shooters.   I don’t know what the percentage of left handed shooters are in the Country but it’s a fairly high number to market to.

We’ve been getting more and more traffic at our retail location and a shocking number of our customers are left handed.   We were not sure which gun holsters we should be bringing in, but we did order many of the left handed Blackhawk Serpa holsters for the more popular firearms.  Having ambidextrous magazin releases and charging bolts is very important because a left handed individual is really forced to re-learn mechanical movements that his body doesn’t want to learn.  With defensive shooting training, it is important to practice things that you find uncomfortable but starting out with gear that isn’t up to your primary hand movements just royally sucks.

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More news from the training world

Yet another firearms instructor that I have a good relationship with has banned the use of the Blackhawk Serpa from his course.   I will make myself very clear before anyone things I am going to go off on a tangent and say that the Blackhawk Serpa Sucks and is a piece of shit and should not be ever made.   So here me straight, some firearms accessories and gear need more training to use properly and many novice gun owners and ill-trained Law Enforcement are more  likely to have an accident with them than with other gear.  When it comes to firearms, yes, I have known of more negligent discharges with Glocks than with any double action firearm, am I going to bash Glocks? No, I will not.

I do not have combat experience with a gun holster but I have had extensive experience in dealing with the bad elements of society and understand what stress is.  There has been much to say about the designs of retention holsters under stress and the Safariland holsters are the best holster according to what we have seen and heard.   Blade Tech seems to also have a good reputation but in all honesty i’ve never head one in my hands so I couldn’t say.  The 5.11 thumbdrive holsters are another retention holster that has very limited testing experience so I guess we have to resort to the tried and true.

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