All posts tagged Blackhawk Serpa

Concealed carry holter or tactical?

I have to admit that I do read a lot of gun magazines, I guess it’s primarily to educate myself on what is out there as far as firearms and gear and see if there is anything ground breaking.   I remember when I could name about 5 or 6 good gun manufacturers, but now there are so many people making AR15 guns that I don’t think I could really say that I have a very good point of reference if I was going to give my critisism because not all of the direct impingement guns are the same.   There have been some productions with Springfield Armory XD guns when they first came out as well as a few others, but eventually the gun company gets it right.  I have never seen so many holster modifications done in the last 2yrs as I have before.   If you had a Sig 229 6yrs ago and get one now, and put a light on it, time for another gun holsters.

I guess the real question that we need to ask ourselves is do we want a tactical gun or a concealed carry gun?   Even that can become complicated if we start putting lasers on them which many are doing for small frame revolvers and semi-autos.   I took a training course using lasers and gun holsters and learned in the first 5 minutes that a laser has an extreme advantage over non laser guns with shooting around corners.   Anyone that has taken a defensive firearms course has learned to use cover, and limit the exposure when shooting around a corner, keep your feet behind cover and try to only move the barrel and your eyes around the corner.  With a laser, you can learn to keep your gun at one firing point and your head at another which gives your threat 2 things to think about if they want to return fire.

Top

Tactical holsters and combat holsters

I have to admit that I fall under the category of people that have a pile of holsters that I hardly use, but I still don’t think they are worthless.   I think it’s always good to keep spare  holsters around incase you break one, wear it out or have to wait awhile to get one custom made.   I’ve had situations where a favorite gun holster broke and it took a few months to get a replacement.   When it comes to needing gun holsters for hard training, I think it’s always a good idea to know ahead of time on how many magazines you intend to be carrying.  Blackhawk Serpa holsters are outstanding combat holsters due to their superior durability and stability, but some nylon holsters will still work very well.

There is a point where I think people have to be realistic about how many handgun magazines they are willing and needing to carry and how much bulk they want.   At a certain point  you really need to put more thought into carrying  a Carbine if you want that much firepower.   There are gun holsters with a drop leg setup that will allow you to carry more magazines that are off the belt line, this can be a tricky configuration to use and I would put serious thought into whether or not you want that bulk, but it will free up your gun belt for cell phones, flashlights, radio ect.

Top

When the world turns upside down

My biggest  pet peeve when it comes to certain types of holster manufacturers is that I do not like to have anything covering my spare magazines while they are in a mag holder, but many of the mag holders I use to use did not fair very well for CCW or for real training.    My first experience with a magazine holder that failed was on a long road trip where I had to put the seat back to sleep and woke up with someone sitting behind me that was holding my spare mag.  I decided to ditch the magazine holder I was using and go with the Blackhawk double and single stack magazine holders.   They have a build in magazine retention design so even if you are hanging upside down, they won’t come loose, but have just enough retention to do this and easily come out if and when you need to reload.

 

 

Like many in the gun community, we’ve all got a starting point for training or experience.   One of those starting points usually involves make poor mistakes on the carrying methods or for choosing gun holsters or gear that awas inappropriate.   I have been happy with the holsters that I have been wearing in recent years, but I only rarely run into situations where I break a holster and there is a shortage and I have to find  alternative gun holsters or another firearm combination to carry.

 

Top

Speed and reliability of holsters

I have noticed a trend of CCW individuals that are all going out and picking up the Blackhawk Serpa style holsters for CCW.  Many of these are Glock owners.   I often ask some of these people what they thought about the 1911 pistols and recently busted on a friend that referred to them as relics because they had a manual safety,  I followed up on what he thought about putting a safety on his Glock and he smiled and said “what safety”.   I pointed to the gun holster he was wearing and said “you have a safety on your holster”, and his face dropped.

I started asking him about how many times he’s actually practiced drawing from the holster and if he thought he might have problems retrieving the gun if it was under cover.  These are my opinions, but I always like to challenge people when they are showing signs of going with “the newest thing” mentality and it happens all the time with gun holsters.   I would highly recommend the Blackhawk Serpa holster for OWB or duty carry, but highly argue against  using them for CCW.   If you practice enough you can overcome the thumbsnaps ect. that a gun holster may have on it, but are you more likely to fumble on a particular design when CCW under cover?  Just something to think about.

Top

Tactical gear and clothing

There are a lot of words that get thrown around in the firearm industry that are fairly broad.    Tactical clothing these days may sound like BDUs to one person and 5.11 tactical clothing to another.    Tactical gear can mean anything from a folding stock to a knife, or a $1500 rifle scope.    The word “tactical” doesn’t really tell you what something is going to be used for in the field.    I have some pretty dressed down AR15 rifles that to some people, just look like violent weapons and scare them, while most of us that are familiar with the accessorized M4 Carbine, will find a A2 style AR15 to be  pretty bland.

The so called tactical clothing and concealed carry markets seem to be new markets and these terms get thrown around a lot but don’t really tell us much.  To the trained individual, they can spot a knife in the pocket and 5.11 style pants from a mile away and loads of pockets full of tactical gear and usually that’s a dead giveaway that someone is carrying a firearm.   Think about what purpose your clothing is to serve and adapt to it.   There are more than a few good clothing companies that are making concealed carry friendly apparel.

Top

CCW and gray areas

When an individual decides that they are going to be carrying a firearm, they must first understand that even though they are permitted to carry a firearm, there are some places that they cannot carry.   Most areas that you can not carry are obvious, like government buildings, court rooms ect, but each State has some areas you may not.    Even though it may be legal to carry a concealed firearm into a bank in your State, a bank that has had a previous history of robberies may have a metal detector that you will have to walk through, and since it’s guaranteed that you’ll set it off, it may be a good idea to leave your firearm in the car.

There are many gray areas for CCWing.   When selecting a gun holsters, it may be wise to think about the what ifs, and how much of a headache it’s going to be to have to take your holster off during the day.   I have personally seen a few clip on holsters fail during CCW where the student comically points the gun with the holster on it at the target.   Even though this has occured numerous times, I still have to state that the belts that were being used were not ideal.   It is extremely important to select a good gun belt that securely holds your clip on holster.

Top

Carrying full size handguns

gun holstersComfort is very important for those that are carrying 8-10hrs or more a  day.   I’ve carried various firearms over my life and sometimes it’s fine carrying something Monday-Friday, but if I’m still carrying it on Day 6, I can really feel it.   I’ve found that driving in a car for long periods of time can really make IWB and paddle holsters feel annoying after a couple hours.    I can use an ankle holster is some situations, but I’ve found that the most comfortable way to carry a full size auto for long periods of time is in a should rig.   Leg holsters are probable a 2nd favorite, but that’s not going to work for concealed carry purposes.   One thing to always be aware of is not sweeping body parts when pulling  a firearm in the seated position while wearing a should rig.

There are so many methods of carrying a gun, but no firearm or holster is going to do it all.   Nobody carries a airweight 38 special in a leg holsters and it’s not a very good idea to carry a Beretta 92FS in your pocket, even if you can.   I’ve changed my thinking when it comes to CCW and the caliber debate.   Some of the best self defense instructors I know carry the smallest caliber firearms because they know that situational awareness is the best defense and if they have to deal with a threat, a good shot in the right spot is all that counts.   One method of carry that seems to be bashed a little too much is the shoulder holster rig.   These  gun holsters may not work very well for some body types and for warm weather because I admit it is easy to pick out the should straps if the appropriate clothing is not worn.

 

Top

Firearm retention and applications

gun holstersThere is another consideration in choosing a holster that you may not be that concerned about at first.   Many in the CCW world may frown on having any kind of thumb break or locking system, but there are good reasons for thinking about this.   I would have to say that many of the thumbreak holsters that I have used in the past were nylon and although they worked very well for their intended purposes, I would never recommend them for CCW.   I am also going to state that I am not going to tell you which holster you should use because that is a personal choice and you should put some thought and research into selecting for yourself.   I have trained with 1911 pistols and although they are my favorite 45acp pistol, I have missed the thumb safety too many times during self defense training that I do not consider it for CCW.   I’m also aware that putting a thumbreak on the holster may compound the problem for such a firearm.

Glocks vs. 1911s is an argument I try not to argue about anymore because people are going to carry what they feel comfortable even if it has its drawbacks.   The one thing I still don’t understand though is the argument against 1911s and the slide safety and then people that lock their Glocks up in a Serpa holster.   IMHO each puts one step in front of pulling the trigger and if you don’t feel that you can comfortable pull a CCW firearm from under cover without missing the release, then do not carry with any gun holsters that have a locking system.    If you are carry on a leg holster or OWB and not under cover, then I think the situation can change.

Top

Lighweight vests for summer

Woolrich Elite VestsFor those of us living in the part of the Country where we get all 4 Seasons of weather, our concealment options usually will change atleast 2 times a year.    There are enormous numbers of ways you can conceal a weapon, but for those of us that carry full size weapons, the warmer the weather the fewer the options.   I carry a full size Beretta 92F while at work and one of my favorite ways of carrying this firearm is in a Fobus paddle holster.   For only about $20, I’ve gotten more than my moneys worth and have never broken the holster.   I’d have to say that if I was rolling around in the dirt I would defanitely prefer to have a Serpa holster.

The Woolrich Elite lightweight vest is made of a 100% cotton ripstop material that is identical the the Woorlich Elite lightweight pants and shorts.   These make carrying gear and concealment tolerable in hot weather.   These Woolrich Elite Vests are very popular with the IDPA crowd and being cut generously on the sides give great concealement, especially for those carrying full size autos.   We’ve had a few goofy complaints from customers that have stated that these vests are not good for concealing firearm if you put them in the pockets, and we would agree, these are basically made of the same type of material that your T-shirt is made out of and your gun will most likely print if you put it in the front pockets.   The concealed carry vest is meant to be a concealment garment and not a firearm retention device.   There are other concealment vests out t here that cost 3x’s as much money and can be used to hold firearms, but those are not lightweight.

Top

Observations in training and gear Pt2

Blackhawk HolstersWhen I was at this range and watching students,  I saw the gun industry very well represented, everything from Blackhawk, Safariland, Uncle Mikes,  military surplus, East German  gear, holsters, chest rigs, speed loaders on the students.   The military surplus stuff all work and was simple to use, but it wasn’t as fast to use and much of it wasn’t too pretty and very much for the weekend warriors.   For serious gear, do some research before you buy and try and find a gun shop or gun show where you can actually feel and wear it before you buy.   Many firearms owners have a pile of holsters in their closet for all the ones that really weren’t that comfortable, and blowing a bunch of money on chest rigs and mag holsters, tactical vest ect. that really don’t feel right is going to cost more than many holsters.

I’m biased, I  have to admit it, Blackhawk holsters are my favorite tactical holster.   If i land on my side or bang into something, I’m more concerned about bruising myself rather than “did I break my holster”.    There are some useful $20 holsters out there, but they’ll break if you start rolling around in the dirt with them.    Another observation I had on all of the students, was that the majority of them seemed very awkward in transitioning from Carbine to Pistol.  Many of these students had CCW permits, but they were using paddle holsters and tactical vests that they weren’t use to.    It’s a really good idea for you to think about where you would like to carry a sidearm before you spend money on a tactical vest.   Some tactical vests will have a pistol holster and some will not.

Top
1 … 3 4 5 6 Page 5 of 6