All posts tagged CCW Holsters

Don Hume inside the waisteband holsters

Don Hume leatherDon Hume pocket holstersWe’ve been selling these for more than 4yrs and they are still one of our top selling holsters.   From a personal point of view, these holsters are a little rough looking but if you don’t want to go with some of the Nylon holsters we sell and are sure you want a leather holster, these are are very well priced compared to the Galco leather and the Desantis leather holsters we sell.  The Desantis insider is a inexpensive leather holster but it’s  not as hard and the same priced Don Hume ones.   All leather holsters should have a short break in period because if they don’t they may be a little too loose at some point in the not too distant future.   Securing a firearm is what a good holster’s primary role should be and not all holsters are quiet, some rattle and allow movement.

Inside the waistband holsters are hard to shop for and I can recommend enough to check with people that are already  using certain holsters before you put too much money in an unknown.  We always have first time CCW holsters and Don Hume holsters are usually suggested along with our nylon belt clip holsters and many of the Fobus products to get something from a starting point.  It’s not that we think they are not good holsters it’s just that they are not they pricey and can be had for around $25-$40.  Compare that to Crossbreed holsters and some of the Galco leather holsters and you’re at about 1/3 of the cost.  Once a gun owner has more experience in knowing what to buy they can spend all they want with us, but we always try to help customers avoid buyer’s remorse or have to deal with returns.

Top

Don Hume gun holsters, what’s the appeal?

Don Hume HolstersI was shocked at how many people were calling us 2yrs ago over these Don Hume holsters and I’m still uncertain as to when the good reviews about this product line took off but it must have been fairly recently.  There are some good Concealed Carry magazine reviews out there as well as many bloggers that post reviews, test, and long term evaluations about products but it’s rare to see a run on production line like this.  I picked out a few holsters for myself but avoided the leather inside the waist because I had some issues using leather gun holsters in the Pennsylvania summer heat and moved on to kydex.   We did have a recent issue with one of their holsters starting to peel it’s finish after just a few days of use, but I think that was a situational issue where the user was wearing  a seat belt that wore the finish off in 24hrs.

Things like that can  happen with any product if it’s put to adverse or stressed situations and every piece of gun gear or tactical gear will fail at some point.   These are very stiff holsters and like all leather holster, not just Don Hume holsters there is always going to be a bit of a break in period.  I wouldn’t get too worked up about this because it’s good that the holster has some break  in period s0 it properly forms around the gun.   A very common  problem with kydex holsters is they will start to rattle and even some Glock guns will not work in kydex holster depending on whether it’s Gen 2 Glock or a Gen 4 glock.   Don Hume inside and belt loop holsters are a great way to conceal carry firearms without blowing a hole in wallett.

Top

Quick fixes when you have a new gun but need a holster

Galco holstersThe new shooters are usually the ones that come in and ask the most generic questions but we’ve trained our staff be polite, even when asked those silly NEWBY questions.   I am going to be writing up a sheet and put it on our wall with all of the basic questions that people ask and they’ll have to think it over and come back to us with all of the answers.   This week we put in our orders for the 2014 products we will want to bring in stock for our Tactical store.  Many of the leather products are what fits the bill for our customers but they are about 2x’s as much as some of the paddle holsters and the inexpensive Galco stow-n-go holsters.  Those usually run in the $30 range but there are some drawbacks to those designs.

First of all, it’s better to have a holster than no holster but Kydex has gained a lot of traction in the CCW world because if you can adjust to them, they are a very good option to eventually consider.   The only problem with the Galco holsters with the Stow-n-go style is “reholstering.”   Once you draw the gun from the holster, it’s not really a good idea to shove it back in.  There are some safety issues to think about when using some IWB holsters that are nylon or of a very soft material.   I have seen some accidents with Glock handguns where people have a shirt or string that gets caught in the holster area and they gun holster pushes the gun too hard and it sets off the trigger.  It’s much better to unclip the holster and then reholster, and then tuck it into your waste.

Top

Fobus and Glock issues

Fobus holstersWe recently got some negative feedback about a Fobus holster we sold to a customer and then went back to Fobus’ customer service to find out what the issue was.   Apparently there are some fit issues with the different Generations of Glock guns and Fobus holsters so now we have to be more cautious about selling them to customers that walk in and buy them for Glocks.   The gun will fit into the holster but the amount of force you need to do to “click” it into the holster and then draw it out is excessive.   If you put a hair dryer to the holster and edge something in it you can soften the holster up to get it to fit properly but that’s a headache for a first time Fobus holster customer.  In 2013 we’ll probable bring in more of the Fobus E2 holsters because there is more adjustments you can do with the tension.

Fobus holsters are the first paddle holsters we suggest to customer if they ask for a paddle holster because after that, you normally have to move up to the $40 dollar range and usually that means a sale for the Safariland holsters.   I do like Fobus holsters myself and they are great for winter carry and I normally carry a larger frame gun in the Winter and this is a much more comfortable way to carry instead of IWB.  The Sig 226 in .357 Sig is my preferred gun for winter because the more penetration through clothing is something that many of my Law Enforcement customers suggest because of all of the statistics on what happens when bullets go through clothing.

Top

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.

Top

Holsters, comfort and holster and angles

fobus holstersIt was a recent discussion in our tactical store that angling a holster forward really was more about FBI guys that were sitting in their cars and didn’t want the grips to dig into their seats.   I have had some issues drawing my pistol in this angle because sometimes I’ve felt my fingers get way too close to the trigger and slip.  Roto holsters give you a little bit of flexibility and we all know how hard it is to get a holster to fit you without trying it out for awhile.   If you are in a car you may want a forward leaning angle and if you are standing most of the time a straight angle.

There have been times I carried full sized autos and if I had my Wilderness 5 stitch instructor belt on I didn’t have any issues with the weight, but with the wrong belt, it would sag.   I am a big fan of the Fobus holsters product line, and not because they are my favorite, they are the easiest and best holster to start out with.  Their paddle holsters are very inexpensive and always the first thing we sell to someone who is taking their first firearms training course.  Paddle holsters are easier to adapt to than dealing with break  in periods with far more expensive leather or customer kydex holsters.

Top

When do you need a retention holster?

There are so many guns out there and holsters that it is very common for people to waste money buying things that they don’t need and then it sits in a gun safe or a box in the closet.   Training is more important than firearm selection and many of my friends got in the habit of thinking that if they needed a self defense firearm they should buy something expensive.  There is nothing wrong with carrying a j-frame revolver and all the craze about .380’s in recent years is really just marketing.   Ballistics of a .380 are very low and this is  not a very powerful round although there has been some improvement lately.

When it comes to holsters, you don’t need to spend $100 on a holster for it to give you some stealth advantage over your enemies.   We sell a lot of Blackhawk Serpa holsters to law enforcement but I shy away from pushing these for CCW.   There have been many times that I have had customer walk into my store and have a firearm with a light  on it and none of the holsters that they originally came in looking for worked for them.   There have been many times that they picked up an Elite Survival Systems holster because there was more adaptability with their designs for lights and lasers.

Top

Kydex holster options from Leather Holster Companies?

I’ve seen several places online where people are offering customer kydex holsters and although I know that is a niche industry that people can excel at, I’ve had too many fit and quality control issues to want to deal with it.  There are also customer leather makers but that is even more expensive.   Now that so many people a running lasers or lights on their .380 pistols or their duty guns.   Gun holsters can get very complicated.  I have had issues with the depth of holsters and also what I call “holster flop” and that is the reason I have so many holsters sitting in a box in my walk in closet.   Some larger frame or even medium frame semi-auto guns like the Sig 228 are difficult to put in those Don Hume Hit holsters, but the Desantis Speed Scabbard offered a little bit more sturdiness.

We are looking at bringing in more blue guns for people to try out in our Broomall, PA showroom because so many people want to know the fit and feel of a holster.   There are new holsters designs from Desantis holsters like the Scorpion and the Desantis Intruder.  There give you more comfort for larger size firearms.  This contoured paddle holster design is something I have worked with for  years and it really does make it more comfortable to wear.   At first it may seem bulky and hard to get on, but it’s something you just need to learn to adapt to.  You won’t get the bruising that many kydex will give you if you are bending over to your side.  Sig 229 and Glock handguns like the Glock 17 work really well in this holster design.

Top

Galco leather holster reviews

In the tactical accessories and tactical gear market, it’s not always about what is the best, it’s about what is the best for the job at hand.  Many gun holsters are not that practical and are good for backup situations but not primary.  Any gun is better than no gun, but ankle holsters and deep cover holsters that are tuckable might be your only option in some circumstances.  Galco makes a very comfortable ankle holster and the tuckable holster are one of our biggest sellers.

With gun holsters and accessories, there are so many well made products out there that it’s a testament to American ingenuity and creativity to how they are made and why they are made like that.   Galco holsters is probable the best direction someone can go for concealed carry and defensive shooting.   While many gun holsters may hold a niche market, Galco holsters are some of the nicest leather holster that don’t cost much more than one or two pistol magazines.  The Stow-n-go holsters are big for Concealed carry and not all of our Glock customers want a Kydex holster.   Sometimes a nice leather holster for a Glock is the way to go.

Top

Rotating gun magazines and paying attention to useage

This year we are again attending the Contagion 2012 in Pennsylvania.  This is a yearly event and one of the best things about it is getting first hand experience at and a look at various guns and gear.  One of the things we can tell you that we see every year, is a lack of proper firearm training.  We haven’t seen any major safety issues, but we see guys walking up the range and firing guns at stages that go “Click” because they never properly loaded their firearm.   The Contagion event has been going on for about 4yrs now.   You get a good look at the footwear, eyewear, firearms, rifle scopes and some very high end looking AR15 rifles.  Even the guys that show up with the good stuff have problems.  Just because you spent $4000 on an AR15 and gear doesn’t mean you are going to survive the zombie attack.

This year we are a vendor and we are bringing lots of gun accessories and maintenance tools.   This is one of those events were having extra handguns magazines like Kahr magazines will be at hand.   Kahr pistols are very popular in the concealed carry community and they have a very good reputation of holding up.   We stock the Kahr factory magazines and highly suggest that if you are using them for a competition event that you bring atlease 6  magazines with you.  Avoiding excessive wear and tear on magazines that you may also be using for CCW is a good idea.

Top
1 2 3 4 Page 1 of 4