All posts tagged CCW Holsters

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.

Top

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.

Top

Tactical clothing and gun holsters

I recently took a swing by several big gun shops and picked up a few products from tactical clothing companies that I was unfamiliar with.   I do think that many of the top tactical clothing companies are much better than the stuff that was being made years ago.   Clothing manufacturing has gotten better in many regards.   I have several BDU pants from Army Navy stores, but I just can’t stand wearing them anymore.   The hand pockets are too small and the BDU pockets are too flimsy.    If I want BDU pants,  The Eotac Style 201 Pants are the way to go.   If I want to wear denim jeans, I’m going to go with one of the tactical jeans from 5.11, Woolrich Elite or Eotac.

One thing I didn’t like about the 5.11 jeans was that the hand pockets were not any larger than my regular jeans which completely eliminates the possibility of pocket carry.   I had a j-frame 38 Special in the pocket and the handle was showing.   I find this to be a real short coming even though the internal pockets that can stow guns or magazines.   I find these pants to be concealed carry friendly to some degree, but they really were missing some features.   I don’t like the fact that there isn’t spot in the right side at about 3 o’clock that would be gun holsters for most right handed individuals.   Even though I think some of the 205 jeans are a little over designed with the rear pockets, I think pocket carry is really important for CCW wearers and the 5.11 jeans isn’t for that.  The 5.11 jeans can hold your wallet or money, but that’s about it.

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

The suit and tie

Galco HolstersThere are always multiple ways of carrying a concealed firearm.  If you can really carry a full size auto all day and feel comfortable that good for you, but there are environments that many of us will get in where concealing a firearm is difficult.   Keep in mind that not everyone of us is carrying a gun in an environment where we’re dealing with friendlies.   There are plenty of places we can carry where a woman may bump into us and know she hit a Sig Sauer 9mm, but in other places you’ll get, “what is that, are you carrying a gun?”

The Galco Holster Miami Vice style may look cool on TV, but that is going to be easy to spot if we have to move around a lot and take off a jacket.  Weddings are usually the harder environments to carry when concealment is of the utmost importance.   You will be in a room that will get hotter and the jacket you are wearing is going to become very uncomfortable at some point.   IWB is going to be ruled out if you have a tucked in shirt and you’re mostly out of options.   Galco holsters in the ankle configuration are a very good option for wedding environments.  Pocket carry is always a good suit and tie option, but an ankle holster with a light frame revolver is something worth considering.

Top

Preference and comfort

Don Hume HolstersIf you feel comfortable carrying the same handgun all year long, you may be in the minority.   Many feel the need to get into a summer/ winter carry routine and I feel that is fairly common.   Carrying a fiream IWB in the depth of winter may mean your gun is under 2 or 3 layers of clothing which can mean murphys law may come quicker.

Don hume holsters has a nice Jit Slide holster which depending on your body type might not be as uncofortable as a paddle holster, but still can be worn outside of the belt.   The real issue every  CCW holder needs to deal with is, “is this comfortable” and “can it be concealed”.    There are always different scenarios and we must train to deal with threats, but coming home with injuries or discomfort is easy to prevent if we do the reasearch first.

Top

Concealement or Duty Holsters Options, Options…

Pistol HolstersThe argument about which gun is better than the other is  like beating a dead horse to most gun enthusiasts, but when talking about gun holsters there seems to be very little argument.   Whenever I speak to my friends about the topic of gun holsters, there is a clear and obvious reality that no holster is good for everything.   Some holsters look nice and feel nice, but they won’t hold up to adverse weather.   Nylon and plastics are options for damp environments, but there can always be drawbacks.
Whenever your looking for a pistol holster, think about the number of climate changes or environments, concealement or open carry options, and then take your pick of the many brands like, Galco, Fobus, Don Hume, Uncle Mike’s, Blackhawk, Bianchi and see which needs can be fulfilled.   Some manufacturers are making holsters from leather to high density plastics and shoulder holsters to paddle holsters.

Top
1 2 3 4 Page 4 of 4