All posts tagged Defensive Pistol Class

Gun alterations make affect your holster

There are now so many things you can do to a firearm that you better be real careful that you think things through before you find out at the wrong time that  your guns and gear don’t match up very well.  One of the most common problems I am starting to see on the firing line while watching defensive weapons training with handguns is this.   Operator replaces the front sight on his handgun to a slightly higher version, gun fits in holster.   When the operator walks onto a firearm line and tries to quickly pull the firearm out, the front sight snags on the holster on the way out and the gun spins forward out of the operators hand, and then flies forward.

The obvious issue with gun holsters is adding on laser grips, something like the Crimson Trace Laser grips may mean tweaking your holster or having to buy a new one, be real careful about the gun sights though.  Many holsters don’t give you the specs on what kind of sights it will tolerate and this is something you’ll have to do on your own.   Lasermax laser grips will not be an issue due to the fact that there is nothing protruding out

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Glocks and IWB carry

Maybe I’m not that experienced with carrying Glocks for concealed carry, but I often find them to be more comfortable being carried in a leg holster or paddle  holster.   The same goes for revolvers, I rarely see people carry any type of revolver in a holster.   Peoples tolerances for carrying can drastically vary due to body sizes.   When I got serious about moving away from a Taurus T85 38 Special and was looking for a durable semi-auto with more punch, but not much larger, I came to the conclusion that it was either the Glock 26 9mm or a Sig 239.  The Sig 239 won out because it was slightly thinner, but not really a lighter gun.

When you are deciding on a firearm, don’t worry about the weight of the gun.   If you get a good gun belt you shouldn’t notice weight as much as you will notice the size of the barrel.   I still find the 1911 to be one of the most comfortable guns to carry because it has such a thing frame and is balanced very well, but my Wilderness 5 stitch instructor belt supported it so well I couldn’t tell the difference between my Sig 239 and a 45acp full size 1911.  I tried on various Don Hume holsters, Galco holsters and Bianchi and found the Don Hume and Galco had a lot of good options.   It’s good to find a dealer that has  a return policy where you can try it out in your own home and then return it if you have any issues with the fit.

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Practicing drawing from cover

CCW VestThere are multiple ways of carrying a firearm concealed.   Each of them may be good for a certain environment, but one way may not work for all situations.   Sometimes people get too caught up in one manor of concealment and the reality is that we should probable consider atleast 2 or 3 ways of concealing the same firearm.   When I was at a Defensive Pistol course a few years ago, we were asked to bring a concealment garment to practice drawing our firearm.    The majority of us didn’t show up with pocket pistols for the Class and having something that would work for a full size auto was difficult.

Some jackets will work fine for winter work, but summer concealed carry is a different animal.  Wearing a vest in the summer can make  you stand out, but it can also help you fit in depending on the enviroment.   Just like the debates about which gun is better a Glock or a 1911, you have to be smart about what your carrying and understand how it functions and if it works for you.   A CCW vest like the Elite Operator Tactical Style 102 vest has a generous cut and will hang well over your belt line to conceal a full size auto like a Glock 17, Beretta 92FS or Sig 226.   A lot of the students that took the class with me all used these and they worked well.

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