All posts tagged Galco Holsters

CCW for the skinny guys

I’m talking about guys here because I don’t k now very many females that carry guns IWB or pocket carry.   I’m not sure why, but most females I am friends with carry in a purse or carry in a paddle or strong side holster.   There are many ways of carrying a gun on just a belt line.   You can carry with a belt loop, double belt loop, clip on or paddle holster.   I have a few backup holsters that are the Don Hume jit holsters that work very well for me because they keep the gun up and don’t take up very much room like a paddle holster.  I also can’t feel it push against my body at all when I am sitting down, unlike the IWB holsters.   I am still looking to pick up a crossbreed holster for a Sig 239 in 40 S&W because I’ve heard they are the most comfortable holsters.   I’ll find out and tell you my thoughts later.

I have never been a big fan of putting on a holster that need to through with a belt because I really don’t feel like having to do that every morning when I get up and go off to work.  That extra 20 minutes of wiggling things around and trying to line up the holster to the belt loops ect. is rather annoying and a clip on the belt gun holsters takes 2 seconds.   I do believe that I may have found a replacement for my paddle holsters which I tend to only carry when I am wearing a vest.   The Don Hume Jit holster may work for you if you have a large cut shirt, but us skinny guys don’t have the shape to hide very much unless it’s flat up against us.

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Having fun but having the right stuff

I would have to say that the vast majority of those that have anything more than a flashlight and optic on the M4 are probable putting something on our guns that we really don’t need, but just enjoy having on.   There’s nothing wrong with having an LWRCI upper with a quad rail or a MidWest quad rail if you think you can put it to use, but when we actually have to carry the Carbine for any real length of time, we’ll wish we could strip a few extra pounds of weight off the gun.  Many of our Staff have been attending competition shoots lately that have been really well run.   These events are everything from battle scenarios or even Zombie shoots.

Last  year in Pennsylvania we attended a Carbine shoot where the the attendees has to sign in at 8am and once they left the club house, they couldn’t drop off any gear and had to lug it all with them for the day.   All of the competitors were carrying M4 or AR15 variants and a few had AK rifles.    Ammunition loads were approximately 400rds of rifle and 100rds of handgun ammo.    I enjoy these events because we get too see some real hard use of tactical gear and tactical accessories.   We tend to not see things fail at these shoots because the competitors are in the higher class as far as skill and the types of firearms they use.   If you ever want to see what kind of optics work and which firearms and when things jam, go to a competition shoot at your gun club and sit back and watch.

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The FN 5.7 as a defensive weapon

I first saw the 5.7  in all it’s glory with what I would consider to be AP ammo.   I heard a few people mention that they thought that this gun should be illegal, but ballistically it couldn’t do anything that the much more common M855 or SS109 could do.   Yeah I know that a criminal might prefer a handgun to defeat a police officers armor, but the last Police Officer killed here in Pennsylvania was killed with an SKS with standard ammo and a 30rd magazine that actually jammed.   The SKS can take detachable magazines, but I have never seen them hold up as well as the AK family of guns with these mags.   The 5.7 has the ballistics of something close to the 22 magnum, and even though that is not a very powerful stopping round it is as effective as the person carrying it.

I don’t know of any reliable 22 magnum semi auto guns, I know a few pocket revolvers that were fun to shoot, but if you want a small and light semi auto with similar 22 magnum ballistics and has a much  higher capacity, there’s nothing wrong with packing the 5.7 FN.  I think there are better calibers for duty officers, but there are a number of gun holsters like the Blackhawk Serpa that can be had for this gun.  Unfortunately the piece of crap that killed our soldiers at Fort Hood used this firearm arm very effectively, but hopefully anyone reading this will know that every firearm used in the hands of a good and law abiding citizen is an asset to society.

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Buying used guns that have hardly been used

I recently jumped into the world of Glock ownership.   It is a used Glock 19 which is a Generation 2.   I got it fora about $400 out the door and even though it has a little bit of holster wear.   The barrel looks like it has less than 500rds through it.   It’s funny how many times I’ve picked up a new firearm from a gun shop that had a few dents or dings on it but the internal parts were hardly worn.   I’m sure 90% of the lever action and bolt action firearms you see in the used section have the same history, but you should always inspect the internal workings before purchasing.   I’ve seen excessive wear on firearms due to lack of cleaning and lubrication and although the guns haven’t jammed, they had less than 1000rds through them and look really beat up.

There are great deals on used Sig Sauer pistols, Glock firearms and Beretta 92FS types.   These guns were standard issue for most of our LEOs in the last two decades and many are switching over to other types of autos.   Smith & Wesson and Springfield Armory have put out there own handguns that have taken a bite out of the Glock stronghold, but I won’t pick a winner  yet.   I prefer to have atleast a paddle holster for each handgun I own and gun holsters for concealed carry if I am expecting to carry it at some point.   The only handguns I don’t have holsters for are a Ruger Single Six and a Ruger MKII pistol.   These are primarily plinking guns and not going to be carried.

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Protruding magazines, snags and sights

As someone in the tactical gear and accessory business, I am a little overwhelmed by the number of holsters that are available and how they are being used.   I get questions about how to assemble and modify various things and often it takes a little research to find how to answer a customers questions.  Something that I am finding more and more about is that customers are ordering holsters for firearms knowing the gun should fit the holster, but the sights that they put on the gun are now causing the gun to snag when being drawn.

The best way to know that you have tactical gear that works is to test it out,  even if you have done research into matching up the correct gear, practice with it before you actually train with it or god forbid have to use your gear and training in a real situation.   Pocket gun holsters and clip on holsters tend to have high rates of failures in Defensive training classes.   The real reason is that many of these students are practicing with higher levels of stress and doing things that they didn’t think they would be doing and causing guns to spin in their hands when the front sight snags in the  holster.

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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.

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Clip on holsters a bad idea?

I have had some bad experiences with various clip on holsters, but after I retired some of my standard dress belts and got an actual gun belt, the problems disappeared.  Many people really over look this issue when CCW and it’s one of those things that can really bite you at the wrong time.  I have a few firearms instructor friends that swear that they usually see atleast one person pull a firearm from their holster during defensive training classes where the holster is still on the gun.   It’s laughable, but people just don’t really know how stable their holsters are until they are really put to the test.

A good gun belt should be strong and solid and be about atleast 1.5 inches wide.  The skinny belt thing is a no no in the gun carrying world, and this is where I see a lot of failures.   The clip may hold the belt, but a fast draw of the gun may make it wobble or pop off.   The other thing to think about is the support of the firearm.   The first time I ever wore a Wilderness instructor belt, which was the 1.5″ version, I was carrying and using Springfield Armory XD 45acp in IWB gun holsters and I could hardly tell I was carrying the gun.  The support of the firearm was significant and I really didn’t feel like I  had to adjust the belt.   There are various types of Wilderness gun belts that are not as tactical looking which may be more apporpriate for white collar CCW.

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Deep cover, to secondary holster options

gun holstersIf I am carrying a j-frame in a paddle holster, I’m usually carrying a speed loader and about 3 reloads.    J-frames work very well for deep cover and my primary mindset it to shoot and move and not expect to put up a fight for very long when I’m starting out with 5 rounds.   I can increase my firepower and comfort by carrying the same gun, but with an OWB holster that can easily be reloaded.   I strongly recommend that everyone considers having a paddle holster for every handgun they own.   They also come in handly when going to an outdoor range where you don’t have to worry about putting the gun down on the table after every cease fire.

 

Sometimes smaller guns can work very well in pocket carry, but there are some situations where carrying in the pocket can be cumbersome in certain physical situations.   If you are going to an environment where you don’t want to have to carry another gun,  sometimes it’s a good idea to carry IWB or OWB with a paddle holster.  Galco gun holsters has a paddle holster that can work very well for even a small 2 inch j-frame.   I use one as a secondary holster option if I don’t want to pocket carry.   We can always practice to improve our performances in drawing our guns, but there are certain methods of carrying that are defanitely easier and most likely faster.

 

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Methods and uses for holsters

Bulldog HolstersSometimes people think that a holster is only a term that applies to a firearm.   The more you carry tactical gear like knives, flashlights ect. the more you’ll realize that you may want a  holster that works for those, too.    Another thing to think about is what kind of magazine  holsters to use.   I’ve seen lots of gun mags fly out of mag holders because they were not appropriate for the task.   Some magazine holsters are nice for IDPA or competition shooting, but sit on a reclining chair on a hot summer day and you’ll notice your mags are on the chair and not in the mag.   I’ve seen this happen to friends that were sitting in the seat next to me on the long car ride home, they lean back in the chair and the mags are falling out.

Bulldog Holsters are also making shotgun shell holders which are a must for all shotgun owners.   I still get laughs from some of my friends that think i’m trying to pull a Chewbacca impersonation by using Bulldog holsters that are holders like that, but it really makes sense if you have a pump shotgun.    The bulldog ankle holster is a slightly different style than the Uncle Mikes holster design and not much different in price.  This is something that would fall into the deep concealment category, but it is really either this or pocket carry for most white collar or social environments where there may be a lot of contact.

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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.

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