All posts tagged Glock 17 holsters

Desantis Instruder vs the Galco Kingtuk

I think the pocket holster accessory and clothing options have gotten much better in 2011 than before.    Everyone is starting to realize that concealed carry means not being able to tell that someone is carrying a firearm.   Besides printing and wearing 5.11 tactical pants, there are plenty of ways people will eventually be able to profile you and know how you are carrying a firearm.  Bumping into people is one way that you really can’t hide your 1911 and raising your arms up at work or in a super market is something you just can’t always avoid.

Good Concealment means being able to wear regular clothing and not have to always go out there and find out what Woolrich, Blackhawk, TruSpec, 5.11 or whomever else is something out that is marketed is CCW friendly.   White collar jobs make concealed carry harder and being able to tuck your shirt in and hide a firearm just got easier, Galco holsters are still some of my favorite but Desantis Instruder has a slight edge over it my book.  These are designed for smaller firearms which is more practical and realisic.

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For CCW, reholstering is as important as holstering

As Rogue Elite has grown in bringing on more and more tactical and concealed carry products, there is a certain level of scrutiny even we gun owners hold on products.   There have been some that we thought were such bad ideas or the products had such a high return rate that we dropped them even though we were making a profit.  The AR15 tactical accessory market is loaded with such items.  Now that there are about 2 or 3 variations of firearms for every design, holster makers have some real work cut out for them these days.

When most of us took a concealed carry holster course, part of that course we dealing with what to do after a shooting.  Re-holstering a firearm after a shooting and before the Police shoot up is very important.  Some gun holsters are very difficult to do this if they fold up.   Leather holsters are known to do this once they have seen lots of use.   Kydex holsters are something to really consider for IWB even though they may not be the most comfortable.  The Galco Kingtuk holsters and Desantis holsters have some more comfortable IWB holster desings.

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Everyone doesn’t need to drive a Porshe when the Speed limit is 65mph

I just got off the phone with several guys that were looking for a large order of gun holsters.   I was expecting them to say they wanted the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters and they all carried Glocks, but that wasn’t the case.   Not everyone has switched over to Polymer guns because even though it’s a fact that Glocks, XDs and the M&P guns will run longer with less lubrication, handguns are not realistically going to end up being used in the same situations or see anywhere near the round counts that M4 Carbines or M16 see.

It’s just a fact that nobody except the most extreme police shoot outs see handgun engagements that get into the double digits.   It simple just doesn’t happen that often.   Galco holsters are leather holsters for the most part even though there are now some Kydex and some mixed variations of leather and kydex.   Military Personel are still being issued and using Sig 220, Sig 226 and Sig 228 firearms.   There is no debate that the 45acp has seen a resurgence because all those double stacked 9mm and 40 caliber guns are bulky or an over kill.   A lower capacity 45acp for Police work is getting the job done.

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The Importance of pocket holsters….

There have been many times where we have thought we could just wing it when it comes to using firearms and skip cleaning it or carry it in a pocket without any kind of a holster.  I have never been a big fan of carrying firearms in a coat or a jacket because there are just too many things that can go wrong.   Years ago, it may go down as our favorite crazy customer, was a time when a guy picked up a Woolrich Elite lightweight vest and after putting various firearms inside the vest pockets, called us up and told us that the gun still printed and we were a fraud company for sell a vest that was suppose to conceal a firearm.

That level of knowledge or lack there of, is pretty common in every area of society, but I wonder if that guy still gets made if his guns spin around or when he reaches for them they aren’t there.   With all of the gun holsters out there, something like the Desantis holsters, especially for the pocket holsters like the LCP guns, which seem to have become incredible common you still should have any pocket gun in a pocket holster. Lint, and other things can cause problems and reducing the chances of excessive movement is very important.  It will cost you $20 or less for the most part.

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Blackhawk Serpa holsters for the 1911?

I admit that I do like the Blackhawk Serpa holsters and it is mostly in comparison to the thumb snap holsters that use to hold so much of the holster market.  Most Police in this neck of the woods use Safariland locking holsters or some other Safariland holster.    The biggest pet peeve of mine with the traditional thumbreak holster is snapping it back on when hoslter.  I’ve had them wear out on me and end up not being worth relying on and ended up just cutting them off.   I’ve had guns fall out of holsters so I do know there is a time and a place to lock them in.

When it comes to 1911 handguns, I am not a big fan of retention holsters.   As a matter of fact, there is enough of a debate about putting manual safeties on firearms that having a manual firearm safety on a gun and Blackhawk Serpa Holsters for a firearm is 2 more things you need to do other than pull the trigger on a sidearm.   The 1911 is a great firearm, but one more mechanical device to disengage?   Some guns are meant for certain things, and I would not recommend that for anyone who is CCW a 1911.

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Concealed Carry and potential injuries

When I look at all of the holsters that we carry and all of the ways someone can carry a gun, it’s almost endless, but there are the most popular ways of carry them and some really bad ways of carrying.  If you are carrying and your not that comfortable with the position of the holster, you really should try carrying to see if you can adapt or just completely overhaul the weapons that you carrying.   IWB is in my opinion the best way to conceal a firearm.   Something many people don’t think about is that when you are in public places people can brush up against you and if you are carrying a Blackhawk Serpa or paddle holster under a shirt, people will figure out what is going on.

I’ve seen a lot of fancy ways to carry and the small of the back is to this day, the one I strongly advice against.   If you are carrying in this manor in a car there is a serious chance you can have spinal injuries if you are in a car accident.   Desantis holsters are a bit different from Galco holsters and Don Hume holsters, but there are differences in holsters designs and the angles that they made in.  For some people they like the idea of having a roto tilt holster or angled forward or back, there is no wrong chose in these regards but being able to pull a firearm during a close up fight is something to consider and how much injury can you sustain if you fell on your firearm.  The small of the back is more of a liability in these regards than any other mode.

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Shoulder holsters, still a useful method of ccw?

You bet it is but don’t go to a Carbine Course and expect your firearm instructor to let you carry that way on a firing line.   There are a lot of really nice CCW shirts from 5.11 tactical and Woolrich Elite that can actually be quite useful if you are carrying a firearm in a shoulder holster.   There are many different types of shoulder holsters so don’t think everyone of them is going to make you look like a Miami Vice character.   Not all of them are going to cost you $100 either.  The one thing that seems to have changed though is a direction away from Vertical carry.

I’m not a big fan of standing in front of firearms and I do understand why should holsters are not allowed on many live firing training but they are still one of the most comfortable ways of carrying a large firearm.   Galco holsters are probable the highest prices shoulder holsters while Uncle Mike’s holster, Bulldog holsters and Elite Surival holsters are far less expensive.   The magazine holders are something that  you may have to think about because not everyone is going to want a 2 double stack magazines on them.  Sometimes that can be a bit too much tug and pull on your and your shoulders will know it.

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CCW holsters can become complicated are they worth the hassle?

We recently had a few guys being deployed to Afghanistan that were looking to get Molle vests but they heard about an Elite Survial quick detach one that is coming out.  These guys all knew what it was like to get into situations where you have so much stuff strapped on you that it can be life threatening if  you get snagged on something or need to drop the load and move somewhere.   It’s also a comfort thing to some degree because if you can take it off quickly you aren’t wasting time.   The same goes for getting the stuff on which is why quick release gear sells faster.   Shoulder holsters can be very comfortable to wear especially for large autos but they are hard to get in and out of.

When it comes to waking up everyday and putting on a gun, nobody that CCWs for a long time is going to want to spend extra time with the hassles of clip things here and there and make adjustments.   The Galco Kingtuk holsters are a good idea and more comfortable but for every day carry they are little bit of a hassle to get on and off every day.   I will say that I use them for social environments and not for work because of the comfort levels but thats something for the buyer to decide.   Galco glock holsters  and Galco 1911 holsters are outstanding leather holsters.

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Blackawk Serpa vs CCW gun holsters

I love all of my handguns for various reasons and I guess that’s because I’ve learned to appreciate each aspect of them and the genius of the designs.   Once you achieve a certain level of experience you become to know that so much of guns and gear is about the job at hand and personal preference.   When arguments break out in our showroom its not about leather vs. kydex, but it’s about the levels of retention, Safariland holsters and Blackhawk seem to go together, but many like one over the other.  Much internet traffic has been generated about the USMC adopting the Blackhawk Serpa and how the guns can get jammed up in the  holsters and not release.

The Blackhawk CQC holsters are a marketed as concealment holsters too but many will find a holster like this hard to conceal except in the winter months, Blackhawk holsters like the Serpa in many peoples opinion, especially the Military is a fine duty holster.   There will always be a need for IWB gun holsters and Don Hume holsters and Galco holsters are still our biggest concealed carry gun  holsters.   IWB is probable the most practical although pocket carry is becoming very popular.   Pocket carry is still very much a white collar CCW and not really the best option for self defense.   Practice and situational awareness come before modes of CCW, but IWB will always be a more reliable way of carrying a firearm.

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Some talk about the USMC adopting the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters

I just got done reading several news articles, gun blogs and yapping on facebook about the USMC adopting the Blackhawk Serpa holsters.   Many of them were fact and experience driven but I still see a lot of over reacting.  There are several videos floating around of the holsters being jammed up from dirt or snow and guns being locked into place inside the holster and the release button not working.   Well, try doing that same thing with your AR15 and you’ll probable end up with a jammed firearm.    I think the argument is definitely there and there may be a slight modification to the gun release button, but I think the Blackhawk Serpa holster is a good holster.

Your cell phone and firearm can jam or even explode if  you don’t treat them right and anyone knows that getting dirt down your barrel and obstructing a bullet means a doomed barrel.   Every mechanical device whether  Blackhawk Serpa holsters or a Galco leather holster can malfunction.   Even Fobus holsters were the recipients of some pretty harsh internet durability and reliability video.   This argument can go all the way back to wood rifle stocks vs plastic ones.   I would expect that the military may ask for a slightly improved version of the holster, but I wouldn’t worry about the ones you have on  you right now.

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