All posts tagged Glock 20 holsters

You get what you pay for with holsters, but sometimes you can pay too much!

I have several very nice leather holsters from brands like Galco and Desantis and they really, really, really look nice.   Most of them get used on rare occasions but there was a time that I thought I need to spend money like  that for a good holster.  When you spend a $1000 on a firearm sometimes it’s hard to complain about spending $75 on a holster rather than wonder if you are a cheap skate for spending only $25 on one.   One of our most popular holsters right now are the Don Hume holsters and although they are not as nice as the Desantis, they are very well priced.

When it comes to carrying open carry or in the winter, I personally prefer to carry large frame autos.   One of my favorite holsters for the winter are the Fobus holsters namely the newer E2 models.  These have a level of retention that you can adjust unlike the original fobus paddle holster design and this will give you some tolerance for safety and security.   If you want something a little bit more secure then probable the level 2 retention holsters are for  you, but these tend to be over played for concealed carry.  I’m not a big fan of locking up firearms unless i’m on duty.

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Galco holsters more than just leather

When it comes to choosing a holster that works for you and looks good for open carry or concealment (no contradiction) you can’t beat the looks of a leather gun holster.  There are so many variations and modes and methods of concealment that it’s really about the environment you are going to and what type of firearm you are carrying.  Full size semi-auto handguns are usually not going to be IWB and the Combat Master and Concealed Carry paddle holsters are an excellent choose for the American Patriot that is exercising their 2nd Amendment right to defend themselves

Galco Holsters are hands down one of the best holster manufacturers on the market. Rogue Elite.net has been carrying this line for several years and our customers love ’em Galco holsters are one of the most sought out holsters for concealed carry or duty use. There durable design and quality control are outstanding in every way. Galco gun holsters, outstanding quality of IWB holsters and Paddle holsters, are also the manufacturers of the much admired Miami Vice Shoulder holster seen on the popular 80’s TV Show. The safely secure Galco belt holster is made for your favorite, 1911, Sig, Glock, Beretta or M&P sidearm.

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Spring and Summer holsters, time to ditch the leather?

That is something that I had to learn the hard way after I damaged several of my Sig Sauer pistols with using leather holsters in the summer that caused the inner side of the gun to rust.   I don’t know why Sigs aren’t made with a better finish, but I have learned to switch to Glocks in hot weather just because I know the guns won’t rust.   It’s taken me awhile to get use to them, but the higher capacity and a couple ounces lighter of a gun actually makes life easier in the Summer heat.  Kydex holsters are pretty much the standard now because re holstering is also easy  under stress.

I really do like the Don Hume holsters, Galco and especially the Desantis holster line.   There are big differences in the cost of these leather holsters and the Desantis holsters are somewhat pricey but they really do look good and have a very nice finish.   One thing that I did not like about some of the IWB holsters that are leather is they do start to flop with age and re-holstering under stress is something that can be a problem.  The IWB tuck-n-go holsters are difficult to re-holster. I actually suggest taking the holsters off for safety sake.

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Don Hume Jit holster vs the Desantis Speed Scabbard

I have been  using the Don Hume Jit holsters for a very long time and I have several of them for my primary weapons.  For this type of holster, you may run into some flop issues with medium to large frame guns.   The bigger the gun the more likely you will want to have a larger full coverage holster.   IWB can be a uncomfortable carry method but it truely is the most appropriate.    Using locking devices or paddle holsters can cause snagging, make it harder to conceal.   The nice thing about Don Hume holsters is they are very reasonable priced and for $20 or so you can get a very good holster.

I compared these two holsters with a Sig 228 and a Glock 19,  most of this is preference, but it seems that when I used the Desantis holsters for the Sig 228 did not flop around as much as the Don Hume Jit.   There is about an 8 ounce difference between these firearms even though the sizes were close to the same size.   This definitely gives Glock and edge on the weight, but much of this is about how well you handle and shoot a firearm because it’s not about looks its about proficiency.    The Desantis Speed Scabbard is more money but I think it’s a nicer looking holster too.

 

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Arguments about the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters are the same as the Glock vs 1911

I remember some of the biggest arguments against the 1911 were that they had a manual safety.   Then I started noticing that 90% of the Cops I know were putting their guns in Safariland or Blackhawk Serpa holsters.   What’s the difference?  There is no difference between having a safety on a firearm or a safety on a holster when it comes to deploying your weapon.   I don’t like the idea of having safeties on a concealed carry weapon because deployment in those situations means drawing a firearm from under clothing which in it’s self is another obstacle for you before you can get to the trigger.

I understand the flaws that are being debated and why many firearms instructors do not want those holsters in training classes, but some of the warnings are over reactive.   I have seen many news story of cops with Glocks shooting themselves and it wasn’t because they used Blackhawk Serpa holsters.   I use the Blackhawk drop down leg holster and am very happy with it.   I do not use them for concealed carry nor would I use a Safariland retention  holster.   The debate should not be about the equipment, but about the operator.  Some firearms and weapons should  not be in the hands of novice shooters because they may be more prone to hurt themselves like new shooters.

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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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USMC now adopting Blackhawk Serpas

Not only has there been a huge a huge order submitted to Trijicon for the ACOGs, the USMC has now officially adopted the Blackhawk Serpa holster as the official USMC gun holster.  Well, I have to say this,  I’ve been  one step ahead of the most powerful military in the world since I have personally already adopted the Blackhawk Serpa as the official gun holster for Rogue Elite employees.   When it comes to working, running and as the military knows, fighting a war, losing a firearm or having it fly around is a bad idea.  Velcro and gun straps are hard to re-engage under stress and the Blackhawk Serpa design isn’t.

Keeping  your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot is one of the basic firearm safety rules and the holster designers at Blackhawk knew this.  When you are drawing you gun from your Blackhawk Serpa holsters, if you are practicing your basic firearm safety rules, you will easily be able to release the firearm from it’s holster.   Locking it back into place means just dropping it into the holster.   There are also easy ways to modify the firearm on your leg, belt or vest and the Blackhawk Holster platform gives you a spot for  holster or for carrying more gun magazines.

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The balance between design and size

In the firearm community there are some very well known facts, but they don’t always get the spotlight that they should.  One of them is about the reliability of shorter versions of the 1911 style firearms.   Sometimes the more you deviate from a reliable design, the more you deviate from reliability.   I see an awful lot of people go for smaller, compact or sub compact versions of a firearm and the limp wristing and an ammunition tolerances seem to decline.  The lighter the slide, the more likely the gun is not going to handle the same volume of fire, may need more gun lubrication and most likely will be more prone to limp wristing.   One of these examples I have seen time and time again are with 1911s and the Springfield XD models.  The standard size firearms are extremely reliable, but the other shorter versions are not.

When it comes to gun  holsters, I recently found that although I like certain gun holsters, it doesn’t mean I like them for every gun I own.   Most recently I was ordering a restock on the Don Hume gun holsters and I ordered several of the Don Hume Jit holsters for every gun that they made them for.   I have never used one for a Glock 19, but I thought I’d give it a try.    A j-frame, or Sig 239 work really well in these holsters because they are smaller and thinner than a Glock 19, but the Glock 19 that I tested them out on felt kind of flimsy.    I was looking at this  holster as a CCW option, but it really did not hold up against my body like the other firearms did.

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