All posts tagged Glock 21 holsters

Safariland Holsters aren’t just for Cops

Safariland HolstersSafariland is pretty much a staple product line for Law Enforcement around the Country, but they don’t make everything just for that leather looking State Police Officer.  If you’ve never checked out their competition shooting holsters, there’s a whole other world out there in the firearms industry that has grown to the point that it’s almost becoming a new industry within the firearm world.   There’s a reason most Law Enforcement need retention holsters but it’s not something anyone with a CCW should rule out.  Having retention on a firearm holster does not necessarily mean that it’s going to be slower to pull out.    I’d highly recommend level II holsters because I’ve seen guns fall out of holsters and heard more than a few stories of firearms ending up in toilets.

I’ve pretty much cleared out most of my Fobus holsters that were not the E2 versions because there is that extra tension I can get with the tension screw that is somewhat of a comfort zone for me.   I definitely foresee having more of the Safariland Holsters like the ALS growing in my collection because you will probable get the most variety of flashlight options for your weapon.  The paddles are very secure but somewhat of a pain to get off, not as easy as a Fobus paddle but the other factor you have to be careful about is, how far off the body your holster is going to ride.  I’ve not done exact measurements but it does feel like the Blackhawk Serpa holsters seem to sit further off the body and make CCW rather difficult.   Wearing the right type of gun belt is going to make a big difference as to weather a holster is going to be comfortable so always keep that in mind when evaluating holsters.

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Muscle Memory avoid deviating at all costs

Blackhawk Serpa HolstersBlackhawk retention holstersThat’s my short answer on the Blackhawk retention holsters if you wanted an opinion.  I’m not a big fan of taking novice gun owners or new recruits with a holster like this because I’ve seen it all on the firing line.   The NRA has really good standards for training new students, children and even adults.  I have rarely seen a new handgun shooter start off shooting on a table but I’ve gone back to that when watching new people walk up to a firing line and do the dumbest things.   You can judge competency by someones education level nor the muscle mass.   I’ve grown tired of being at public firing ranges whether indoors or on a State Game range and looking down the barrel of someone taking their girlfriend to the range or a newly hired Police Officer that was issued a sidearm but can’t handle the 45acp recoil.

When my life is on the line which it is every time a gun is unholstered, I have my tolerance levels and keeping a controlled environment is my protocol.  Once someone has been trained on using a firearm, adapting to a retention holster like the Blackhawk Serpa holsters is just learning another device.   It’s a bad idea starting out with both and many, many departments hire not on experience, there are always new people learning to shoot and it’s very common to see firearms instructors put bans on this holster system when training new students or unknown discipline.  I do use these holsters as a paddle holster as well is the drop leg format and I do have respect for them.

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The Importance of and liabilities of certain retention holsters

Blackhawk Serpa HolstersThere are so many modes of carrying a firearm and not everyone is going to like carrying in a certain manor.   We have guys that stop in here that can’t complain about the Blackhawk level 2 retention holsters and then there are others that hate them.  I’ve watched all of the holster videos on Youtube that talk about all  of the bad things that can happen when using your Glock 19, Glock 21 or Sig 229 handgun in one of them.   The military has adopted these for their M9 pistols and some hate this because now and dirt can cause the holster to not function.   Safariland holsters have a very popular history with Law Enforcement but some guys still don’t like that thumb/ flip carry style.  Level 3 holsters are gaining ground and Safariland and Blackhawk have them.

Carrying a flashlight can cause you to have limited choices for your standard sidearm but there are some new Level II and Level II holsters from Blackhawk this year.   We have primarily Glock 21 and Glock 22 handguns being issues by local police departments but many detectives are using the Blackhawk Serpa holsters because it’s a little lighter and not as hard on your wallet.    Recently we had a few detectives turn in their Fobus holsters and switch to Blackhawk Serpa holsters just for the ease of mind of knowing that if you are in the middle of struggle and trying to handcuff a suspect you get an extra second or more to react to them if they reach for your firearm.  Recently here in Pennsylvania a police officer was attacked by a mob that

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What to train with and how much money do you want to drop on a holster?

gun holstersI have a large number of guys that are detectives or just got hired for a job, and sometimes even first time concealed carry holders that don’t have the slightest idea of what they want.   People come in here and ask me “do you have anything for a Glock 26” and point to the holsters I have thinking I’m going to point them to a holster.   I then bombard them with “inside the waist” or “outside the waist” “do you want a leather or kydex?” “Righted or left handed?”   It not until i start talking about which hand holster they want do they give me any sense of knowing what to say.  I don’t think you can compare holster shopping to anything else because it’s not like shopping for tactical pants or gloves.   With crime like home invasions and a slow economy people that have money think more about protecting their homes and assets.

I  think Kydex probable outsells leather now but with so many people putting lights on their guns it made shopping even harder.   Our quick fix or go to problem solvers are the Elite Survival Systems holsters but gun holsters like Fobus are the starting point for the majority of our new gun or concealed carry permit holder.  They are very easy to put on and work well with most belts.  I do highly recommend people get a good gun belt like a Desantis leather belt, Blackhawk pistol belt or a Wilderness belt.   They are much easier to use than putting on a belt through or snap on holster.   Getting into retention holsters is another level but sometimes people have to have the right starting point and only an experienced shooter will be the source for good  info.

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Quick fixes for first time gun owners?

fobus holstersWe get new people in our store every day and many of them come in looking for gun holsters right after they walked out of a gun shop.   There aren’t very many gun shops that carry all of the holsters and gear that people are demanding.  Many gun shops don’t want to touch clothing or certain accessories because the amount of stuff that you need to know to get a gun put together properly is a lot.  There are so many things you can do to a firearm and it’s best to get an experts advice before making any major changes.  When it comes to concealment options for firearms, think about what you want to do, and then ask questions from someone has been doing it longer than  you.

Recently there has been an uptick in the number of people that are looking get firearms and I guess it’s not all politics, it’s more to do with the economy and people with a bit of foresight.    We are a stocking deal for the Fobus holsters which are for just about all of the major manufacturers.  Glocks work very well with the Fobus paddle holsters and the E2 version is a good improvement over the prevous molded design since there is an ability to adjust the tention as you see fit.  Temperature changes can also affect how your holster handles the gun so think about that before taking a screw driver to the holster.

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Nylon, Leather and Kydex holsters from Desantis Leather?

Desantis holstersWith so many changes taking place to firearms these days, it’s hard to keep up with all of the gun designs, Desantis Holsters has options for full size, medium size autos and many of the popular .380 CCW guns. The firearm industry has grown so much in regards to concealed carry and holster  makers have had to really stay on top of the demand for .380 caliber pistols.  We are a stocking dealer for Desantis holsters and our most popular Leather gun holsters.   Desantis has a holster for you if you are carrying a small compact firearm like the Ruger LCP or if you are looking for a traditional leather shoulder holster.

The Desantis Scabbard with thumbreak is still a popular holster for Law Enforcement and Under Cover police.   The Speed Scabbard is basically the same holster without the thumbsnap retention.   Desantis inside the waist holsters are also available in Desantis holsters  in different types of material.  Desantis also has ankle holsters and Kydex holsters.   Large frame guns like the Beretta 92 might need a paddle holster and even though we highly recommend Desantis leather products, Kydex does have it’s place in the halls of concealed carry.   The military has moved from nylon holsters to the Blackhawk Serpa so it’s very much about dealing with the environment and what your firearm and preferences are.

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Kydex holsters options without going to a custom company?

Blackhawk Serpa holstersI’ve got a pile of gun  holsters in my closet and more than 80% of them never see the light of the day.  Some of the holsters we have have are made from Galco, Desantis, Elite Survival, Glock, and several more that I can’t name at the moment.   Today I  had a customer walk in the door and ask me if I Had a holsters for an H&K gun that I never heard of, and when I asked him if he wanted Kydex or leather?  IWB or OWB?  He started to seem annoyed, I told him it’s his job to tell what holster he wants and my job to find it for him.  Not to bash our customers, but we’ve got enough experience to know that we have to direct those questions back to the customer because we’ve had people blame us for suggesting certain options if they didn’t like it and try and see they won’t pay for the return shipping.

Another thing people don’t seem to realize is that if a gun holster says it will work for a gun, that they somehow need to try it on.   When I ask the customer if they want a retention, paddle holster i usually reference the diffferences between the Blackhawk Serpa holsters we sell and the Fobus gun holsters.   There is a 50% price difference between each product and you gotta know what you want and look for it instead of it finding you.  I think people carry the Serpa for the wrong reasons and it is primarly a secondary firearm holster or a Law Enforcement holster, not really a good civilian CCW holster because if you don’t need a reason for retention, don’t use it.

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Blackhawk Serpa’s, Glocks and training…

If I think about the handguns I own, the last handgun I have picked up in recent years was a Glock 19.  From my experience with firearms, it’s mostly about preference because so many handguns are far more reliable than they were 20yrs ago.  Lubricants like Slip 2000 and M-Pro7 have gone a long ways form where CLP started from and that was enough to get a firearm to last several hundred if not thousands of rounds longer.  When people get into these debates about handguns and how many rounds they will shoot before jamming up, you really have to be realistic, nobody carries hundreds of rounds of handgun ammunition around with them even in combat.  It’s mostly officers that have sidearms and the  majority will have an M16 with them.

Glocks will run longer but there is also something to be said about a device being easy to use and user friendly.   Thumb breaks have been around for a long time but there is something to be said for Blackhawk Serpa holsters  since they seem to be a perfect match.   I have never had fit issues with the Serpa unlike what I have had with some of my older model Fobus holsters.    It is easy to train someone who has their basic firearm safety down, to use the Blackhawk Serpa retention holster.   We are a stocking dealer and have most of the Glock holsters for left hand and right handed gun owners.

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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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Local Police using Safariland holsters and Blackhawk Holsters

We get so many phone calls and walk in customers with the new handgun that they purchased and they are completely stumped on what type of holster they should be using.  I tend to recommend everyone use a IWB holsters, preferable Kydex although leather holsters are very comfortable and sometimes just a preference.   We still a large amount of the nylon holsters, both leg holsters and belt holsters.  Sometimes it’s just easier to find a holster that holds your gun rather than a customer kydex or perfect leather holsters.  Now that so many people modify their firearms, and there’s nothing wrong with doing that, they can make it difficult to find a holster that functions the way they want it to.

I have a Fobus holsters for all of my medium and large frame semi-autos because i’m a big believer in having a holster for everyone gun I own.   Sometimes it’s easier to just spend $20 on a paddle holster rather than spend $35+ dollars on the Blackhawk Serpa holsters especially if you are not going need a retention holster.   The Blackhawk Serpa holsters are very popular with a local PD that are using the Glock 21 and the Glock 30 handguns.   It’s actually nice to see police departments carrying the 45acp round and yes even the 1911 is still being used and Blackhawk has a  holster for you.

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