All posts tagged Gun Holsters

Want a comfortable holster? Get a pocket gun

pocket holsters“I want a comfortable holster” is the top question being asked of us in March 2014,  we never mind getting asked questions like this because we know right off the bat that this person doesn’t have the slightest clue as to what they are looking for.   In the last 2 months we’ve had 3 people walk out the door regretting buying a particular firearm at a gun show because “they got a good price” on it, but found out nobody has a holster for it.   Ask all of the people with the Smith & Wesson shield how many holster options they had in the last year.  People normally choose a firearm because it fits withing their criteria of what they can carry but often the only holster options are not going to be idea.   Sure you can get a paddle holster for just about everything but what are you going to have to wear to conceal a paddle holster in 90F temperatures?

In most parts of the United States you are going to have climate changes and holster options can vary depending on  your wardrobe.  There are plenty of firearm you can put in your pocket if you wear the right kind of clothing but we choose to stock the Elite Survival Systems pocket holsters because so many people don’t use a pocket holster at first and end up finding out the hard way about how much lint there is floating around.  Now that Glock is making the Glock 42 .380 pistol, it’s hard to not consider some sort of pocket gun in your CCW routine.    The reason to use a pocket holster is to keep it lint free as well as reduce printing and also make sure you do proper testing with your clothing because not all pants pockets will grab onto the pocket holsters out friction designs and it won’t separate from the gun when being drawn, clothing materials can matter.

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How many options should I consider when deciding on a paddle holster?

Safariland holstersWe get tons of people walking in the door hear looking for a holster that they can use for their gun with a light attached to it.  The majority of the time it’s the Surefire X300 or the Streamlight TLR-1, TLR-2 or sometimes the TLR-4 light.    Every police department in our area has some variation of those light either on their AR15, G36 or their handguns.    There are a lot of options out there for paddle holsters and in 2014 we will be bringing in more and more of the Fobus gun holsters and the Safariland holsters.  One thing we’ve learned is if you don’t have a Glock, 1911 or a Sig 229, Sig 226 or Sig 220.   You are going to be limited to customer kydex or a very few manufacturers.

We have a large number of customers that want something other than the Blackhawk Serpa and when it comes to light attachments, they are very limited.   There are going to be big increase in the number of Safariland holsters in our inventory this year because so many CCW holders are using them because they are much sturdier than Fobus gun holsters.  They are more expensive but I have yet to have someone walk in the door with a broken gun holster.  Even the local State Police are buying our holsters because they have switched from the Glock 38 to the Glock 21 like many of our local Police have.

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Fobus and Glock issues

Fobus holstersWe recently got some negative feedback about a Fobus holster we sold to a customer and then went back to Fobus’ customer service to find out what the issue was.   Apparently there are some fit issues with the different Generations of Glock guns and Fobus holsters so now we have to be more cautious about selling them to customers that walk in and buy them for Glocks.   The gun will fit into the holster but the amount of force you need to do to “click” it into the holster and then draw it out is excessive.   If you put a hair dryer to the holster and edge something in it you can soften the holster up to get it to fit properly but that’s a headache for a first time Fobus holster customer.  In 2013 we’ll probable bring in more of the Fobus E2 holsters because there is more adjustments you can do with the tension.

Fobus holsters are the first paddle holsters we suggest to customer if they ask for a paddle holster because after that, you normally have to move up to the $40 dollar range and usually that means a sale for the Safariland holsters.   I do like Fobus holsters myself and they are great for winter carry and I normally carry a larger frame gun in the Winter and this is a much more comfortable way to carry instead of IWB.  The Sig 226 in .357 Sig is my preferred gun for winter because the more penetration through clothing is something that many of my Law Enforcement customers suggest because of all of the statistics on what happens when bullets go through clothing.

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Galco Kingtuk Reviews and lots of feedback

Galco holstersI have a ton of holsters in my closet, mostly nylon ones I picked up at various points of my gun carrying carrier.   Most of them don’t get used but they are still there because I may occasionally use them for open carry or when I am going on a hike.   I use various IWB holsters in the summer but have retired my leather ones because they don’t hold  up very well in the Pennsylvania summers because it can get pretty darn  hot up here and Kydex holsters are what I switch to.  I have tried various kydex holster companies, and some of them fit me well, but there are always small things about them that I wish would get improved.   Most of the kydex holsters I’ve used in the past broke up on me in less than 2 years and I just stopped buying certain brands.  There is still a desire for leather holsters because they look nice, but leather is not as good in the long term for re-holstering firearms.

I have checked out some of the Crossbreed holsters after many of my friends have suggested them, but after looking through some of my dealer product lines I found something very close.   The Kingtuk holster made by Galco Holsters are a great find,  I’ve sold many to Detectives and CCW holders that have not come back and complained about them.   Some of the Desantis IWB holsters like the Scorpion didn’t hold up because the clips were made of kydex and broke after several weeks of wearing them.  The Kingtuk holsters are a tuckable holster that work well with the Sig 229, Sig 220 and most all of the Glock holster including the larger framed Glock 21.

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When it comes to duty or primarly weapons, stick with the norm!

Blackhawk serpa holsters I have people walk in our tactical store all the time asking for some odd ball revolver holsters ect.  I understand people being sentimental about carrying a gun that you had since 1973, but if you have a gun that has been out of production for 30+ years, don’t except to many holster companies to be making a holster for it.   We direct people to a local custom kydex company because it’s too much work for us to call around to find a holster that once it comes in, it’s not what they wanted.   Some leather holsters can cost up to $150 or maybe more depending on what it is you want, but that’s really a royal pain to deal with.   We still get Police Chiefs that want to always try something new or in all honesty, you wonder if there are kick backs or something because they ended up with a Beretta PX4 instead of a Glock, M&P or Sig Sauer.

The next headache we deal with is the amount of research we need to do to get a holster for concealment that takes all of the tactical lights that are Police Officers are using on the streets.   The Blackhawk Serpa holsters we have been selling are very popular but there are not a lot of options if you want a Level 3 or a TLR flashlight.  So many people are putting lights on firearms, and that was not common at all a few years ago.  It’s always good to have a light on your gun because identify a threat is probable the most important thing you can do and given the statistics for when crime happens (low light) you don’t want to be without one.  You might want to think about a Glock.

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Check out the ever expanding Rogue Elite Tactical Product line

fobus holstersNew this fall we will be bringing on the Aimpoint and Fobus product lines into our 1500 sqft tactical store along with several items from Tru-Spec and Warwick Mills.   We have dealt with several distributors over the last 9yrs and it’s gotten to the point that instead of waiting for stock to arrive, and have to deal with fighting over inventory from other dealers, it was time to start stocking the stuff directly.   There are always changes and improvements to product lines and not getting stuck with a dud product or making sure you have the newest version of something is very important.  Just this year alone we saw some major improvements to our holster and tazer product lines and LED Technology for flashlights has improved by about 85%.  Sometimes holster companies don’t have the accessories up to date with the batons, flashlights, magazine pouches ect that people want.

There have been situations where we have asked customers to look into getting a customer kydex holster becaues there needs were beyond what many manufacturers could make.   Many of our Law Enforcement sometimes have an issue with a holster breaking and just need a quick fix for a range day and that is often where Fobus Holsters come in.   I have a Fobus holster for every Glock firearm, Sig Sauer 228, 229 and Sig 220 that I own.   There are some retention holsters that I may look into picking up since we are a direct dealer now.   The new E2 holster has more flexability when it comes to adjusting your retention which was a common complaint about some of the earlier paddle holsters.

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Summer and Winter carry and when do paddle holsters work?

fobus holstersThere are some really big differences between each type of paddle holster and not all kydex qualities are the same.   I’m not a big fan of kydex holsters that don’t have metal clips.  I tested out a few styles and most of them failed.   Even with a good gun belt some holsters will eventually wiggle off the guy when you are crouched in certain positions.  I had a Sig 239 pop off a belt when I was bending over and that caused serious concern.  All of the Law Enforcement officers in our store have caused for concern about having guns that don’t have sturdy holsters securing them and for Police, getting  killed by your own gun is something that statistics show does happen.  There is a level 2 holster from Fobus that is a thumb drive design.

The Fobus DB series of holsters is a thumb drive holster that also can be locked and this prevents anyone from just being able to hit the release button and then pull the gun out.  In a recent discussion with Fobus holsters about expanding our product line, we got feedback from corrections officers and prisoner transports.  They informed us that it’s not that uncommon for bad guys to already have handcuff keys or to know how to pick handcuff locks and many of those same people are going to know how to release a Safariland retention holster or a Blackhawk Level 2  holster.   Level 3 is a life saving holster design and one that gives lots of confidence.

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Years of selling Blackhawk holsters

Blackhawk serpa holstersBlackhawk holsters on Sale for Glocks, Sigs, Beretta and Springfield XDs.Blackhawk holsters are used by Law Enforcement and Military.  Blackhawk holsters are superbly designed for serious use. The Blackhawk locking system is the most secure way of avoiding a mishap while being out in the field. We’ve seen plenty of novice shooters on the range loose sidearms during training sessions. The Serpa locking system is easily by the index finger which is in the safe position and above the trigger while being released. We have found it to be superior to the older thumb break design. Blackhawk concealment holsters come in a matte or carbon fiber finish. All Blackhawk CQC holsters come in paddle or belt loop designs.

If you are a Carbine Operator, the Blackhawk Serpa Level II holster is the #1 selling leg holster rig for those that need to carry a secondary weapons system.   Secondary firearms are locked in a secure holster Blackhawk Serpa holsters that are  easily retrieved and stays out of the way of your primary weapon.   Sling snags ect can be a common problem when too much gear becomes stored on a tactical vest and even the Blackhawk Omega holsters work very well in this platform.   Belt holsters and paddle holsters work for Concealed Carry and Defensive training classes and will hold up to the rolling and running that most extreme training courses demand

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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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Holsters, comfort and holster and angles

fobus holstersIt was a recent discussion in our tactical store that angling a holster forward really was more about FBI guys that were sitting in their cars and didn’t want the grips to dig into their seats.   I have had some issues drawing my pistol in this angle because sometimes I’ve felt my fingers get way too close to the trigger and slip.  Roto holsters give you a little bit of flexibility and we all know how hard it is to get a holster to fit you without trying it out for awhile.   If you are in a car you may want a forward leaning angle and if you are standing most of the time a straight angle.

There have been times I carried full sized autos and if I had my Wilderness 5 stitch instructor belt on I didn’t have any issues with the weight, but with the wrong belt, it would sag.   I am a big fan of the Fobus holsters product line, and not because they are my favorite, they are the easiest and best holster to start out with.  Their paddle holsters are very inexpensive and always the first thing we sell to someone who is taking their first firearms training course.  Paddle holsters are easier to adapt to than dealing with break  in periods with far more expensive leather or customer kydex holsters.

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