All posts tagged Gun Holsters

Nylon holsters from Blackhawk

Nylon holsters are always a good starting point for people to understand what it’s like to carry a firearm.   I have several of the older Uncle Mike’s gun holsters that I picked up at gun shows and they are all holding up.   The only reason I don’t use them is because I don’t find them to lock onto my gun belts as well as they should, so I’ve moved on.   To this day that is still one of the major reason I pass or fail a gun holster.   The gun angle or how deep it sits is a personal preference, but clip on belt holsters better be secure or they get an F.

I’ve picked up several of the Kydex holsters from Galco and was not very happy with them for the same reason I did not like some of the Uncle Mike’s clip on holsters.  The Blackhawk holsters like the Hip holster are pretty much the same.  If it works for you then use it, but they aren’t going to be the most secure.   Some of the Elite Survival holsters are better thought out and made in the USA so give them a shout.

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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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Do you own that gun that’s hard to find a holsters for?

In a recent conversation about some of the new pocket guns from Ruger like the LCP and the LC9, many people are calling us up asking us if we have ANY type of holster for their guns.   Gun holsters have just gotten far more complicated in recent  years and even the guys  in the military have to go through some research to buy a holster.   Guns are sold with rails, without rails, some handguns have lasers on them and others want to keep a light on them.    You literally could have 3 or 4 of the almost identical holsters with just slight variations depending on how it is configured.   There are always customer holsters for those with the money to fork out, but not everyone wants to spend $80 on a holster.

One reason to stick with a handgun for CCW that has been out for awhile is getting replacement parts, gun grips, gun holsters and even ammunition might be a good idea.   Blackhawk holsters are probable our biggest selling holster, but they don’t have the versatility as a nylon holster maker like Elite Survival does.   Elite Survival has Made in the USA on their products but might be a little bit above Uncle Mike’s gun holsters and Blackhawk nylon holsters   or even the Blackhawk Omega holsters.   If you are looking for IDPA or a duty holster, the USMC has now adopted the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters as their primary retention holster.   I believe it replaced the M12.

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Want speed and lightweight holder options?

Try the Don Hume Jit holsters that are just belt through and don’t add on very much weight.   These are quickly making grounds on my Fobus gun holsters because they don’t jab into my side like a paddle holster and they are as fast as a paddle holster.    The only draw back from what I can see is they may leave some marks on your gun and leave your gun exposed to get rubbed against, but what the heck, it’s a firearm not a piece of jewelry.   It really bothers me to this day that some people can be so concerned about the guns that they carry that they get upset about wear and tear that they are always tickering with them.

The guy that needs to break out his gun blue kit every time his gun is dinked is probable the guy that is damaging his chamber because he’s over cleaning his firearm.  I’m a big believer in having atleast a Don Hume Jit holster or a paddle holster of some sort, the Fobus gun holsters are always a great open carry or training holster but there are better things out there.   Blackhawk Serpa holsters have an edge for secondary firearms because you need a level of restraint.   Backup guns don’t need to be in your hands, but be close by.   Concealed carry holsters are not always the best for military or law enforcement.

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Blackhawk vs Fobus holsters

At first I thought it was an absurd comparison, but we’ve had a lot of people walk into our shop and ask us which one was better.   I’ve always viewed Fobus holsters as competition or training type holsters but not really a duty holster.   I won’t say they are fragile, but there is something about them that just makes me thing they are kind of an introductory holster.   For about $20 you can get a paddle holster for just about any medium or large frame semi-auto and that is probable the number one reason people get them.   Most CCW holders don’t carry large size frame autos so Fobus gun holsters don’t really get used  for ccw as often.

I personally don’t think locking systems are a good idea for CCW, but for duty work, military work and open carry, they are probable the best holster you can have.    Blackhawk holsters are a great open carry holster because with open carry you have no obstruction to getting to your holster so finding the release button should be a non issue.  If you are carrying with a vest or under a shirt or sweatshirt clearing the firearm from a garment can be tricky enough, but trying to find a release button and the possibility of snags already in play, you are increasing your chances of not retrieving the firearm.

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Holsters that don’t cut it

I have a long list of things about various holsters makers that I don’t like and really wish they would fix, but it just doesn’t seem to happen.   I still don’t get these clip on IWB holsters that pop off of you when you bend down and get up.   I guess some people are as flexible as I am at my age, but I’ve tested a few IWB holsters this year after carrying a Glock 26 for a few months and 2 of them failed the first day i wore them.   Even with a good gun belt you can still have failures with IWB belts.   I believe I saw an instructor at Gunsight tell me that he sees failures with IWB holsters at almost every one of his training classes.

The failures usually occur when you draw your gun from your holster in a manor that you don’t normally do when you are moving slowly and something makes the clip hop off the belt.   The next thing you are doing is point a holster firearm at a target and you won’t be able to get to the trigger.   I have a pile of  Galco holsters and some of them are really nice and others just don’t cut it.   The Stow-n-go holsters are very comfortable but once you draw your gun, it’s very difficult to get them back in and that’s not a good thing.   Being able to holster your firearm after an incident is very important.

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Holsters and locking systems

For anyone that has experience in carrying a firearms for a few  years, there is the knowledge that no one holster is going to work for every situation.   Sometimes a Blackhawk Serpa holster is what you are using, but when summer comes and you don’t have the outwear to cover the firearm, it’s time for IWB carry.   IWB is not for everyone,  I’ve never had a problem with it until recently when I started doing more summer work and was coming home with bruises.   I then started carrying in a pocket with a j-frame revolver but you can’t do that or downgrade to that small of a firearm if you are on duty.   It’s normal to have 2-3 holsters to get you through the year if you a 7 day a week gun carrier.

We’ve recently expanded our gun holster line because there are so many good holster companies and much of it is about preference.  If you are looking for a holster that will work with more than one firearm, check out the Elite Survival holsters or the Safariland holsters.  Safariland holsters have a stiffer feel than nylon holsters but they are for duty holsters and one of our top sellers to the military.   The Safariland ALS gives you a locking system in a different configuration as the Blackhawk Serpa, it’s all about preference.

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Even if you don’t want to wear a Serpa Holsters

If you were not aware of this, let me fill you in, the Blackhawk gun holsters are one of our biggest selling holsters, but a less known fact is that their magazine holders are the best thing you can use for CCW or duty use.   There is a time and place for Nylon gun holsters and magazine holders but they are not very practical for concealed carry purposes or for use in competition use.   I’ve had a few magazine holders that were either extremely uncomfortable, they rattled too much when I moved or they just didn’t hold the magazine at all.   I’ve never lost a magazine before but I’ve had them fall out of magazine holders that did not have any kind of retention.

Magazine retention is something you’ll have to decide on for yourself, but I am not a fan of carrying spare magazines in pockets or in nylon holsters if I am carry a firearm.  The Blackhawk gun holsters that I use are  normally in use while training on a Carbine course, but the blackhawk single stack and double stack magazines are always in use.   You can hang upside down with a loaded magazine and you won’t loose the gun mag,  and if you need the mag there is nothing to clear before pulling it.   There are a few color options as well as the Carbon Fiber magazine holders for you to look over.

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A simple solution if you need a tactical holsters

We mostly deal with people that are private contractors or civilians taking defensive training courses.   Recently there has been a real up tick in the number of people calling us that have trained with Chris Fry at MDTS Training.  Chris has really gotten a lot of attention in recent months and the number of people that have trained with him is really starting to add up.   Personal Defense Network is putting  out a new DVD wtih Chris Fry.  We’re proud to see someone like Chris getting noticed.   Several of his students have started purchasing holsters from us for upcoming Carbine Courses and one of the bigger sellers are the Blackhawk Omega holsters.

One good thing about the Blackhawk Omega holsters is they are very versatile in the types of firearms they can hold.  If you have a Sig 228, Sig 229 or a Glock 17 or Glock 19 you can use the same Blackhawk holsters.    The other good thing about them is its another way to carry a spare magazine.  You can prepare for the nightmare situation where your M4 Carbine goes down and you need a backup gun, but if you need to carry around 6 or more spare gun magazines for  your secondary weapon you’re more than likely going to over load yourself.   The real purpose of a secondary firearms is to help give you time to get your primary backup and running or give you an opportunity to retreat.

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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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