Summer carry options
There have been many changes in the materials being used in modern sidearms. Many of the polymer firearms have a huge advantage over their previous counterparts primarily due to their corrosion resistance. Along with corrosion resistance, many of these firearms also depend on lubrication far less. Gun holsters have progessed as far as being made in materials that can handle sweat and dirt resistance. I’ve heard plenty of stories about people ruining the finish on various blued firearms just from one or two harsh weather environments and people not getting around to cleaning them in time. I’ve personally seen a few revolvers end up being horrible pitted after an operator sweat up a storm and never bothered to clean the sidearm.
Many of the revolvers that I saw end up with this corrosion would have survived if used in a non-leather holster. People have to realize that even though the gun may be off their body, some holster materials will actually absorb sweat and transfer that through the holster and on the sidearm. There are plenty of gun holsters out there being made for your Smith & Wesson, Taurus or Ruger revolvers, so don’t think that just because you mostly see Glocks and M&Ps in kydex type holsters doesn’t mean you get get one for your six shooter. I have a nice Fobus holster for an SP101 and it holds up very well whenever I am expecting to sweat a lot.
I was at yet another Carbine training course last week and while I was originally invited to watch the intstructor teach the class and give him feedback on his tactics and speaking skils, I was always keeping a eye open for how well his students were performing. Like many of the previous classes I sat in on, students showed up with various qualities of keep and shooting skills. To this day it kinda cracks me up to see some guy with an iron sight AK show up and shoot with guys shooting Match grade ARs, but sometimes I’m impressed with their abilities.
There are always multiple ways of carrying a concealed firearm. If you can really carry a full size auto all day and feel comfortable that good for you, but there are environments that many of us will get in where concealing a firearm is difficult. Keep in mind that not everyone of us is carrying a gun in an environment where we’re dealing with friendlies. There are plenty of places we can carry where a woman may bump into us and know she hit a Sig Sauer 9mm, but in other places you’ll get, “what is that, are you carrying a gun?”
Some users like to bash the clip on holster designs and the reality is that a clip on isn’t as secure as a paddle or belt design, but if you match the right belt to a holter, it is a fine CCW option, especially if you are going to be taking the gun and holster off while you are out. I personally prefer the vertical shoulder holster design, but I’ve been tempted to wear the Galco Miami Classic holster on occassion. They are defanitely one of the nicest shoulder holsters out there.
Uncle Mikes holsters have been around for a long time and I know some people have it in for them because they aren’t very expensive and many of them are made out of Nylon. After being in the gun industry for so many years, I’m starting to be amazed at the number of people I have respect for that are walking around with 38 Specials and 32ACP pocket guns and believe me, they aren’t underpowered. The experts don’t always carry the most expensive holsters and gear, sometimes they just use when is neccessary and don’t waste money.
There seems to be a big transition in the Law Enforcement community to leg holsters. Its kind of funny how the old western look disappeared for a few decades but now it’s back again. If we all road around on horses we’d probable agree that carrying a sidearm on a leg holster is appropriate and its not just for the cool Han Solo look.
Selecting the right holster for you and going to take some work. The best thing you can do before you start carrying a firearm is figure out what kind of gun you really want to carry and then go from there. Some people want to carry a full size auto right off the bat and then find out which holster works for them. Firearms can be carried in various ways, but situations and comfort are really the key. I have a friend that carries a full size Springfield 1911 and claims there is no difference in carry that vs a smaller auto.
Fobus holsters are probable the most popular paddle holster. Lots of manufacturers have put out similiar items, but Fobus still holds its own in the market. While IMHO it may not be all that comfortable to use too many paddle holder accessories along with your holster, the standard Fobus fobus makes a nice flashlight magazine combo accessory. If you are wearing a good gun belt, they will float very nicely on your waist. Fobus makes a holster for right handed and left handed shooters. One suggestion about choosing the a holster may be to pay attention to the gun angle that you prefer, while I don’t think it’s a good idea to have much movement with a holster, the roto holster may be for you. For those going to Carbine Course and looking for a comfortable sidearm holster, I highly recommend them for your favorite, Glock, Sig, Taurus, Beretta or 1911.