All posts tagged Sig 239 holsters

Fobus holsters vs other paddle holsters, some thoughts from a retailer

fobus holstersI have several product lines that I have brought in for myself just because I knew I would probable end up buying several items from it for my own personal use.   One of those product lines is the Fobus  one and I can’t say it was because I was a huge fan of the entire product line, it’s just that they make an  extremely practical holster for a very low price.  I’ve been testing out a Safariland 6378 paddle holster and after a long break in, i do like it but there were some issues originally.  I have to say that as far as securing to my belt, I don’t find the Safariland holster to be more secure even though it’s a little more difficult for me to get off.  It may sound like a contradiction, but I had some issues with the gun pulling the holster off my belt when i was 90% sure the gun was secure.   It hasn’t happened since the holster was broken in, but when the gun was tight, it did happen.

The things people have told me they don’t like about the Fobus paddle holsters is they aren’t that strong, well, for most holsters, if you pull on certain parts of them, yeah, they can break and Fobus holsters aren’t exactly built like a tank.   I do think that they Fobus holsters that are the paddle design are very good for IDPA, winter carry, or even for your first 2 day training course.   Paddle holsters always seem to be more comfortable than IWB , but they aren’t always as secure.   Some of these holsters can be had with a belt loop design, but I’m not a huge fan of those.  If you know people are complaining about the lack of retention or adjustable tension, check out the Fobus E2 holsters, the bad thing about those is they aren’t making them for too many guns.

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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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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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Blackhawk Drop Leg holsters easier to deploy

Blackhawk Serpa HolstersBlackhawk serpa holstersThe Blackhawk Serpa holsters became our most popular level II holster due to its easy use and reliability.   There are plenty of reasons to not use thumb breaks and locking mechanisms on holsters, but for those carrying openly or using a sidearm as a secondary weapon, having a easy to release locking holster is comforting.  For hard use and physical work, holster, gear and magazines can come loose.   The Blackhawk magazine holders for double stack and single stack magazines is probable the best made magazine for concealed carry because there are no flaps or covers over them, but they still retain the gun magazine with tension.   The design of the Blackhawk holsters works right with your basic firearm safety procedures and will easily be released by the trigger finger while it is in the safe position away from the trigger when be retrieved.  The Blackhawk tactical leg holsters are also big sellers for those carrying full size autos like the Beretta 92 or Glock 17.

Angles make a big difference in the easy in which you can deploy your firearm.  If you look at some of the Desantis leather holsters there are numerous belt holsters that have different angles, the Blackhawk Serpa holsters that are drop leg holsters are at a lower angle and in my personal opinion less likely to have an operator slide their finger off the holster release button that on the waist.  There are always body types and situations where this can cause an issue but for me I like the drop leg holsters more than the belt.  There are some attachment devices that you can use to make your Serpa holster a molle compatible device and we are stocking more and more of these adaptives.

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Leather, Kydex, Suede and more gun holster options for Duty Holsters

safariland holstersWe get phone calls from customers  that ask very broad questions and sometimes it’s apparent that people just want to know we’re open and when they can stop buy.   The whole point of having a showroom  here in the town that we have one, was because there are a great many things that people don’t want to buy online.  There are all kinds of parts and accessories that also Police and Security agencies lose or wear out.   Identify badges, leather wallets, key chains, handgun keys and the list goes on.   A few days ago we had mace pouches that we had to fit to various pepper sprays because the fit had to be perfect and not just hold it, it had to hold it correctly so it would be easily secured and deployed.

Handgun and flashlight holders are all different in style and fit.   We’ gone through a long list of accessories and flipped through the Safariland holsters and accessories book that we got when we became a dealer.    The differences between a holster that worked for you and a holster that was kinda working are slight and some safety issues can come about if you don’t go by product codes or get technical support.   Even the differences between a streamlight Strion, Stinger ect can be vest because the bezel or lenses have different dimensions.  Sometimes it’s nice to just be able to go in and ask questions from someoone that knows what they are doing.

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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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Don Hume holsters several years of customer reviews

Don Hume HolstersIn recent years we’ve had an enormous number of local, custom  Kydex holster makers ask us to carry their stuff but that is something we don’t want to delve into at the moment.  If you have the skills to make Kydex holsters you can make a lot money, but mass producing a holster from your home without quality control issues coming up, is something that our experience in the tactical industry would warn us about.   I personally prefer kydex holsters for inside the waist carry options, but I’m not opposed to leather holsters that are paddle, belt look or shoulder rigs.

I have several years of using Desantis leather goods and am very fond of them, but some of the products have their positive and negative appeals.  Recently, Don Hume holsters have been a huge seller and for several years we have customers raving about how sturdy the holsters are in comparison to other brands.  Even if a holster looks really good, you can notice edges of the holster bending or that the gun has zero retention and the guns become loose.  All accessories, whether they are made of kydex, nylon or leather will wear out.   Some holsters don’t really matter for smaller firearms, but when you get to full size and even medium size firearms, holster retention and durability really matter.

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Leather look and Professional appearance at work

desantis holstersKydex holsters are very good for their intended purposes but you really can’t walk away from leather holsters.   Not only do leather holsters especially the Desantis holsters that we sell look so nice, but the product line is so big that just about any type of holster, IWB holsters, Paddle holsters and even the Desantis Scorpion holster which is Kydex and not something you would have thought a Leather holster company made.  We have seen many leather holsters in our lifetime but even if you think you can get a good once for less money, you won’t have the durability and proven quality that Desantis Products has.

Much of our Law Enforcement product line has expanded our leather goods and Desantis is number one on our list.  I have a ton of holsters in my closet but the ones I use the most when I’m going  out at night are the ones that look the best and the Desantis holsters that we sell are the best looking holsters with style and durability.   We’ve had several leather holsters in our store from Galco leather to Don Hume and although each product line has it’s good points and their weaknesses, the current majority of our Law Enforcement and Detectives our using the thumb break speed scabbards instead of the Blackhawk Serpa holsters just based on the professionalism and look of the holster.

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Inventory Availability for Don Hume holsters

We got in a very large shipment of the much sought after Don Hume holsters.  I just had a customer come in here and ask what the big deal is with them and I told him that the big deal is that these are the best price leather holsters out there.  They definitely are not the nicest looking holster which Desantis and Galco will show you but if you are on a budget.  You can get a good holster for under $25.   Now that so many people are packing, not everyone really knows what it’s like to carry and how comfortable certain types of holsters are.  There are many of our customers that don’t want to carry IWB because it’s not very comfortable but from a defensive standpoint it probable is the most recommended method of carry.

I do like the Don Hume Jit holsters and if you compare these $20 holsters to the Desantis Scabbard you are going to spend 2x’s as much for a similar holsters but they are not as nice looking but they get the job done to some degree.  Most of the Don Hume holsters that I use are for small or single stack magazines.  I have noticed that the j-frame and Sig 239 holsters work very well but the Sig 228 holsters seem to flop a little and in my opinion aren’t as secure.   Some of the flopping can be avoided with a paddle holster or an IWB holster.  Do your research on the size of the gun you are using and see what other people are saying.

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