All posts tagged Sig 239 holsters

Arguments about the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters are the same as the Glock vs 1911

I remember some of the biggest arguments against the 1911 were that they had a manual safety.   Then I started noticing that 90% of the Cops I know were putting their guns in Safariland or Blackhawk Serpa holsters.   What’s the difference?  There is no difference between having a safety on a firearm or a safety on a holster when it comes to deploying your weapon.   I don’t like the idea of having safeties on a concealed carry weapon because deployment in those situations means drawing a firearm from under clothing which in it’s self is another obstacle for you before you can get to the trigger.

I understand the flaws that are being debated and why many firearms instructors do not want those holsters in training classes, but some of the warnings are over reactive.   I have seen many news story of cops with Glocks shooting themselves and it wasn’t because they used Blackhawk Serpa holsters.   I use the Blackhawk drop down leg holster and am very happy with it.   I do not use them for concealed carry nor would I use a Safariland retention  holster.   The debate should not be about the equipment, but about the operator.  Some firearms and weapons should  not be in the hands of novice shooters because they may be more prone to hurt themselves like new shooters.

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Inside the waistband holsters?

I remember when I finally realized that there is no such thing as a perfectly comfortable way of carrying a firearm, you just learn how to adjust to carrying it.   The people that have no complaints about how they carry a firearm probable don’t do a lot of physical work because for those of us that are physically active are going to feel the guns press up against us especially if they are medium or large frame.   It is funny to say though that the most comfortable gun I can carry is not the smallers, but its actually the thinnest, the Colt 1911.

More people I know carry firearms on belt holsters and not IWB and I have to say that that is partially because they are too fat to put a gun in the belt. The Desantis holsters that I have been using recently are the Sof-tuck holsters.   I will report back after I use them for awhile.   One of my biggest issues lately with the IWB holsters is they become flimsy and do not hold their form and re-holstering firearms can actually become dangerous if the holster does not all the gun to go in easily.   There are reasons to be able to quickly re-holster a firearm after a fight so that  you can lay low until the police arrive and not be standing there with a gun in your hands.

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Different modes of carry doesn’t mean you should skip the holster

I am a firm believer that people should consider atleast 2-3 concealment options for each of their firearms.  Not all firearms can be carried in a pocket and some are too darn heavy for ankle holsters but just because it’s a small gun doesn’t mean it’s always meant to carried in  your pocket.   Inside the waistband is the best way for most firearms to be carried but it can also be the most  uncomfortable.  There are certain things you need to consider when carrying a firearm in this manor and I would highly recommend elastic waistband pants.

We will become a full line dealer for desantis  holsters in the coming weeks and Pocket holsters are something you should always consider for your pocket guns.   Pocket lint and tumbling can occur with firearms and the Desantis holsters that we recommend for LCP users is the Desantis Nemesis.  Sometimes people thing that since it’s a pocket gun, you don’t need a holster.   If you don’t use a pocket holster I guarantee you’ll need to cleanin your firearms more often.  Some lint will still collect on a pocket gun but usually just around the hammer and firing pin which can easily be cleaning up with a q-tip.

 

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Paddle holsters and Locking holsters

Fobus holster have been around for a long time and for roughly $20 they are a very good open carry or sidearm holster.  Recently there was a reminding wake up call to people that open carry after a CCW holder was shot with his own firearm at a convenience store after several youths pulled his gun.   We must always remind ourselves that there are some highly trained criminals out there that can spot 5.11 tactical pants from a mile a way, but many criminals are just looking for the easy life and not going to pull anything off if we don’t make it easy on them.

Locking systems have been around for a long time if you consider thumb break holster, but there are improvements like the Blackhawk Serpa holsters and the Safariland ALS.  Blackhawk Serpa holsters seem to be more popular for civilian gun owners and the Safariland for Law Enforcement and Military.   Each locking holster has it’s pros and cons and to each his own, but if you are an open carry CCW holder, a locking holster should become more of a priority for you.

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Open Carry Holsters and firearm retention

Recently there was a major news story about a guy that was open carrying a firearm that ended up being used against him.   A group of teenagers used his firearm in a robbery.   Apparently there was video of the 2 attackers standing behind the individual with the gun and pulled it from his holster when his back was turned.   While this crime was evil and the attackers should be put on death row, the stupidity of open carry in many situations just doesn’t click.  Here in Philadelphia there was a law abiding gun owner that was arrested for Open Carry when it was wrong for them to do so because it was legal to do in Pennsylvania.

It’s not smart to open carry for both of those reason, you can piss off a Cop that isn’t use to seeing it or you could get shot in the back by two 15yr olds that were unarmed until you turned your back.  If you are open carrying, firearm retention holsters like Blackhawk holsters and Safariland holsters are our biggest sellers.   It is very difficult to get a good grip on a firearm and release it at the same time unless you are the one wearing it.   The angle of retrieval can be in your favor.

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Belt holsters, its not the same for every firearm

I have found holsters that have worked very well for me in the past and did make a mistake at one point, after picking up a Glock 19 and thinking my Don Hume Jit holster was going to work just as well for that firearm as it did for a Sig 239.   It fit just fine but the gun did not feel as balance in this holster type and it seemed to swing a little too much.   Movement with gun holsters is something that should be avoided.   I have often taught students in classes where the first thing we did before we went to the training range was to try running 100yds and back and feel the movement of their gear and get rid of the stuff that didn’t stay still.

Gun magazines and radios should not move one bit and any gun that has play in it has the capability of not being where you want it to be if you tried to grab it.   The Desantis holsters that we sell to customers that fit this criteria are the Desantis Scabbard holsters.  These holsters will keep your gun securely up against your body and not bobble about.  There are many operators that improperly deploy secondary sidearms with the holsters they use which often comes up on day one with leg holsters.

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Desantis Instruder vs the Galco Kingtuk

I think the pocket holster accessory and clothing options have gotten much better in 2011 than before.    Everyone is starting to realize that concealed carry means not being able to tell that someone is carrying a firearm.   Besides printing and wearing 5.11 tactical pants, there are plenty of ways people will eventually be able to profile you and know how you are carrying a firearm.  Bumping into people is one way that you really can’t hide your 1911 and raising your arms up at work or in a super market is something you just can’t always avoid.

Good Concealment means being able to wear regular clothing and not have to always go out there and find out what Woolrich, Blackhawk, TruSpec, 5.11 or whomever else is something out that is marketed is CCW friendly.   White collar jobs make concealed carry harder and being able to tuck your shirt in and hide a firearm just got easier, Galco holsters are still some of my favorite but Desantis Instruder has a slight edge over it my book.  These are designed for smaller firearms which is more practical and realisic.

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For CCW, reholstering is as important as holstering

As Rogue Elite has grown in bringing on more and more tactical and concealed carry products, there is a certain level of scrutiny even we gun owners hold on products.   There have been some that we thought were such bad ideas or the products had such a high return rate that we dropped them even though we were making a profit.  The AR15 tactical accessory market is loaded with such items.  Now that there are about 2 or 3 variations of firearms for every design, holster makers have some real work cut out for them these days.

When most of us took a concealed carry holster course, part of that course we dealing with what to do after a shooting.  Re-holstering a firearm after a shooting and before the Police shoot up is very important.  Some gun holsters are very difficult to do this if they fold up.   Leather holsters are known to do this once they have seen lots of use.   Kydex holsters are something to really consider for IWB even though they may not be the most comfortable.  The Galco Kingtuk holsters and Desantis holsters have some more comfortable IWB holster desings.

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Everyone doesn’t need to drive a Porshe when the Speed limit is 65mph

I just got off the phone with several guys that were looking for a large order of gun holsters.   I was expecting them to say they wanted the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters and they all carried Glocks, but that wasn’t the case.   Not everyone has switched over to Polymer guns because even though it’s a fact that Glocks, XDs and the M&P guns will run longer with less lubrication, handguns are not realistically going to end up being used in the same situations or see anywhere near the round counts that M4 Carbines or M16 see.

It’s just a fact that nobody except the most extreme police shoot outs see handgun engagements that get into the double digits.   It simple just doesn’t happen that often.   Galco holsters are leather holsters for the most part even though there are now some Kydex and some mixed variations of leather and kydex.   Military Personel are still being issued and using Sig 220, Sig 226 and Sig 228 firearms.   There is no debate that the 45acp has seen a resurgence because all those double stacked 9mm and 40 caliber guns are bulky or an over kill.   A lower capacity 45acp for Police work is getting the job done.

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The Importance of pocket holsters….

There have been many times where we have thought we could just wing it when it comes to using firearms and skip cleaning it or carry it in a pocket without any kind of a holster.  I have never been a big fan of carrying firearms in a coat or a jacket because there are just too many things that can go wrong.   Years ago, it may go down as our favorite crazy customer, was a time when a guy picked up a Woolrich Elite lightweight vest and after putting various firearms inside the vest pockets, called us up and told us that the gun still printed and we were a fraud company for sell a vest that was suppose to conceal a firearm.

That level of knowledge or lack there of, is pretty common in every area of society, but I wonder if that guy still gets made if his guns spin around or when he reaches for them they aren’t there.   With all of the gun holsters out there, something like the Desantis holsters, especially for the pocket holsters like the LCP guns, which seem to have become incredible common you still should have any pocket gun in a pocket holster. Lint, and other things can cause problems and reducing the chances of excessive movement is very important.  It will cost you $20 or less for the most part.

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