All posts tagged Tactical Holsters

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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Some talk about the USMC adopting the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters

I just got done reading several news articles, gun blogs and yapping on facebook about the USMC adopting the Blackhawk Serpa holsters.   Many of them were fact and experience driven but I still see a lot of over reacting.  There are several videos floating around of the holsters being jammed up from dirt or snow and guns being locked into place inside the holster and the release button not working.   Well, try doing that same thing with your AR15 and you’ll probable end up with a jammed firearm.    I think the argument is definitely there and there may be a slight modification to the gun release button, but I think the Blackhawk Serpa holster is a good holster.

Your cell phone and firearm can jam or even explode if  you don’t treat them right and anyone knows that getting dirt down your barrel and obstructing a bullet means a doomed barrel.   Every mechanical device whether  Blackhawk Serpa holsters or a Galco leather holster can malfunction.   Even Fobus holsters were the recipients of some pretty harsh internet durability and reliability video.   This argument can go all the way back to wood rifle stocks vs plastic ones.   I would expect that the military may ask for a slightly improved version of the holster, but I wouldn’t worry about the ones you have on  you right now.

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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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More praise for the Blackhawk Serpa Holster

I recently got a customer phone call about the Blackawk level II leg holster.   This is our number one selling leg holster and there’s a reason why.   For many of the guys running competition shooting, this holster gives you free upper body movement with a carbine without having too much gear on your chest to snag a rifle sling.  Many of the rifle slings that you really should use on an M4 Carbine should be quick detach.   It’s nice to be able to secure a firearm to you, but bad things can happen when you can’t get your gear off.   Ask an EMT or medical technician about getting seat belts off of injured people and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

There is a quick detach mechanism you can install on your holster, but it’s a little hard to explain it without doing a video explanation.   One good thing about the Blackhawk holsters that I use is that I can swap anyone of them out on my drop down rig depending on which sidearm I want to use.  The one thing I have noticed about this type of leg holster is the flexible yet hard back keeps your gun in place when you are moving.  Some of the nylon versions of these holsters will wobble when  you walk and that might be a problem if your gun is not in place when you reach for it.

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Matching the holster to the job at hand

There is always something somewhat fun for guys to get a hold of tactical gear for firearms and putting accessories on firearms.  It’s pretty easy to figure out who was playing with Legos as a kid  when I think about my friends and business associates that have firearms.  Some of the configurations are very well thought out and there are many ways to get the same job done. There are many times though when people have entirely too much on a firearm than the experienced Operator will know that that means extra weight.

When it comes to gun holsters, and for Police or Military application, you have to think about why you are using something and how it is going to perform, as a matter of fact, you have to know or else  you’ll end up in a bad situation.  Blackhawk holsters are by far the top selling gun holster, but some of the guys use them don’t like the leg holsters because of clearance issues they have when they have to go through hallways or doorways.  Snagging on clothing and holsters happens and sheered off flashlights does happen.

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Somebody has been finding about the Jit holsters

After being in business for so many years, and working in this industry, I’ve seen enough trends in various things like firearms, holsters, ammunition and attitudes in general.   I remember when I only knew a  handful of people that CCW permits and now that number is probable 4-5 higher and it’s mostly people that I didn’t expect to get them.   I have several friends that did the College thing, the Grade School thing, and after they got tired of changing jobs, they started their own businesses.   Unfortunately, some of them found out real fast about the liabilities of having a business and dealing with the public.

There are always statistics attached to certain types of crimes and if you own a pizza sh0p, restaurant, UPS driver, or just travel around in Urban environments, you general area going to witness or know someone that was robbed or assaulted.   I do like the Don Hume holsters that attached are belt through holsters, they seem to be the simplest and smaller holster design.   The gun basically hangs in the holster unlike many other holders that contain it.   There is no clip or paddle protruding into your hip and they seem to be one of the most popular ones CCW holders are buying these days.

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