All posts tagged Blackhawk Holsters

The Beretta 92FS still going strong

I remember when the 9mm gun started showing up in  Military service and the stories about them cracking and not being reliable were all over the place.   Now that I’m about three decades older,  I think I have heard the same exact stories from other people about different types of guns.   The real situation with firearms is there are almost always alterations or improvements that take place after the first run comes out.   Just think about the Glock Perfection promotions you see everyone where.  Glock supposedly got it perfect, but now we are seeing the 4th Generation with back straps.   I’m not bashing Glocks because I am a Glock owner and I’ve seen them out run most handguns and they are an elite firearm.   In all honesty most firearms really are just different types of candy.   Sometimes it’s just preference.

The Beretta 92FS is an extremely reliable firearm, it also is a full size auto that needs a good holster.    Our top 2 selling holsters from Blackhawk are the gun holsters made for those carrying the Beretta 92FS in the military also known as the M9 and the Glock 17 and followed closely by the Glock 19.   Blackhawk holsters are outstanding duty holsters and secondary firearm holsters.   Our top level tactical customers prefer the Blackhawk finger release design over tradition thumb break holsters and we have yet to have someone come back to us about quality control issues.    The Beretta 92FS is the stronger version of the original Beretta 92F gun holsters.

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Blackhawk guns for CCW and Duty

I am replacing many of my Fobus gun holsters for the Blackhawk Serpa CQC holsters.   The CQC holsters can be attached to the belt or they can be made into a paddle holster, so you are actually getting 2 for one.   I have had circumstances where I needed to change the way I carried a gun and there are times that certain firearms really begin to wear on you and paddle holsters and IWB can get uncomfortable. Much of it depends on what type of physical work I am doing, but once you get a bruise in that area, it’s not going to heal if you are constantly carrying it in that manor.  A few years ago i hurt myself while bending over and couldn’t CCW with an IWB holster, but didn’t have many options to try out, I picked up a Blackhawk Serpa holster and tried that, but even though it was advertised as Concealed Carry, it really protruded out to far for me to wear under a shirt, and it really only could have been used if I wore a vest.  I guess I’m too thin to do that in the summer around here.

I have through pocket carry into the mix because I have had one too many times that I was extremely uncomfortable with the way I was carrying and couldn’t enjoy the places I was going.  Ankle carry has been tried, but it still feels funny to have something on one leg and not the other.  Blackhawk holsters are very good for duty work and Winter carry, but carrying a small Kahr PM9 or a Walther PPK is enough Semi-auto for me, but I have tried a Smith & Wesson lightweight 637 and have been very happy.  Throw a knife, flashlight and mace into the mix and you’ve got plenty of self-defense to go around.  No need to try and get too frisky with larger firearms and end up being made in a bad situation.

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Summer heat and transitioning from one firearm to another

In this part of  the State we get all 4 seasons and some of the changes in weather can be drastic.  This year I’m transitioning over to polymer guns for summer CCW because I’ve rusted out the grip screws on so many of my Sig and Beretta firearms.   IWB is a must in the summer for my semi-autos but I have been using a Ruger LCR for pocket carry in environments were ultra concealment is called for.  I always like the looks of leather,  but now I am locked in with  using Kydex holsters for the same reasons I’m switching firearm, no rust as far as I’ve seen.

I’m still too skinny to carry with a paddle holster and I’ve had to retire all of my Blackhawk holsters because they still print if I wear a t-shirt.   Vests are too obvious in summer weather, but you can get away with it in the Spring.   I really miss carrying my Sig 226, but it’s time to play with my Glock 19, retired the Blackhawk holsters and go with an Uncle Mike’s kydex holster.   I’ll see  how well these holsters hold up because the belt clips I’ve had on previous holsters didn’t hold up very well and there were times I’ve stood up at work and was holding my gun in a holster because it just lifted right off my belt.

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CCW vs Cop holsters

There is a reason that Cops want locking holster, statistics show that many police get shot by their own guns, and I’m sure there are unknown statistics on the number of times Cops have had guns fall out of holsters.   I recently read a review by an LAPD Officer that sheered an entire gun and holster off of his side while the paddle and belt kept part of it in place.   Anything that can happen will happen and probable already did happen.   I remember when Youtube first got popular there were several people bashing Fobus holsters on how easy it was to rip the guns off of people by tearing the holster.   Truth is, it can happen, but it doesn’t happen that often.   When it comes to CCW, most of the time you won’t be dealing with snagging firearms unless you go to retrieve them and they get caught on a shirt or a jacket.

Level I holsters are for, in my humble opinion, all about speed.    A nice IWB holster for concealed carry should keep the trigger protected and be as comfortable and easy to retrieve as the operator desires.  When it comes to level II Serpa holsters, I think this is a smart thing to consider for anyone in an open carry situation.   Yes the bad guy may know how to release  Blackhawk holsters, but your average bad guy probable doesn’t know how to clear a malfunction or do speed loads either.   If you are that concerned about the gun being taken from you, then don’t open carry.   I believe that the Serpa holster is the best way to carry a secondary firearm also.   The Blackhawk Level III holster is best left for law enforcement and people that are in high risk situations.

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Levels of concealment in close contact situations

I never thought about this all that much  until the first time that it happened.  In the Advent of cell  phones it’s actually easier and easier to get away with  now, but it can be a problem in unfriendly territory.  Many first time CCW holders start out with a paddle holster and a large size auto, but slowly transition to IWB.   IWB may not be the most comfortable for everyone, but there are problems that can come up with OWB in office, weddings, social environments.   There are gray areas where CCW may not be acceptable, but not illegal, and you may have problems.

I am speaking from experience here and not about what happened to me, but what happened to a friend of mine.    A women he worked with brushed up against him in a door way and hit the side of him where the firearm was.   She felt a clunk and then pushed up against the part of his body where she felt the gun holsters protruding area and start to say “what the hell is that” she kept poking and prodding him until she broke out into a cold sweat and realized it was a gun.   You’re average citizen isn’t going to look for a CCW, but if they find one, they may announce it.   It’s not just about hiding the gun from sight, sometimes concealment means not being able to find it in close contact situations.

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Take your gear camping and get back to me

I always enjoy watching the weekend warrior guys show up with their $4000 worth of M4 and accessories that are the first ones to panic and want to leave the range if it starts to drizzle.   The idea that your $4000 rifle will some how get ruined in the rain and the majority of firearms like it are expected to be combat reliable.   Well… what is combat reliability?  Combat reliability is a gun that will take a level of abuse in bad weather and dirty conditions without malfunctioning.  If you have a military issued rifle, the gun better darn well be combat reliable and a little bit of rain shouldn’t concern you.

Combat optics are are also given this description because they better take the abuse and still hold zero.  The gun should work if it gets dropped and the glass better not break.   I’ve retired a few rifle scopes because they would fog up and I learned the lesson of wiping all of my hunting rifles down with a light amount of CLP whenever I brought them back from a trip. Take your gun cases and your firearms out on a day when the weather isn’t that great and have some confidence.   A good nylon rifle case should protect your firearms from moisture and dirt and there’s nothing to cry about if you know your gear.

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Are pocket holsters necessary?

And before you read much further, the answer to that is a resounding yet.   I know you don’t always need to have a holster, but it’s a darn good idea.   There are some safety issues that need to be considered when pocket carrying.   The first thing this is you have to be consistent in where you are going to put your gun and gear.  If you forget to put and put your keys on the same pocket as your gun and you don’t have a pocket protector, bad things can happen.    Lint build up may not b e a major concern for revolvers, but it is a serious issues with semi-auto guns.

I was fortunate enough to have witness someone show up at a gun range for training that brought his Glock 17 to the range.   He was told to clear his chamber and when he did, a pile of pocket lint came out of the guys gun that it was amazing that so much could build up in it.   This guy didn’t even pocket carry, but he said that it  had been about a year since it was cleaned last.   It’s amazing how clothing sheds and frayed strings.  I have a few pocket guns and use the Don Hume gun holsters I know Dean Speir keeps a good account of Glock accidents, but sweatshirts ect that are not designed for CCW can be dangerous and not using any type of holster is not advised.

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Tactical clothing and gun holsters

I recently took a swing by several big gun shops and picked up a few products from tactical clothing companies that I was unfamiliar with.   I do think that many of the top tactical clothing companies are much better than the stuff that was being made years ago.   Clothing manufacturing has gotten better in many regards.   I have several BDU pants from Army Navy stores, but I just can’t stand wearing them anymore.   The hand pockets are too small and the BDU pockets are too flimsy.    If I want BDU pants,  The Eotac Style 201 Pants are the way to go.   If I want to wear denim jeans, I’m going to go with one of the tactical jeans from 5.11, Woolrich Elite or Eotac.

One thing I didn’t like about the 5.11 jeans was that the hand pockets were not any larger than my regular jeans which completely eliminates the possibility of pocket carry.   I had a j-frame 38 Special in the pocket and the handle was showing.   I find this to be a real short coming even though the internal pockets that can stow guns or magazines.   I find these pants to be concealed carry friendly to some degree, but they really were missing some features.   I don’t like the fact that there isn’t spot in the right side at about 3 o’clock that would be gun holsters for most right handed individuals.   Even though I think some of the 205 jeans are a little over designed with the rear pockets, I think pocket carry is really important for CCW wearers and the 5.11 jeans isn’t for that.  The 5.11 jeans can hold your wallet or money, but that’s about it.

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Clip on holsters a bad idea?

I have had some bad experiences with various clip on holsters, but after I retired some of my standard dress belts and got an actual gun belt, the problems disappeared.  Many people really over look this issue when CCW and it’s one of those things that can really bite you at the wrong time.  I have a few firearms instructor friends that swear that they usually see atleast one person pull a firearm from their holster during defensive training classes where the holster is still on the gun.   It’s laughable, but people just don’t really know how stable their holsters are until they are really put to the test.

A good gun belt should be strong and solid and be about atleast 1.5 inches wide.  The skinny belt thing is a no no in the gun carrying world, and this is where I see a lot of failures.   The clip may hold the belt, but a fast draw of the gun may make it wobble or pop off.   The other thing to think about is the support of the firearm.   The first time I ever wore a Wilderness instructor belt, which was the 1.5″ version, I was carrying and using Springfield Armory XD 45acp in IWB gun holsters and I could hardly tell I was carrying the gun.  The support of the firearm was significant and I really didn’t feel like I  had to adjust the belt.   There are various types of Wilderness gun belts that are not as tactical looking which may be more apporpriate for white collar CCW.

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Summer wedding options

gun holstersI was trying to think about how to describe the situations that many in the 20-40 age range tend to deal with in the summer months that they don’t normally deal with when carrying.    I’ve found it very difficult to carry a fiream to weddings because there is usually so much human contact from dancing to pats on the back and hugging.    Many reading this might think it is not a concern at all, but you have to realize that not every social environment is going to be gun friendly and considering that there is usually heavy drinking, it is something to think about not bothering to carry.

The biggest issue that I always dealt with when going to weddings was not being there and what gun to carry, but driving through urban environments where it’s a good idea to be carrying.   I think I can name more robberies that occurred to friends when they were dressed up and going out to dinner.   That’s when women are wearing jewelry and when guys are carrying more cash than normal.   The problem is that carrying IWB or OWB is virtually impossible.   Pocket carry is probable the most practical but there is another option.   Ankle holsters are very good for driving situations, but not very good for walking around too much.   Some of the gun holsters that I have tried all varied.   The best I’ve found was the Uncle Mike’s ankle holster.   You really have to make sure you are carrying a lightweight firearm though.  You will feel uncomfortable if the firearm has much weight because it may feel like it’s sliding down  your leg even though it’s not.

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