All posts tagged off duty holsters

5.11 Partners with Bladetech for the 5.11 Tactical Thumbdrive holster

5.11 Thumbdrive holstersWe have yearly cycles of sales for certain products in our store, or we get asked about the same products every time there is a graduation from a Police Academy.   There is a mad rush of people graduating that need all of the basics, they may not have their duty gear yet but they know they need an off duty holster which usually is one of the following, any Glock 9mm, Glock 45 or Sig 229 or Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm or 40 cal.   Those seem to be the most common firearm holsters every year because that’s what most of their employers are issuing.  “I just need a retention holster” or a “Level II” they say.

I’m all about letting the customer choose what they want, but if there is any hint of them being a Novice,   I push them away from the Blackhawk Serpa Holsters,  I personally think the Safariland ALS is a better starting point although the holsters are very heavy,  One other holster we have considered stocking are the 5.11 Thumbdrive holsters.  Using your thumb to release your firearm is a much safer approach  than using your index finger.   We also noticed this year that Elite Survival Systems is releasing a Thumbdrive holsters and we will do a thorough comparison between the two in the future.   Definitely consider these 3 for Level II retention, Safariland ALS, Blackhawk Serpa, and the 5.11 Thumbdrive holsters.  Bladetech worked with for their level II and it seems to be a very well accepted holster.

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Open Carry, Retention, Night Sights and Flashlights, things you need to think about

I’m all for looking for ways to improve whichever firearm you choose to carry, even if you shoot it well on a firing range and it fits your hand, how well will you shoot it in low light? How well do you shoot it in 95F temperatures on a bright sunny day?   Sight pictures with black on black in dark hazy days can mean not having a sight picture and there will be no contrast.   Even the designers of the Trijicon TA01NSN knew to put a front night sight on the backup irons.   Technology is changing and and there are reasons why you should consider updating whatever iron sights you have and even consider putting a light or laser or your firearm.   Sure there is always a balance between lightweight and bulk but even for a home defense firearm, pulling a full size semi-auto having a TLR1 flashlight is a none issue.   There are plenty of really bad stories in the news about people accidentally shooting girlfriends or wives and lighting up your presumed threat might mean not shooting.

Shooting a firearm with a light is very different than shooting without a light, you will have to practice so you don’t pull the firearm off target when you activate the light and under stress, you have to really practice to unlearn this.   I can’t say enough that people need to spend more time with firearm safety training and scenario training because there are just so many bad examples in the news right now of Cops shooting unarmed individuals and these recent South Carolina shooting is just gas on the fire.   I don’t care how decorated you are, we’re talking about defending lives and taking them, whether you are Law Enforcement or non-Law Enforcement.    If you are open carrying, there should always be consideration about levels of retention so you aren’t one of those people that discharges a firearm while sitting on the toilet.   Sounds funny but that bullet is going somewhere and can end of life.    Recently Blackhawk has released the Black Hawk Epoch holster and although it looks like they are still working on broadening which firearms they are manufacturing them for,   Safariland Holsters ALS Holsters that can also give you a Level II holster and can be used as a paddle or belt holster are excellent choices.

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Kydex holster options from Leather Holster Companies?

I’ve seen several places online where people are offering customer kydex holsters and although I know that is a niche industry that people can excel at, I’ve had too many fit and quality control issues to want to deal with it.  There are also customer leather makers but that is even more expensive.   Now that so many people a running lasers or lights on their .380 pistols or their duty guns.   Gun holsters can get very complicated.  I have had issues with the depth of holsters and also what I call “holster flop” and that is the reason I have so many holsters sitting in a box in my walk in closet.   Some larger frame or even medium frame semi-auto guns like the Sig 228 are difficult to put in those Don Hume Hit holsters, but the Desantis Speed Scabbard offered a little bit more sturdiness.

We are looking at bringing in more blue guns for people to try out in our Broomall, PA showroom because so many people want to know the fit and feel of a holster.   There are new holsters designs from Desantis holsters like the Scorpion and the Desantis Intruder.  There give you more comfort for larger size firearms.  This contoured paddle holster design is something I have worked with for  years and it really does make it more comfortable to wear.   At first it may seem bulky and hard to get on, but it’s something you just need to learn to adapt to.  You won’t get the bruising that many kydex will give you if you are bending over to your side.  Sig 229 and Glock handguns like the Glock 17 work really well in this holster design.

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