All posts tagged Paddle Holsters

Sig 230 for CCW

There seems to be a wave of .380 CCW and after watching this trend for almost 2yrs, I have to say that it does seem to be a fad.   I am aware of a Police shooting where a Philadelphia Police Officer was killed by a bad guy with a .380 pistol and I later found out that she was hit in the head.   I hate having to be so gruesome in talking about shootings like this, but carrying a firearm means you are carrying a tool that may kill someone in self defense and we all know we don’t want to use the cheapest tools in the tool box if we are worried about keeping something of value in good condition.

The Sig 230 handguns have been around for a long time and from my experience the only down side to them is the lack of a normal magazine release.   All .380 handguns should be viewed as minimal, I wouldn’t carry one as a primary weapon or use it for home defense.  I have Don Hume holsters for my Sig 230 for inside the waistband.   The clip on belt holster is very reliable and the gun is already thin enough that carrying IWB is a non-issue.   .380 ballistics are something  you need to look into and train your mind to implement your weapon accordingly.

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Pocket carry the way for the White collar

I got a recent phone call from a few LEO’s that were getting moved to investigations and it was time for them to rework their working attire.  I think it’s safe to say that wearing a uniform all day is not as comfortable as wearing jeans or your preferences in shirts, pants and shoes.   I’ve had to wear boots all day for 5yrs straight and when I get a rare occasion to wear sneakers my feet and legs feel like they move faster.   Carrying a gun is something very similar to wearing boots.   If you have to carry a full size Beretta 92FS, you’ll feel the same way when  you are carrying a Rohrbaugh R9S in your pocket.

I have watched many of my LEO friends go from street work and SWAT Team apparel to white collar “is that the same guy I knew before” looking individuals.  Blackhawk holsters do make a pocket carry holster for the white collar work.  Guys that have to carry briefcases or laptops aren’t going to want to carry 50rds or more of ammunition when their job is to do office or investigations work.   You want to be able to show up at doors and not notify the neighbors of the people you are talking to that a cop is investigating a grim in the area.

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Putting a safety on a firearm

There are many things to concern yourself with when you choose to carry a firearm.    People training to  hit holes on paper and maneuver themselves around a firearm range, but if the shit hits the fan, not everyone is mentally prepared for a fight.   Many that have become victims of crime tend to be the most proficient at my training courses because they know what the receiving end of crime feels like.   Having that feeling is not something the less experienced will easily learn to know.   I have personally witnessed people freeze up in hostile situations that I would normally think would be fighters and sometimes people can just become off balance and loose themselves.

Everyone has a different reason for carry the firearm that have chosen to carry and that is your personal choice.   I have issues with carrying firearms that are high maintenance, but to each his own.  One thing to consider when carry a firearm out in the open though is to have some level of retention device.   I am not big on using these for CCW, but for open carry, it’s wise to have something like the Blackhawk holsters that have a locking device that is easy to release but a BG that tries to grab a hold of your gun in a fight will have extra fiddling to do if they want to get a hold of your Sig Sauer, Glock or Springfield XD.

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Don Hume H715 holsters, are they reliable?

Concealed carry is a market that has dramatically expanded in the last 10yrs.   I can hardly believe it has been almost 10yrs since September 11th, but that event changed a lot of peoples opinions about being safe in your own Country.   With an economy that is sluggish, there have been more types of crimes in neighborhoods  that were safe where home invasion  are not that uncommon anymore.   Recently there were several home invasions against elderly people because they were easy targets.  There are things you can do to prevent yourself from being a target, but being able to retreat into your home and be able to stop a threat is important.

Inside the waistband or IWB is the most common method of concealment, but it is not the only one.  There are too many variables for me to get into right now, but Don Hume holsters are very reliable and the disclaimer for anyone that I would suggest carry IWB should be that they get a good reliable belt.  Gun belts are the key to keeping your clip on gunholster in it’s place and not coming off.   I have noticed that a lot gun holster makers have modified the designs of their clips to make them stronger.  There will always be some restriction on comfort and movement with a holster like this, but it will take some time and tolerance to get use to.

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The importance of practicing with your CCW

There are many times in our life when we just won’t have time to get out and go shooting, married life and children can always shorten your free time, but lack of gun maintenance and shooting rehearsal will affect your performance.   I recently read an interview with the Philadelphia Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel and he mentioned that he won’t let anyone walk up to the plate during the regular season unless they have had atleast 75-100 pitches in batting practice.   The hand eye co-ordination is something that get’s lost and even the best guys are terrible at bats if they haven’t had practice, shooting skills are no different.

Regular cleaning atleast once a month in the summer or hot weather depending on the type of gun and holster you are  using and I strongly suggest you put 50rds through your firearm atleast once every 3 months.   Fobus holsters will work for you for CCW, but you will need a vest or long jacket to use such a paddle holster. Considering how inexpensive these holsters are, I would suggest getting one even for something like a J-frame which tends to be a pocket gun.   Practicing from concealment is good practice as long as your gun range allows it.

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Getting picky about gun holsters is the norm

We get so many phone calls asking us basically asking us to tell people how to dress themselves when they get out of bed in the morning.   Maybe 5% of the questions we get asking about tactical clothing and concealed carry clothing are about how someone will look in the clothing once they put it on.   The same goes for gun holsters.  People often ask us how they feel and how well they are made and all of this really comes down to your personal preference.  I can give you a calorie count for every food item you eat, but you gotta tell me if you liked eating it.

Going through your house and pick out the type of clothing that you can wear all year long is probable impossible for you unless you live in a desert or the North Pole.  Just like we need rain coats when it’s raining and winter coats when it’s snowing, we need gun holsters and clothing for changes in weather and seasons.  Most people don’t carry a shoulder holster when they are living in t-shirt and flip flop land and nobody is going to tell you that you have to wear a leather holster in 100F temperatures.   You have to find what feels right and works for you and then think about another scenario for the other things.

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Standard capacity magazines and balance

There are plenty of firearms out there that can handle magazines that have a higher capacity than the standard magazines, and in most cases, I really don’t understand why anyone would want anything protruding out of the bottom of a handgun.   I’d rather have an MP5 semi-auto than a Glock 17 with a 30rd magazine.    I’ve seen some of the full auto Glocks, but they are nothing more than an assassin or a nose maker for most purposes.   I’ve always liked 1911 handguns, and I’ve shot a few auto ordnance guns that were similar, but were double stack 45acp magazines, but the guns were just too heavy for me to wield one handed.

There is something to be said for handguns and how they are balanced out.   If the gun feels like  you are holding a bowling ball you’re not going to be very smooth in engaging multiple targets.   Just like someone who is using a 44 magnum Desert Eagle, you get a lot of bang, but what is your hit ratio? Can you carry something like that in gun holsters? I’ve done one too many tests with new shooters and 7.62×39 AK rifle and compared bullet hits with an M4.   Ever single time I’ve done a comparison people shot the better with the M4.   I’ve also done comparisons with extending magazines in 9mm and 45acp and there is a certain point, guns get too darn heavy.

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Pocket holsters, are they necessary?

The answer to all of your CCW questions should  be “does it work for you?”    Some people can carry full size Beretta 92FS in their pockets and if  you think I’m joking I’m not.   People forget that just as our pants sizes are different, so are the dimensions of the pockets of various types of tactical clothing.   I’ve known a few people that have carried things like Desert Eagle 44 magnums as CCW guns, but one was legit and the other was a nut case.   One of the guys that carried that gun was also in a gun accident that ended up on the local news because he was showing it to someone outside of a bar and ended up shooting himself in the leg.

Pocket holsters are really pocket protectors.   Most pocket guns will point down even if they move around in a pocket, but not always.   Don Hume holsters are very good in the pocket gun arena.  They will keep your gun in place and help keep pocket lint off of the mechanical parts.   I still have to wipe off my guns every month even if I don’t shoot them and in the summer they get cleaned once a month due to the potential sweat build up.

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IWB is the number one method for CCW

Even though IWB is the most popular, I’m well aware of the number of people that do not carry this way.   I’m not going to start mentioning fat people jokes, because I’m not fat and trying to get away from this method in the near future because it’s getting to be too uncomfortable.   Maybe it’s some of the new tactical pants I have been trying out, but I’ve been getting some serious bruising from Kydex holsters lately.   Paddle  holsters are fine for Fall and Spring, but if I have to wear a heavy winter coat, I prefer to carry with a shoulder holster.    I’m still up in the air as to what kind of shoulder holster to get because shopping for holsters is like buying clothing, it may fit you, but comfort and flexibility is something you find out later.

Pocket carry means for most of us that we are carrying a small gun, and not everyone feels like that is enough of a gun.   I’m not real big on arguing about caliber wars, but I am  big on carrying spare magazines and more ammo.    I’m fine with 2 magazines of .380 vs carrying a 5 shot .357 magnum.   IWB gun holsters are something that needs to be matched up to body size, some guys can fit a Beretta 92FS IWB but that pretty much eliminates anyone that is thinly built.   I would make sure you match your shirts up to your CCW method and check yourself in the mirror or ask a family member you trust to ask you if they can tell where your gun is.

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In praise of the Sig 239

I have to force myself to buy various technical gear and sometimes even firearms just to stay on top of what is out there.   I still haven’t jumped into the .380 market, but at some point I’ll settle on some kind of pistol.   I was never big on j-frame revolvers until I went to 5 weddings in one summer and got tired of putting a Sig 239 in a pocket.   The pants I was wearing could fit a Sig 239 very easily, but the gun was so darn heavy that the constant off balance pull it had was as bad as jock itch.   I started out with a 38 Special snub nose T-85 for CCW and got tired of it real fast.   I then tried a Colt 1911 for  a little, but didn’t like the idea of having to disengage a safety.

After several months of not knowing what to carry, I carried my Beretta 92FS and one spare magazine.   It was ok, for a little while, but if I need to carry it for more than 5 days, I got sore spots on my hips.   A friend of mine has his own gun holsters company and offered to make me a holster, but I knew that I was on the verge of changing my concealed carry gun so I held off.  Like a freakish bought of karma, I walked into a gun shop and saw a used Sig 239 for sale, called up my buddy and told him to make a holster for me and here we are 8yrs later.  The Sig 239 is by no means a light handgun, it is small, but this is a combat worthy and durable firearm.

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