All posts tagged Ruger LCR

Rumors abound about Woolrich Elite Series Tactical

tactical pantsWe’ve heard some recent and credible rumors floating around the gun community that the Woolrich Elite Series Tactical line is being sold off.   It’s pretty obvious that the product line was basically smothered by the corporation but it seems that there were too many good products in the line to not have someone with investment potential to rebrand and relaunch the product line.  We heard rumors like this from The Eotac line and both companies were basically started by the same person.   I would like to see some production changes in the line because there were some stark product differences as far as function and durability, but those were slight.  We’ve been getting our feet in other angles of the tactical clothing industry but there was too big of a customer base for it to just disappear.

There regular clothing lines that you see in shopping malls just isn’t going to have the function you need and there is a good possibility that you will either ruin some of the clothing or get unwanted surprises.   What I mean by this is if you are pocket carrying a sidearm in a regular clothing pant poket there is a good pants it’s going to wear through quicker, a good  pair of tactical pants is going to have a ripstop pocket to increase durability.   I’ve had keys from my car wear through pants and the last thing I want is a magazine or a gun wearing through. Other things to think about are how the pockets are sown shut, tactical pants are not sown to the seams which prevents a device like a knife, gun, magazine or flashlight from falling out when you lean back in a chair.  I’ve seen and felt it happen with regular jean pants so be careful, hopefully the rumors we are hearing are true about Woolrich Elite Series Tactical.

Top

Galco Kingtuk holster review

I’ve been wanted to get a Crossbreed holster for a long time, but they seem to be a little complicated for me to order online and I always wanted to hold one in my hands first before I purchased one.   It seems that as soon as someone comes up with an idea, and a good idea, somebody in the tactical and accessory market tries to copy it.   I’ve heard stories from guys attending SHOT Show that had to chase off Chinese attendees because all they did every year was show up, find out what’s new, and take the pictures back to China and then try and  make a knock off version of it.   We’ve seen this with optics time and time again.

I’m gonna keep my mouth shut on who is copying whom, but since Galco has such a large selection of holsters, and they cover a wide selection of right hand and left hand holsters, we gotta go with the best and most versatile product lines in this industry.   Galco holsters almosot always take a few days or more to break in.   This leather kydex combo Kingtuk holster was no different.   I’ve had times where the leather holsters were so tight that I thought I had to send them back because it was defective product.   I’ve learned to be more patient with leather holsters.   I think  the Kingtuk is a good idea and yes, it does not dig into you like a regular IWB holster, but I find them difficult to get on and off every morning, maybe I need Coffee first.

Top

Still not in love with the LCP

I got to the NRA convention a few weeks ago and the LCP was all over the place.  I saw  holster makers show up that they made gun  holsters for the little .380 pistol, Crimson trace laser grips had a big section devoted to concealed carry, and numerous other companies devote products to the Ruger LCP in .380.   The .380 is  a ballistically inferior caliber, but the durability of small pocket firearms has dramatically improved and people are wanted to carry less of a gun for more comfort.

Unfortunately for the rest of us that have seen the wrong side of society, carrying a firearm with a caliber that is not adequate for hunting just about anything, the .380 should really be viewed as a purse gun.  I have a stock pile of Galco holsters in my  house because they are the best and easiest way to get a good IWB or OWB holster for CCW.   I have an ankle holster for all of my j-frame revolvers and IWB are the best method for CCW.  I still have a hard time taking a .380 with me knowing that the gun won’t kill the worst in society.

Top

Outside the pants carry, how well can you conceal?

I’ve been on the mission of trying to find gun holsters that I can wear that are not IWB because I’ve had too many times where i got a bruise and it took weeks for it to go away.  If i got thrown around in a fight IWB is more likely to hurt you in my opinion, but for some situations it’s about the only way a thin guy can carry.   Now that I’ve grown  older and packed on a few extra pounds, I’ve been trying to see if I can get away with summer carry outside the pants.   Paddle holsters, especially the Blackhawk Serpa holsters protrude too far outside my body for me to conceal them with just a t-shirt.  I’ve been wearing an Eotac Style 103 for Spring Season, but once it warms up I can’t carry with my Blackhawk Serpa any longer.

I’m trying some of these Woolrich Elite CCW shirts, they are really, really impressive.   I think Woolrich got hurt pretty bad by the split up a few years ago, but the Woolrich Elite shirts i recently picked up have been really nice to wear to family and social events.  Since the 1911 is one of the thinnest built handguns I own, I have been trying one of these Galco holsters that is a locked in place by your belt and sits right up against your body.  I always prefer paddle holsters because they are easy to get on and off, but for CCW they just don’t cut it in the Summer.  My Colt 1911 is getting use to this configuration and I’ll report back as soon as I get the chance.

Top

Summer CCW options when it comes to wearing shorts

We all know that much of what we see being made by  5.11 tactical and Blackhawk, Woolrich Elite and Eotac are suppose to be concealed carry, but they really are all still tactical looking.   Much of what i have seen that was suppose to be in the Covert Carry products from 5.11 all looked like a Cop should be wearing them and if it’s got 5.11 on them, I don’t think there are too many big time criminals that don’t know what 5.11 clothing looks like.   I’m still amazed at the fact that 5.11 covert carry pants do not work very well with any kind of pocket carry and the inner pockets are practically useless for anything other than a wallet or money.   Woolrich Elite shorts are by far the best,  we’ve carried a few other tactical shorts in the past, but we got tired of the complaints about them riding up and not being true to size.

One thing we have liked about carrying the Woolrich Elite product line is most of our customer base have come over from wearing 5.11 tactical clothing.  We plan on carrying some of the 5.11 tactical apparel in the very near future, but we will be picky about what we carry due to so many complaints about inconsistencies about sizing and shrinkage.   I’ve tossed a few 5.11 tactical shorts because they rode up on me so bad that I was in danger of being cited for obscenities.   Woolrich Elite style 44908 are the lightweight cotton ripstop material that will give you some ability to carry gear or pocket carry

Top

Nothing wrong with cheating

There have been moments in my training experience where I did have to speed up the process and get people in a position where they felt confident enough to have a firearm.   I’m not talking about skipping safety, I’m talking about skipping the 1000rd experience on a firing range.   I had a friend that was taking custody of a cousins baby while the baby’s mother went to drug rehab and the Father of the baby had recently gotten out of jail.   That individual broke into the home of my friend and tried to steal the baby back.   Sound crazy?  It’s actually true and although she had some level of firearm experience,  I didn’t expect to teach her how to disassemble and reassemble a Glock, but I did want her to know how to clear a malfunction.

She asked about putting a laser on a gun and I paused for a moment and asked her if she wanted one, she said yes, so I told her what to get.    She felt comfortable shooting a Sig 230 with a Crimson trace laser grip and that’s all I needed to know.  She put one box of ammo through it and had the right mindset to protect herself and I was done.   This wouldn’t have been ideal for many people, but while she planned on moving out of the area, she was unarmed and we all know what the police will tell you to do, buy a gun.

Top

Pocket guns and laser grips

While I was recently at the NRA Convention in Pittsburgh this month, the biggest buzz was going on over at the Ruger area.   I’m still waiting for more feedback about the Sig 238 and I’ve already learned to not jump on newly produced firearms.   There are always recalls and product alterations in the first few years and sometimes the changes are considerable.   Extractor flaws, slide cracks and sometimes something as simple as a trigger pin or screw can fail on a design.   The Ruger LCP had some issues when it first came out, but considering the number of holster designers that are making holsters for this gun and the recent surge in CCW pocket guns, this is hands down the number one gun.

I think the mentality around this type of CCW gun is that it is the smallest most concealable firearm that looks good and is fun to shoot.   Some pocket pistols are not fun to shoot and are high maintenance. Another thing that helps improve the usefulness of the firearms is the Crimson trace laser grips that attach in a very good way.   I’ve got a few older model crimson trace laser grips and I see that the biggest flaw is that the laser is on the side of the firearm and can get blocked if you do not grip the firearm properly.   The proper place for a laser is as close to the muzzle as possible or at the least right under it.

Top

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.

Top

Ankle holsters and gun weight

This is something I have never been able to get away from, if a gun is heavy, you’ll eventually start to feel it.   I hear guys constantly brag about how they carry a 1911 or a full size Springfield XD 45acp in a holster all day, but when I start to question how much of the day, days of the week, and how much physical work they do when carrying, the answer is always less than what it seems.   I have said many times that I have often been amazed by some of my fiercest and most knowledgeable friends are packing some of the smaller firearms and they are confident.   A J-frame 38 special can be had in a lightweight frame and that gives it more versatility compared to a heavier frame.

Ankle holsters are not for everyone, if you aren’t in good physical shape this isn’t for you, from my experience this is a wedding or backup carry method.   One thing to consider with Galco holsters or similar types of holsters is how much weight can you comfortable handle.   You have to watch the type of pants you wear so they don’t bunch up, and expecting to carry a heavy firearm in this manor and be able to walk around without feeling like you have a ball and chain wrapped around you is something that foresight is needed.

Top

Laser grips? Are they any different now?

Just like the white lights that could only be mounted to trigger guards and the lasers that mounted the same way, gun manufacturers have been modifying their firearms so that can all be accessorized.  It’s really easy to spot some of the older model Sig 228 and Sig 229 guns because they don’t have rails.  Now it’s pretty much the law of the land to have a rail on your handgun because so many understand the need for using a white light.  Just like everything that has to do with firearms and caliber debates, you have to know what the task at hand is and know what tools will work to get the job done.

I agree that the best place to put a laser is probable right inside the barrel and beam it out of the exact same spot the bullet flies out of, but right now that is impossible.   Lasermax and Crimson Trace laser grips have different approaches to getting the same job done, and it’s really what your preference is.  For close up fighting, once you get your laser setup for the ranges you wish to do combat training or defensive training in your laser will work, but side mounted lasers will become inaccurate once you get out of your comfort zone.

Top
1 2 Page 1 of 2