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THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO
CONCEALED CARRY
HOLSTERS
A guide to choosing the best
concealed carry holster for your lifestyle
By Corey Graff
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Quick-Start
Guide
You know that Quick-Start Guide that came with the last flat-screen TV you bought, the one
that told you only what you needed to know to get it running quickly so your buddies didn’t
miss the big game? This is like that.
Chapter 2
Types
of
Holsters
An overview of holster designs like pancake holsters, bellyband holsters and Mr. Fancy Pants
drop-dead gorgeous holsters. And so on.
Chapter 3
Modes
of Carry
Outside-the-waistband, inside-the-waistband, shoulder carry, pocket carry, ankle carry, body
carry, fanny pack and purse carry, even bra carry explained (with pictures!).
Chapter 4
Holster
Materials
From good ‘ol tanned cowhide (and its close cousin sharkskin), to advanced space-age
polymers like Kydex, here’s what you need to know when considering holster material.
Chapter 5
Retention
Systems
Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 retention systems explained—the doohickeys that keep you from
unintentionally skinnin’ that smoke wagon, dude.
Chapter 6
Gun
Placement
Strong side, weak side, cant and rake—there’s a million (OK, about a dozen) ways to position
cold blue steel. Here are some considerations for comfortable handgun placement.
Chapter 7
Magazine
Holsters
You’re not Clint Eastwood and this is not Hollywood. So you’ll need some way to comfortably
carry extra ammo. From magazine pouches to speed clips, this chapter explains the best tools
for real-world business.
Chapter 8
Holsters
for
Women
Specialty holsters for women and tips for ladies on choosing the best holster for concealed
carry.
Chapter 9
Specialty
Holsters
From minimalist designs to underwear holsters, there’s no limit to how you can conceal your
personal protection sidearm.
Chapter 10
Holster
Safety
and
Maintenance
How to safely holster a handgun and special considerations for gun safety depending on
holster design, plus how to take care of your rig.
Resources
Introduction
Congratulations. You’ve completed your concealed weapons
class and have your permit. Now you’re ready to go to the local
gun shop and pick out that one perfect pistol for self-defense. So
far, so good. However, if you’re like most folks, you didn’t think
much about how you’ll actually carry the thing around. This can
lead to an uncomfortable exchange with the bespectacled guncounter guy. If your experience is anything like mine, he’ll look
down his nose at you while a little drop of white spittle forms at
the corner of his mouth. You’ll ask which holster he recommends.
And he’ll sneer.
In truth, the question is like asking your car mechanic what
brand of underwear to buy. The mechanic and gun-counter guy
know literally nothing about you, your physiology, lifestyle or
your daily habits. Holsters are made for guns, but are fit to people.
Damned if gun-counter guy will tell you this, with an ego the
size of the Death Star he will not risk surrendering his throne
of perceived superior knowledge. Instead he’ll point and make
a strange grunting noise, which will seem to direct you to the
holster section. Puzzled, you’ll wander over and stare at a wall of
holsters. They’ll stare back. Now what?
I’ve seen this scenario play itself out more times than an
I Love Lucy rerun. Holster selection for concealed carry is
quite possibly one of the most misunderstood and glossed over
areas in the gun world. On par with handgun choice in terms of
importance, it receives very little ink. Yet it’s one of the most
vital subjects, for the handgun holster is the thing that will
keep your firearm secured and at the ready. It will determine
how safe, comfortable and readily accessible your gun is when
carried. A poor-fitting holster is like a poor-fitting gun — it
probably won’t get much use. This defeats the purpose of being
armed at all times. Moreover, today there are literally dozens of
different designs of holsters and thousands of different models all
configured differently — from basic factory numbers to high-end
custom jobs. This further complicates things for you if you’re just
starting out. In a sea of choices, making a less-than-ideal selection
is a very real risk. You could end up with something that might
be fine quality, but simply not a good match for you — for your
lifestyle and body type. If it’s not comfortable and practical, you
won’t use it. That means you could dish out some serious cash
and end up with the wrong match. A wrong-fitting combo is a
pain in the side, while a well-matched holster and gun are a joy to
carry.
Like clothing, holsters are very personalized so you’ll
eventually wind up like everyone else who carries. First you’ll
have a dresser drawer full of them, then one day you’ll wake
up to the realization that a storage unit is needed to contain
the rest. With the awesome responsibility of carrying a gun
for self-defense comes the opportunity to prevail and survive
an otherwise lethal confrontation. Yet that responsibility also
becomes a life-changing event with the holster. In all its many
interesting designs and variations it’s the one thing allowing you
to keep your personal safety tool by your side and close at hand at
all times, no matter how you dress. I hope this little book serves as
a guide to help you do just that.
Chapter 1
Quick Start Guide
In this chapter I give my recommendation on a good
starter holster if you’re new to concealed carry. As you’ll see
in subsequent chapters, there is a holster type, material and
design for just about every situation, season and type of person
and handgun. From big pot-bellied dudes to the most petite
and shapely women — and everything in between — having a
successful first experience with a concealed handgun hinges more
on the holster than you may realize. It’s the key to promoting
regular, continued carry day in and day out.
That’s why I entitled this chapter the Quick Start Guide. It
cuts through all the white noise so you can make a good holster
selection and get started carrying your new handgun right now.
Let’s start with a quick primer.
What Holsters Do
Whether it’s made of leather or plastic, a holster does much
more than simply ‘hold the gun.’ In fact, it does three things:
It secures the handgun; it provides immediate access to the
handgun; and it conceals the handgun. The holster keeps the
trigger guard area of the firearm completely covered for safety.
In addition, the barrel is enshrouded to protect it from dings and
other damage. Gun-to-holster fit is critical in keeping the handgun
from falling out while moving about during your daily business.
It must fit right, snug as a bug in a rug, right off the bat. And yet it
can’t be so tight that drawing the thing is difficult.
Holsters do other beneficial things. In the Gun Digest 2014
article What You Should Know About Holsters, author Robert
Campbell explains that, “Some effort is required to find the
right holster, but no matter what the choice, there is always
an acclimation period,” he writes. “Some handguns are more
ergonomic than others, but few are completely devoid of sharp
edges. A quality holster goes a long way towards making carrying
a defensive handgun bearable.”
Think of holster fit in terms of how you’d view clothing, but
not just any clothing. Holsters are similar to really fancy tailored
and handcrafted garments designed just for one purpose — for
you. There’s no other way to hang something weighing from
12 ounces on up to over 2 pounds on your hip and have it be
comfortable. Fit is key. And when a holster fits right, it will be
comfortable.
The One Holster You Must Own
In any gun shop or online retailer, you’ll notice lots of
configurations, sizes and colors of holsters. Today, holsters are
manufactured for specific guns by make and model. So if you
have a Glock Model 19 handgun, for example, you’ll need a
Glock Model 19 holster. But that’s just the beginning of the
options you need to consider.
Cutting through the clutter for a second, I recommend starting
with a pancake-style, strong-side leather holster in the outsidethe-waistband configuration. We dive into these terms in more
detail in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 but here’s an overview of what that
means.
For your first holster it’s hard to beat an outside-the-waistband leather holster
like this Royal Deluxe from Galco. This design is simple and comfortable. It
works.
Leather: It is a good material to start with and will gain
character with use, plus it’s naturally more comfortable than rigid
plastic. It’s also durable and long lasting. Despite the advent of
advanced polymers and hybrid leather-Kydex designs, many
people still consider leather to be the high water mark for holster
construction. Begin with leather and you won’t go wrong.
Strong Side: This means your dominant hand side — right
for right-handers, left for lefties. Your dominant hand has greater
strength and is accustomed to finer hand-eye manipulations. So
if you’re a right-hander the strong-side holster will be on your
right side hip (actually right rear side hip, somewhere between
the 3 and 5 ‘o clock positions — see Chapter 6 for more on Gun
Placement).
Outside-the-Waistband (OWB): This means the holster is
not tucked inside the pants (such as an inside-the-waistband or
IWB holster discussed in the next chapter), but is on the outside
of the waist and belt. Garments—baggy shirts, vests and coats—
not your pants, conceal it.
Many people consider the inside-the-waistband scabbard the most versatile
choice for an all-around holster. They do conceal better than an outside-thewaistband, but can be less comfortable and may require pants with a larger
waist.
Pancake-Style: This means a flat-style holster, identified by
its distinctive “wings” on either side of the gun, which feature
slots through which the gun belt (a specialized belt discussed
below) is threaded. This design pulls the holster and handgun
very close and flat to the body as you tighten the belt, which helps
keep it hidden.
So there you have it, my down-and-dirty-right-to-the-point
suggestion for a good starter holster. I’ve recommended this style
to many people who have found success with it and were able to
hit the ground running. It’s the style I personally use most often,
day in and day out. I like OWB pancake holsters from Dillon and
Pure Kustom and have put many miles on mine. Galco, Desantis
and Bianchi are among the popular factory makers producing this
style while Mitch Rosen, Milt Sparks, Pure Kustom, Flash Bang
and Soteria Leather all represent high-end custom handmade
products in the category. If you have to buy just one gun holster
chances are good you’ll be a happy camper if you make it a
leather, strong-side, pancake-style, configured for outside-thewaistband carry.
The Gun Belt
Gun belts are the Rodney Dangerfield of gun writing: They
don’t get no ink. They’ve been eclipsed by more exciting subjects
(including some very colorful conspiracy theories) and are not
talked about often enough. This unfortunate state of affairs has
resulted in more than one poor person waddling around with a
really good handgun in a really good holster hanging willy-nilly
and digging needlessly at his or her side.
And what a sad mistake. For a good gun belt is absolutely
critical to achieving both comfort and function while carrying.
These are no ordinary belts. They are designed to be extremely
rigid in order to properly distribute the weight of a handgun
across the hip platform. Hanging a semi-automatic pistol stuffed
with seventeen rounds on any ordinary belt is like mounting
a Chevy small block on a Ford Pinto frame — it shakes apart
quicker than a wet Ritz cracker.
No matter what holster you choose, a good gun belt provides the foundation to
support holster, gun, extra ammo and everything else you might carry for
personal defense. This model, the Alcatraz from Flashbang Holsters, is made of
thick leather and a layer of plastic sandwiched in between for even greater
rigidity.
By contrast, the really good gun belts are made of doublethick leather that are stiff as homemade jerky and are further
reinforced with a steel insert that not even Superman could bend.
“Even the best holster will, on a poor belt, hang outward
from the body,” writes Massad Ayoob in the Gun Digest Book
of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition. “It will shift its position
constantly, violating the twin needs of discretion and comfort.
There may be so much slop between the belt and the holster’s belt
loops, and so much undesirable flexibility in the belt itself, that
you can exert the drawing movement for an inch or more and the
gun has not begun to leave the holster.
“A larger gun in a well-selected holster will carry more
comfortably and in more discreet concealment than a smaller gun
in a poorly-selected holster on an inappropriate belt. Gun, holster,
and belt are all part of a system, and if any of those links fail, the
whole chain will fail. We’re talking about life-saving emergency
rescue equipment here. Failure is unacceptable.”
It’s important to match a gun belt to the proper holster or the
entire system will not be rigid enough for comfort. Nor will the
gun be concealable or easy to draw. Most gun belts come in 1
¼- to 1 ¾-inch widths. Holster slots vary in width, while some
holsters use belt loops that can be adjusted. For best support
match your holsters to your gun belt width.
Gun belts are remarkably comfortable to wear. Most of the
custom holster makers offer them in their product lines. My
favorites include The Belt Man, Mitch Rosen, Galco and for
women the very stylish belts made by Flashbang Holsters. Nonleather options like the popular Wilderness Belts used by handgun
trainers are also very good and worth checking out (refer to the
Resources section of this book for a list of gun belt makers).
Quick Guide Wrap-Up
So with the basic leather, pancake-style, outside-thewaistband, strong-side holster picked out for your handgun make
and model, and a good-fitting gun belt to support it, you are ready
to begin carrying your handgun. You now have a solid foundation
upon which to go armed out into the real, dangerous world. You
should experiment with it, testing different belt positions, such
as a weak-side cross-draw placement (see Chapter 6 for more on
Gun Placement). And you’re ready to begin adding additional
holsters to your wardrobe in the near future as circumstances
warrant.
Take that, gun-counter guy.
This leather holster, from D.M. Bullard, is well made of good material and offers
the correct tilt for concealed carry and the concealed draw. If you cannot
tolerate an inside-the-waistband (IWB) style, this outside-the-waistband is as
good as it gets. Photo: Gun Digest 2014.
Final Shot: How To Pick Your First Concealed Carry
Holster
By Joseph Terry
A Gun Digest reader asks, “I’m taking my first concealed weapons class
with a small frame 9mm pistol. Can you recommend a specific holster to get
started?”
Great question. I can point you in a general direction but holster selection
is like dating: highly subjective and dependent on many factors. So don’t be
surprised if you end up shopping around some.
At this point, focus on four things: (1) leather, (2) belt mount, (3) high
ride, and (4) thumb snap. Several excellent manufacturers (Bianchi, Galco,
DeSantis) offer models with all four of these features.
And here are the reasons. When you start carrying concealed regularly —
and you should carry more days than not if you are truly serious — don’t be
surprised if you feel awkward, uncomfortable and self-conscious. These are
common and perfectly contextual reactions. Flow with them. They will pass
with experience, but do take them into consideration in first holster (and gun)
choice.
I recommend leather because it conforms over time to your use.
I suggest an integral security strap that releases with a thumb snap,
because it is common for new shooters to worry about the gun somehow
coughing itself up and out of the holster. The strap is mostly psychological but
it is comforting for most new users I chat with.
“High ride” means that the gun should ride with half of its weight even with
or above the belt loops. This tucks the mass of the gun just below the ribs and
for many people is a much more comfortable carry position when seated.
Women may find lower carry more comfortable. Because females tend to
have shorter torsos, and broader hips than men (pelvic arch) they are often
advised to choose a low ride holster to keep the handgun from poking into
their rib cage. But with a small frame revolver — my recommendation for most
women — the curved grip still rides well in a high-ride design because of the
shorter barrel. Low-ride favors standing, high ride favors sitting.
Choosing between outside-the-waistband (OWB) and inside-thewaistband (IWB) is also highly subjective. After many years of leather OWB
I went “minimal” and used a soft neoprene IWB with my Model 60 or my
SIG 239, .40. This was so comfortable a carry method I would actually
forget I had the gun on. The tactical problem is that if you have to pull your
gun to deter an attack, it is near impossible to re-holster it easily because
the neoprene collapses. With gun out, if you’re a cop and have a badge to
“windmill” when the police come you’re in good shape, if you don’t you will
probably get proned-out and be subject to some rather dramatic language.
I really like the OWB Kydex-type holsters except that I can’t find one that
fits my Ruger SR9C (my current “little buddy”) with laser designator. Generally
speaking, IWB seems more comfortable and OWB seems more tactical. If
you carry every day in a “high risk” environment then I would say go OWB.
However, if you carry “just in case,” try IWB.
One additional tip: Be sure to check out the articles and blogs at gundigest.
com and feel free to post questions there. I’m sure many of our readers will
have other good opinions.
Joseph Terry is a retired law enforcement firearms instructor. Terry is the
author of Gunfighting in Teams. He has a new book coming out with Living
Ready in 2014. His work with Living Ready also includes the How to Avoid
Gunfights Online Course from Living Ready University.
Chapter 2
Types of Holsters
The concealed carry world is teaming with literally dozens
of types of handgun holsters from which to choose, ranging from
general purpose to niche specialty applications. Below I attempt
to decipher this confusing mess, starting with the standard do-all
go-anywhere designs, and work down from there to more specific
versions.
Today holsters are made for specific gun models. So when Glock introduced its
Model 42, companies like N82 (NateSquared) followed suit with holsters for that
gun. This Professional Series holster is an inside-the-waistband design that is
fully adjustable and has a big pad for ultimate comfort.
Hip Holsters
The hip holster is the 4x4 of the concealed carry holster
world. It goes anywhere, and does anything. Hip holsters are
constructed of everything from leather to Kydex to neoprene and
nylon (more on holster materials in Chapter 4). By definition this
type of holster hangs on your hip, but there are many variations
branching out from there.
Pancake Holsters: The so-called pancake or belt-slide holster
might be the most common and widely used in modern times and
will cover the majority of concealment challenges you’ll face.
The pancake holster is, as its namesake suggests, flat. The gun
is sandwiched into the center-section, and there are two “wings”
on either side to pass your gun belt through. As you tighten the
belt, the holster is pulled into the body, aiding concealment. One
quick tip: Center the holster over a belt loop for added rigidity and
support (your belt passes through one side of the holster, through
the belt loop and out the other side of the holster).
Virtually every holster maker out there has this style in their
lineup so refer to the resources list of makers at the end of this
book if you are interested in this type of holster. A black leather
pancake-style holster from Dillon Leather has been my constant
companion for years. Its edges are well worn, as this is my go-to
rig day in and day out. They work.
Pancake holsters are available with all manner of cant and
rake angles (see Chapter 6 for explanations of cant and rake), and
some are adjustable — a very nice feature. But this flexibility
means you must be sure you understand how you want your
handgun positioned before buying a particular holster.
Another consideration with this design is belt width. Almost
all genuine pancake holsters accept the extra wide gun belts up
to 1 3/4 inches, but double check to be sure. It is critical that
you match your belt width to the slot width in your holster to
minimize play.
Incidentally, Galco has developed a variation on the pancake
holster design called Forward Molding. A conventional pancake
holster is secured to your side by the gun belt weaving into
the slots in the “wings” of the holster, passing behind the gun
and coming out the other slot on the other side. As the belt
is tightened, the holster is pulled into the body, a feature that
improves as the holster breaks in. There is, however, still some
bulge from the belt and the holster’s inability to bend around the
radius of your body, no matter how well worn. What Galco has
done with Forward Molding is to include padding in key areas of
the holster to conform to the belt, allowing it to pull more fully
into the body. The result is better concealment and comfort; truly
an improvement on an age-old design.
“As for comfort with a forward molded design,” Galco’s
website says, “the curved and smoother surface on the rear of
the holster (as opposed to a molded center area for the gun as
found on a traditional pancake) is generally more comfortable
— especially on those individuals who do not carry their own
‘built-in padding.’
“Concealment is enhanced with the forward molded design,
because it tends to pull the butt of the pistol closer to the body
than a traditional pancake design.”
A Galco Triton inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster keeps a mid-sized Glock 19
completely concealed under a lightweight summer shirt. The draw is fast, as its
Kydex construction does not allow it to collapse and pinch the gun.
IWB Hip Holsters
IWB hip holsters are similar to the pancake-style, but ride on
the inside of the pants and feature either belt loops or clips that
attach to the belt. Since most of the gun is concealed inside of the
pants this style is easier to conceal under lighter garments. It also
keeps the gun very close to the body so there is less chance of a
bulge.
Comfort can be an issue with the IWB belt holster. This is
especially true in warmer months, because the holster is pressed
against your body. Most good designs feature a “sweat shield”
that rests between you and your gun. In fact many of the new
hybrid styles like the Crossbreed, N82 and Stealth Gear feature
a big, cushy sweat shield for ultimate comfort. Wearing onesize larger pants to account for the extra bulk of the holster and
handgun helps, too.
The mouth, or opening of the IWB holster, should have a
rigid insert that keeps it from collapsing when the gun is drawn.
This is an important feature, since it allows you to reholster the
gun one-handed. Not all models have this feature so double check
before you buy.
The Lucas Adams convertible holster offers brilliant options and real versatility.
Its well-designed, quick-change components allow the holster to be used as an
IWB or OWB. It is among the few that work equally well in either position.
Molded in sharkskin, it is rigid and offers excellent draw speed.
Paddle Holsters
Paddle holsters are a subset of hip holsters. But, opposed to
threading a belt through the holster, it employs a plastic “paddle”
that slips behind the pants and belt. The paddle rests against the
body to provide support to the handgun. The holster portion can
be leather, but most modern designs are Kydex, an advanced
polymer plastic material.
The advantage of this design is versatility. You can slip the
paddle on or off quickly while the handgun stays secured safely in
the holster. This is handy if you’re in a situation where you have
to enter a Gun-Free Zone. Parents picking kids up from school, or
business people who must enter places like Post Offices or other
government buildings will appreciate the paddle holster. I have
tested a level II retention paddle holster from Safariland, which
made taking a Glock 22 on and off very quick. I also had good
luck with a small little Fobus paddle holster for a tiny Taurus .38,
when I needed a creative carry solution when decked out in — of
all things — fly fishing waders. Hey, it worked.
Pocket Holsters
Back in the good ‘ol days, gun-toters would line their pants
pockets with leather to make carrying a gun more feasible. Today
we have the pocket holster. You should never stick a handgun in
your pocket without one. Remember, one of the chief purposes
of the holster is to secure the gun and keep the trigger covered. A
pocket holster also provides friction against the pants pocket so
you can quickly draw without snagging. Plus it prevents the gun
from “printing”— or showing through.
The benefit of this design is that it allows you to conceal
small revolvers or semi-auto pistols during summer months or in
hotter climates where clothing around the hip area is too minimal
to conceal a gun. Most of these holsters are a simple pouch, and
selecting the right one comes down to a familiar key — gunholster fit. Also, some experimentation with different pants types
is in order. Jeans may be too tight, while cargo-style pants and
business slacks may be just right.
One noteworthy example is of a pocket holster is The Bugsy,
by Flashbang Holsters. The holster actually has a backside
molded to fit your handgun to provide some level of in-pocket
retention. Its backside is roughened to grip your pocket so when
you draw your gun it comes out smoothly.
Shoulder Holsters
Popularized by James Bond and every detective show to
ever air, the shoulder holster is actually not the most widely
used in real life but it does serve specialized purposes. Typically
constructed of leather, it consists of harness straps that go
over the shoulders and support the holster on your support
side (weak side). I’ve used one to carry a large frame Smith &
Wesson revolver in .44 Mag. for hunting. The holster distributed
the weight of a really heavy handgun very effectively. It was
comfortable. Note: The key to comfort on shoulder holsters is to
get one with wide straps, which distribute the weight better than
narrow ones.
Galco’s Miami Classic Shoulder Holster is one of mainstays in the holster
world. Shoulder holsters are ideal for vehicle carry and many women find them
a more comfortable alternative to belt holsters.
Shoulder holsters can be configured to hold the handgun
in the vertical or horizontal position, and some are adjustable
between the two. Concealment is trickier, but this type of holster
works well for cold weather when large bulky jackets are worn, or
if you’re sitting or driving a lot.
Bellyband Holsters
“Another old but proven deep concealment method is the
belly band, usually a three- or four-inch wide band of elastic into
which has been sewn ‘holster’ pockets with a retention strap to
secure a handgun,” writes Gila Hayes in Concealed Carry for
Women (available at GunDigestStore.com). “Usually, additional
pockets are sewn for spare magazines, ID and other necessary
items. These deep concealment rigs are very similar to the money
belts tourists strap beneath clothing to avoid losing money and
passports to pickpockets. Galco’s Underwraps Belly Band is
constructed of two layers of elastic band stitched together, and has
proven very durable and free of the tendency of a single layer of
elastic to roll up at the edges.”
A belly band holster conceals a Glock 26 beneath a slim chemise covered by a
pretty patterned chiffon blouse. To draw, she grabs the hem of both her blouse
and chemise and gets a full grip on the gun, then lifts it straight up out of the
sewn-in elastic holster. Photo: Concealed Carry for Women by Gila Hayes
The bellyband holster could be considered a niche holster
style, and works well with women’s clothing and special
applications (athletes, runners, joggers, etc.).
She continues, “Because you can cinch up the elasticized
belly band at pretty much any location on the torso, it can be used
to carry a small handgun right beneath the bust-line, below the
armpit, along the ribcage, just beneath the waistband of a skirt
or pair of trousers, and most anywhere else up or down the torso
as dictated by body shape or concealment clothing. This makes
it easy to put the concealment gun close to the same position as
your range practice holster even when you are not wearing belted
trousers.”
Hayes urges extra caution with the bellyband when it comes
time to reholster the gun. It’s best to remove the bellyband
entirely, insert gun into the sewn-in holster, then slip the
bellyband back on to prevent sweeping parts of your body. In
a defensive gun use this won’t be possible, of course, so think
ahead of time where the gun can be holstered safely until the
police arrive. You don’t want to be standing there with a gun in
your hand when the authorities show up.
Ankle Holsters
The ankle holster is best with small semi-auto handguns and
snubby revolvers, and is typically used for a backup gun. Good
trainers advocate moving to cover in a gunfight, and obviously
you can’t do that very well if you have to bend down and pull up
your pant leg in order to access your sidearm. So it’s not a first
choice for your main defensive gun, unless your ankle is the only
place available. Better to be armed at the ankle than not at all.
But as a means to secure a secondary gun in case of
malfunction or gun grab, the ankle holster is ideal. This design
wraps around the ankle, and some of the better models — like the
Ankle Glove from Galco — employ an adjustable calf strap to
keep the holster from sliding down the leg. That model even has
a soft sheepskin padding between the leg and holster for added
comfort, plus a thumb break for handgun retention.
The ankle holster works well as a backup gun carry solution, particularly with
small revolvers or semi-automatic pistols. This model, the Galco Ankle Glove,
features a soft sheepskin padding between the leg and holster for added comfort,
plus a thumb break for handgun retention.
Vehicle Holsters
Sometimes you need a way to access a handgun very quickly
while seated in a vehicle. Gum Creek Customs has the solution
for this application with its vehicle holster mount system. It’s one
of those so-simple-why-didn’t-I-think-of-it products that allow
you to hook any of your existing belt holsters to the underside of
your steering column. This is ideal if you want to be armed in the
vehicle but don’t (or, legally can’t) while outside the vehicle.
The Gum Creek mount itself is a nylon strap with nonmarring hooks on each end that hook into the gaps at the top and
bottom of your steering column. The strap is fed through the belt
loop on your holster and cinched tight. The company says this
works for 90 percent of the vehicles out there; for any that don’t
there is a universal adapter that wraps around the steering column.
Be sure to check your local and state laws for this carry mode
and also consider how visible the mount is. If you get detained,
the approaching police officer that pulled you over might become
agitated if he spots the gun. Related, you should also have a
handgun safe or means to lock your handgun out of sight in the
car or truck — and a belt holster into which the handgun can be
carried on your person for when you exit the vehicle.
Final Shot: Shoulder Holsters and Carry Angle
By Grant Cunningham
Shoulder holsters are available to carry a revolver vertically (with the
muzzle pointing straight up or straight down), horizontally, and at a 45-degree
angle.
Vertical holsters with the muzzle pointing up are generally referred to as
upside-down holsters. They are very concealable, but because the butt of the
gun is pointing toward the back and is on the backside of centerline, they are
the hardest with which to achieve a good firing grip. They are also limited in
terms of the barrel length that can be accommodated, with the armpit serving
as an upper limit.
Vertical holsters that carry the opposite direction — with the muzzle down
— are superb choices for larger guns with longer barrels. (As a point of trivia,
Dirty Harry’s six-inch Model 29 was carried in such a holster.) Some are made
to accommodate scoped hunting guns, though obviously not as a piece of
concealment gear. Muzzle down holsters are relatively easy to draw from, but
do sacrifice a bit of concealment — especially with the longer barrels.
Horizontal holsters seem to be the most commonly available, and they are
certainly the easiest to draw from. The gun’s butt is in a position to afford a
very natural grip and draw stroke, and the butt is carried the furthest forward
of any style. This makes them not the best choice for concealment, as the
gun is carried with its longest dimension cutting across the body’s shortest
dimension. The cylinder width is on the midline and pushes both the butt and
the muzzle away from the body, leaving the gun in a sort of rocking position
that I liken to a turtle on its back. The muzzle tends to poke out at the rear
and the butt in the front, a clear sign that the wearer has something under
his coat. It is also the only shoulder holster where it is impossible to draw
without sweeping the muzzle across an unintended target. If one insists on a
horizontal holster, I can only recommend sticking to the very shortest barrels
and smallest frames.
Those carrying the gun at a 45-degree angle, with the muzzle pointing
up, are a workable compromise. The grip is easier to access than an upsidedown model, and the geometry of carry makes the gun easier to hide. The
45-degree also works with slightly longer barrels than the horizontal types.
Here’s something that might surprise you: most men, in my experience,
don’t have the upper body flexibility necessary to draw efficiently or safely
from a shoulder holster. Most women do. The more muscular the man, the
less likely it is that he’ll be able to make use of the shoulder holster, while
women seem to not be so limited regarding their figure. For this reason I tend
to recommend shoulder holsters for women more often than I do for men.
Shoulder holsters are generally available in leather and nylon cloth,
though at least one maker has constructed them out of thin polyethylene. I
recommend avoiding those made of nylon; I’ve not encountered any that were
not cheaply constructed and/or very poorly designed.
If you decide to make the shoulder holster your default concealed carry
option, be aware that virtually all shooting schools prohibit their use in class,
and I know of no shooting competition which will allow them.
This is an excerpt from Grant Cunningham’s Gun Digest Book of the
Revolver, available at GunDigestStore.com.
Chapter 3
Modes of Carry
Having explored the various holster designs in the previous
chapter, the next consideration is mode of carry. Given all the
holster configurations out there you must understand the terms.
It’s simply too easy to make a choice that is uncomfortable or
doesn’t conceal well.
Outside-the-Waistband (OWB)
Belt holsters are designated as outside-the-waistband (OWB),
inside-the-waistband (IWB) and inside-the-belt (ITB). This is
an important part to get, for each is radically different in how
they are carried, how well they conceal, how quickly they can be
accessed, what situations they work best in, and how they will
impact your wardrobe choice.
An OWB belt holster is one of the most versatile holsters
you can own. It is typically of the pancake design described in
the previous chapter and rides on the outside of the gun belt, or
waistband. In my opinion it is a tad more difficult to conceal than
an IWB holster, as it needs to be covered with a shirt (or shirts),
vest or jacket. This is easier accomplished in fall, winter or spring
than summer. The upshot to the OWB belt holster is quick access
to the gun and comfort.
OWB holsters are available either with an open top, or a
retention strap that holds the gun in. The former obviously allows
you to draw quickly, while the latter might be a better choice if
you’re new to concealed carry and self-conscious about the gun
falling out.
Outside-the-waistband (OWB) holsters like this popular Blackhawk Serpa are
comfortable and fast to access.
Inside-the-Waistband (IWB)
IWB-style carry is the ticket when you need to keep a
medium or large handgun discreet. IWB holsters use either leather
loops or polymer or metal clips to secure the holster to the belt.
The gun and main section of holster rides inside of your pants,
which makes concealment less tricky. Again, Robert Campbell
writes in his 2014 article, “Concealing a serious defensive
handgun under lightweight garments can be problematic. If the
handgun is short and compact, an outside-the-waistband (OWB)
holster under a sport shirt will work fine, but, for most of us, the
inside-the-waistband holster (IWB) is superior.”
It’s an excellent point, but because this style keeps the gun
inside the waistline most people have to buy pants one size larger
to get this to work comfortably. Some find it uncomfortable no
matter what they try. I will say they take some getting used to, but
are very well hidden. As a side note, an alternative to consider
are dual-purpose OWB/IWB holsters, such as the factory-made
Galco Double Time or custom Luke Adams Convertible, which
can be switched from OWB to IWB configuration.
An inside-the-waistband holster conceals much easier, but is slower to draw.
Comfort can be an issue, too. Photo: Concealed Carry for Women by Gila
Hayes.
Tuckable IWB holsters are perfect for formal gatherings or
work dress. Gun Digest contributor Dave Workman is credited
with developing the first, which he now sells via D&D Leather
(www.danddgunleather.com). The only commercially authorized
version — The Workman — is made by Mitch Rosen. This nifty
little holster allows you to tuck your shirt into a slot betwixt
belt loop and holster. That keeps your handgun riding inside the
waistband, while your tucked-in shirt covers the grip and any
remaining parts of the gun. To draw, you rip up on the shirt to
expose and grab the grip. It’s perfect for business dress.
Inside-the-Belt (ITB)
ITB is a hybrid mode of carry that places the gun between
the pants and the belt. Less popular than OWB and IWB, it
nonetheless gives you some of the advantages of both (and some
of the disadvantages, too).
“[ITB] allows the user to wear trousers that fit him normally,
but the belt pressure pulls the gun in tight as on IWB,” explains
Ayoob in the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd
Edition (available at GunDigestStore.com). “However, the
IWB advantages of allowing the bottom of the garment to rise
higher without revealing the gun, and of breaking up the outline
of the holstered gun, are lost. Mitch Rosen’s appropriately
titled ‘Middleman’ is one holster designed expressly for this
purpose. Another that is perfectly adaptable to this is the Quad
Concealment from Elmer McEvoy’s company Leather Arsenal.
Its name comes from the fact that this ingenious and extremely
useful rig can be worn outside the belt or between belt and
trousers, and can be worn either way ambidextrously.”
Strong-Side Carry
Strong side means right side for right-handers and left side
for lefties. Holster location for strong side carry puts the gun at
about the 3 to 5 o’clock position (3:30 to 4:30 to be specific),
if your front side is 12 o’clock. This spot is best for most men
and some women, as it conceals the handgun from the front and
places it in a natural depression that is both concealable and quite
comfortable. It is also very fast to draw in this spot.
However, there are some disadvantages. It can be very
hard to get your hand on the gun in preparation to draw without
looking like you’re, well, grabbing a gun. In addition, if you bend
over at the back the gun will print like a billboard on a highway,
advertising to anyone with a heartbeat and a brain that you’re
packing. The solution is to pretend you have a bad back and bend
at the knees, which is the proper way to get down anyway. Some
women also find this location uncomfortable due to physiological
differences, namely torso height.
Weak-Side Carry (Cross Draw)
Weak-side carry sets up what is called “cross-draw” carry —
meaning you’re reaching across your body with your dominant
hand for the gun, which is on your non-dominant side. This mode
places the handgun from the 8 to 10 o’clock position (for righthanders). Its best application seems to be for women who find
strong-side carry uncomfortable, or for folks who are seated in
vehicles for long durations — it allows easier access to the gun
from the seated, seat-belted position.
Cross draw or weak side carry, is perfect for situations where you’re seated a
lot, as the gun is more accessible from the front.
One thing to keep in mind with weak-side cross draw is
muzzle control. With any holster you must be mindful not to
sweep any part of your own body with the muzzle. To better grasp
this concept, imagine an invisible laser beam emitting from the
barrel that will cut anything it passes across in half. Also, keep
your finger off the trigger until the gun has a clear path to target.
This cautionary note is especially true with weak-side carry
as the muzzle will sweep your weak side arm when you draw.
The solution is to practice lifting your left arm simultaneous to
drawing to be sure it’s clear.
All manner of holsters are available for weak-side carry
with hip holsters being the most used. Fanny packs and special
concealed carry t-shirts and belly bands that place the gun on the
weak side are also available.
Note: You’ll find extensive coverage and advanced tips on
weak side cross draw carry in the Gun Digest Book of Concealed
Carry, 2nd Edition and Concealed Carry for Women. They’re
both available at GunDigestStore.com).
Small-of-the-Back (SOB) Carry
There is a natural indentation at the waistline directly over the
lower spine in the back where clothing comes down and drapes
nicely over the shoulder blades to conceal a gun. Many holster
makers — one that comes to mind is Galco, with their excellent
little Small-of-Back (SOB) scabbard — offer products for this
mode of carry.
It beats stuffing an unholstered pistol down your pants,
but the mode does have two key drawbacks. First, it takes a
Herculean effort and at least average flexibility to twist torso
and reach that far back to get a good purchase on the handgun’s
grip. That also takes some time, making it a somewhat slower
proposition, though there are adherents of this approach who
would probably debate that. Another issue is comfort. Try driving
any distance with a piece of steel pressed against your spine
and see how happy you are when you arrive at your destination.
Moreover, the middle of the back location is a virtually
impossible position from which to draw while trapped in by your
seatbelt. Discount this mode entirely for beginning concealed
carry; but be aware of it and file away for possible future use,
when particular situations may require more advanced and
creative solutions.
Appendix Carry
Tuck an IWB holster into your front side waistline at about
the 1 o’clock position and you have appendix carry. This position
conceals even large handguns surprisingly well, and is a superquick draw position. Think of this as a variation on strong-side
carry, and many of the same draw techniques apply — grab shirt,
lift and draw.
Due to the direction of the gun’s muzzle in this position it
tends to make us males a tad bit nervous. But healthy respect
shouldn’t be replaced with irrational fear, for all the same safe
firearm rules apply here as with any other position or mode. Just
keep that finger off trigger and be sure the gun is completely
drawn and pointed down range with clear path to target and all
will be well.
Pocket Carry
Pocket carry requires a special pocket holster. That’s the
single most important thing to remember about this clandestine
approach, and I’m not just saying that because this is a book
about holsters. The pocket holster will fulfill the needs of
concealment, security and access. Your pocket all by its lonesome
won’t. Concealment is achieved by smoothing over the shape of
the handgun against the pants to prevent it from “printing,” or
showing through. Security comes by way of keeping the revolver
or pistol locked in place and not rattling around, as well as the
trigger guard covered. And access is actually improved, because
the pocket scabbard keeps grip in one easy-to-grab spot and
allows the handgun to come out of the pocket without snagging.
Good pocket holsters have friction enhancing outside surfaces to
grab the pocket so gun and holster separate when needed.
This mode of carry obviously requires handguns on the
smaller end of the spectrum, and it is quite advantageous. For
one thing, you can keep your hand on the grip should a situation
develop, without looking like you’re grabbing for a gun. It’s also
a swell place for a second backup gun.
Pocket carry keeps small- and medium-sized pistols well-hidden and within easy
reach. Best of all, you can keep a hand on the gun as a situation develops
without actually looking like you’re reaching for a gun.
Ankle Carry
Ankle carry is perfect for carrying a backup gun and if you
spends lots of time in vehicles. Unlike the waistband, which can
be covered by coat and obscured by seatbelt, the ankle happens to
be very accessible when you’re sitting in a car. When worn under
stiffer or baggier pant materials this position conceals your piece
quite well. For that reason alone it’s worth your consideration as
a secondary backup gun location. There are many reasons why
ankle carry shouldn’t be your primary carry mode. Among the
most pressing issues, the inability to reach the gun while standing.
The fact is you must stop moving and bend down to access
your gun. And ankle carry requires the use of smaller pistols
and revolvers: These might not cut it for your primary fighting
handgun.
Gila Hayes, in Concealed Carry for Women (GunDigestStore.
com) suggests a way to improve comfort. “When wearing casual
shoes, one of the best camouflage techniques for an ankle holster
is wearing two stockings,” she writes. “The inner stocking
protects your skin from abrasion by the holster or the grips of the
gun. A lot of ankle holsters are backed by soft neoprene, wool felt
or sheepskin, but the pistol grips usually protrude above those
cushioning materials. Besides, nothing is quite as comfortable as
a soft stocking next to the skin. After you put on the ankle holster
and cinch its band nice and tight, then pull a larger, somewhat
bulky stocking over the very top. Because there is so much
movement from walking, being able to tighten the band of the
ankle holster is essential. Otherwise, the movement will rub open
sores after just one day of wear.”
As I write this section, I’m testing the Galco Ankle Glove
with a Sig P232, one of the larger, heavier .380s on the market.
Personally I found it much more comfortable wrapping the
holster over one sock, but didn’t find a second one necessary.
However, this rig carries much better for me with the optional
leg strap, which keeps the whole thing from sliding down while
I walk. Like any holster, all you can do is test it out and expect a
break-in and getting-used-to period.
Shoulder Carry
Shoulder carry can be achieved with either a harness-style
shoulder holster or specialized concealed carry garments or
bellybands that position the gun under the arm. Like ankle carry,
it is useful for vehicle carry. It keeps the gun high, and, while
covered by coat and seatbelt, is nonetheless easier to access than a
hip holster under a seatbelt.
Women, too, have resorted to shoulder carry when a strongside hip holster is uncomfortable and a weak-side won’t work
given a particular wardrobe choice or dress situation. By the same
token, some men find it uncomfortable.
Shoulder holsters can orientate the handgun vertically with
muzzle down or horizontally with muzzle pointing rearward.
Some are adjustable between either orientation. Vertical
orientation keeps the muzzle pointed down in a safe direction,
but is slower to draw; horizontal means the muzzle is pointed at
anyone behind you, but is much faster to draw.
Shoulder harnesses are great for cold weather carry, since
they can be accessed via the front of a slightly zipped down
coat. This is much easier than trying to yank up a heavy winter
garment, or completely unzip it to get to a hip holster. I wouldn’t
start with shoulder carry as a primary solution, but it’s a mode of
carry that has its place for specific applications.
Off-Body Carry
There are all sorts of clandestine ways to carry a gun off body,
including fanny packs, purses, custom briefcases, day planners,
hollowed-out books and more. Fanny packs and concealed carry
purses hold concealed guns well, but it’s easy to get separated
from your gun. For this reason, off-body carry should not be your
primary mode. However, like other unconventional approaches, it
has its place.
For one thing, fanny packs are great when engaged in
physical activity where gun belts and covering garments simply
won’t work. They can also be used to hold other stuff, an added
bonus. Same thing goes for purse carry. Perhaps an elegant dress
leaves nothing to the imagination, least of which includes a gun.
In this case, purse carry may be an option.
The downsides to off-body carry can’t be understated: There
is a danger of being separated from your handgun, losing control
of the handgun or even having it stolen. Keep off-body carry
in mind as an advanced option, certainly not the best answer to
everyday carry.
Final Shot: Holsters for Vehicle and Home Storage Modes
Holsters aren’t just for carrying a gun. You’ll need one to be used in
conjunction with some storage system to hold your handgun for those sad
times when the gun is not on you. That could be when you must enter a
Gun Free Zone (Criminal Safe Zone is more like it) or when at home at the
end of the day. Gun Free Zones include schools, government buildings or
private property prohibiting concealed carry, including many hospitals. While
you should of course try to avoid such unhappy places, the truth is that you
sometimes have to enter them. If you remove your handgun in your vehicle,
a second holster with a retention system that snaps the gun in place and is
stowed in a lockable compartment or glove box is a good solution. You don’t
want to just set the gun in a container without a holster, especially in a vehicle.
Remember, a covered trigger is one of the principle benefits afforded by the
holster.
At home, you’ll want to secure your handgun at night or during times
when you can’t have it on you. But a full-size gun safe isn’t the answer either
because you don’t want to “lock up your safety” which you may need to
grab in a pinch. The solutions are small quick-access handgun safes from
companies like GunVault that allow you to keep your handgun at the ready.
Such safes open using the biometrics from your hand, or via quick access
code. If you live alone and children aren’t about, there are special home
furnishings like wall shelves with built-in secret compartments or bedside gun
racks that can be used.
How you keep your gun safely stowed will depend on myriad
circumstances and ultimately your own personal situation, but no matter what
you choose be sure it rests in a good holster so at the very least the trigger is
covered. — CG
Chapter 4
Holster Materials
Not all holsters are created equal. Nor is all leather. There are
high-quality leather holsters and el cheapo leather holsters, thick
leather and thin leather, and leather from cows, horses, sharks,
snakes and quite possibly Sasquatch. And that’s not even touching
on the innumerable polymer options available today, each with
specific qualities that affect gun retention and draw. In addition to
holster type and mode of carry, material plays an important role
in scabbard comfort and function. Here’s an overview to help you
make sense of it all.
Leather
The oldest and arguably the gold standard in holster material
is leather. Its inherent properties tend to retain the handgun
very well. It’s durable and long lasting. And it looks good, too.
Leather is quiet, and you can draw a handgun discreetly should
the circumstances warrant it. It’s also comfortable, the longer you
wear it the more broken in it becomes as it conforms to your body.
Holsters can be constructed with the rough side in or out or
grain side (smooth side) in or out. Most OWB scabbards have
the smooth side out and rough side in, while the opposite is most
commonly used on IWB holsters. Rough side out aids the IWB
holster in staying in place against the inside of the pants.
Cowhide and horsehide are the two most common, and each
has its own inherent properties that make some difference in the
final product.
The Galco Exotic Concealable in Cognac Alligator hide is one of the more
attractive holsters you can buy. It’s also available in horsehide, pigskin, Tiger
Shark, ostrich and stingray. So many holster material choices, where does one
begin?
“Cowhide is by far the most common,” writes Ayoob
in the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition
(GunDigestStore.com). “Horsehide has its fans: It is thinner
and proportionally more rigid, but seems to scratch more easily.
Sharkskin is expensive, but extremely handsome and very long
lasting and scuff resistant. It may last you longer than it did
the shark. (I often wear sharkskin belts in court. Doesn’t ward
the lawyers off or anything, but seems appropriate, especially
during some cross-examinations.) Elephant hide? It’s hilariously
expensive, but certainly tough, and predictably thicker than you
probably need. Alligator and snakeskin holsters seem better suited
to ‘show’ than ‘go.’ For the most part, cowhide and horsehide are
where it’s at.”
My own personal holster collection includes mostly cow
parts, and they have served me well. One high mileage OWB
hip holster I own is getting long in the tooth and loosening up
a bit, but I expect it to last at least a few more years. This does,
however, raise an important point about how leather retains or
grips the handgun. Such purchase on the gun, even in an opentop design holster, does act as a basic level of retention should
someone attempt a gun grab. That’s a good thing. But on the other
hand some brand-spankin’ new holsters can be too darn tight.
They need to be broken in (see sidebar below). Many leather
holsters, both OWB and IWB styles, are available with a thumb
strap to add an additional level of retention (more on retention
systems in Chapter 5).
In addition to common-sense things like avoiding extreme
heat, humidity, and dry air leather requires maintenance to
prevent dry rot and cracking. There are commercial leather
treatments on the market but these can soften your holster up too
much. Rigidity is one trait you don’t want to lose in a gun holster
— it keeps your piece from shifting about or pulling outward on
the belt. Instead, try Galco’s Leather Lotion if your holster starts
to squeak or appears dried out. Give the inside a light touch of a
silicone-type spray like Galco’s EZ Touch to ward off moisture
and speed your draw (more on holster maintenance in Chapter
10).
Synthetics
The synthetic holster has a following as dedicated as Paul
McCartney did during Beetlemania, and is finding its way into
more and more holster designs all the time. Its benefits are many:
tough, scratch-resistant, maintenance free, precision molded for
good gun retention and slick — allowing for a very fast draw.
It also holds its shape, so you can reholster with one hand, a
tactical necessity following any defensive gun use (when the
cops show up you don’t want to have a gun in your hand). In
addition, plastics open up design possibilities for unique retention
mechanisms (discussed in Chapter 5), which have been taken
full advantage of by some rather imaginative holster makers.
Sweat doesn’t affect plastics like leather, and you don’t have to
break it in — it’s ready to roll right out of the box and never really
changes. Most polymer holsters have retention screws that are
used to tighten or loosen the holster’s grip on the gun.
The Blackhawk! Serpa is one of the more popular Kydex holsters on the market.
In addition to the security of a molded fit, the finger release provides a second
level of user-activated retention.
Like leather, not all synthetics are created equal. Kydex is the
hands-down popular choice for holster construction. It is a highperformance, high-impact, proprietary thermoplastic that seems
indestructible and molds to just about any gun. Safariland makes
SafariLaminate, and many of their holsters come with a soft
liner to protect sights and finish. Bianchi has its own proprietary
AccuMold, a basket-weave trilaminate that is moisture resistant,
tough and looks damn cool. Even the description for one new
holster material from Bianchi, called PatrolTek, reads like
something out of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles,
“The PatrolTek line of law enforcement molded accessories
features Bianchi’s special contour-molded technology and
unique trilaminate construction — a 600-denier woven exterior,
high-density foam core, and a smooth knit lining. Belts are web
construction with hook or loop lining. This synthetic woven
product line is both lightweight and durable enough for the rigors
of street duty.”
Leather-Synthetic Hybrids
Hybrid material holsters blend leather with synthetics for the
best of both worlds for a new class of super holster. Crossbreed
pioneered this field with its popular SuperTuck model that
attaches a synthetic holster molded to your specific gun to a large
leather pad that rides against your skin. Added comfort was the
goal of the big leather pad, while the polymer holster portion
was meant to bestow the benefits of a speedy draw. It achieved
both perfectly and propelled the company to superstardom in the
defensive gun world. The original Crossbreed Supertuck Deluxe hybrid features a leather pad that
rides against your body for comfort, with a Kydex sheath for the holster portion.
It provides deep concealment inside-the-waistband and the ability to tuck your
shirt behind the belt clips for a tucked in look.
Other companies like N82 (Nate Squared), Stealth Gear
and now Galco make synthetic variations on the hybrid theme.
Options to check out are Crossbreed’s Combat Cut where, as a
custom option, they remove a portion of the leather pad to allow
you to get a better, faster grip on the handgun. The downside to
this option, of course, is reduced comfort.
Bianchi is taking the hybrid material concept in another
direction with their Allusion holster. This thing blends
thermoformed plastic bonded with leather stitched to the outside.
The result, the interior fast-draw benefits of synthetic with the
good looks and comfort of leather on the outside.
The Stealth Gear USA Onyx holster is a hybrid design that marries a soft,
breathable platform with polymer. The ventilation pad that sits against your skin
is so comfortable you completely forget you’re wearing it because it’s soft, cool
and quiet. Available at gundigeststore.com.
Nylon
And then there is nylon. Attend any gun show and you will
find at least one table where some stinky old fart is hawking his
“universal” concealed carry holsters, “For just five bucks!” Buyer
beware! You get what you pay for, and the cheap nylon jobs are
sure to disappoint. They don’t secure your gun at all, even the
ones with a retention strap, and they have no structural integrity
with which to support the weight of a loaded gun. Configuration
options — OWB or IWB — are limited, non-existent or just
unclear. Steer clear.
Now that I’ve cut to the quick of the matter, I will admit
nylon does have a place. For example, Bianchi uses it not to make
an entire holster, but as a liner in its Ranger. Combined with a
trilaminate molded weave structure for rigidity this makes good
sense and looks to be one hell of a tough holster used in this
application.
Final Shot: How to Break In a New Leather Holster
By Bruce N Eimer, Ph.D.
Often, a new leather holster is stiff and tight. This means it will be hard to
draw your handgun from the rig, and it also may be hard to fully seat your
weapon in the rig initially. Many leather rigs have adjustment screws, useful
for adjusting to your gun both initially and when leather shrinks from heat,
moisture, sweat, and humidity. Getting your gun stuck in your holster can be
embarrassing to say the least, and fatal at worst.
If your leather holster does not have adjustment screws and is too tight to
draw from effectively, the solution is to break in the holster with your unloaded
handgun.
Also known as “working” the holster, this means pushing your unloaded
handgun all the way into the holster, moving it around, and then drawing it
out. This should be done 10 to 15 times. If the holster is really tight, then you
need to carry out a simple break-in procedure called “blocking.” This involves
putting your unloaded handgun inside a plastic bag, such as the bag the
holster came in, and then pushing the bagged, unloaded handgun all the
way into the holster. You move it around as much as you can and then draw
it and reinsert it 10 to 12 times. You then leave the bagged, unloaded gun in
the holster for a couple hours. When you withdraw the unloaded gun from the
holster and the bag, re-insert it and withdraw it again, you should find that the
gun moves more easily into and out of the holster.
Excerpted from the book Armed, by Bruce N Eimer, Ph.D. Available at
GunDigestStore.com.
Chapter 5
Retention Systems
The ability of a holster to hold the gun firmly in place
is referred to as retention. Everything from basic friction to
mechanical release levers can give a holster varying degrees of
retention. Security provided by retention systems is an important
consideration, because you don’t want your handgun leaping
from its holster and skating across the floor for everyone to see if
you bend over to pick something up. Even more serious, a holster
should have some retention to thwart a gun grab by an attacker.
You don’t want your gun to be yanked out and used against you.
The closest thing to an industry standard for testing,
measuring and classifying holster retention was pioneered by
retired FBI agent Bill Rogers of the Rogers Holster Company
(now owned by Safariland). Rogers’ development in this field
was a response to documented cases of police officers being
killed when an assailant gained control over their sidearm. The
Safariland system rates holsters from levels I, II, III and IV and it
starts with a simulated grab-and-snatch attempt on the handgun
for duration of 5 seconds. If it passes this test, it’s a Level I.
Subsequent levels involve repeated gun grab attempts with the
holster design increasing retention making the gun even more
difficult to get out.
While the Safariland system is very good — and some other
holster makers have their own retention level systems and
nomenclature — this is not an industry standard. Even so, it’s
consistent in principle with some commonly held notions about
retention and can be used as a guideline if you’re shopping for
other brands.
Even though this leather Galco Concealable holster isn’t categorized as a
“retention” holster, the material’s grip on the firearm combined with the molded
shape work together to create a rudimentary level of retention making a gun
grab by a bad guy somewhat difficult.
Friction
Leather scabbards have the innate ability to retain the
handgun by good ol’ fashioned friction. Passive retention, as it’s
sometimes called, is enhanced by the scabbard being molded to
your make and model of gun, which increases contact across the
gun’s exterior surface areas. If a leather holster is rough side in,
that helps too. In fact, a new leather holster can hold the handgun
too tight, requiring it to be broken in. This is in fact a rudimentary
retention system, but a very good one indeed. The gun will tend to
lock into place if pulled from any other angle than the proper one,
depending upon the ride angle (more on ride angle in Chapter 6).
A leather holster conforms to your pistol or revolver over time. As
you practice drawing your (unloaded) gun from the holster you’ll
find that leather provides a good “feel” that will become familiar.
Leather holsters achieve optimum retention immediately after
the break-in period and, assuming the leather is of high quality,
remain good for many years with occasional leather treatment.
Avoid gimmicks like sticking your holster in water, or a warm
oven, to adjust fit. These are more apt to ruin your good leather
than help it. Not to mention making your kitchen stink like a glue
factory.
One of the downsides of relying upon leather for natural
retention is variance in grip strength coinciding with humidity and
temperature changes. This will rear its ugly head in warm places
or during summer months. Those sticky, can’t-get-comfortable,
pressure-cooker days are the worst, when the air hangs thick.
After sitting in a car or at a desk for a long period of time a hot
leather holster can get smashed against the gun making it tougher
to draw. It also can chaff your side just a bit, leaving you with a
permanent frown. This is especially the case with an IWB-style
holster during hot weather. During humid days, leather soaks
up moisture faster than a roll of Charmin on spilled milk, in
turn this can increase the natural retention on the gun. The good
news is such variability isn’t likely to result in making your gun
impossible to draw should you need to defend yourself.
Kydex, or polymer holsters aren’t affected by moisture, but
also don’t naturally grip the handgun without some help from
tension screws. By tightening or loosening these screws you can
get just the right amount of friction for a basic level of security.
The trouble is keeping the screws from loosening up throughout
the day. This is not an issue with companies using higher quality
fasteners, but periodically check your gun’s grip (just don’t be
reaching down there when you’re out in public).
One Mechanism
One way to define a Level 2 retention holster is one
employing the same friction-based grip as Level 1, but with the
addition of an active mechanical element, such as a hood, back
strap, finger- or thumb-operated lever. Some believe that activeretention systems are only needed for open carry holsters —
holsters used by armed citizens open carrying or on-duty law
enforcement officers. A gun grab, they say, isn’t likely if your
gun is concealed. Others disagree. “People who haven’t learned
to properly activate retention devices call them ‘suicide straps,’”
writes Massad Ayoob in the Gun Digest Book of Concealed
Carry, 2nd Edition (GunDigestStore.com). “They will tell you,
‘It’s concealed, so you don’t have to worry about someone
grabbing it.’ Rubbish! Your attacker may know from previous
contact with you that you carry a pistol, and even where you carry
it. He may have spotted it when scoping you out. Or you might
get into a fight and the other guy wraps his arms around your
waist for a bear hug or throw and feels the gun, at which time the
fight for the pistol is on.”
The Blackhawk! SERPA CQC Concealment holster features that company’s
Level 2 retention (each company defines retention levels. differently). Passive
retention is provided with the adjustable detent screw on the side for tightness,
while the SERPA Auto Lock release on the side represents the active retention
element.
A retention strap, which wraps around the back of the slide
or grip on your handgun to keep it in place, is one form of activeretention device. Straps are available as options on OWB belt and
paddle holsters, but ankle and shoulder holsters almost always
use them, too. Shoulder holsters with horizontally orientated
handguns should have some sort of retention strap to keep the
gun in place should you bend over. A retention strap on an ankle
holster makes good sense as this is your backup gun, and leg carry
involves quite a bit of jarring as you walk. A word of warning
about the straps themselves: When a holster is new and not
broken in don’t be shocked if you find it damn near impossible to
get the thing snapped. They come tighter than a Sumo wrestler in
spandex so don’t give yourself a hernia trying to get it closed the
first few times.
The Blackhawk Serpa (available at GunDigestStore.com) is
designated as a Level 2 retention holster, designed with a fingeractuated release. It is wildly popular among armed citizens.
Tension adjustment screws provide level 1 friction, but its active
device is a gun lock that is only released if you press the button.
That button, by the way, is designed to be difficult to operate from
any other position that your own. I’ve also used Safariland’s ALS
paddle holster for open and concealed carry. It uses a thumboperated contraption to release the handgun. You get a nice
audible click when reholstering the handgun. It is slower to draw
than a level 1 open top holster but not by much.
Two Mechanisms
Blackhawk defines Level 3 retention by adding a second
active element to a holster, plus passing the tension or friction
test of Level 1 security. Examples include the company’s Level
3 rig, which features a push-button activated hood shroud to
shield the handgun from a grab attempt coming from the front
or back. This level is almost never used for concealed carry as
the doohickeys just make the thing too big and bulky for mere
mortals to hide well. It is, however, used by law officers and open
carry advocates, where the gun is exposed.
The Leather Slide Holster from Blackhawk! features a thumb break snap that
provides a simple, extra measure of retention.
Three Mechanisms
A Level 4 holster takes these security measures one-step
further, but it’s safe to say such rigs aren’t recommended for the
armed citizen. If you need a level 4 holster you’re going into
some serious stuff beyond the realm of what this little book can
reasonably cover and certainly outside the purview of everyday
carry for ordinary citizens.
Final Shot: Proven Retention Strategies
By Massad Ayoob
Handgun retention is the corollary science to handgun disarming, and it
encompasses both a hardware side and a software side. Let’s look at the
hardware first.
Security holsters have been available for some time that will ride on a
conventional dress gun belt and don’t require a police officer’s or security
guard’s big, heavy utility belt. The most popular of the breed these days
seems to be the Blackhawk SERPA. This synthetic rig has a discreet triggerfinger panel that is biomechanically natural for the wearer’s draw angle, but
not for the hand of an unauthorized person coming in on it from an angle
other than straight above…and your own gun arm and shoulder are blocking
his access to that particular angle. I know a lot of cops are now wearing the
SERPA when they do open carry in plainclothes on investigative duties, or
in the not-readily-recognizable permutations of the various “administrative
uniforms.”
Strong Holster Company has long made their Piece-Keeper, which uses a
special thumb-break design to require a double release movement before the
draw can begin. Bianchi has a wide line of holsters with “level two” retention.
Safariland has produced a whole series of holsters with hidden releases,
or niche locks that require the gun to be pulled in a certain specific direction
before it will come out. All have great promise for low-profile open carry, and
for that matter, these holsters are concealable.
I would strongly recommend a thumb-break safety strap as a bare
minimum of security for anyone openly carrying a loaded handgun in public.
Excerpted from the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition by
Massad Ayoob. Available at GunDigestStore.com.
Chapter 6
Gun Placement
Where you position your holster relative to your body and
belt line, and the angle at which it rests, affect how comfortable
and well hidden your handgun will be. Ride position and rake (or
cant) angles are built into holsters by design so you can achieve a
desired outcome — improved comfort or to keep your handgun
better concealed under specific garments. If the first holster you
try conceals well but leaves a nasty mark, don’t run off and join
the Brady Campaign. Instead, try a slightly different angle or
position. It might be just what the doctor ordered.
Holster Cant, Rake or Tilt
The angle at which a gun hangs in a holster is referred to as
cant or rake and is measured in degrees. A holster that keeps the
barrel in a down-vertical orientation is said to have 0 degrees
of cant. Some holster makers, such as Galco, call this angle
“neutral.” Others call it “straight-pull.” The FBI cant angle is
from 10 to 20 degrees off of vertical, with 15 degrees, give or
take, being the most common. This angle, also dubbed “forwardbutt,” positions the grip forward. Many people like this angle,
since it facilitates a quick and natural grip on the handgun and
speeds the draw. Depending on what location around the body it’s
placed, it can reduce shoulder movement and body twist required
to access the gun, a plus for people with limited flexibility or
physical limitations. On the more extreme end of the spectrum,
holsters with 20-30 degrees of rake are used for more niche
applications. Galco’s SOB (Small of the Back) concealment
holster comes to mind. It’s way back there, but the extreme angle
makes it easier to grab from that location.
While it’s hard to paint with a broad brush something
as individualized as holsters, a slight forward cant has few
drawbacks. One of the first things to print through your shirt and
give you away will be your handgun’s grip. By tilting the grip
forward it tends to sink in against the curvature of the body and
disappear.
Both OWB and IWB belt holsters are available with every
conceivable rake angle you can imagine. A brief non-scientific
survey of the market seems to be split between neutral cant and
butt-forward, with the edge in popularity going to holsters with
some degree of cant. With respect to shoulder holsters, Ayoob
classifies them as butt up vertical, butt down vertical (upside
down) and horizontal carry. Butt up vertical would be the
shoulder-holster cousin to a neutral or straight-pull belt holster.
The barrel points straight down, towards ground. Horizontal
shoulder holster carry keeps the barrel pointing straight
backwards. This is thought to be the fastest of the three positions
from which to draw, but the downside is the barrel is pointed
towards anyone to your rear.
Pocket holsters get stuffed into your pocket, so their angle
is what it is—and ankle holstered handguns strap more or less
parallel to your leg with 0 degrees of cant. Straight-pull just so
happens to place the gun’s grip immediately under your hand in
this location.
Holster Ride
The position of the gun above, below or even with the belt
line is referred to as its ride height. Belt scabbards come in high
ride, normal ride and low ride (sometimes called deep ride). Ride
height refers to the position of the trigger relative to the beltline.
High ride means the holster keeps the gun’s trigger area above the
belt, normal at the belt, and low below the belt.
To illustrate how important holster ride height is, a woman drawing from a
standard belt holster has a very hard time getting the gun muzzle above the
holster mouth. Getting the gun out of the holster is much easier when the same
woman draws from a dropped and offset holster, or low-ride, which is easy to
use but nearly impossible to conceal. Photo: Concealed Carry for Women by
Gila Hayes.
Ride height is closely related to torso height and arm length.
While a high-ride holster is handy because it maintains the grip
free and clear of the belt — which allows you to get a full combat
grip on the handgun in one motion — short men and women get
into a pickle with this rig. That’s because it becomes practically
impossible to access and draw if the gun is poking up under your
rib cage. The other risk is having to pivot your arm outward to
draw the gun if it’s too high. This can cause the muzzle to point
toward your body as you draw, something you never want to do.
Conversely, tall hombres might be disappointed with a low-riding
holster, as distance from the arm joint means a slower access on
the draw stroke. Deep-riding, inside-the-waistband holsters can,
however, conceal larger handguns really well, and excel at hiding
handguns in summer months under lighter shirts. The downside
is that the grip sits close to the belt and requires some doing to
clear it before your hand can assume a full combat grip. Monkey
business like that while under stress is problematic. Low-riding
outside-the-waistband holsters have their own issues and can
poke out down below your shirt or jacket. Hard and fast rules are
difficult when it comes to holster ride. The key is to try different
ride heights and find what’s comfortable and concealable —
while allowing you to draw and reholster efficiently — given
your individual physiology and carry methods. To each his own,
as they say.
The Hidden Alley, Hideaway, Hidden Impact and Mr. Softy
by the High Noon Holster Company are popular examples of
low-riding deep-concealment holsters that come to mind. High
Noon also makes mid- and high-ride scabbards and is one of the
few companies that clearly label the ride of each holster they sell.
In addition, the aforementioned Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe
hybrid-style holster features not only variable cant angle, but
also ride height. Adjustability and options — it’s the wave of the
future.
Holster Placement
Whereas holster design features such as IWB vs. OWB or
built-in angles like cant or rake allow you to tilt or tuck a belt
holster, holster placement — at nearly any point around your
belt’s circumference — affords additional choice. As covered in
Chapter 3, the typical 3 to 5 o’ clock positions on the strong side
will cover most of your holster-placement needs.
Naturally, a shoulder holster places your gun under your arm
on your weak side. You might have no interest in such a holster,
but I’d bet there’s a situation in which this would be just the
ticket. Same for ankle carry, with the gun placed against the leg
or pocket carry with it inside the … pocket. All of these have a
time and a place. Thus the longer you carry the more holsters you
accumulate. Such holsters are like lawyers —you rarely use them
and you might not like them, but, by golly, when you need them
you really need them.
Placement of the holster in the small of the back is
questionable. It appears to be a spot very well hidden, as a shirt
or jacket flowing down over the shoulder blades creates a natural
pocket in the lumbar region. But this placement has drawbacks.
Access and draw are slower, printing is a problem when bending
over and driving anywhere is a real pain in the back. Ayoob also
points out, the danger that exists should you fall on your back
with that gun pressed against your spine. That can leave a dandy
mark.
Many women find weak side carry to be an ideal placement
solution. It facilitates access to the grip and the angle of the gun
tends to better conform to a woman’s hip platform for improved
concealability. But there are downsides as well.
Note the butt-forward cant and high-ride height of the Galco Silhouette. When
choosing a holster all of the variables will impact draw speed, comfort and how
well the handgun conceals.
“One of the biggest complaints about the cross draw was
that the forward butt made the gun altogether too accessible to
an opponent you were facing,” writes Ayoob (Gun Digest Book
of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition. Available at GunDigestStore.
com) “Indeed, with the gun all the way over on the opposite hip,
it was literally more accessible to a facing man than to the wearer,
if they were positioned to each other squarely. Bill Jordan warned
against cross draws for just this reason.
“The late, great gun expert Dean Grennell was a good friend
of mine, and one day he told me that early in his short police
career, he equipped himself with a 3 1/2-inch barrel S&W heavy
frame 357 Magnum in a cross draw holster that looked just spiffy,
and seemed handy to reach when he was at the wheel of the
cruiser in the Great Lakes area community he served. Then, one
day after lunch, he was washing his hands at the rest room sink
and, looking in the mirror, realized just how inviting that forwardprojecting gun butt would look to a man standing in front of the
uniformed officer. On his next shift of duty, he told me, his Smith
& Wesson Magnum was in a strong-side hip holster.”
Appendix carry is perhaps the most over-looked placement
option. As of late, gun trainer Rob Pincus has advocated this
carry mode and points out that those who use strong side belt
carry should consider it, especially when wearing light t-shirts in
summer months. An inside-the-waistband holster placing the gun
front and center virtually disappears when viewed from the front,
doesn’t print when bending over, and is extremely fast to access
and draw.
Final Shot: Holster Cant and Ride Considerations for
Women
By Gila Hayes
Women, many of whom are short-waisted, benefit from dropped and
offset holsters because carrying the gun lower on the torso moves the grips
of the gun out and away from the ribcage and positions the barrel of the gun
below the hipbone. Both the ribcage and the hip’s wide crest are areas of
considerable holster discomfort. In addition, lowering the holster alleviates the
struggle to draw, which is difficult when you have trouble raising the muzzle
above the mouth of the holster. Owing to women’s generally shorter torsos,
this is a bigger problem for female shooters than it is for men. Ask a man of
average build to stand next to a woman of identical height, and in most cases
the man’s torso will be longer than the woman’s; more of her height comes
from her legs. This general characteristic is exaggerated with the petite, shortwaisted figure.
When a short-waisted woman draws from a mid- or high-ride holster, the
lift required to clear leather (a colloquialism meaning to draw the muzzle
above the mouth of the holster) will typically entail lifting her elbow above
shoulder height. On the range, you’ll see all kinds of funny contortions like
dropping the hip forward, twisting the torso or elaborately bending the wrist
to achieve enough lift to yank the gun out of the holster. Unfortunately, all
these contortions are slower than a straight lift out of the holster, as may be
accomplished if the rig fits perfectly on the shooter’s body. In response, the
industry brought us the “dropped” element in the dropped and offset holster.
While few holsters will be as comfortable as a dropped and offset design,
the comfort comes at a price. First, concealment is severely compromised,
by both riding low on the hip and by extending the grips a couple of inches
beyond the hip. Next, attaching the holster to an elongated shank creates
a fulcrum, increasing odds that the holster will move up with the gun during
the draw, described as “following.” When this happens, the holster feels as
though it is stuck on the gun. This is not true of all the dropped and offset rigs,
but is a drawback of which to be aware.
Canting the holster severely on the belt, orienting the muzzle either to
the front or to the back, eases the drawing problems the dropped and offset
design tries to alleviate, but without its inherent lack of concealment as the
gun and holster are allowed to snug in close to the body. Drawing a gun from
a deeply angled holster does require some degree of wrist flexibility, as well
as top quality holster design for good retention. Still, a canted holster goes a
long way toward increasing ease of draw, wearing comfort and concealability.
A high-end example of this holster design is Mitch Rosen’s American Rear
Guard.
Excerpted from Concealed Carry for Women by Gila Hayes. Available at
GunDigestStore.com.
Chapter 7
Magazine Holsters
Study gunfights and you’ll find plenty of examples where
shots fired exceeded what even the highest-capacity double-stack
handguns can hold. Some of these gunfights ended tragically.
Take for example the horrific story told in Newhall Shooting:
A Tactical Analysis (available at GunDigestStore.com), the
chilling account of a 1970 shootout in which four officers with
the California State Highway Patrol were murdered in a hail
of bullets. Lack of ammo wasn’t the only reason that shooting
ended up like it did, but it was a contributing factor. If you carry
a concealed handgun for self-defense you’ll need some way to
carry extra ammo. A good mag holster will keep you in the game
if things get really hairy.
Magazine Carriers
Like handgun holsters, carriers for semi-automatic
pistol magazines are available in all manner of material and
configuration. The most common are belt carriers constructed
of leather or polymer that hold either one or two semi-automatic
pistol magazines. The best polymer mag holsters feature tension
screws to adjust tightness and retention, while the leather ones
need a bit of break-in just like their handgun holster cousins.
Magazine carriers can be secured to the belt via loops, clips
or paddles. If you choose a model with loops, be sure your mag
holster slots match the width of your gun belt for proper rigidity.
All these models are typically open top, meaning there is no
retention strap. You simply slide the mag in and friction holds it
in place. Like gun holsters, belt magazine carriers are available
in outside-the-waistband and inside-the-waistband designs.
The latter helps conceal the mag(s) but I’ve found them less
comfortable. They are also a bit slower to access, something you
always need to keep in mind.
Double magazine carriers allow you to have extra ammo at the ready. Just like
holsters, they come in outside- and inside-the-waistband configurations. This
model, from Blackhawk, features an adjustment screw to achieve desired tension
on the mags.
“Outside the waistband, the pouch tends to be more
comfortable,” Ayoob writes in the Gun Digest Book of Concealed
Carry, 2nd Edition. “You still want it to ride tight to the body
for concealment, though. These days, my favorites of that type
are the Kydex units produced by Blade-Tech in double pouches,
and by Ky-Tac in single-mag pouches. For Glocks (bargain
alert here!) I’ve honestly found nothing better than Glock’s own
simple, super-cheap magazine pouch, which is also ambidextrous.
It comes with little ladder-steps in the belt loops that can be easily
cut by the owner to fit narrow or wide belts without flopping or
wobbling, and to also ride high or low. I’ve won IDPA matches
reloading from these pouches. They are fast, they are tight-tothe-body concealable, they are comfortable, and they are secure.
Helluva deal.”
Some holsters come with the mag pouch built right in, but I
have never understood the logic with these. With the gun on your
strong side you want your weak side hand to be able to grab extra
magazines. What good does it do if it’s on the same side as your
gun? Shoulder holsters are a different matter. Galco makes some
really neat magazine holster accessories that integrate as part of a
shoulder holster system — keeping one or two extra mags always
at the ready under your strong side arm. This gives your quick
non-dominant hand access to the magazines and balances out
the weight of the handgun on the weak side somewhat — a nice
bonus.
Pocket magazine holsters, like Galco’s Pocket Magazine
Carrier (PMC) completely hide your magazine in the pocket
and function on the same principle as the pocket gun holster.
They provide a friction-free way to draw the magazine quickly,
while keeping it from rattling around in your pocket and printing
through. A relatively new product on the scene, called the
Snagmag, takes pocket mag carry to a whole new level (see Final
Shot below). It secures the magazine in a polymer holster that
clips on your pants pocket, and looks like a pocketknife from the
outside. This ingenious disguise conceals your extra magazine yet
is extremely quick to draw.
The Snagmag is a pocket magazine holder that is disguised as a pocket knife
from the outside.
Speedloader Pouches
Carrying extra ammunition for a revolver requires the use
of speedloaders, moon clips or speed strips. The trouble is, you
need something to hold these doohickeys, and that’s where the
speedloader carrier or pouch comes in. I’ve used the leather
speedloader belt holsters that look like two little cylindrical
drums with flip-up tops that snap shut. They are a pain. For one
thing, the pouches bulge out like goiters, making them tough to
conceal. The cartridges and the speedloaders themselves rattle as
you walk, making all kinds of unpleasant noises (I put foam in the
bottom of the pouch which helped somewhat). And the snaps are
hard to close and slow to open. Other people make pretty good
use of their pocket to hold the speedloaders. The trouble with
carrying speedloaders in pockets is that you never know what
position they’ll be in when you go to draw them. Plus they can get
gummed up with pocket lint or worse the release can get activated
and dump all the rounds.
A better solution is the CD-2 Speedloader Holder from
Safariland, which is essentially an open top metal clip that
secures to your belt and allows you to draw the speedloader
straight up and out. Another good option is the North Mountain
Speed Loader Holder, designed for revolver shooters competing
in International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) shoots.
It’s a lightweight, roundish thing weighing only 2.9 ounces and
features a Blade-Tech Tek Lok to mount to your belt. Safariland’s
Model 333 Competition Speed Loader Holder is a belt-mounted
platform for three speedloaders of your choosing. Possibly the
best option for concealment is the Ted Blocker Speedloader
Clip. “Made of wire coated with soft plastic, it holds an HKS
loader with spring tension between the body of the loader and the
release knob,” writes Ayoob. “Half the cartridges ride inside the
waistband, half outside, dramatically reducing the profile of the
loader and therefore minimizing bulge.”
Speed Strip Pouches
Speed strips or cartridge strips, hold your revolver rounds
in a line. To load, each cartridge is pushed into the cylinder one
at a time. With practice, it is a surprisingly fast way to reload a
wheelgun; however, carrying the thing is another matter. The
good news is cartridge strips are flat. “In the latter half of the 20th century and before speedloaders
became popular, John Bianchi developed the Bianchi Speed
Strip,” Ayoob notes. “It could ride in one of those dump pouches
and was and is way faster than loose rounds in the self-same
pouch. More important for the concealed carrier, the Speed Strip
and the later Tuff Strip are amenable to hiding in other places.
One such spot is the traditional watch pocket, that little hideyhole which rides inside the right-side front pocket of most jeans.
Another is the low-riding cargo pocket on cargo pants and shorts.
The round speedloader and the rigid auto pistol magazine tend to
bounce uncomfortably against the leg when carried in that pocket,
but the little cartridge strip seems to go unnoticed.
“Being both flat and slightly flexible, speed strips ride more
comfortably and conceal better in the front pockets of most
trousers and in coat pockets. Remember that business card
“pocket within a pocket” in blazers and suit-coats? I discovered
early on that Bianchi’s strip fit there perfectly, with great comfort
and a concealability factor that approached invisibility.”
Check out the leather speed strip wallets that affix to your gun
belt, which provide good security albeit somewhat slower access.
There are many fine speed strip holders on the market from most
of the big manufacturers. One good example is the Most Versatile
Ammo Pouch from Simply Rugged Holsters. It will carry 7
rounds of .357 magnum in a quick strip, or 6 rounds of larger
caliber stuff.
Final Shot: Snagmag Review: The Better Mousetrap?
By Corey Graff
I’d spent months looking for an easy-to-conceal, easy-to-draw pocket
magazine holster for concealed carry. With the Snagmag the search is over.
Now and again a product comes along that is so purely original, and
so-simple-it’s-stupid, that it leaves you muttering something completely
unoriginal like, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
The Snagmag is one of those rare gems. It’s a pocketknife look-alike mag
holder. On first blush this thing looked to be the ideal solution to carry more
rounds. It was a first impression that proved accurate.
The Snagmag gets its name from the shark fin shaped protrusion that
catches, or snags, the corner of your pocket, allowing you to easily extract the
magazine. It conceals—disguises, really—your mag, holding it securely inside
of your pocket. The shroud (to which the clip is attached) covers the mag from
the outside.
During testing I found that the Snagmag conceals single- better than
double-stack mags, but doubles are still hidden extremely well. I tested two
models, one for the full-sized double-stack Glock 22 mag, and a smaller
version for the Sig P232 single-stack. Both worked equally well. No problems
drawing, and no one looked twice at the pocket clip.
What I liked about the Snagmag Magazine Holster:
• Doesn’t add bulk or weight to your belt
• Instantly accessible
• Totally disguised (as a pocket knife)
• Holds magazine in the best possible position for a draw
• Easy to extract mag
• Excellent retention in pocket for positive draw
• Available for most makes and models of handguns
Was there anything I didn’t like? Not much. And that’s saying a lot. I did
find that the Snagmag didn’t work as well with loose work slacks as it did with
more rigid pant materials like jeans or cargo pants — but it still worked pretty
darn good. The slacks tended to have less rigidity to support a full house of
15- or 17 rounds.
One advantage of the Snagmag is less stuff hanging on your belt. You don’t have
to worry about shirts and other garments getting hung up on it—and you can
access your extra mag very fast.
Bottom line: I never go anywhere now without a spare magazine, thanks to
the Snagmag. It’s well disguised, comfortable to wear, easily accessible and
fast — truly the better mousetrap of concealed carry mag holsters.
Editor’s Note: GunDigestStore.com is the exclusive online retailer of
Snagmag.
Chapter 8
Holsters for Women
Holster selection for women gets dicey because a lot of
holster stuff on the market is designed by and for men. Thus,
many of the principles in previous chapters need to be looked
at differently to ensure comfortable and successful carry.
“Concealed carry for women poses some important questions and
challenges,” the blog WellArmedWomen.com declares. “Women
have some unique challenges to effective and safe concealed
carry such as: holster locations on our curvy bodies, a variety of
clothing styles that can make concealed carry challenging and the
way a woman lives out her life.”
Overcome the Clothing Challenge
As a man attempting to write generalities about how
women should dress I might as well just stick my head in the
microwave and hit the popcorn button. But a few observations are
warranted, like how tight-fitting, thin materials don’t bode well
for concealing things like handguns and extra ammo. Concealed
carry is not just about picking a gun and a holster. It entails a
radical change in lifestyle, and that seems especially true for
females. If you’re a woman you can still be fashionable, but you
may need to rethink how you dress. Don’t shoot me, I’m just the
messenger.
Lisa Looper demonstrates her notorious Flashbang bra holster. It clips to the
band between the cups and holds the handgun front-and-center for quick
deployment.
Yes it’s true there are holsters to cover many of your existing
styles. We’ll cover some of the better-known ones here. But also
keep an open mind in looking anew at your wardrobes. Surely
some of your stuff will work with the right holster, but there
may be even better dress options for that holster and gun combo.
Concealed carry is an awesome responsibility, so make it central
to everything and dress around it, rather than trying to cram it into
your existing daily dress.
A few tips on clothing include working a gun belt with jeans
or slacks into your daily wear. A belt holster is one of your best
carry options, and the gun belt is, well, a necessary part of the
support system. Consider a loose-fitting vest or light over shirt as
an outer concealing garment. Lower-riding jeans will help offset
a shorter torso, giving you enough room to get a grip on a beltholstered gun, and still be able to draw. This is one of the biggest
challenges handgun trainers see when trying to teach women in
concealed carry classes. A handgun that rides too hide for your
body’s length simply won’t leave any room to grip and draw.
Men — don’t give your wife (girlfriend, daughter, etc.) your
belt holster and gun belt and assume that because it works for
you that it’ll work for her. Holster systems are like clothing, they
need to fit the individual, or you’ll virtually guarantee she has a
frustrating and unsuccessful experience.
Belt Holsters for Women
Due to the shape and angle of a woman’s hip platform,
many of the holsters on the market — which seem to have
been designed for men — simply don’t work when used in the
strong side position. However, there are a few ways around this
conundrum.
“With practice, you will find a place on your figure that is
least susceptible to printing a holstered gun,” writes Gila Hayes
in Concealed Carry for Women. (Available at GunDigestStore.
com). “For women with a less curvy ‘boyish’ figure, this spot may
be immediately behind the strong-side hip; for ladies with a very
curvy hourglass figure, it may be just forward of the strong-side
hip or in cross draw position just in front of the weak-side hip. A
short-barreled gun carried at an angle right behind the strong-side
hip conveniently allows you to conceal the gun with even openfronted jackets and vests.”
More and more women are finding success with appendix carry, at about the 1-2
o’ clock position in the front. The Crossbreed Appendix Carry is an inside-thewaistband holster designed specifically for this use.
Recently, my girlfriend decided to become armed and we tried
several holster options for carrying the Sig P232 — an all-steel
single-stack .380 ACP. She is quite petite and very shapely, and
likes to wear tight jeans. Ultimately she settled on an outsidethe-waistband holster from Pure Kustom, positioned at about the
4-o’clock position just behind the hip platform. It was mighty
comfortable, and with a light shirt over it, completely concealed.
Another good option for women seeking a spot for
comfortable belt holster carry is appendix carry. An inside-thewaistband holster located just to the side of the navel in the front
is very concealable and many women have found this to be the
best solution to comfortable carry.
Shoulder Holster Carry for Women
In the holster type discussion back in Chapter 2, I noted that
shoulder holsters are somewhat of a niche application not widely
used. However, they do happen to make an excellent choice for
armed women. For one thing, they keep the handgun up above the
waist and hip platform, the region that causes headaches for so
many. For another, they work well with business casual dress.
Many women find shoulder holsters appealing and comfortable. Just be sure
you take into account the lines of your torso and choose one with a downward,
vertical orientation so it doesn’t print through your shirt. Photo: Concealed
Carry for Women by Gila Hayes.
“Most men, in my experience, don’t have the upper body
flexibility necessary to draw efficiently or safely from a shoulder
holster,” Grant Cunningham notes in the Gun Digest Book of
the Revolver (GunDigestStore.com). “Most women do. The
more muscular the man, the less likely it is that he’ll be able
to make use of the shoulder holster, while women seem to not
be so limited regarding their figure. For this reason I tend to
recommend shoulder holsters for women more often than I do for
men.”
Ankle Holsters
Ankle holsters are another option for those women who can’t
find any other carry method or position for a given wardrobe. This
method should be reserved for a backup gun, as access is less
than ideal. But if there really is no other option it’s better to have a
piece on the leg than none at all.
Ankle holsters should be carried on the inside of the leg on
the weak-side of the body. Experts advise wearing two pairs of
socks — one under the rig for comfort and to prevent abrasion;
the other pulled over the holster to aid concealment when the
pants leg lifts up, as in seated positions. Speaking of the seated
position, Hayes cautions that while the ankle holster is virtually
impossible to draw from while moving — running or walking
— it is a very good choice for vocations where one is seated or
driving.
Thigh Band Holsters
For women wearing dresses or skirts the thigh holster is
an option. For men wearing dresses or skirts I can’t help. The
thigh-band holster is like a larger version of the ankle holster,
and sometimes ankle holsters are actually modified for use on
the thigh. They wrap around the leg with either elastic or Velcro
to keep the handgun concealed inside the thigh. This is not to
be confused with the military or police-style thigh, drop-leg or
tactical holster, which attaches to the belt and hangs the handgun
in a low position on the outside of the thigh.
Thigh band holsters are basically just ankle holsters only made to wrap around
the upper leg. Photo: Concealed Carry for Women by Gila Hayes.
In Concealed Carry for Women, Gila Hayes describes this
holster as a “a deep concealment option” sometimes referred to as
a “garter holster.”
“Most come with the addition of a nylon waist strap and
at least one garter, and often two, attached to the thigh band as
insurance to keep it from slipping down,” she writes. “Unlike
the belly band, which stops at the hips if it slips down, there is
nothing but the tight elastic to keep the thigh band up without the
garters.”
You’ll find good thigh band holsters made by Galco, The
Well Armed Woman and UnderTech to name but a few.
Bra Holsters
The Marilyn, from Flashbang Holsters, attaches to the side of the bra and places
the gun in a similar position to a shoulder holster. It works well with dresses and
sports bras. Access is via the neck of the dress.
This idea isn’t new and actually has some historical use
dating back to the good ol’ days. Today, the brassiere scabbard
has been perfected by Lisa Looper of Flashbang Holster fame.
Looper’s Flashbang rig wraps around the center support strap
of the bra and hangs a smallish pistol or revolver just under the
breasts in the front. To draw, you simply “flash” — by yanking up
the shirt — and then “bang.” I’ve seen mixed reports about this holster design and, like
every other holster for women, it comes down to an individual’s
physiology. My girlfriend tested both the Flashbang and the
Marilyn (which attaches to the shoulder strap and top of the cup,
is accessed via the neck opening of the shirt) and did not like it at
first. All holsters take some getting used to, but I reckon hanging
a pound or pound-and-a-half piece of steel from one’s bra makes
for a very unusual day. Even so, every woman who carries should
have a Flashbang and Marilyn in their holster drawer and give it a
try because it does open up more concealment options. See more
on bra holsters in the next chapter.
Final Shot: Holsters for Women — What Works?
By Gila Hayes
What are some of the holster characteristics that work for most women?
The first is a carry position that keeps the holster and any part of the gun
from pressing into the hipbone, and as much as possible, keeps the grips
from jabbing into the ribcage. As we’ve discussed, this means the gun will be
carried just forward of the hip or just behind the hip. Go too far behind the hip
toward the small of the back, and the grips will catch your shirt or jacket when
you sit or lean over and reveal your gun.
Depending on how high the holster sits and the dimensions of the
handgun, a gun carried at a neutral rake is pretty much guaranteed to dig into
the hip or the rib cage. A deep muzzle-back rake contributes a lot to comfort
without sacrificing concealability. A muzzle-forward rake also works well in
assuring comfortable carry for small handguns.
Holster height is also important because the fundamental reason we
carry handguns for personal defense is the possibility that one day we may
be compelled to draw the gun to stop a violent assailant. To do this most
efficiently, we need to be able to lift the gun out of the holster with minimum
upper body contortion, and for most women that adds the requirement
that the mouth of the holster sit as low on the belt as possible, within the
constraints of concealability.
I wish I could tell you to go out and find one perfect holster, but that is not
how owning guns and holsters for concealed carry usually works out. I do
believe that you can limit the number of unserviceable holsters you buy and
discard by first defining the holster characteristics that you need, based on
your individual figure, the handgun you wish to conceal, and the types of
fashions under which you will be carrying your concealed handgun.
If you lead a life filled with different activities, you may find it necessary
to expand your carry methods beyond one perfect belt holster, adding one
alternative carry location like a shoulder, ankle or garter/thigh holster, and
perhaps an additional option like a waist pack or holster handbag.
Excerpted from Concealed Carry for Women by Gila Hayes. Available at
GunDigestStore.com.
Chapter 9
Specialty Holsters
In previous chapters we covered the holster high rollers.
These will get you through ninety-five percent of your life, but
dang it all if there isn’t that weird situation where none of those
options will work. Thus, I present the specialty holsters — from
custom clothing to no-holster holsters, to (of all things) groin
holsters.
Bra Holsters
Lisa Looper displays the Flashbang holster at a firearms convention, where her
invention earned a lot of attention. Photo: Concealed Carry for Women by Gila
Hayes.
It’s hard to say how long women have been tucking guns into
their brassieres, but the use of hosiery as a clandestine holster
isn’t new. The aforementioned Flashbang Holsters, however,
seems to be the company that finally perfected the bra holster. The
original Flashbang is constructed of Kydex to hold your handgun,
with a leather loop strap that suspends the holster from the bra
band between the cups. To access the gun the wearer lifts her shirt
to “flash,” then grabs the handgun with a down motion, points and
… “bang.”
A nifty variation of the Flashbang is the company’s Marilyn,
which we also tested. It secures to the inside of a sports bra,
under the support arm, keeping the revolver or pistol in the same
position you would expect a shoulder holster to rest — only much
more deeply concealed.
Clothing Holsters
Clothing options with built-in holsters abound in the
concealed carry market. For example, the Confidant Shirt Gun
Holster from Kramer Leather is a lightweight undershirt that
provides deep concealment, positioning the handgun under the
arm. It is ambidextrous and designed for smaller semi-auto pistols
and revolvers. You can really keep a handgun well hidden with
this rig. The downsides are slower access and draw, and virtually
no way to reholster the gun should you be involved in a defensive
gun use.
Breakaway pants like those from CCW Breakaways are
one of the better-disguised clothing holsters you can get. They
feature a button flap that covers what is essentially an enlarged
pocket area with built-in holster. The company claims you get a
faster draw then with a conventional rig. Like a traditional pocket
holster, you can get a grip on the gun and look like you simply
have your hand in your pocket should your alert level get raised.
To breakaway the flap you simply force your arm forward after
gripping your handgun and you have a clear way to draw. You can
even carry extra magazines in the deep pockets.
Concealed carry vests are typically thought of as cover
garments with a lot of pockets for all your tactical stuff. But
Concealed Carrier Clothiers, 5.11 Tactical and Kakadu all make
vests with built-in pockets or holsters, too, designed to hold your
handgun in a non-conventional manner.
The No-Holster Holsters
DeSantis Clip Grip, the modern iteration of the Barami hip grip, is wide enough
to hook over a belt or perhaps a thick elasticized waistband as you might have
on a pair of sweatpants. Photo: Concealed Carry for Women by Gila Hayes.
We opened a big box at the Gun Digest office one day and
found it filled with something that looked like some sort of dental
implement. It took a few seconds for my brain to catch up and
realize I was looking at a new type of zero-bulk holster called The
Versacarry.
The minimalist design is basically a piece of plastic the length
of the handgun, with a colored bore-sized peg at the bottom onto
which you slide your gun. Incidentally, the little peg is tough.
It’s made of metal and covered with a soft plastic to protect your
barrel and muzzle. There is a small semi-circle plastic shield for
the trigger guard on one side. It’s an inside-the-waistband design;
both the peg in the barrel and tension between your waistband and
side keep it secured. Versacarry strongly cautions against using
the holster with a round in the chamber, presumably because
the peg would act like a barrel obstruction should a negligent
discharge occur.
The Versacarry “Zero Bulk” holster uses a plastic peg that inserts into the
barrel of your handgun. Tension inside of your waistband holds it in place.
The Versacarry is available for a wide range of gun makes,
models, and of course, calibers. One advantage of the design
is no bulk, making it more concealable. That also makes it
comfortable, if traditional holsters make your pants fit too tight.
It’s ambidextrous, and the belt clip makes it easy to take on and
off.
The cons? I tried the thing and for me the jury is still out.
It certainly does everything it claims, but for me Israeli Carry
(carrying the handgun with no round in the chamber) doesn’t fly. I
also had trouble getting used to the feel. It just didn’t seem as rock
solid for that holster-and-forget feeling I get from a good leather
holster. Even so, it’s a specialty holster that may work for your
needs so don’t discount the option on account of my crankiness.
Another “no-holster holster” is the custom grip or grip clip.
These fantabulous thingymabobs are the ultimate minimalist
solution. One example, the Barami Hip Grip, is a replacement set
of revolver grips for small-frame wheelguns. One side of the grip
features an extended “hook” that simply slides over your belt or
waistline, tucking the revolver inside the waistband. The grip is
the only thing above the waistline. The good: very concealable
and simple. The bad: nothing to cover the trigger guard. Even so,
when talking about specialty holsters one may need to take the
good with the bad in order to remain armed. DeSantis also makes
their own version, called the Clip Grip (not to be confused with
the Clip Draw discussed below) — a replacement grip set with
hook for Smith & Wesson J-frame revolvers.
A variation on the theme is the Clip Draw, a metal clip that
attaches to either your handgun’s frame or slide (installation
varies by make and type of handgun) and secures the handgun
to the belt. A similar product is the Covert Carrier Clip, which
attaches to the handgun’s grip and works on the same principle,
providing a no bulk way to carry the handgun inside-thewaistband.
Fanny Packs and Concealment Purses
This Blackhawk Fanny Pack contains a holster and plenty of room for other
stuff. Such specialty holsters are popular with people doing physical activities.
Fanny pack holsters — sometimes referred to as waistband
holsters or holster waist packs — have their own belt system and
can carry a handgun, extra ammo, first aid and cell phone. They
are particularly well suited to physical activities like jogging
or biking, where a traditional belt holster could compromise
movement and become uncomfortable as you sweat. Today there
are many companies making fanny packs for concealed carry.
Most feature a basic built-in holster in the interior with some
kind of retention strap to keep your piece from jiggling around.
The downside? It is commonly held that fanny packs scream
concealed gun. That is debatable, and likely varies based on
region of the country, but keep in mind you could be announcing
you’re packing heat. Popular models include the DeSantis Gunny
Sack, A.E. Pistol Pack and 5.11 Tactical Concealed Carry Fanny
Pack. Also check out models from Blackhawk, Coronado and
Uncle Mike’s.
Concealed Carrie makes some really stylish concealment purses and handbags
for women.
Specially designed handbags and purses with built-in holsters
are another option for women who need an off-body concealment
option. Like fanny packs, these are made with built-in pistol
pockets, or holsters with retention straps, and quick-access slots
and zippers. One word of caution: Purses and packs can be
snatched or misplaced, so they shouldn’t be used regularly as a
primary carry method. Even so, they are an option when nothing
else will work. Galco makes some really nice handgun purses,
and be sure to check out the stylish and very functional handbags
from Concealed Carrie, available at GunDigestStore.com.
Final Shot: Groin Holsters
By Massad Ayoob
Hiding below the belt and above the pubes under your pants, rigs like
Thunderwear and Smart Carry resemble thin fanny packs worn between the
underwear and the trousers. I’ve found them uncomfortable, and particularly
awkward in men’s rooms.
To get at the gun, the drawing hand knifes down the inside of the front
of the pants, preferably aided by a support hand that pulls the front of the
waistband out away from the body. Personally, I find these holsters give me
the creeps, but a lot of knowledgeable people with dress codes that make
their option “this or nothing” have found such groin holsters an acceptable
trade-off. Thunderwear and Smart Carry are both well made, and well
designed for their purpose
Bottom line? A conventional holster is generally a better bet than any of the
above. However, my situation may not be your situation. The above options
do sacrifice practicality for convenience, but sometimes, convenience is
practicality.
Excerpted from the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, 2nd Edition by
Massad Ayoob. Available at GunDigestStore.com.
Chapter 10
Holster Safety and Maintenance
A concealed handgun holster is critical to safe carry of your
gun. But the use of a holster itself carries additional risks you
must understand to remain safe. From drawing to reholstering,
keep these considerations top of mind to stay out of trouble while
packing heat.
Be sure when you go to reholster your handgun you clear all shirts, coats and
especially draw cords from the holster area. These items can get caught in the
trigger guard area of the handgun and, as you push down to reholster, cause a
negligent discharge.
Holster Safety Considerations
When Connersville, Indiana Police Chief David Counceller
went shopping for a new gun at a local gun shop one day he
learned an important lesson about holster safety. With store
surveillance cameras rolling, Counceller removed his Glock 23
from its holster to compare it to the handgun he was checking out.
As he slid the gun back into his holster, it fired — striking him in
the leg.
The culprit? A jacket drawstring toggle got pinched into the
trigger guard as the handgun was reholstered. That actuated the
trigger as the gun was pushed down into the holster, causing it
to discharge. “When pulling up on that jacket, this thing comes
up, basically hits the safety and fired,” he said in a March 6,
2014 report on RTV6. The Chief was lucky, he survived to warn
others of the danger, but he was not alone. Sheriff’s Deputy Steve
Cooper, of the Marion County, Oregon department did the same
thing. Doctors considered amputating Cooper’s leg, but were able
to save it. Drawstrings are so dangerous, in fact, that firearms
trainers Tiger McKee, Massad Ayoob and others instruct students
to completely remove them from any garments.
But drawstrings aren’t the only things to watch for on
garments. A jacket or shirt can get bunched up and find its way
into your trigger guard, causing the gun to fire as you holster
it. Make sure every time you reholster a firearm there are no
obstructions and that your finger is outside of the trigger guard.
Certain holster types and styles pose inherent risks, too.
Horizontally orientated shoulder holsters, for example, have the
muzzle pointing directly behind you — aiming at anyone behind
you. Mind you, this isn’t necessarily unsafe if you’re someone
who is alone all day and seated, or driving, with no one behind
you. But it is somewhat limiting should you exit the vehicle and
enter a crowded place.
The first step to drawing safely from a cross draw holster is clearing away a
closed-front cover garment in what has been dubbed the Hackathorn Rip
technique. Photo: Concealed Carry for Women by Gila Hayes.
Cross-draw holsters worn on the weak side possess some
traits that warrant caution. For one thing, the butt of the handgun
is facing your opponent. Experts contend this makes it easier
for an adversary to grab your gun. And drawing the handgun
from this side naturally causes the muzzle to sweep your arm,
or anyone located off your weak side. Thus crossdraw requires
some attention to draw and rotate the gun in a fashion that doesn’t
cross your own body parts. This takes much practice to become
second nature and both the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry,
2nd Edition and Concealed Carry for Women contain in-depth
discussion and step-by-step photos you can follow to learn the
proper and safe draw procedure.
Thigh holsters present safety challenges, too. “When learning
to draw from a thigh band holster, make careful observations
of where the muzzle points when the gun comes out of the
holster,” cautions Gila Hayes in Concealed Carry for Women
(GunDigestStore.com). “If the muzzle points right at your knee or
at your foot, alter the angle at which you draw so that the muzzle
is oriented forward. Like other alternative carry methods, you
will probably find that the only safe way to get your handgun into
the thigh band holster is when the entire rig is off-body. Don’t
cheat and say, ‘Well, I’ll just be extra careful as I pry the elastic
open and slip my gun past my fingers.’ You may be able to do that
under calm conditions, but find it disastrous when great danger
has only recently passed and, full of adrenaline, your hands shake
uncontrollably.”
Fanny packs and concealed carry purses, planners and other
disguised concealment holsters are ever in danger of being
snatched, not to mention being misplaced, forgotten or other
monkey business. A purse also carries a wallet, and valuable
portable electronic devices like smartphones and tablets, so it is a
target for thieves. The purse holster is a great option for isolated
situations but for these reasons an on-body holster should be your
primary choice.
The holster retention systems discussed back in Chapter 5
address positive measures for keeping the gun in the holster until
you want to draw it. They are primarily designed to thwart a gun
grab or prevent the firearm from bouncing out should you get in
a tussle or when dropping your pants in the bathroom. However,
one very popular holster, the Blackhawk! Serpa has caused quite
a stir as of late. Critics say its design unsafely places the finger
— which requires downward pressure to activate a release latch
— in a location over the trigger guard such that downward finger
pressure combined with the draw can snap the finger down into
the trigger guard, causing the trigger to get depressed and the
gun to fire. Ayoob notes that accidents have resulted and suggests
keeping the finger straight while using the pad of the index
finger to work the release, not the tip of your finger. My take?
Regardless of what holster you’re using you should consistently
apply the safety fundamentals of keeping your finger straight and
out of the trigger guard area until you’re ready to shoot.
You need some way to securely stow your handgun when it’s not on you—
whether it be at night in your home or in your vehicle. The biometric-operated
GunVault is an ideal solution.
Holster Maintenance
If you wear a leather gun belt and holster for any amount of
time it will eventually begin to squeak and squawk as it dries out.
Kydex or other proprietary polymer holsters have a big leg up
here, as they stay pretty much consistent from the day you buy
them clear through a million or so years (or however long it takes
the stuff to decompose — a good lifetime value nonetheless).
One gun belt I have from The Belt Man is literally going on
ten years of reliable use and has just started to need some tender
loving care (TLC). Others have belts that have lasted decades
thanks to regular care. There are a lot of leather cleaning and
moisturizers on the market but use caution when applying leather
treatments like Neatsfoot oil and similar products. This stuff is
designed to soften up leather and overdoing it can turn your stiff
gun belt into a wet noodle. Instead, saddle soap or Kiwi shoe wax
has been proven to clean and lightly moisturize without changing
your scabbard’s structural integrity.
Personally, I’ve been impressed by Galco’s Leather Kit,
which includes something they call Leather Lotion. This stuff
rejuvenates dried out leather, yet doesn’t over-soften it to the
point of wiping out holster rigidity. One word of advice: Wipe
Leather Lotion on and rub in before you go to bed so the holster
has time to “air dry” overnight. In a hurry to get out the door one
day I didn’t do this and the wet holster bled some of the black dye
onto a pair light shorts where it was rubbing. The kit also comes
with a handy silicone treatment and applicator for the inside of the
holster, which slicks it up a bit, speeding the draw and preventing
that initial stickiness that can tend to grab the handgun.
Disguised day planner holsters like this Nylon Day Planner Holster from
Blackhawk! can fill a need when nothing else will. However, there is always the
risk that it could get misplaced or even snatched.
Final Shot: What is a “Safe” Holster?
First and foremost the holster’s primary safety role is to retain the gun —
your handgun needs a secure place to ride until needed. At the minimum
this means a retention strap or mechanism that keeps the gun in place. This
is not a simple as it sounds. Pistols will often loosely fit in a holster designed
specifically for another model gun. Just because the gun drops in doesn’t
mean it won’t pop out. On one occasion at a local range an officer forgot his
off-duty holster and tried to sneak by with his duty rig. While running from one
position to another the little SIG went flying from the big SIG holster. Twenty
pushups ensued.
Second, a safe holster will release the gun on the draw with a smooth,
economical and practiced motion that is the best possible compromise
between security and first on-target hit. If, while at fishing camp, a big bear
rushes in, your trusty old Model 29 should be up and ready without conscious
thought or fumble. There is such a thing as a holster that is too safe for the
user, however. It takes some cops a long time to be quick from a departmentmandated “anti-grab” holster.
Third, a safe holster lets you reinsert and secure the gun without having
to look, pry the top open with your other hand or remove the holster from
the belt, ankle or shoulder. This is especially critical with a concealed carry
holster. Heaven forbid, if you must shoot the gun in self-defense you will also
need a place to put it after the lethal threat is gone. If you can’t get it back into
the holster under extreme stress, you may be tempted to put it on the ground,
pass it to a bystander or just keep it in hand. All bad choices when the cops
arrive.
Most holster safety failures are due to human factors. In the field, holsters
are sometimes partially covered with straps, belts or cords hanging off packs
or other gear. If in the process of a hasty draw a strap fouls the gun or piece
of clothing the hand can react by grappling with the firearm and, if the trigger
finger finds its way inside the trigger guard a negligent discharge can result.
Don’t try to save a buck by skimping on cheap holsters. I’ve seen poorly
sewn belt loops cause a dropped gun — and much embarrassment for the
penny-pinching user.
Practicing fast draw with a loaded gun puts both the holster and the
shooter at high risk. Interviewing one hapless victim of such behavior yielded
this description; “It’s like getting hit in the leg with a baseball bat and then
somebody shoves a red-hot poker through the wound.” (Enough said?)
What really gives me shivers is when I see a handgun shooter with his
finger inside the trigger guard while in the act of re-holstering the gun. If the
trigger finger hits the outer edge of the holster and stops but the weight of the
gun keeps it progressing downward the gun may discharge. (Same colorful
language applies.)
You and your holster will be safe if you buy quality and always remember
to treat it with the same respect you treat the gun.
Joseph Terry is a retired law enforcement firearms instructor. Terry is the
author of Gunfighting in Teams. He has a new book coming out with Living
Ready in 2014. His work with Living Ready also includes the How to Avoid
Gunfights Online Course from Living Ready University.
Resources
Holsters and Gun Belts
Active Pro Gear — www.activeprogear.com
A.E. Nelson Leather Company — www.nelsonleather.com
Akah — www.akah.de
Aker Leather Products — www.akerleather.com
Alessi Distributor R&F Inc. — www.alessiholsters.com
Alien Gear Holsters — www.aliengearholsters.com
Alfonso’s of Hollywood — www.alfonsogunleather.com
Armor Holdings — www.holsters.com
Bagmaster — www.bagmaster.com
Bandara Gunleather — www.bandaragunleather.com
Barami Hip Grip — www.baramihipgrip.com
Bell Charter Oak Holsters — www.bellcharteroakholsters.
com
Bianchi International — www.bianchi-intl.com
Black Dog Machine — www.blackdogmachinellc.net
Blackhawk Outdoors — www.blackhawk.com
Black Hills Leather — www.blackhillsleather.com
Blade-Tech — shop.blade-tech.com/index.php
Blue Stone Safety — www.bluestonesafety.com/
Body Hugger Holsters — www.nikolais.com
Boyt Harness Co. — www.boytharness.com
Brigade Gun Leather — www.brigadegunleather.com
Bulldog Custom Gun Leather — www.
bulldogleathercompany.com
CCW Breakaways — www.ccwbreakaways.com/
Center of Mass — www.comholsters.com
Chimere — www.chimere.com
Clipdraw — www.clipdraw.com
Comptac MTAC — www.comp-tac.com
Conceal It — www.conceal-it.com
Concealed Carrie — www.concealedcarrie.com
Concealed Carry Clothiers — www.concealedcarry.com
Concealment Shop Inc. — www.theconcealmentshop.com
Concealment Solutions — www.concealmentsolutions.com/
Coronado Leather Co. — www.coronadoleather.com
Covert Carry — www.covertcarrier.com
Creedmoor Sports, Inc. — www.creedmoorsports.com
Cross Breed Holsters — www.crossbreedholsters.com
C. Rusty Sherrick Custom Leatherworks — www.c-rusty.
com/
Custom Leather Wear — www.customleatherwear.com
D&D Gun Leather — www.danddgunleather.com
Deep Conceal — www.deepconceal.com
Defense Security Products — www.thunderwear.com
Del Fatti Leather — www.delfatti.com
Dennis Yoder — www.yodercustomleather.com
DeSantis Holster — www.desantisholster.com
Desbiens Gun Leather — www.desbiensgunleather.com
Diamond Custom Leather — www.diamondcustomleather.
com
Dillon Precision — www.dillonprecision.com
Don Hume Leathergoods, Inc. — www.donhume.com
Elite Survival —www.elitesurvival.com
Ernie Hill International — www.erniehill.com
Fist — www.fist-inc.com
Flashbang Holsters — www.flashbangholsters.publishpath.
com
Fobus USA — www.fobusholster.com
Front Line Ltd. — [email protected]
Frontier Gun Leather — www.frontiergunleather.com
Galco — www.usgalco.com
Gilmore’s Sports Concepts — www.gilmoresports.com
Gould & Goodrich — www.gouldusa.com
Gunmate Products — www.gun-mate.com
Gum Creek Customs — www.gumcreekcustoms.com
Havoc Gun Leather — www.havocgunleather.com
HBE Leatherworks — www.hbeleatherworks.com/
Hellweg Ltd. — www.hellwegltd.com
Hide-A-Gun — www.hide-a-gun.com
High Noon Holsters — www.highnoonholsters.com
Holsters.Com — www.holsters.com
Horseshoe Leather Products — www.horseshoe.co.uk
Hunter Co. — www.huntercompany.com
JBP/Master’s Holsters — www.jbpholsters.com
John Ralston Gun Leather — www.5shotleather.com
King Custom — www.kingholster.com
Kirkpatrick Leather Company — www.kirkpatrickleather.
com
KJ Leather — www.kbarjleather.com
KNJ — www.knjmfg.com
Kramer Leather — www.kramerleather.com
Law Concealment Systems — www.handgunconcealment.
com
Levy’s Leathers Ltd. — www.levysleathers.com
Locust Holsters — www.locusttactical.com/
Luke Adams Holsters — www.adamsholsters.com/
Mernickle Holsters — www.mernickleholsters.com
Michaels of Oregon Co. — www.michaels-oregon.com
Milt Sparks Leather — www.miltsparks.com
Mitch Rosen Extraordinary Gunleather — www.
mitchrosen.com
N82 Tactical — www.n82tactical.com
Old World Leather — www.gun-mate.com
Pacific Canvas & Leather Co. — paccanadleather@
directway.com
Pager Pal — www.pagerpal.com
Phalanx Corp. — www.smartholster.com
Purdy Gear — www.purdygear.com
Pure Kustom — www.purekustomholsters.com
PWL — www.pwlusa.com
Raven Concealment Systems — www.rcsgear.com
Remora Holsters — www.remoraholsterstore.com
RKBA Holsters — www.rkbaholsters.com
Rumanya Inc. — www.rumanya.com
S.A. Gunleather — www.elpasoleather.com
Safariland Ltd. Inc. — www.safariland.com
Secret Squirrel Leather — www.secretsquirrelleather.com
Shooting Systems Group Inc. — www.shootingsystems.com
Simply Rugged Holsters — www.simplyrugged.com
Skyline Tool Works — www.clipdraw.com
Smart Carry — www.smartcarry.com
Soteria Leather — www.soterialeather.com
Stealth Gear USA — www.stealthgearusa.com
Stellar Rigs — www.stellarrigs.com
Strictly Anything Inc. — www.strictlyanything.com
Strong Holster Co. — www.strong-holster.com
Tagua Gun Leather — www.taguagunleather.com/new
Talon — www.talonholsters.com
Ted Blocker Holsters — www.tedblockerholsters.com
Tex Shoemaker & Sons — www.texshoemaker.com
The Belt Co. — www.conceal-it.com
The Belt Man — www.thebeltman.net
The Leather Arsenal — www.leatherarsenal.com
The Leather Factory Inc. — [email protected]
The Outdoor Connection — www.outdoorconnection.com
The Well Armed Woman — www.thewellarmedwoman.com
Top-Line USA Inc. — www.toplineusa.com
Tuff Products — www.tuffproducts.com
Triple K Manufacturing Co. — www.triplek.com
UBG Holsters — www.ubgholsters.com
Uncle Mike’s Law Enforcement — www.unclemikesle.com
Undertech — www.undertechundercover.com
Versacarry — www.versacarry.com
White Dog Holsters — www.whitedogholsters.com
Wilderness Belts — www.thewilderness.com
Wilson Combat — www.wilsoncombat.com
Womenshooters.com — www.womenshooters.com
Trainers and Training
Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network — www.
armedcitizensnetwork.org
Massad Ayoob Group — www.massadayoobgroup.com
Personal Security Institute — www.personalsecurity.us
Personal Defense Solutions — www.
personaldefensesolutions.net
The Firearms Academy of Seattle — www.firearmsacademy.
com/
Books and Further Resources
GunDigestStore.com — www.gundigeststore.com
GunDigest.com — www.gundigest.com
Copyright © 2014 Gun Digest, Published by Krause Publications, a division of F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
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and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the
publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages
in a review. Published by Krause Publications a division of
F+W Media, Inc., 700 East State Street • Iola, WI 54990-0001
(715) 445-2214, (888)457-2873. www.gundigeststore.com
To order Gun Digest books, the Snagmag magazine holster
and other shooting accessories, call 1-855-840-5120 or visit us
online at www.gundigeststore.com.
eISBN: 978-1-4402-4395-0
This e-book edition: August 2014 (v.1.0)
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