Jim,
In response to the question on holsters: A couple of years ago, I read a series of articles by a man recalling his experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He lived in a parish outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. After evacuating his family and letting the storm pass, he returned to repair/protect his home.
Upon return, he found a checkpoint had been set up at the entrance to his cul-de-sac by some neighbors that stayed through the storm.
His house was one of the 15 or so homes on this closed street. The homes were without power, had received wind damage, trees down etc.
As the other homeowners returned, they split time between helping each other repair their homes and “standing guard” at the entrance to the neighborhood.
Between them, they had enough “walkie talkies” for each of the men to keep in contact with the others, and it was suggested that each person comfortable with firearms be armed at all times. The guys at the “check point” were armed with long guns (and handguns as backup), while the “workers” needed to at least have their handguns with them.
One of the interesting points he made, while most of the men had a handguns, many of those weapons had only spent time in a gun safe, beside the bed, and/or at the range. There was not a shortage of weapons, but several of the men did not have a quality holster (in many cases any holster) for their handgun. As the writer was a “gun guy” he had a supply of old holsters to give out to his neighbors. Not having quality holsters for their personal weapons may not be an issue for the readers of this blog, I thought it was a lesson worth bringing up, and to keep in mind as each new weapons are purchased, or you see a good deal on a holster at a yard sale. It might be worth picking up even if it does not fit anything in your collection. – T.B. in Nashville
Jim:
I wanted to add my two cents to the guy asking about holsters if I may. First of all, I would recommend looking at the newer “duty belt” style war belts. Tactical Tailor (“TT”) is my favorite, although most manufacturers make one. These are cut in 2″ width, making them easier to fit most any holster, and are considerably stiffer for a smoother draw stroke. (In conjunction, I would wear a soft (“MOLLE” web), 1 1/2″ pants belt underneath it, with a plastic “tri-glide” buckle.) You can also add a pad to it, and/or light suspenders as required. Some pads give you MOLLE webbing, so if you are running these style pouches already on a chest rig or armored vest, you can use the same pouches on your belt kit. (The better ones have a slot in the bottom of the webbing panel to direct attach your holster to the belt underneath.)
For holsters, I am with you on the Blade-Tech product line. In fact, they just came out with a new model that has a hard plastic drop extension and a belt slot plate (with adjustable slots, from 1 1/2″ to 2″ I think). I picked two up recently, one with light, and one without. They come in several tactical colors, such as coyote brown and OD green, and has a “bail” or hood that rotates over the top to hold the pistol in place. To release it, you simply push inward, exactly like you open a thumb snap, so the motion is intuitive and quick to learn. I like them better than the Safariland 6000 series holsters they replaced, because they are unlined, and therefore can be used without a leg strap (the Safariland will pull up somewhat on draw stroke without a leg strap to hold it down). I guess the best description of them would be to call them “low ride” holsters. The top of the pistol sits roughly even with the top of your warbelt. I think this is an important consideration for those of us in rural settings that will be doing extended patrolling. In my experience, you don’t want any kind of leg straps tying kit down to you if you are moving long distances over rough terrain. I found it very uncomfortable. Of course YMMV.
Of course if you want to run a drop leg rig with a leg strap, the Safariland 6000 series is excellent. For shorter duration missions they are the way to go. Or you can always just loosen or unfasten the leg strap for extended missions, and tighten back up when you rig for combat.
If you want to stick with a 2 1/4″ pistol belt, then I think the Bianchi GI holsters are probably the best bet. Kinda fiddly and slower to draw or re-holster but serviceable. An alternative would be to take any good nylon holster (again I like TT) and velcro or glue in a kydex holster (like an old BladeTech IWB with loops removed). Now you have the best of both worlds. Best Regards, – Diz M.
JWR,
In response to the letter about pistol holsters I thought I would add my two cents. I’m an NRA-certified firearms instructor in several disciplines and a reserve deputy sheriff, and I am used to carrying a gun and have tried a lot of holsters. I prefer a holster with some sort of retention rather than friction only, though I have used Fobus and Uncle Mike’s paddle holsters that are friction-only retention. If you are not fighting for possession of your firearm, such holsters are just fine. However, a strap or other form of retention is definitely more desirable, particularly when physical activity might cause a pistol to come out of its holster. I like the Blackhawk SERPA holsters
In any case, once you have chosen your holster it is time to learn to use it. The following is a compilation of training techniques that can be used to teach yourself to draw and fire. Picking up your pistol from the shooting bench and punching paper at the range is not the same as a combat draw, and many ranges will not allow shooters to draw and shoot, due to safety concerns. These techniques allow you to safely learn to draw and get on target at home. Let your muscles develop a memory of their own so you don’t have to stop and think about what you are going to do next.
Muscle Memory Training to Familiarize Yourself with New Holsters
1. Observe normal safety precautions: Unload firearm, remove ammunition from practice area, double check firearm. If another person is present, have them inspect the firearm also.
2. Ensure that holster is firmly attached to belt in proper position and that gun belt is secured to pants belt.
3. Visually and physically inspect firearm one more time, then holster pistol and secure all retention devices.
4. Stand facing safe direction (best that can be achieved) and bring both hands to interview position (loosely together as base of sternum, weak hand on top)
5. Move strong hand to pistol and form proper shooting grip. Position your trigger finger to be on the frame when gun is drawn. Make a fist with your weak hand and keep it against your chest. Do not draw! Start slowly; do not try to make this move quickly. As in martial arts, perfection of movement must come before speed.
6. Repeat 50 times, simply making the move from interview position to secure firing grip. Strive for perfection. Do not look at the pistol, memorize its position and make the move instinctively. Do not move on until securing the pistol in a firing grip without looking is natural and requires no thought. If 50 times is not enough, do it another 50 times until it is perfect!
7. Continue another 50 reps, but this time secure the weapon in a firing grip and release the holster strap or other security devices. Position your trigger finger to be on the frame when gun is drawn. Do not draw! Repeat as in #6 until you reach perfection. You are betting your life on being perfect, so do not go on until you do this without thinking or looking every time.
8. Start another 50 reps, this time after securing the pistol in a firing grip and releasing holster restraints, pull the pistol from the holster straight up two inches, and no more. The point at this time is simply to get a good firing grip, release holster locks, and begin the draw stroke. Make sure your trigger finger is indexed on the frame above the trigger guard.
9. Next 50 reps: Move from interview position to grip, release, and draw. Now bring the firearm to the center of your body where your weak-side hand joins your strong hand and forms a two-handed grip on the pistol. Make sure your trigger finger is on the frame above the trigger guard. Keep the gun close to your chest. No [tea]cup grips (with your non-shooting hand under the butt]. Instead, use what the pro’s use: thumb on thumb or both thumbs up [to form a “baby’s bottom”]. During this draw stroke, the muzzle should generally maintain a downward angle. Not straight down, but below a parallel to the ground or line of sight.
10. Last 50 reps: Move from ready position to grip position, release holster retention, draw and center weapon, joining hands. This would be the time to unsafe the weapon, if you have a safety. Now, punch the gun straight forward, bring the elbows in and raising the gun to your line of sight. Do not drop your head, bring the gun up! You should be on target. From this point on, rotate your torso like a tank turret to engage targets to the left or right. Maintain trigger finger contact with the frame of the gun.
Maintaining Your Combat Draw Proficiency
Practice the above sequence regularly, but with less reps. It is important to spend lots of time on moving to the initial firing grip. I can not stress how important it is to get a good shooting grip, getting it every time, and getting it fast without thinking. Like all other skills, if the base is not solid, nothing else will be solid. I’ve seen shooters get a sloppy initial grip and when they drew their gun they ended up throwing it downrange. Not good! Imagine if your hand is freezing cold or it is raining, or you have been on the ground and there is mud on your gun’s grip. What if there is blood on your hand? Blood is very slippery and it doesn’t matter if it’s yours or somebody else’s. First things first – Get a good grip!
Why index the trigger finger on the frame and not on the trigger guard or trigger? You fight how you train, and the adrenaline rush of a real encounter can cause you to accidentally pull the trigger. What if it really isn’t a threat? What if a member of your group startles you? What if you shoot yourself in the leg as you draw? What if the gun goes off and distracts you from a real threat? Trigger finger placement is a safety issue for multiple reasons. Law enforcement trains to keep the finger on the frame until it is necessary to fire the weapon. A tenth of a second to re-position your finger will not change the outcome of a gunfight, but it could save an innocent person.
Now, I have only addressed getting the combat draw stroke down. Another really important skill is returning your firearm to the holster and securing it. This is basically a reverse of the draw. Remove your weak hand from the gun, make a fist, and bring it to your chest. Without looking, return the pistol to the holster and secure the restraints. Keep your weak hand at your chest until this move is complete. This is an important skill because while you are returning your weapon to the holster, another threat may present itself and necessitate bring the weapon back into action. You need to keep your eyes open for possible threats and not be looking at your holster. As the gun enters the holster, place your strong-hand thumb on the rear of the slide (semi-auto) or the hammer/backstrap (revolver). Use pressure from the palm and thumb to fully seat the pistol into the holster, then secure it with snaps, straps, etc.
Why fist the weak hand? Well, you don’t want it flapping around in front of you where you could shoot a hole in it. Just like indexing your trigger finger on the frame every time it gives you a safe place to put your weak hand. Secondly, by fisting your hand and bringing it tightly to your chest, you tighten the entire weak side of the chest and shoulder, which helps establish a solid platform for your strong hand to control your firearm. If the action is close, you may need to fire one-handed, and this will assist in controlling recoil, along with keeping your hand out of the way of the muzzle.
This is by no means a complete guide, but it should create a sound base to work from. If you change holsters or guns, start over from the very beginning. Practice like you are going to fight so you can fight like you have practiced. God bless, prep well, work hard, and stay alive. – Carl C.