Does a good holster really make a
difference? The answer is that sometimes it doesn't. That may sound odd coming
from a custom holster maker, but lets consider the average handgun owner. They
keep their firearm on the top shelf in a shoe box in the closet, or in a
nightstand drawer. On the way to the range, it might
ride in a plastic case in the car trunk and back to the closet again. Should
they need a container for their pistol that affords some protection and allows
belt carry for short-periods of non-critical use, then factory produced budget
models will fit the bill nicely. I'm glad to refer them to my local sporting
goods store. The elements of quality holster design and construction are only
noticed at the upper levels of performance.
The Situation Report. Since I do a lot of concealed carry
holsters, most of my clients are off-duty, plainclothes, undercover officers,
and private citizens. But contrary to popular belief, it is the latter group
which will benefit most from a quality concealed carry holster. Private
citizens with Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permits have lost those permits by
allowing their weapon to become visible (called "flashing") or show
through their clothes (called "printing"). A panic "man with a
gun" 911 call then summons uniformed officers to the scene. Their officer
survival training will make them assume everybody is a bad guy until they sort
out the mess. Off-duty and plainclothes officers often wear their badges on the
belt next to the holster. If their piece should inadvertently
"flash", the fearful person also sees the badge which settles them
down. This tends to create a cavalier attitude among some officers toward
concealment. Intentionally or unintentionally broadcasting the fact that you
are armed can create a tactical disadvantage. Determined predators who know in
advance that a shopkeeper, for instance, is armed tend to come in shooting. And
it is the height of foolishness to draw on an already drawn gun.
There are several states that have no provision for the legal carry of
concealed weapons whatsoever. Citizens in these states are no less victims of
violent crime (often more so since criminals know they probably are not armed).
Some citizens in these states hold to the old quote, "I'd rather be tried
by twelve, than carried by six." As a result, an otherwise honest and
law-abiding citizen needs to carry his handgun well concealed to keep from
being arrested as a criminal himself. A felony conviction would cause him to
lose his right to own any firearms forever. This is serious business and I do
not advocate breaking the law. That being said, you may now realize the need for training and a good holster for critical use.
General Holster Notes. A quality designed and executed holster is
part of a overall system that is used in emergency situations. A defensive
pistol is an emergency rescue tool, like a fire extinguisher. The problem is
having it handy when you need it. This may seem obvious, but the first rule of
gun fighting is HAVE A GUN. Having a pistol that is ready without restricting
activities of daily living is exactly the mission of the well-designed holster.
The holster is a means of always having it when you need it, on your person.
For this reason I do not suggest using a bag or purse holster for your primary
pistol if it can be avoided. A purse or bag is difficult to draw from, and is
often the target of the assailant in the first place.
Holsters should be precisely fitted to the pistol they will carry and should be
used only for that pistol, or a pistol with identical dimensions. The selling
of holsters marked "Large Auto" or "Medium Revolver" is a
common practice but totally ill advised when serious use is intended. Factory
produced holsters can and do make compromises in their design, the primary one
of which is ease of production. Factory produced holsters are no better than
the least skilled worker who builds it. Two types of makers design most
holsters: Firearms enthusiasts with no leather experience, or secondly,
experienced leather craftsman with no firearms and specifically, no concealed
carry experience. The good designers have a combination of both like the late
Bruce Nelson, Milt Sparks, Andy Arratoonian, and Thad Rybka, etc. Some of the
best designs have been collaborations of these two knowledge bases. In
addition, when a holster style or design is successfully created, the
manufacturer then attempts to make similar patterns for other types of handguns
with subtle differences in weight, balance, and handling characteristics. This
compromises the original for the sake of simplicity of production. Some
manufacturers contract out the R & D aspects of holster design because they
have lost the ability to innovate in house, whereas the custom leather
craftsman seeks to address a specific design problem with every project. I have
never made two holsters exactly alike. The rule, "form follows
function" applies here. The second restriction on quality is that the best
materials are expensive and in most instances hard to obtain in quantity. When
the dense, tough leather is found that makes the best holsters, the supply may
not remain constant in its quality. A parallel example exists with bench rest
shooters who demand premium reloading components so that they can make their
own highly accurate ammunition.
Combat Grip. The most important aspect of achieving a consistent
firing grip is the burying of the web of the hand between the thumb and forefinger into the
upper blackstrap of the pistol. This is particularly true of recoil operated
semi-automatic pistols, some of which have grip safeties that must be depressed
by this proper grip. Many holster designs require the changing of ones grip
prior to achieving a firing stance. Any holster that, by its inherent design,
prevents a full and final grip upon first contact with the pistol while still
in the holster is fatally flawed from the outset..
Front Sight, Press. Proper aiming requires focusing on the front sight and allowing
the target to blur somewhat. The holster needs to be designed so that the front
sight blade does not shave slivers of leather off the inside of the holster.
This can be very distracting.
Belt holsters are by far the more popular holsters for people who
carry a handgun concealed for serious social encounters. Belt holsters come in
two general types: those worn inside the pants, and those worn
outside-the-pants. Inside-the-pants rigs are commonly called
inside-the-waistband holsters or IWB. Generally IWB holsters conceal pistols
better than outside-the-pants holsters since the pistol is only visible above
the beltline. There is a downside to this level of concealment, however.
Comfort. Even the best IWB holsters won't change the fact that you are carrying
a big chunk of steel in your pants. Some people like IWB, some do not. Reinforcing
the holster mouth for reholstering is good for all holsters, but essential for
IWB holsters.
Weight and balance are very different between revolvers and
semi-automatic pistols. While revolvers center their weight in the cylinder,
semi-autos will center their weight in the grip area. Particularly with
semi-autos, so-called "high ride" holsters can be very top heavy.
Positioning the trigger guard any higher than belt level, places up to 80% of
the weight of the pistol from one to three inches above the belt. Example: With
a "high ride" Colt Officers ACP pistol on a 1" belt, one could
grab the holster and pull out and down until the holstered gun was upside-down
on the belt. Smaller torso women find high-ride pistols hitting them in the
armpits on the draw, looking like a "chicken wing" motion. With
revolvers I position the cylinder at belt level.
Belts should be wide enough to support the weight of the pistol.
At least 1 1/2", preferably 1 3/4" for larger pistols. (Caution, wide
gun belts scream "COP" if they are not otherwise common in your
area). Gun belts should be leather lined and about 1/4" thick or otherwise
reinforced torsionally. Fabric and braided leather belts should be avoided.
Cutting the belt out on a curve creates a more comfortable belt, especially for
women.. The belt should fit tightly into the holster slot when new and will
break in to a proper snug fit. Constantly adjusting a poorly fitted holster is
the sign of a novice and a dead give away that you're "packing iron." This solid belt/holster connection assures that the pistol will be in the same
place with every draw. In time, your firing stroke will be as natural as
reaching for your wallet. Consistency leads to smoothness, which with practice
leads to speed with accuracy.
Strong side holsters have been the preferred position for belt
holsters. Traditionally these holsters were made with the barrel angled as much
as 45 degrees back from vertical. This position is commonly called the FBI rake
or cant. When first introduced with medium frame revolver holsters with single
fold-over belt loops, the design helped to conceal the larger butts of these
pistols. In the early 1960's with the advent of practical pistol competition,
it became apparent that this angle was detrimental to achieving a good grip on
the pistol. The hand as well as wrist should be in as close to firing stance as
possible. Imagine a line running through the forearm, wrist, hand and parallel
to the barrel of the pistol. In 1967, with the introduction of the #1 Professional
for semi-auto pistol, Bruce Nelson was among the first to correct this problem
by designing his holster with no rearward cant (vertical). A 10-degree angle is
still good for revolvers due to their longer curved backstrap, however. He
solved the problem of the butt printing by using a belt loop with a trailing
slot to pull the butt in tight to the body, Askins style (i.e. Charles Askins).
This allowed the proper firing angle to remain consistent throughout the firing
stroke. The further one wears their holster rearward from the right hipbone
toward the back, the more angle is required. For this reason, most Small-Of-the
Back (S.O.B.) holsters are nearly horizontal. A word of caution on S.O.B.
holsters, falling backward against a hard surface wearing a full-size handgun
in a S.O.B. holster could lead to injury of the lower back. Use of S.O.B. rigs
with smaller frame pistols would be advisable.
Cross draw Holsters are good for concealment purposes for two
reasons. They provide easier access while sitting and simplify the clearing of
the coat since you reach inside the coat rather than "sweeping the
coat" out of the way as in a strong side draw. Cross draw holsters are
better for women, who are actually faster with them than their male counterparts
due to their narrower torsos, greater flexibility, and more limber arms . Some
people however give cross draw holsters a bad rap as being easy to snatch away
since the butt of the pistol faces forward. With the belt loop and trailing
slot design, the gun butt is pulled tight to the body making it less obtrusive.
Weapon retention is primarily a training issue and not a holster design issue.
Attempts to make snatch proof duty holsters have made them difficult for
officers to draw themselves. In addition, the use of a retaining strap can slow
the draw and interfere with obtaining a proper grip on the pistol if not
designed properly.
Shoulder holsters are also better for women for the reasons cited
above, in addition they are good for pregnant women who can't wear belts. The
hardest part to conceal in a shoulder holster is not the holster but the
harness; most "print" through jackets. One way to discover
("make") a person wearing a shoulder rig is to pat them on the back.
One-handed blind reholstering is almost impossible with shoulder holsters. As
an experiment, try to simultaneously cuff someone while reholstering your
pistol in a shoulder rig. Not only is it a two-handed operation, but you will
probably have to look to see what you are doing. On a personal note, as a certified
firearms instructor, horizontal shoulder holsters (where the muzzle points
backward), have always made me cautious. If you are new to concealed carry and
must use a shoulder rig, use a vertical shoulder holster. I use an Andy
Arratoonian SHR vertical, it's the best. Sorry "Miami Vice" fans.
Ankle holsters are well suited for guns of back-up size such as
medium to small semi-autos and shrouded hammer or "hammerless"
J-frame revolvers. Why might your client who is not an officer, carry a second
gun? The fastest reload is a second pistol. Also, imagine a situation where
your client is confronted by multiple assailants (read: gang). He can now arm
his fully trained and trusted associate who doesn't have a CCW permit, thus
greatly improving their odds of survival. For a right-handed (strong side)
person the ankle holster should be positioned above the inside ankle of the
left (weak side) leg. Ankle holsters work well when seated or pretending to tie
your shoe, but are not particularly fast. One draws his primary pistol, reaches
for his back-up gun, and struggles for his hideout piece (don't let things
degenerate to hide-out phase please). This is one mode of carry that would
benefit from a pull-through type of retention strap. However, I always hand bone
the holster for proper fit first, then size the straps, I never rely on the
retention device for proper holster fit. This maxim applies to all holsters but
especially ankle rigs. I do not generally use linings for holsters, but ankle
rigs need to be padded and lined on the leg side of the holster. Thick wool
fleece is often used, but an orthopedic (silicone tannage) suede over
non-crushing foam seems best. Wool fleece will absorb moisture and matt down.
Also, if you are apt to break into impressions of Gene Kelly doing
"Singin' in the Rain", an ankle holster may not be right for you.
Pocket Holsters work well with handguns of back up or the smaller
hideout size. The practice of carrying a pistol loose in a pocket presents
several problems. A pistol loose in your pocket looks like a pistol loose in
your pocket. It will probably not be oriented butt up for a proper draw when
you need it. Dirt and pocket debris can foul the action if not protected. In
addition, the loose lining of some pockets can block hammer travel on revolvers
causing a jam. These issues should be addressed in both weapon selection and
holster design. Firing from inside and through the pocket should be possible,
should things get "up close and personal". Semi-autos have to eject
the empty brass cases somewhere and they tend to jam the piece. Revolvers
contain the fired brass cases within the cylinder until manually ejected and
are better for in pocket firing of multiple rounds. Yes, you are going to ruin
your jacket, better that ruining your whole day!
There are almost as many design elements of a quality holster, as there are
people to wear them. Holsters can be a very individual and personal item. I’ve
attempted to highlight what I feel are some of the more important points, and
this article is by no means exhaustive. The following resources listed below
are well worth the addition to the custom holster users library.
Steve Pulley,
The Gunfitters
References and Suggested Reading:
Bruce Nelson, Combat Leather catalog, 1986
Trey Bloodworth and Mike Raley, Hidden in Plain Sight, 1995
Bill Jordan, No Second Place Winner, 1965
Massad F. Ayoob, In the Gravest Extreme, 1980
Massad F. Ayoob, Handgun Primer, 1986
Col. Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed, 2nd edition, 1951
Col. Jeff Cooper, To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth, 1988
Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Luke 22:36, 1611