I tell everyone considering their first gun purchase that a good holster should be included in the budget–not just an afterthought pic.twitter.com/Jwtr2dK34X
— ₩₳Ɽ ₱₳₮Ⱨ ₳₵₮Ʉ₳Ⱡ (@WarPath2pt0) July 13, 2021
Personally, I’m not a fan of appendix carry because as a fat guy, it’s uncomfortable.
Regardless of how you choose to carry, a quality holster is important. It looks like he got something snagged in the trigger guard and when he bent over he had an AD.
He is insanely lucky.
Had he hit his femoral artery, he would have died.
I don’t think he actually hit the wedding tackle either, as he’s way too calm afterward.
I do think the muzzle blast singed the sack and stung like hell.
I have seen this. Ouch!
wonder what brand holster it was, or was it just shoved in the belt.
I knew before even clicking the twitter link it waa that video.
I prefer hammer fired guns and carrying appendix because of the access and control it gives me. That said, id never personally carry anything not a double action revolver with a 12+ pound trigger appendix and a hammer. I just cant overcome the e.otional hurdle of putting a strikerfired pistol with no external safety there.
The hammer fired preference is there too for any reholstering activities. Place thumb on hammer, if it begins to move while reholstering, you know you have a problem.
If you gonna be dumb, you gotta be tuff..
I have the impression that as a general rule, a custom holster — fitted specifically to the exact model gun you’re putting into it — is the right answer. Generic holsters that are of the right size but don’t precisely match the contours of the gun are nowhere near as secure.
Mama Liberty had an article about testing holsters. It was good but if anything not quite hard ass enough. It said you have to be able to hold the holster upside down without the gun slipping out. I added to that “upside down, and shaken vigorously”. The reason is that you might trip and fall and do a couple of involuntary backflips; the gun must stay put in that scenario.
Right now I only have one good holster, by Side Guard. It’s a nicely crafted tight fitting item.
It depends. For IWB a good generic holster works because retention is from your belt holding in the gun. OWB, the holster does all the work.
The important feature is the holster preventing anything from accidently contacting the trigger.
Thanks J, that is logical. I have an OWB holster so the fact it holds tight is a Good Thing.
I’ve thought for a long time that we gunnies ought to put holster selection (and availability) a lot higher than we do, when contemplating (and budgeting for) a new pistol purchase.
The LEGEND, Clint Smith, is totally adamant about proper holsters, and he is not at all shy about telling a student if his holster is a POS and helping him make a better choice. And I, too, being an OG, prefer a hammer fired, for any inside the waistband carry.
I’m a big fan of manual safeties
I carry either a Glock 19 or a Sig 365 when out and about. The type of holster varies, IWB or OWB, depending on the situation, and how discreetly I wish to carry.
However, in every case, two things hold steady:
1. The pistol is always on my strong-side hip. Not only do I find appendix carry to be highly uncomfortable, but I also do not like having to reach for different spots to access it. My muscle memory is set for strong side; that is where it stays.
2. The trigger is ALWAYS covered by an inflexible part of the holster, no matter the holster material. Nylon gun socks have no place in my carry rotation, exactly because of the potential for such incidents as above. Once the holster is no longer able to securely and firmly protect the trigger, it goes in the trash. (The ONLY exception to this is a shoulder holster for a hunting revolver)
And finally, I am well aware of the possibility of a striker fire getting SOMETHING caught in the trigger guard. I choose to carry them anyway, as I have had hammer fire guns (1911, High Power) get their safeties accidentally switched off in the holster from general movement, and a hammer gun usually has a far lighter trigger press than a striker, even a striker with a “good” trigger. Given that, plus a distrust for the needed muscle memory of disengaging a safety when it is NOT accidentally swiped off, I choose consciously to eliminate that particular step. Your mileage may vary from mine, and I don’t criticize those who choose differently.
Thanks for the detailed analysis. I’m a gun novice — I very much appreciate all these comments that improve my understanding and knowledge.
pkoning, welcome to the gun family; best wishes, stay safe, and good luck