Holster Mania

Holster Mania…the condition where you have more holsters than guns and most of them are in a bag or a box.  For most of us, we find our holster via trial and error.  Some like kydex, some like leather, some like a combination of the two.  Some even prefer the reinforced ripstop fabric.  But once we find that one holster that fits, feels good, works with our clothes…well, it is recommended that you train and carry in the same way as much as possible if not 100% of the time? 

Why?  Imagine if you train and usually carry strong side hip.  One day you go out and decide that based on what you are wearing that day you need to carry in a cross draw inside the waistband.  That day, you find yourself in a situation where you suddenly need your firearm.  Where will your hand go?  To your usual place, the strong side hip, then you are fumbling to find your gun.  In the interim, you have lost precious seconds, telegraphed to the threat that you are probably going for a defensive tool of some sort, so he (or she) knows you may be armed and might be using those precious seconds to close in on you. 

Hence, the Holster bag…Ahh, if only we could do a swap meet for holsters?  They are expensive so we don’t want to throw them away!  How do you find the perfect holster?  That is a tough question.  First, if should be made specifically to fit YOUR gun.  Generic holsters do not provide good retention without a strap of some sort which is one more thing you need to defeat to draw your gun.  How do you normally dress?  Do you like really tight slacks and loose shirts?  Do you wear a belt?  All things to consider when choosing your holster.  Inside the Waistband, Outside the Waistband, with a metal clip or two, with belt loops…  The package says it fits your specific model.  Ok, ask if you can take it out of the package to look at it?  Ask if you can try your gun (or better yet one of the gun shops guns so you don’t have to unload and clear) in the holster.  Over a soft surface, like a padded rifle case, gently turn the holster upside down and give it a shake.  Does the gun fall out?  If yes, that isn’t the one for you.  Maybe if there is adjustable retention, and you can make it a little tighter. Ordered on line?  You can test it over your bed with an unloaded and cleared, check it twice, gun.  Ok, it stayed in the holster?  YEA, good first step.  Now, you need to try it on.  You might have to buy it before you do that.  Get a feel for it.  Is it comfortable?  Does it poke you in strange places?  Can you reach it comfortably?  If it has a sharp edge, is it somewhere you can file it down a little?  Can you sit down while wearing it?

Sometimes the trick is to try someone else’s holster collection on for size or go to a Concealed Carry Class where you can be exposed to lots of different ideas.  Don’t get discouraged, the perfect holster for you is out there, it just may take you a while to find it.  Last I counted I had more than 25 in my bag, and that isn’t too bad.  Of course, they aren’t all for the same gun…I guess I need to sort them by gun one of these days, LOL. 

Holsters are kind of like shoes, some pinch, some are too big, some are just uncomfortable and some…just right!