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View Full Version : Holsters....



Romeo Foxtrot
27 September 2009, 15:59
I'm looking for a good holster to bring to classes or to open carry if times and situation ever permitted. I would like some opinions as money is an issue so I dont want to spend hundreds of dollars buying holsters to try out. Also, what do you guys prefer for a holster? My main focus is light and fast, so I would prefer that it impede my movement minimally. Thigh rig or belt holster?

The holsters I'm considering are:

-Safariland 6354 ALS (w/o shroud)
-Safariland 6325 ALS (this is the low drop belt version, i have long arms so this is preferable)
-HSGI Drop leg holster.

The HSGI rig is not only the cheapest, but seems to be the most fail safe there is. However, I would venture to say that the ALS would be very fast on the draw. Would the ALS be suitable for being exposed to mud and adverse conditions, though? I would be somewhat concerned with the locking mechanism becoming jammed.

Cheers,

Ryan

rebelEMPIRE
27 September 2009, 23:54
Preferably, for general open carry, I use a Blackhawk Serpa holster for my Glock 17. It comes with both belt loop and paddle options. Both attachment methods are very secure. Easily secures in place. The holster, itself, is extremely lightweight and retains your weapon securely. A natural press of your trigger finger operates the release mechanism, allowing for a natural draw of your gun. Additionally, it's modular, in that you can mount different hand gun holsters to your paddle/belt loop. And lastly, it allows for custom canting.

For concealment, I use a Minotaur MTAC holster. I generally wear form fitting clothing. My friends know that I carry, but when they try to look for signs of weapon impressions in my clothing, they can't tell at all. My car has Sparco bucket seats that do not recline and are very deeply bolstered for Rally Cross racing; I'm able to wear my holster and weapon while sitting in my car seat comfortably, even for long drives.

I'm not too keen on drop leg holsters since they sag my pants down more than I like. I'll only wear one if I have a vest on with a belt attachment for better retention. In this case I use a universal holster from Condor. It allows for perfect adjustment from medium to large hand guns. Also, it accommodates lights, lasers, and suppressors. The release mechanism is a tab (secured by a button) that you release with your thumb as you draw. It may feel awkward at first, but it works once you get used to it. Both leg straps are rubberized, and you can quickly remove it from your load simply by releasing 3 buckles (one at the waist, two on the leg straps). I simple chose it for it's ability to fit with many weapon choices and ease of removal/install.

-rebelEMPIRE

Romeo Foxtrot
28 September 2009, 07:53
I had a SERPA, and took it back after reading all the scary shit about them jamming and falling apart. I liked the way it felt, and the way you could adjust height and cant but I ultimately became worried about its reliability, especially under adverse conditions.

On a side note... im glad your Condor stuff is holding up well.... When i first got back into shooting about a year ago I bought a bunch of Condor stuff from the local military surplus store not knowing any better (figured it was good stuff) and the stuff has failed me miserably. I bought a few mag pouches, a molle drop leg rig, and two belts (one BDU and one Duty) and after only a few months of weekly range use, the stuff started falling apart. The buckles started cracking on the thigh rig and the little elastic stretchy stuff on the straps started ripping, the belt started fraying severely, the elastic stuff on the mag pouches started ripping, velcro was tearing off... not cool . This is absolutely unacceptable. In my opinion Condor gear is not to be taken seriously, and belongs on the airsoft battlefield. Not to mention, this stuff was terribly overpriced for what it was. Sure i got the thigh rig for 16 bucks but it felll apart after less than 16 uses.

I will never, ever, buy chinese knock of shit again.

If it doesn't say Eagle, Crye, TAD, Wilderness, Tactical Tailor, HSGI etc... on it, I aint gonna wear it, and sure as hell aint gonna trust my life to it.

Not knockin your gear, just givin you my experience with the stuff.

bigcoastie
28 September 2009, 08:48
I'd go with the Safariland, I run a 6004 w/ single leg strap and it's been good to me. I'm a huge fan of SLS just for retention alone. Also once you get used to it I can say it doesn't really cut down on draw time. That being said if you're not down w/ the SLS I'm sure the 6325 will serve you well.

rebelEMPIRE
28 September 2009, 13:52
I had a SERPA, and took it back after reading all the scary shit about them jamming and falling apart. I liked the way it felt, and the way you could adjust height and cant but I ultimately became worried about its reliability, especially under adverse conditions.

On a side note... im glad your Condor stuff is holding up well.... When i first got back into shooting about a year ago I bought a bunch of Condor stuff from the local military surplus store not knowing any better (figured it was good stuff) and the stuff has failed me miserably. I bought a few mag pouches, a molle drop leg rig, and two belts (one BDU and one Duty) and after only a few months of weekly range use, the stuff started falling apart. The buckles started cracking on the thigh rig and the little elastic stretchy stuff on the straps started ripping, the belt started fraying severely, the elastic stuff on the mag pouches started ripping, velcro was tearing off... not cool . This is absolutely unacceptable. In my opinion Condor gear is not to be taken seriously, and belongs on the airsoft battlefield. Not to mention, this stuff was terribly overpriced for what it was. Sure i got the thigh rig for 16 bucks but it felll apart after less than 16 uses.

I will never, ever, buy chinese knock of shit again.

If it doesn't say Eagle, Crye, TAD, Wilderness, Tactical Tailor, HSGI etc... on it, I aint gonna wear it, and sure as hell aint gonna trust my life to it.

Not knockin your gear, just givin you my experience with the stuff.

I can definitely agree with you on the poor quality of Condor gear. And I have my girlfriend to back it up (her parents contract with Tactical Tailor and sew much of their equipment here in Seattle, so she knows the difference in workmanship). Her parents and I don't get along very well so there's a bit of a barrier, if you're thinking what I'm thinking.

As far as equipment failures go, I don't put much abuse on my gear. Anything and everything is prone to failure at some point, I merely have not pushed it to that point yet. So, all is going well for me. Besides, 95% of the time I'm using only my MTAC (daily usage).

Good luck on finding what works for you!

-rebelEMPIRE

SilentType
29 September 2009, 07:59
Open carry, long arms, use at classes, and a Level 2 holster.

I would suggest looking at the Bladetech WRS holster, but I'd probably in the end go with a Safariland. Helps to look at everything though to decide what is best for you.

I have never seen a Blackhawk SERPA fail. If they made one for my pistol I'd purchase it without concern for the stories on the internet. The SERPA is all over Iraq and Afghanistan.

Whatever Level 2 holster you obtain I would make it a kydex holster for better draw speed and retention. Make sure you practice defeating the break so that you can draw the pistol under extreme stress. Dateline did a hit piece on concealed carry recently and it was amazing to me to see the difficulty that their test subjects had in drawing from a Level 2 holster (of course they didn't mention it was a Level 2 Holster that was slowing them down).

tac40
29 September 2009, 09:23
Have you looked at Bladetech, G-code or Sidearmor kydex holsters? The safariland holsters are well made and reilable.

SilentType
30 September 2009, 20:51
Just wanted to add that when you have a Level 2 holster that requires you to make use of some device to break free the pistol rather than just the tension of a Level 1 Kydex holster make sure you practice doing so from the weirdest positions you can think of.

Custom-X_Sponjah
30 September 2009, 20:59
I use 3 holsters primarily. G-Code XD-45, G-Code Glock 19, and Blackhawk Serpa for the XD-45.
All three holsters can interchange between my multiple RTI adapters.
I have the Offset Drop RTI Adapter, Belt Slide RTI Adapter, I added a RTI wheel to my HSGI UDHP, RTI Claw (not shown) and a couple RTI wheels mounted in specific locations.
I open carry the XD Serpa or Glock G-Code holster daily.
The XD G-Code usually sits in the UDHP, but I switch it out sometimes to use the Glock in the DL.
When properly adjusted all have great retention and no wobble.
I really like the fact I can still use my Serpa by adding the RTI plate to the rear of the Holster.
If you look at cost, and ease of use the G-Code RTI system you can see why I like it so much.
I also use the Glock G-Code holster with my Airsoft G19 pistol, I just have to adjust the tension screw a little.

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CXS