Kevlar holster

[CCT125US]

One thing I have learned, is that whenever a good idea pops into my head, I should google it first. My idea was the kevlar holster, and I was not the first to think of it. Here is the link to my idea before I had it. Discuss

http://www.smokinggunholsters.com/

[orionz06]

Dude plays The Scorpions, I am down with that.

[Wendell]

Discuss

This product needs a celebrity (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3733021) endorsement.

[MDS]

"Because shooting yourself hurts." <-- awesome

Seems like a good concept for AIWB, though I have no idea how it might be implemented. Between the Gadget and some kevlar around the muzzle, AIWB could be a lot safer...

[Nik the Greek]

Between the Gadget and some kevlar around the muzzle, AIWB could be a lot safer...

That was my thought, though you'd have to affix the kevlar very firmly to ensure that a ND wouldn't just drive a bullet AND a wad of kevlar into your femoral artery. Such a holster would also likely be much more expensive than current offerings. Also, there would likely be concessions to concealability.

Still...

Resident kydex meisters, what do you make of all of this nonsense?

[BLR]

Did anyone notice he cleared his holster, then shot himself?

Kevlar isn't going to give him the "bullet proof" properties he's seeking for a holster design. I'd suggest rigid armor plate for that application, if you can really call it an application. The successful design of bullet resistant forms is much more complicated than it first appears. It is significantly more than just replacing kydex with kevlar and hoping for the best.

Might have been better off not hitting the safety so soon, at least IMHO.

[YVK]

GJM has had this idea a long while ago, and I think we even discussed it in passing in one of the threads. I am looking at my soft armor plates now and how thick they are and i don't think this is even remotely feasible.

[JodyH]

I could see it possibly working sewn into the bottom of a leather AIWB holster.
Having a multi-layered Kevlar "pouch" sewn into the bottom of the holster to catch a round might be workable.
Body armor is thicker to minimize deflection (blunt trauma) to the chest, the holster pouch would just have to trap the bullet, not necessarily minimize deflection.
How many layers of Kevlar does it take to trap a 124gr. +P 9mm?

[LOKNLOD]

With the thick spacer pads going on the bottom side of so many AIWB holsters these days, there's probably more space to work with there than your traditional thin SSIWB rigs.

[mchasal]

This is an interesting idea for an AIWB holster. Watching this thread as I'm about to order something new soon.

I've wondered if something along the lines of what I've seen on cowboy holsters could be done. They often have a deflector plate at the muzzle:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2928/1114/320/PI5Send3.1.jpg
I'm guessing these only work because they are typically running soft shooting lead bullets, and you also have the problem that you've now directed the round away from you, potentially injuring someone else.

The kevlar trap seems like a much better plan if it's workable. I wonder if several rivets attaching the kevlar pouch to the kydex holster body will transfer enough energy to destroying the kydex to stop the round?

[YVK]

Why does everyone want to reinforce the bottom of the holster where pistol is pointed when it is fully seated and trigger is fully covered? What I personally want to protect is what I muzzle during holstering, not after the process is completed. With appropriate aiwb holstering, nothing or very little of body should be muzzle swiped, but, if anything, I'd want top and mid portion of back part of the holster protected, not the bottom.

[MDS]

Why does everyone want to reinforce the bottom of the holster where pistol is pointed when it is fully seated and trigger is fully covered? What I personally want to protect is what I muzzle during holstering, not after the process is completed. With appropriate aiwb holstering, nothing or very little of body should be muzzle swiped, but, if anything, I'd want top and mid portion of back part of the holster protected, not the bottom.

Interesting point, I'm trying to visualize this, bear with me. When you first start to holster, just your muzzle is in the holster and it could be at a steep angle. Like you say, hopefully that angle is directing the bullet away from your vitals, but safety gear is all about assuming you did something wrong in the first place, right? So let's say it's pointed at your vitals as you holster. At first the angle is pretty steep but as you push the gun into the holster is quickly lines up with the holster. I'm playing with a Keeper and my SIRT right now, and near as I can tell it only takes .5" or so before the gun is aligned so that an AD would send a bullet down to the bottom of the holster. So you'd get protection during what I think of as the most dangerous part of re-holstering, which is right as you insert the trigger guard into the holster.

In any case, while I think a holster with a bullet-proof muzzle end would be sweet, I think a fully bullet-proof holster would be even better. Maybe I'm just a starry-eyed dreamer, though... ;)

[YVK]

Yep, if you want muzzle look at a Kevlar at the time of trigger guard entry into the holster, then you want the bottom of the holster reinforced. However, if one is still muzzling self that late in reholstering, he/she has no clue how to use aiwb and no amount of Kevlar will help. I myself want as little obstruction at the end as possible to not alter the path of a bullet because, should I suffer an unfortunate trigger guard related accident while aiwb, I will not get hit unless something changes bullet's direction. The only times when I find myself potentially swiping is when finding holster's mouth with the muzzle (and, frankly, this shouldnt happen too) before alignment of the muzzle and outward rotation of a holster are achieved.

P.S. The priorities might be different if one reholsters more often in sitting position rather than standing.

[Chuck Haggard]

Those quick draw guys are generally using blanks or wax bullets in my experience.


And all ya'll get off my ideas, I came up with this in like 1988

[MDS]

Yep, if you want muzzle look at a Kevlar at the time of trigger guard entry into the holster, then you want the bottom of the holster reinforced. However, if one is still muzzling self that late in reholstering, he/she has no clue how to use aiwb and no amount of Kevlar will help. I myself want as little obstruction at the end as possible to not alter the path of a bullet because, should I suffer an unfortunate trigger guard related accident while aiwb, I will not get hit unless something changes bullet's direction. The only times when I find myself potentially swiping is when finding holster's mouth with the muzzle (and, frankly, this shouldnt happen too) before alignment of the muzzle and outward rotation of a holster are achieved.

P.S. The priorities might be different if one reholsters more often in sitting position rather than standing.

Fair enough! Sounds like this sort of thing isn't for you.

And I'm sure this isn't the first time someone's thought of this, but maybe materials have advanced...?

What if the muzzle of the holster were a kevlar sandwich, between 2 thin layers of kydex?

[Yute]

I'm new to AIWB so I've been playing around with a SIRT as well. As Todd has mentioned in previous posts, angle is critical for safe reholstering. If the holster is pushed toward the body during reholstering, the results are undesirable:

http://i.imgur.com/D0Ugk.jpg

From my practice I have also noticed that hip position plays a critical role in ensuring safe reholstering. A "netural" hip position or a slightly leaning forward position can result in the muzzle sweeping your body even prior to the handgun entering the holster:

http://i.imgur.com/yc22G.jpg.

The best way to ensure that the muzzle clears my body entirely has been to push my hips as far forward as possible and slightly leaning backward. The result is that at no time does the muzzle sweep any body part:

http://i.imgur.com/8Uayw.jpg

This will not win you any cool-guy points on the range as you look like a bad 80s disco dancer suffering from a cramp, but, coupled with Todd's excellent advice to push the grip into your gut, you should not run into any major issues throughout the reholstering cycle:

http://i.imgur.com/5cXnE.jpg

I can see the appeal of a "fail safe" "bullet proof" holster that would ensure a last resort measure during a ND; however there are safety steps to mitigate that from occurring in the first place (thumb safety, hammer, "the gadget", proper body position, visually and physically clearing the holster of obstructions", angle, hard-break, etc).

Note: I apologize but the top-down photos have been flipped 180 for clarity, thus it appears I am left handed when I am actually using my right hand.

[Gewehr3]

Richard Davis of Second Chance Body Armor sold a kevlar duty holster back in the late 80s/early 90s. I have a vhs of him firing the gun in the holster. The results are anti-climatic. It didn't appear any sort of pouch was needed. Nothing new under the sun...

[ToddG]

Yute -- Those are fantastic photos/explanations of proper holstering. Would you mind if I copied it to the general AIWB thread, as well?

[Yute]

Yute -- Those are fantastic photos/explanations of proper holstering. Would you mind if I copied it to the general AIWB thread, as well?

Todd - by all means, please do!