BUG Options

[LSP972]

Self appointed "experts" who are the self defense/ tactical instructors at the academy ...

I've been on long enough to remember when every one of these folks came on, and their career path. To a person, they all haven't spent much time actually on the street. ..

I should have known. Glad to see there is some consistency from agency to agency...

.

[ack495]

Ive been using the same Uncle mikes vest holster you tried. Even with a kahr CW9 or Ruger LCR it would show a little bit.

I wear blauer street gear that has a zipper under the faux buttons. Not the easiest to access but I can do it pretty quickly.

The shield is about the same size as the kahr cw9. I would think that would be difficult for ankle carry. Some guys I work with ankle carry g27's. They say its fine but damn thats a big gun hanging on down there.

A 442/642 snub would work or a glock 42 which I carry as my bug now.

If you wanted to stay with a .40 trade that shield for a kahr pm40. Its a handful but easier to carry on the vest holster or the ankle.

[HCM]

I should have known. Glad to see there is some consistency from agency to agency...

.

Yup though this has been changing for the better in my agency.

[HCM]

Self appointed "experts" who are the self defense/ tactical instructors at the academy rolled around on a mat and determined that an ankle holster was less secure during a ground struggle.

I've been on long enough to remember when every one of these folks came on, and their career path. To a person, they all haven't spent much time actually on the street. And that was a long time ago.

I do not agree with their thoughts on the subject. But then no one really cares what a grumpy old Relief Sergeant has to say in the matter...

Do y'all have "permanent " Academy staff?

We had permanent staff at our Academy and our national firearms and tatics unit for many years with similar results. About eight or nine years ago we switched to three year assignments with the option for two one-year extensions. Five years max then back out to the field, or HQ if you swing that way.

Regarding BUGs, I started out with. 640 in an ankle rig over combat boots or support side coat pocket in the winter due to snow not playing well with my open muzzle Desantis rig. I ran a Kahrs in 9 and 40 and finally settled on the 642 going back and forth between ankle and off side pocket carry. I've tried ankle carrying my G26 and found it too much weight. I will sometimes put the Glock 26 in an admin pouch on my external vest carrier in a Galco pocket holster.

I've had pretty good luck with the DeSantis Apache ankle rigs but I'm thinking of trying an Alessi or JRC version of the same with a thumb break. For some reason I've never found the Galco Ankle glove comfortable.

[Beat Trash]

Yes the Training Unit is a terminate position. Many of the officers assigned are qualified by OPOTA to "train the trainer", and the state will have officers from other agencies in the region come to our training facility to be certified.

While I carry my BUG on the side of my soft body armor, I am thinking that a second BUG on the ankle would be nice. Yesterday while riding around and observing a recruit for a few hours, I was thinking how much easier it would be to access a BUG in an ankle holster while sitting on the passenger seat of a Police Car, should we get rushed suddenly.

At the end of the day, there is no "one size fits all" answer on how to carry a BUG. Your uniform style and unit/type of assignment can and will have some effect on what and how you can carry a BUG.

The important thing is that you DO carry a BUG. And that you practice and train with drawing and shooting from however you carry it.

[DocGKR]

Exactly!

[SLG]

OP,

I'm in your AO and would also be happy to meet up and shoot sometime. Maybe Chuck will actually come over this way for it?:-)

Everyone above has already given great info, but I'll add that as a small guy, I carried a G26 in a vest holster for years under my uniform shirt. Twice I was very glad to have it when my primary or someone else's primary wasn't available. I carried it on my right side, and replaced a few of my shirt buttons with velcro for easy training and access. They can be a pain to train with but if you don't, you're asking for trouble. A good seamstress will likely charge 5 dollars for the service.

[EM_]

I used the bug holster on my vest for eleven years anytime I was in uniform (G27 as backup to duty G22).

Exterior vests sorry of ruined that and I went to ankle. If I were to ever find myself back in a uniform it'd be the 10-24 holster, and likely a J frame on the ankle. Even in plain clothes I do a G23 AIWB or hip and a G27 ankle.

Also I second SLG with having some buttons replaced with velcro. I think I got that idea from Louis Awerbuck.

[LSP972]

Most of the uniform shirts back in my day featured an "interior" zipper; only the top two buttons were actually functional. I would leave mine un-zipped just enough for four fingers to get through; then rip the zipper down a bit more while going for the J frame under my armpit.

.

[60167]

Here's a quick update:

My (concealable) vest carrier came with two wide straps, one per side. I threaded the left strap through the vest holster. The downside was that the straps took up a lot of real estate, and I was unable to cant the gun at all. I ended up replacing the wide strap on the holster side with two narrow straps. One narrow strap threads through the holster loop while the other one goes over the holster.

The end result is that I can cant the holster and it doesn't seem to sit so close to my body. I can get a better grip on my gun, and it goes back into place easier when I need to reholster it. Now I need to get zippers sewn into my shirts.

Thanks

167