We used the 070 with the 5906 for 16 years. When we went to M&Ps in 2006 they weren't available right away so we started with the SLS. I've got most into an SLS/ALS nowOriginally Posted by Lon
We used the 070 with the 5906 for 16 years. When we went to M&Ps in 2006 they weren't available right away so we started with the SLS. I've got most into an SLS/ALS now
I've used all 3 versions on duty. The SLS only is the only one I wouldn't recommend. SLS/ALS is the best for Agency's who go hands on a lot, the SLS hood can be mastered and the ALS doesn't add any time to the draw over a SLS only but adds a huge level of security to prevent you from loosing your blaster if the hood gets rotated without you noticing. I've been in fights, fallen down cliffs, broken through miles of thick brush and had a gun grab with one and was never concerned with loosing my pistol. I'm currently running a ALS and don't feel any less secure without the SLS hood personally, it's much faster than the SLS or SLS/ALS combo, basically as fast as an open top for me. If I was working an area with motivated knowledgeable criminals who I had to interact with up close and didn't have an M-4 as my primary I'd probably go back to the SLS/ALS. General cop work...SLS/ALS is probably the most secure, safest and fastest holster out there.
Unless I'm completely confused, I think you have it backwards. SLS is the hood you rotate forwards, ALS is a button between the gun and holster you press down to release the gun. No apology necessary though.
Do I get reactionary old fart cred for saying I'm not sure any of this is an improvement on the 070? We authorized two holsters: The Uncle Mikes Pro 3 and the Safariland 070, so anybody with a brain bought a 070 ASAP.
I was able to grab one of our smaller officers by his blue handle in a 070 and literally pick him up off the ground with out the gun popping out. I've got a couple ALS holsters I use for bumming around the woods, and I like them, but they don't fill me with quite that level of confidence against a takeaway.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
Cred given. But I think the 6370/7370 (SLS/ALS combo) is an improvement over the 070 because one retention device engages as soon as the pistol is fully inserted into the holster, and the second takes a split second to engage, while the 070 snaps take a little more time and concentration. I liked the option for a quick reholster if a situation went from guns to hands-on in a hurry.
I used a 7370 as a duty holster, and several times handed the holster and unloaded pistol to non-gun friends to see how long it took them to figure it out...30-45 seconds was not uncommon, which gave me a lot of confidence in the system.
That's a good point, indeed.
I have very different needs these days. What I like about the ALS is I can put a condition 3 Glock in that holster and sleep with it in the same tent as my toddler.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
I think you are correct. The 6360 has both, and I like that the ALS engages upon reholstering.Unless I'm completely confused, I think you have it backwards. SLS is the hood you rotate forwards, ALS is a button between the gun and holster you press down to release the gun. No apology necessary though.
IMHO, the ALS, alone, is more real-world secure than the 070, because it can be difficult to re-fasten the 070's snaps during a struggle, or when one's attention is concentrated elsewhere. The ALS engages itself, with no additional action on the part of the user, and sweeping the rotating SLS into place is a very simple action.
I typed an anti-070 rant, but deleted before posting.
I recently bought a 6354DO to use as a field/range holster during personal time.
I see a few troopers in my area do this, and I can always feel my eye start to twitch.
"It's surprising how often you start wondering just how featureless a desert some people's inner landscapes must be."
-Maple Syrup Actual
I've used 070, 6280 and 6360 holsters on duty, and the 6360s are by far my favorite. The 070s are more secure, but you can't run a WML with them, IIRC. I used a 6360 for a G17 in ECQC and let people take a pretty good shot at getting it out, but none were successful from the front or side.
The only time the hood is down is if my hand is actually on the gun, ready to draw. In my testing there was no time advantage to having the hood down from a hands-off start position, and I've seen people flub the draw when the hood was down and they didn't expect it.
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