Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 35

Thread: Pistol course holster advice. To paddle or not to paddle?

  1. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Artemas2 View Post


    Stay away from paddles, I have witnessed many draw guns come out with a holster still on them.
    Ha! Happened today at an IDPA match. Was the RSO's turn to shoot, he drew and out came the holster. He recovered nicely, but for anything other than a range-only holster they're awful.
    -All views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect those of the author's employer-

  2. #22
    Member oljames3's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    central Texas
    I agree with the consensus the belt loop/slide is better than paddle.

    We live in Texas. One of my sons carries an M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm. He uses a Bravo Concealment IWB with a belt clip. My father carries his OWB in a Safariland 7TS ALS with belt clip. I carry my 5 inch M&P M2.0 openly in a Safariland 7TS ALS with Guard and QLS. The QLS allows me to quickly and easily remove my holstered pistol from my belt. My father and son find their belt clips easy to remove.

    If easy removal is a concern, you have several options.
    O. Lee James III
    CPT US Army (Ret)
    Honorable Order of St Barbara

  3. #23
    Supporting Business Tony Mayer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Bells, Texas
    Quote Originally Posted by HammerStriker View Post
    Appreciate the feedback. What has turnaround time been like for you? The site says 4-6 wks, I'm going to need this thing on in exactly 4 wks for the class. Do these usually ship sooner or within the 4-6wks?
    Let me know if I can answer any specific questions for you. The OWB2 is a fantastic holster and is my favorite. Are lead times are accurate, and we are running right at about 5 weeks right now. We may add the 2.0 to quick ship, however I am not promising anything. Thanks
    sales@jmcustomkydex.com

  4. #24
    Not to slight JMCK's excellent work, but I think a Safariland 7TS is a high-quality -- and inexpensive -- right now option (Amazon) if concealment isn't a concern. I'm a big fan of the 537 GLS pancake model if OWB concealment is needed and use that holster daily at work. Both are in the $40 range.

  5. #25
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    the Deep South
    Given the time constraints, I would check HolsterOps and see if there is a Safariland model that looks good to you. I like the 7377 ALS for a field holster, but retention is probably not optimal for a class. Regardless there are lots of choices. If you order on Monday, the holster will probably ship the next day.

    Also, definitely check out the Gideon by Dale Fricke. I really like this holster. I think his lead time is about time is about two weeks.

    Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

  6. #26
    Member TGS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Back in northern Virginia
    Quote Originally Posted by pangloss View Post
    I like the 7377 ALS for a field holster, but retention is probably not optimal for a class.
    Can you further explain?
    "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer

  7. #27
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    the Deep South
    Quote Originally Posted by TGS View Post
    Can you further explain?
    Sure. I probably should have included some qualifiers in my previous response. I'm not LEO or military, so I only carry in my capacity as a private citizen. I usually carry a Glock 19/26 AIWB, though sometimes I pocket carry a G43 or J-frame.

    Regarding the 7377 7TS ALS (LINK) as a field holster:
    I really like having some form of retention when I'm out in the woods. I've never lost a pistol, but I feel better knowing that the pistol is locked into the holster. Last year a friend wounded a deer at last light. We ended up blood trailing the deer at night in the rain and having to climb up and down the sides of a pretty steep gulley. I wasn't worried about losing the pistol. OWB at ~3:30 works better on me than AIWB for this sort of physical activity. In the past I've used a Bianchi UM84 with a flap. It does a great job of protecting the pistol but holds on to dirt and moisture.

    Regarding retention being not optimal for a class:
    I definitely should have qualified this. I don't use a retention holster for EDC (distinct from field carry), so there's little need for me to train from a retention holster. My main training goal is to get my pistol out quickly and get a couple of good hits on target. Because I carry concealed in public, this goal takes priority over defending against a gun grab. AIWB leaves me with less to think about (hands closer to the gun, gun generally more protected), so I can meet that goal faster than carrying IWB, OWB, or OWB with retention.

    To add some context about my field carry, all of my hunting is within a mile or two of where I grew up and where my parents still live. We're on good terms with all the neighbors and everyone generally gets along well. I perceive the chances of me needing to use a handgun defensively while hunting as being much much lower then when not hunting. If I hunted on public land, my risk assessment would be different. (When I'm hiking/camping on public land, I use a Hill People kit bag when I have my pack on and then change to AIWB when we make camp.) If I were LEO, I speculate that I would use my duty holster for most (all?) classes.

    To ramble on a little more, I recently bought a HK P30 v3 and ordered a 7377 to use until I decide whether or not I want to spend money on good kydex for the P30. Today my draws to hits on an 8" plate at ~8 yards were about 1.6 to 1.8 seconds. My best for the day was 1.50 seconds. Most of the time, the retention doesn't seem to slow me down, but the few times I missed hitting the release lever, it really added to my time. For comparison, when shooting a Glock from AIWB, I'm usually in the 1.3 to 1.5 range with my best time ever being 1.18 seconds. I don't think I've ever timed myself with my Glock from the 7377, but I should do that for a better comparison.

    In full disclosure, I recently had a pocket carry fail, so I'm rethinking using a OWB retention holster for my G43 when I'm wearing a tucked in shirt and a jacket. I feel like I've used too many words, but hopefully I've explained my situation well enough to help with interpreting my previous comment. If any of my reasoning seems faulty, I welcome constructive criticism.

  8. #28
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Raleigh NC
    Unless I missed it, I'm surprised no one suggested to use a holster in training the same way you carry or intend to carry. Assuming it's a class that lets you carry in class like you carry in everyday life.

  9. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by pangloss View Post
    ...I recently had a pocket carry fail, so I'm rethinking using a OWB retention holster for my G43 when I'm wearing a tucked in shirt and a jacket...
    That calls for it's own thread. In my experience, we can learn far more from one real-world 'fail' experience than we can from a hundred (so-far-so-good, hoping-for-the-best) positive reviews.

    At least, I know that I would be interested in reading about it.
    Last edited by Wendell; 01-22-2019 at 07:00 PM.

  10. #30
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    the Deep South
    Quote Originally Posted by Wendell View Post
    That calls for it's own thread. In my experience, we can learn far more from one real-world 'fail' experience than we can from a hundred (so-far-so-good, hoping-for-the-best) positive reviews.

    At least, I know that I would be interested in reading about it.
    Done!

    https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?34813-pocket-carry-fail-learning-from-a-mistake&p=836937#post836937

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •