Thumb on hammer holstering a SA/DA ?

[EVP]

He already has in post#21.

[beenalongtime]

For the hammer using LEO's in this thread......

Besides the trigger feel, does thumbing the hammer, help you feel the firearm secure in the holster? (kind of wondering about the lifespan of retention holsters and how to tell to replace them)

Thanks

[TheNewbie]

For the hammer using LEO's in this thread......

Besides the trigger feel, does thumbing the hammer, help you feel the firearm secure in the holster? (kind of wondering about the lifespan of retention holsters and how to tell to replace them)

Thanks

It does for me.

[BehindBlueI's]

Not challenging, but do tell. I've been in classes where getting the gun back in the holster right now appeared to be a priority. And I maintained distance from those people due to only that.

ETA: I seem to be not alone.

.

I've detailed them elsewhere here before. Most recently guy with a machete. Threw machete at me, then charged me. No longer armed with a deadly weapon but still a threat.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Not challenging, but do tell. I've been in classes where getting the gun back in the holster right now appeared to be a priority. And I maintained distance from those people due to only that.

ETA: I seem to be not alone.

Context is everything.
Regular CCW folks generally just need the threat to go away. Uniformed Law Enforcement usually needs to close with and secure the threat.

For the hammer using LEO's in this thread......

Besides the trigger feel, does thumbing the hammer, help you feel the firearm secure in the holster? (kind of wondering about the lifespan of retention holsters and how to tell to replace them)

Thanks

Sure. It helps to keep the slide in battery, which generally ensures activation of retention devices.

As to the lifespan of retention holsters, it depends.
I've replaced ALS mechanisms when the plastic has worn down to the point that the brass threaded insert for the screw was rubbing on the slide. The holster body itself was still quite serviceable.

[Rex G]

Did anyone yet mention that the the inboard or outboard straps of some holsters, such as thumb break types, can get caught by the trigger, while the weapon is moving to re-holster?

This is one reason I transitioned from the G22 to the P229R DAK, during the time I had to use the Safariland 070-system holster, while on duty. The outboard, thumb strap, especially, could easily enter the trigger guard. (I only used the G22 on duty for 2.5years, between the 1911, and the P229. I had only moved away from the 1911, because the 707 holster interfered with my ability to get a proper firing grip a 1911, which requires a proper grip to interface with the grip safety. The SS III/070 holster caused me to curse Bill Rogers, from time to time. I hate gadgets that I am required to use, but which try to kill me. “I cursed him in English, and I cursed him in Dutch, and I cursed him in Spanish, overly much.”)

I reckon that Bill Rogers has redeemed himself, in my eyes, with the ALS/SLS holster, and its derivatives. Before I was required to use the SS III/070, and was using revolvers on duty, I loved the Rogers Trooper. The 070 system holster remains a good revolver rig, but I never really liked it, for autos. Maybe, with a straight drop, and worn a bit forward of 0300, it would be better, but, (curse word, again,) chicken-winging my hand, during a contact-distance kerfuffle, to either draw, or re-holster, with an SS III/070, was a beech.

[Wheeler]

Sure. A subset of a subset but not never. Odds, stakes, all that.

Not to mention job related duties versus personal safety goals.

[BehindBlueI's]

Not to mention job related duties versus personal safety goals.

I don't know that I think it's a relevant distinction here. I wasn't holstering to go chase somebody, which is probably by far the most common "speed holster" by police. Now I was in the position I was in because I'm the police and had actively searched for this guy, but he was mentally ill, high on meth, and had an assortment of weapons driving around and apparently attempting to provoke a road rage incident. He came to police attention before he got a confrontation with anyone else, but it's not much of a stretch to say anyone here could be confronted by a mentally ill knife wielding suspect about as easily as they could be confronted by a mugger, etc.

It's not a police specific concern.

Someone threatens you with a knife but not at a distance that he's a lethal threat yet. You draw. He drops the knife but charges you. There's no disparity of force issue. He's one guy, he's your size or smaller, his hands are obviously empty. His arms are spread out for a tackle. What do you do?

You shoot a pitbull that bit you while you were jogging. The owner, a skinny crackhead burglar that you whip the shit out of one handed, comes charging out of the yard yelling threats at you for killing his dog. He's closing on you, you've got a gun in your hand. What do you do? Been there, too, and not as an identified police officer. (In that one, he stopped when told to and no use of force was required against him, but if he'd been high at the time?

In the vast, vast majority of instances you can slowly and safely look the gun back into the holster. You won't be operating in an adrenaline dump. You'll never need to transition from lethal force and that mind set to non lethal and that mindset. You'll either shoot or the threat will leave. I get all that. I also get that every now and then someone, badge or no, has the situation like I did. Usually from a known person for citizens (lots of knife violence is between acquaintances, but not always domestic. Neighbors, etc). I'm not saying you need to always speed holster. I'm saying for a carry gun and carry set up you should have that as an option.

[Wheeler]

I don't know that I think it's a relevant distinction here. I wasn't holstering to go chase somebody, which is probably by far the most common "speed holster" by police. Now I was in the position I was in because I'm the police and had actively searched for this guy, but he was mentally ill, high on meth, and had an assortment of weapons driving around and apparently attempting to provoke a road rage incident. He came to police attention before he got a confrontation with anyone else, but it's not much of a stretch to say anyone here could be confronted by a mentally ill knife wielding suspect about as easily as they could be confronted by a mugger, etc.

It's not a police specific concern.

Someone threatens you with a knife but not at a distance that he's a lethal threat yet. You draw. He drops the knife but charges you. There's no disparity of force issue. He's one guy, he's your size or smaller, his hands are obviously empty. His arms are spread out for a tackle. What do you do?

You shoot a pitbull that bit you while you were jogging. The owner, a skinny crackhead burglar that you whip the shit out of one handed, comes charging out of the yard yelling threats at you for killing his dog. He's closing on you, you've got a gun in your hand. What do you do? Been there, too, and not as an identified police officer. (In that one, he stopped when told to and no use of force was required against him, but if he'd been high at the time?

In the vast, vast majority of instances you can slowly and safely look the gun back into the holster. You won't be operating in an adrenaline dump. You'll never need to transition from lethal force and that mind set to non lethal and that mindset. You'll either shoot or the threat will leave. I get all that. I also get that every now and then someone, badge or no, has the situation like I did. Usually from a known person for citizens (lots of knife violence is between acquaintances, but not always domestic. Neighbors, etc). I'm not saying you need to always speed holster. I'm saying for a carry gun and carry set up you should have that as an option.

The hypotheticals you quoted are possible but statistically unlikely. If I'm doing my thing correctly then I'm avoiding issues like that, because it's not my job to confront them head on, unlike a cop.

Regardless of whichever hypothetical scenarios we discuss the need for private citizens to 'speed holster' is so far removed from being a likelihood that the skill is really not important. Broken down further, the possibility of needing to present a firearm in a defensive encounter is pretty low, needing to speed holster and go hands on is virtually non existent for those of us who don't chase bad guys for a living. Practicing viable skills such as Criminal Interview Failure and Conflict Avoidance would be time better spent.

[BehindBlueI's]

The hypotheticals you quoted are possible but statistically unlikely. If I'm doing my thing correctly then I'm avoiding issues like that, because it's not my job to confront them head on, unlike a cop.

Regardless of whichever hypothetical scenarios we discuss the need for private citizens to 'speed holster' is so far removed from being a likelihood that the skill is really not important. Broken down further, the possibility of needing to present a firearm in a defensive encounter is pretty low, needing to speed holster and go hands on is virtually non existent for those of us who don't chase bad guys for a living. Practicing viable skills such as Criminal Interview Failure and Conflict Avoidance would be time better spent.

Nobody made the argument you should work on this to the exclusion of MUC, etc.

The pit bull incident happened to me as a private citizen. Just jogging in a neighborhood. Felt like a relevant skill at the time. Never said it's a high likelihood, just that it happens.