Don’t park your Ferrari in a lean-to

Sounds crazy right? Who would park a $200K vehicle in a lean-to of sticks? We can all see that this could lead to damage to the car, inability to get the car out of the lean-to if it collapsed, and a host of other problems.

Yet we see people putting a thousand dollar gun in a $20 holster all the time. Even a $400 gun deserves a good quality holster. After all, the gun isn’t any good in the holster, you have to draw it out to use it. Your holster can be made of a variety of materials today, such as leather, thermoplastic or kydex, suede, horsehide, and a combo of materials such as kydex and neoprene. Look for quality construction and a reputable brand.

(This $12 holster has no retention, an inexpensive plastic clip and is an example of a holster that will collapse when the gun is drawn despite you can see the metal reinforcement around the holster mouth in an attempt to keep it open. This plastic clip does not hold the holster into the waistband or belt well and is nothing more than a leather “bucket” for your gun to fall out of)

Consider all the issues you can have from poor quality, poor design holster. One, you can't get the gun out when you need it. Two, you can't put the gun away when you need to (some inexpensive holsters “collapse” when the gun is removed making it hard to re-holster). Three, it does not protect the gun as it should. Imagine something as simple as slipping and falling in the mall and your gun pops out of the holster and skitters across the floor. Four, the attachment fails and you draw the gun and holster out of your waistband. Nothing worse than needing to protect yourself but the gun is still in the holster, in your hand…..

(This Kydex holster will not collapse when the gun is drawn. It is worn with a paddle attachment which sacrifices the convenience of being quickly removable with the chance that it will pull out of the pants or from behind the belt when drawn)

If we go no further than these issues and we use them as criteria for a good quality holster. Retention is another option, do you have a thumb snap, leather thong, adjustable screw, or some combination of twists and turns to get your gun out. In some circumstances, retention of the gun in the holster is a trade-off for speed of removal. For example, police want to be able to draw the gun but also don’t want people to be able to take their gun from them so for them, this becomes a greater factor to consider.

-Attachment should be quality enough that the holster stays put where it is supposed to remain.

-The holster should be capable of facilitating a re-holster without a complex set of moves, tucks, hunting and poking and wiggles.

-The holster should protect the gun, retain it in the event of a fall or slip and yet readily allow for a smooth draw. This is sort of the Goldilocks criteria here, has to be tight enough to hold it yet not too tight.

(This leather holster has good belt loops and a retention snap but is made of soft leather and tends to collapse when the gun is drawn making re-holstering difficult)

If a holster meets those criteria, chances are it is a decent holster. We will address carry locations in another article. The instructors at Raven One Five and RATH-Defense can always help you with recommendations and suggestions for a quality holster.

(This holster has quality belt snap on belt loops, and a wide metal band near the mouth to keep the holster open for re-holster, it does lack a retention device but because it's molded for a specific gun, it holds it very snugly and is an example of a high-quality holster)

Ensure your holster is a quality holster by training with it. Admit it and change holsters if you find issues with the one you have, don’t park your Ferrari in a lean-to.

One of the best things you can do is seek and attend proper training. Repetition and practice will ensure you are confident in your selection and skills.

Copyright Raven One-Five, LLC, 2019