Making Sense Of Duty Holsters And Retention Levels — Part 2
Editor's note: Part 1 is here Safariland retained the retention levels when they purchased the Rogers Holster Company and its designs in 1985. Actually, Safariland didn't just keep the protocol; they expanded it, adding new criteria and new test requirements, which made it even more difficult to achieve a Level I or higher rating. Growth One of the significant changes made by Safariland was to more carefully define and script the pull testing that [...]
Canvassing The Neighborhood
Kakadu Traders. Carrying concealed presents a host of challenges. Whether you consider it a right, a privilege or a burden, it’s not something to take lightly. When you first start carrying concealed it can feel exciting and you may not mind the challenges. But after a while the newness wears [...]
Plastic Power
Making The Switch To Kydex. I remember when my Remington Nylon (plastic) Model 66 .22 rifle was considered “futuristic.” Then plastic holsters came along and a new era was born. When the first Kydex holsters came out they were bulky and most gun fits were mediocre. As technology progressed, so [...]
Ultimate Concealed Carry
Two For The Road. When I was younger, like most new cops, I couldn’t wait to carry a gun off-duty. I knew what a responsibility it was but let’s face it, for any 22 year old, it’s a pretty cool privilege. With time and experience, I realized this responsibility could [...]
Crossdraw Holsters
Obsolete — Or Forgotten Treasure? Bring up the subject of holsters among people who wear guns for a living and you’d better have a fresh drink in your hand. Cops are opinionated to begin with, but get them talking about something as personal as how they carry their guns and [...]
Carry Options
Choosing The Right Rig The title says it all — there’s a sea of styles and materials to choose from. Your options include different levels of retention; the rake; leather, nylon or plastic (often referred to as Kydex, which is a proprietary name, like Xerox); at the waist, drop or [...]
Shoulder Rigs
The right way. From “Dirty Harry” and “James ‘Sonny’ Crockett,” to just about every cop show since Dragnet, the shoulder holster has had an iconic presence in TV and movies. As a kid, I’d occasionally catch a glimpse of a real shoulder rig worn by one of the truck drivers [...]
Mika’s Pocket Holsters
My days of working the streets are over, but my passion for teaching cops to stay alive on the job hasn’t waned a bit. During a recent handgun qualification shoot, I had two officers with catastrophic malfunctions. One was due to lack of maintaining the gun properly; the other was [...]
Talk’s Cheap
So Are Holsters The old-salt-gear look is a sign of being an old patrol dog, but I think the grey in your mustache and squared-away professional demeanor should be enough. You’ve spent the last ump-teen years breaking in your Sam Brown and gear. It’s so salty from sweat and grime; [...]
US Palm
Too much of a good thing has a negative tone to it in most cases. When we talk about body armor, both soft and hard, I haven’t met anyone yet who’s been shot and wished they were wearing less protective armor. A friend of mine who’s been shot not once, [...]
Alessi Holsters
During my time working the streets I was never awarded the nicest officer of the year prize. I treated everyone with respect — bad guy or good — but was hard on my peers when I saw holes in their officer safety practices; I remain the same today. The Carry [...]