Cheap holsters are so expensive

Pictured above is part of my personal holster "collection."  That is an 18 gallon tub, filled to the brim with holsters of various makes, models, and materials, for various guns.  Unfortunately, these are not even half of all the holsters I have owned over time.  Since 2001, when I first professionally carried a weapon, I have probably bought over 200 holsters, the majority of them I would consider inexpensive or "cheap."  I guess you could say I am a "cheap holster" subject matter expert, but of all the lessons I've had to learn the hard way, one of the most costly lessons was, "cheap holsters are expensive."  When I think of all the holsters I've bought that sat around unused, I have probably spent thousands of dollars chasing the dragon until I finally came to the conclusion that it's cheaper to just pony up the dough and buy what I actually need and will wear, rather than whatever "works" for the money or has the lowest price.  Every time I've bought a holster based upon price, I've had to replace it, or work around it, doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the cost of finally filling that need.  Let me give you a real life example.

In 2002 I was hired as a law enforcement officer.  My department issued everything I needed except for off duty carry equipment.  Now I knew I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a holster, so I made price my #1 criteria when shopping for a holster.  I ended up with an Uncle Mikes to carry a Sig P229 in .40 S&W.  If you don't know anything about a P229 you should at least know this, it's heavy.  When you stuff it into a universal fit Uncle Mikes holster the weight of the gun almost feels magnified.  So I thought to myself "I need a way to keep my pants from falling down with this holster."  So I went out and bought some Dickies brand suspenders, the kind designed to hook onto a load bearing belt, and I wore this weird rig under my over shit for about a week.  Holster $22, Dickies suspenders $21.  Rotal invested on an obviously flawed system?  $43...but wait, we're not done.

I decide this out of the waist band holster rig simply wasn't working so I talked to some guys who recommended an in the waist band holster (IWB).  I was desperate so I went back to the local Academy Sports and Outdoors and picked up another Uncle Mikes, but this time it was specifically for an IWB carry.  The cost was about $20 out the door.  I carried this rig for a couple of weeks but it still wasn't comfortable so this time I decided to go to a gun show and talk a specific holster vendor.  I found a nice couple who were selling these ballistic nylon paddle holsters with adjustable thumb snaps.  The holster felt sturdy and the paddle felt good when in my pants and the price?  A cool $25 with tax included.  I bought it happy to finally have what I thought was a "quality" holster.  Upon getting home and putting the holster on I quickly discover that the gun did not conceal very well under my Dickies shirt, so I bought a larger Dickies shirt for $20 (actually 3 of them).  The shirts worked in that the gun concealed okay but my wife refused to be seen with me, telling me I looked like a "lost orphan wearing hand me downs" and pretty much made me feel like I had made a mistake...she had a point.

I gave up on all the nylon holster and quit wearing my gun for a week or so until I ran across what I thought would solve all of my problems.  For $22 I could own a Fobus holster, with a paddle back and it held the gun tightly against my body, at least compared to my other paddle holster.  I bought it and it worked much better than the previous options but it still printed quite a lot.  I thought "Meh, it prints.  I'm a cop, who cares?"  Until one day at the mall I was followed around by two other cops who pull me to the side and inquire about the obvious gun under my shirt.  Even though the exchange was friendly and we gossiped and talked for a while, I was embarrassed that I had such a crappy rig thrown together.  One of the cops recommended a Galco, one of them recommended a DeSantis, both of them recommended I go by Fort Worth Gun Leather and find something better, so I did.  I found a Don Hume 721OT pancake holster that I still have and use to this very day.  So how much did my Don Hume and corresponding holster search actually cost me?

Uncle Mikes pancake $22
Dickies Suspenders x 2 (I lost one pair) $42
Uncle Mikes IWB $20
Universal non-brand paddle holster $25
Bigger Dickies shirt x 3 (can't wear the same shirt every day) $60
Fobus paddle holster $22
Don Hume 721OT $45
Total spent just to get to the right holster?  $236...
...and that total does not include the new gun belt (also Don Hume).

I spent $236 on a $45 holster simply because I could not "afford" to spend more than $25.  Doesn't make sense does it?

When you buy a holster to carry a gun you have a lot of things to consider such as price, appearance, durability, wear on the gun, comfort, materials, design, purpose, model, warranty, reputation, where it is made, etc.  There are probably dozens of considerations that could be argued, weighed and debated over which holster is the right holster for you.  I would like to submit that the most important consideration is of course purpose of the holster (concealed carry, open carry, hunting, etc.) but right after considering the purpose of the holster, one should place the highest emphasis on comfort.

If the holster does not fill your need for owning it, you will stop wearing it  and either replace it, which means you've wasted money on the holster, or stop wearing your gun which means you've wasted your money on both the holster and the gun.  Take my experience with the unnamed paddle holster and Fobus paddle holsters above; both were comfortable enough (or so I thought at the time) but they were not concealable, which means they did not solve my problem.  Both holsters ended up collecting dust in a drawer and were rarely/never used again.  Second if a holster is not comfortable, you will eventually stop wearing it facing the same consequences of wasted money on the holster and possibly the gun as previously stated.  Take my above examples with the Uncle Mikes, sure they were comfortable enough for a few minutes, but once I started getting in and out of the car, walking around with them, or generally wearing them for hours at a time, they became very uncomfortable, very quickly.

In conclusion, when considering a holster, make purpose and comfort your highest priority.  If you make price your highest priority, I assure you it will cost you much more money over the long run.

If you are looking for some value priced options that are also quality holsters, I recommend you check out the following.  Please note: I am not endorsed by, paid by, nor provided any compensation in the form of T&E or free samples by any of the following vendors, this is simply my opinion.

Leather

Don Hume Leathergoods:  This particular brand of holsters is tough to find in stock anywhere but value for the dollar is high when you can.  They typically go for between $40 to $50 and come in a variety of models.  I recommend for concealed carry that you stick to their pancake models such as the 721 or 721OT.  I have had good luck finding these holsters in stock and quickly shipped from Top Gun Supply.

Winthrop Holsters:  I have just recently started to order from this manufacturer, they are manufacturer direct to buyer so it is unlikely you will find these on any retailer shelves.  The quality, in my opinion, is slightly higher than Don Hume with better hand boning and detail work specific to the gun, however; they generally only have a couple of models available as opposed to Don Hume's fairly extensive lineup (assuming you ever find any Don Hume in stock).

Kydex

KT Mech LLC: If you are looking for a value priced, well made, concealable kydex holster for almost any gun on the market, look no further than KT Mech AKA KT Holsters.  They have a little longer lead time than you might find with either of the above two options, but at only a couple of weeks on average, it isn't bad for a custom holster maker.  If you are looking for a holster for concealed carry, I strongly recommend their Gunfighter, which I will do a review on in the near future.  Prices start at around $40.

Hybrid

Old Faithful Holsters: For an in the waistband hybrid option, Old Faithful is the most comfortable option I have found to date.  I personally own 3 of their holsters, 2 IWB and 1 belt holster.  The belt holsters are garbage, don't waste your time, but the IWB holsters cannot be beat.  I recommend you get the ready to assemble kit and put it together yourself.  Alternatively you can try Alien Gear Holsters which are from what I have come to understand, not only the same holster design, they are the same company.  Yeah, I haven't been this confused since the Cheaper Than Dirt business model of retail versus online, but there it is.  Note, I have not owned an Alien Gear holster but by all accounts you can expect just as high of a quality product as with Old Faithful, but at a cheaper price.  By the way, I recommend the leather backing, but that's just me.

Happy hunting and remember, buy right, buy once.

Author's update 2016.  I can no longer recommend Old Faithful/Alien Gear holsters for serious use.  I watched one of their holsters literally fall apart in a training class.  If a user insists on using this type of holster, I can only recommend they loctite the screws, but then that would nullify the "feature" of allowing users to adjust the tension on the holster.  I strongly recommend a Winthrop leather IWB holster instead.

Carry a gun for self defense? You have a moral and ethical obligation to train

(Public Domain image by:Franz Golhen)

A little after 9AM on a typical New York summer morning, gunfire rang out near the Empire State Building. 2 people lay dead, 9 others were injured, 3 of those 9 were seriously injured. Sound familiar? This story played out in 2012 when a gunman who had been recently laid off from his job, shot a former coworker in the head and then fired 4 more rounds into the dying mans body as he lay on the ground, killing him. A witness to the crime alerted police who drew their weapons on the gunman. The gunman responded by raising his weapon towards the police officers who responded by firing enough rounds to kill the gunman and hit 9 other bystanders in the process. Of the 9 bystanders shot by police, 3 were hit directly while the remaining 6 were hit with ricochets and bullet fragments. Though no bystanders were killed and the police officers were not held liable, lives were permanently altered that day. 

You as a concealed carry license holder will not have the immunity and protection that the negligent NYPD officers enjoyed in the above story. If you are ever in the unfortunate situation to have to use your firearm in self defense there are several things you can go ahead and assume to be true:

1. You will already be behind the 8-ball in that the assailant will have the initiative and element of surprise on their side.
2. You will be behind in the OODA (Observe Orient, Decide, Act) Loop when compared to your assailant. In other words, his mind will already be in the fight, you will have to catch up. Note: If you do not know what the OODA Loop is...time to get some training but until then, feel free to check out Wikipedia.
3. It's very possible you will be outgunned. Think about it, you likely made comfort a big consideration when picking your concealed carry weapon; however, if you knew you were going to have to use your gun (as your assailant will) you would probably have chosen something different.
4. You will not pick the location of the fight.
5. The assailant will not care about hitting bystanders with his/her rounds, you had better.
6. If you hit a bystander, you can expect to be criminally charged and/or at the very least held civilly liable. Most likely both.

You will react, not think, and may be suffering from auditory exclusion, tunnel vision, time slowing down or speeding up, diminished fine motor skills, diminished cognitive thought process (reasoning, and problem solving skills), body shakes, feel light headed, and all kinds of other wonderful physical reactions that occurs when the body experiences a massive adrenaline dump. In other words, you may be at a significant physical and psychological disadvantage.

As a result of all of the above you will default towards your training. Wait...you have trained right?

So this brings me to the point of this blog post, you have a moral and ethical obligation to train. Simply put, you owe it to those around you of course, but you also owe it to yourself and your family.  

Before we go further, let's define “moral.” According to Merriam-Webster, moral is something “considered right and good by most people...agreeing with a standard of right behavior.” We need to pay attention to something special about this definition and that is the words “most people.” In criminal justice most cases viewed from a “reasonableness” standard, meaning that the key stakeholders involved (judge, jury, investigator, prosecutor) feel that a defendant's actions were “reasonable” under the circumstances in which those actions occurred. Even if you feel no “moral” obligation, it is not your opinion that really matters, it is the opinion of what is reasonable to “most people,” who weren't there, who didn't face what you faced, and who otherwise have no interest in your well being or opinion.

Second there is the definition of “ethical” which Merriam-Webster define as “conforming to accepted standards of conduct.” Again, you may disagree with the accepted standard assuming you can even find a standard written down or otherwise articulated (it may not be), but when the “moral” comes into play, specifically the “most people” portion of the definition, then the reality of the situation is it will what those people consider “reasonable” may very likely determine your fate and between you and me, I think that's an uncomfortable place to be. Everyone knows how easy it is to Monday morning quarterback a given situation when it's not our butt on the line, so don't expect a lot of understanding and empathy from uninterested 3rd parties who are given the task of determining the “reasonableness” of your actions.

Finally Merriam-Webster has two fitting definitions for “obligation” and they are “something that you must do because of a law, rule, promise...” and “something that you must do because it is morally right.” In this case both definitions fit. The rule of “law” will bite you in the butt if you accidentally shoot an innocent bystander in a use of force situation. Again that may be civil and/or criminal in nature, but rest assured it will happen. The second part fits because when you shoot someone, assuming they even live, you can expect one or more incredibly invasive medical procedures (such as surgery), heartache and worry from their family, medical bills galore, pain, possible loss of a limb or bodily function, rehabilitation time, and in all probability serious psychological damage from living through an extremely traumatic experience. God forbid they actually die either from the gunshot or complications resulting from the gunshot later down the road. In other words, the bullet that leaves your gun has the potential to ruin a life, even if the person who is hit survives.

We've all heard the cliché' “you own every bullet that comes out of your gun.” The fact is, you do. Even though the NYPD officers in the above scenario did not have to face any kind of civil or criminal penalties, they will still carry the pain and suffering of every one of their victims with them for the rest of their lives. They will still be viewed as the guys who “sprayed and prayed” rounds all over downtown New York City in the eyes of their management and peers. In other words, they didn't get off without injury to themselves and neither will you, no matter how things turn out.

So do the right thing, if you carry a gun that may be potentially used in a deadly force scenario, seek professional training and practice, practice, practice. When someone is pointing a gun at you and possibly shooting in your direction, that is not the time to try and figure out what to do and/or discover that you lack the skills necessary for the situation. Assuming you even live through the experience, you may potentially alter forever the lives of those around you, the lives of those in your family who depend upon you, and of course your own life.

Update 3/31/15: The author is not a lawyer, nor does he play one in the bar to pick up chicks.  The above post is not, nor is it intended to be interpreted as "legal advice."  If you wish to get legal advice, hire a lawyer and stop browsing the web.  ;)

"So there I was": Tactical Tommy Goes to 7-11

As I was leaving my house I stuffed my Glock 10mm "man gun" Mexican style in my pants. My backup is a fully customized 1911 with all the IPSC add on options in my $500.00 leather pancake holster which was custom made by Belgian Monks who have devoted their lives to silence and holster making. These are the ones used by SEAL Team 6, which I used to be a part of but all records of my activities were destroyed in a fire "accident.”

I put on my Royal Robbins photographer vest to match my pants while wearing a T-Shirt underneath that read "from my cold dead hands,” that way nobody can see what I'm packing.  I had my Centennial .38 Special in my ankle holster, just like the gun rag guys carry, so you know it’s good.  Lastly I had my "Covert Sniper" I.D. card in my wallet with my "Concealed Weapons Permit Badge." I was ready for anything.

I drove my Bug Out Truck to the 7-11 for some beer, cause you never know. It is a performance styled Subaru BRAT with 4 cylinders of ground pounding fury.  As I pull up to the 7-11 store I notice a nefarious looking girl scout eyeballing me from the back of her mother's SUV, a likely cover.

The mother returned to the truck and went for the keys in her purse, but I knew from my years of combat honed instincts that she was actually making a furtive movement for an offensive weapon.  I attempted a tactical shoulder roll, but fell flat on my face, kind of flopping on the pavement to avoid any incoming rounds and to make look like I meant to do that. The store owner shouted something and called 911, which was good because I then did a roll and attempted to draw my Glock, ready to issue some justice.

Unfortunately, since I did not have a holster, the gun "went off" and the bullet creased my wiener. But I was prepared for that and bit down on a 10mm casing to take my mind off the pain as I dove for the garbage barrel. That’s when I noticed the Girl Scout shouting something to her mother who began to take cover. I knew they were closing on me so I drew my custom trusty 1911 Wilson COMBAT. I knew that they would be impressed with that gun. I then duck walked to the front of her SUV but my gut got in the way and I fell on my ass, which caused me to swallow the 10mm casing I was clenching in my teeth.

I then tried to roll to my right, but didn't want to scuff my holster so I attempted a mid air conversion and just threw myself into a telephone pole, but I landed on right side anyway. So I fired one shot towards the woman’s SUV to pin them down as I recovered my wind.

And before the mother knew what was happening, I charged her and threw my groin into her knee. I knew that as I vomited on the ground in front of her that I had interrupted her OODA loop. I had the advantage of surprise now. As she ran screaming for the Girl Scout (I knew she was going for backup) I made for my Super Charged BRAT tactical truck. I jumped into the driver seat forgetting that I had left my rare Israeli contract AR 15 Bayonet on the seat. The bayonet was honed to a razors edge, which sank quickly into my buttocks like a hot knife through butter. I could handle it though; half my ass is an implant from war wounds. As I attempted to start my truck police and paramedics arrived on the scene. My truck would not start and instead backfired once and caused the police to Taser me, at which point I tactically soiled myself while in convulsions. My custom 1911 then fell out the window but I still had my Centennial .38. I knew that I had to take out the woman with the purse.

So I aimed my revolver at her at which point the first police officer fired once striking me in the chest, fortunately I was wearing my level 3A body armor. I didn't want to hurt the cops, they had obviously been duped by the evil temptress who was now embracing her partner in crime and crying to the police in the background, I knew it was a ruse.

I pulled out my concealed weapons permit badge and showed it to the officer who shot me and yelled out "I'm one of you guys", he continued to cover me and ordered me to drop my .38 so I lay it down, I still had my bayonet embedded in my ass after all. The cop walked toward me and upon reading the badge maced me right in the eyes. Fortunately my Oakley shooting glasses stopped most of the spray and I was able to rip free of the Taser cords, an act that only cost me one nipple, easily replaced. I dove for the passenger side of my truck and began to run zig zag for a ditch, unfortunately the bayonet sticking out of my ass slowed me down. It would have to be hand to hand then. I knew the cop couldn't take me when I saw he carried a mere 9mm Glock 17, which everyone knows is not a man’s gun. So I immediately threw my eye into his right hook, followed by a knee into his mag light. As I lay thrashing on the ground I took the heel of my Bates enforcer boot and kicked at the cops ankle, I knew that from my classified experiences in Tajikistan that once breaking the ankle, the cop would fall down and I could "stun kick" him in the head, which would knock him but not seriously hurt him.

Apparently the cop had also been to Tajikistan because he side stepped me and struck me in the back with his ASP baton, but my trauma plate absorbed it. I then drew my Benchmade auto knife and was promptly Tased again, but I was ready for it this time and only wet myself a little bit.

Next thing those cops knew I was unconscious. That'll teach 'em.