Consider the modification

[Trapper Jim]

Do you consider kydex plastic?

Are dots the same as rmr style red dots?

plastic, polymer, Kydex etc are great names To help sell the product. Just like Beef sounds better than dead cow tissue. I use Some from Blade Tech and a few Red Hill for the games or casual plinking. But for serious carry, Kydex has less cohesion, noisy and parts that can fail like rivets, screws, back plates, retention levers and such. For me street carry means eliminating the chance of fails. The scabbard OWB Kydex disarms too easy. We see this constantly in the games and in training. You can always tell the insecure Holster shooter that feels he must hold the his pistol in the holster While running, setting poppers, exercising, jumping in and out of pick up beds etc. A few years back at a match, we had a shooter trip On a target stand and fall backwards on The gravel. Her 19 left her holster when she hit the ground. Perhaps in my lifetime Dots (RMR or any other fragile electronic display rigs) may be proven more reliable. I just won’t trust my life to Duracell yet. Plus the fact that “I couldn’t find my dot” is a great excuse in the games but on the street...not so much. Thanks for the question and good luck to you.

 

[lovemachine]

plastic, polymer, Kydex etc are great names To help sell the product. Just like Beef sounds better than dead cow tissue. I use Some from Blade Tech and a few Red Hill for the games or casual plinking. But for serious carry, Kydex has less cohesion, noisy and parts that can fail like rivets, screws, back plates, retention levers and such. For me street carry means eliminating the chance of fails. The scabbard OWB Kydex disarms too easy. We see this constantly in the games and in training. You can always tell the insecure Holster shooter that feels he must hold the his pistol in the holster While running, setting poppers, exercising, jumping in and out of pick up beds etc. A few years back at a match, we had a shooter trip On a target stand and fall backwards on The gravel. Her 19 left her holster when she hit the ground. Perhaps in my lifetime Dots (RMR or any other fragile electronic display rigs) may be proven more reliable. I just won’t trust my life to Duracell yet. Plus the fact that “I couldn’t find my dot” is a great excuse in the games but on the street...not so much. Thanks for the question and good luck to you.

Sure, I can see that with the $20-$40 cheap holsters like fobus and Blackhawk. But not the more expensive holsters like RCS, Dale Fricke, etc. Quality holsters can still be made of kydex.

 

[gregkl]

I'm curious as to what military and police use for holsters. Does anyone know?

If it is plastic, what kind of failure rate do they see.

I have leather holsters and I have kydex also. My leather holsters are OWB pancake style so nothing really to fail.

 

[COOPADUP]

Plus holsters are evolving all the time.
Still a fan of the real kydex products. The retention click has a reassurance of control.

 

[gregkl]

Since we are talking holsters right now, does anyone have any experience with NSR OWB holsters? I'm considering one but they won't take it back if I'm not satisfied and I won't buy holsters anymore without a satisfaction guarantee.

Apologies for the slight thread drift.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

I'm curious as to what military and police use for holsters. Does anyone know?

If it is plastic, what kind of failure rate do they see.

I have leather holsters and I have kydex also. My leather holsters are OWB pancake style so nothing really to fail.

Both of my sons are Infantry Marines and they are issued drop leg plastic Blackhawks...

View attachment 90013

 

[churchmouse]

Both of my sons are Infantry Marines and they are issued drop leg plastic Blackhawks...

View attachment 90013

I love my black Hawks. But they are only useful in the winter for me. Unless I want to Lone Ranger open carry. Which is not my preferred mode but in these troubled times it does seem to be more prudent.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

I love my black Hawks. But they are only useful in the winter for me. Unless I want to Lone Ranger open carry. Which is not my preferred mode but in these troubled times it does seem to be more prudent.

I'm with you, I prefer my horsehide. But I am shifting over from a 226 to carrying a M17 in a Blackhawk, maybe horsehide down the road, So when I do I just wear a big Tee shirt.
But now on INGO I have learned that...
Plastic holsters and guns are bad.
Plastic followers are bad.
Painted guns are bad.
Extended mags are bad.
Lightweight frames are bad.
Rails are bad.

I need to reevaluate my choice of carry guns, because I have been doing it wrong for decades... Who knew....
Is 9mm still ok?.... Asking for a friend

 

[churchmouse]

I'm with you, I prefer my horsehide. But I am shifting over from a 226 to carrying a M17 in a Blackhawk, maybe horsehide down the road, So when I do I just wear a big Tee shirt.
But now on INGO I have learned that...
Plastic holsters and guns are bad.
Plastic followers are bad.
Painted guns are bad.
Extended mags are bad.
Lightweight frames are bad.
Rails are bad.

I need to reevaluate my choice of carry guns, because I have been doing it wrong for decades... Who knew....
Is 9mm still ok?.... Asking for a friend

I have a BlackHawk for my Springer Tactical 10mm that sports a light for night carry. That holster is a beast.
I have a couple of railed hand guns. I like them..... (That is for any and all Nay-Sayers)
I prefer Horse Hyde but plastic works for some situations.
Almost all of my 1911's have a ceracoat color applied. My EDC is just now showing some wear from riding IWB for well over a year. When it gets to a point I will have it re-done maybe in a nice Hello-Kitty color.
I have extended mags but mainly for range use and home defense.

Yeah 9mm is bad.....

 

[gregkl]

Both of my sons are Infantry Marines and they are issued drop leg plastic Blackhawks...

View attachment 90013

Tell them I appreciate their service!

 

[Clay Pigeon]

Tell them I appreciate their service!

I will thank you....

 

[lovemachine]

Since we are talking holsters right now, does anyone have any experience with NSR OWB holsters? I'm considering one but they won't take it back if I'm not satisfied and I won't buy holsters anymore without a satisfaction guarantee.

Apologies for the slight thread drift.

I have a NSR Appendix holster. They make very nice quality holsters. I wouldn’t be afraid to buy one.

 

[johny5]

Both of my sons are Infantry Marines and they are issued drop leg plastic Blackhawks...

View attachment 90013

I was in the Big Green Gun Club, too. I had a similar drop-leg holster. It withstood a tremendous amount of abuse - far beyond what most holsters would see in a lifetime of civilian service.

 

[drillsgt]

I'm curious as to what military and police use for holsters. Does anyone know?

If it is plastic, what kind of failure rate do they see.

I have leather holsters and I have kydex also. My leather holsters are OWB pancake style so nothing really to fail.

Leather holsters can have their own issues, especially cheap ones. Leather can get soft as it ages and if the mouth is not reinforced can start to curl in on itself (remember the Glock ND pic with part of the leather stuck in the trigger guard). Even some pricier mass produced ones like Galco can start to show this after only a few years. With a good molded horsehide from say Kramer they are good to go though.

 

[drillsgt]

Out of your list I can agree on these:


Porting
Nothing less than 4lb trigger pull
Recoil Buffers
Trigger Shoes of any kind
Oversized Mag releases
Oversized Slide Stops
Oversized Cylinder releases
Taped Safeties
Fat Target grips

 

[ditcherman]

This has been a nice thread to read, surprisingly.

If you’ve never tried a Safariland ALS with the fabric lining, it may change you opinion of “plastic” holsters. They are very nice, with fantastic retention and a very nice natural draw.

I have a new p320 with the forbidden dot, and there is no way an ALS will work, so my gears are turning. I went with a KT Mech, $40, built to order and fantastic service. All that to say that I’m generally turned off by Blackhawk type stuff, but this was 40 well spent.

I will also just add that when I build my leather/Kydex IWB I do try to add some retention into it with the trigger guard, I could definitely do somersaults or fall and retain the gun.

YMMV.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Out of your list I can agree on these:


Porting
Nothing less than 4lb trigger pull
Recoil Buffers
Trigger Shoes of any kind
Oversized Mag releases
Oversized Slide Stops
Oversized Cylinder releases
Taped Safeties
Fat Target grips

Thanks for your input. When there is an insightful topic many can learn or relearn or reaffirm our choices in equipment. In other words there is no right or wrong but only the intelligence to debate and challenge ourselves for the better.

 

[Trapper Jim]

This has been a nice thread to read, surprisingly.

If you’ve never tried a Safariland ALS with the fabric lining, it may change you opinion of “plastic” holsters. They are very nice, with fantastic retention and a very nice natural draw.

I have a new p320 with the forbidden dot, and there is no way an ALS will work, so my gears are turning. I went with a KT Mech, $40, built to order and fantastic service. All that to say that I’m generally turned off by Blackhawk type stuff, but this was 40 well spent.

I will also just add that when I build my leather/Kydex IWB I do try to add some retention into it with the trigger guard, I could definitely do somersaults or fall and retain the gun.



YMMV.

Actually I have an ALS and other Safariland holsters. Good stuff. Not sure what YMMV is but the real point is what works for you. Can I ask how many presentations from your carry holster you make in an average week?

 

[ditcherman]

Actually I have an ALS and other Safariland holsters. Good stuff. Not sure what YMMV is but the real point is what works for you. Can I ask how many presentations from your carry holster you make in an average week?

YMMV is your mileage may vary. Stating the realization that what works for one might not for another, or as you eloquently put it above, along the lines of debate and challenging ourselves for the better.
IBTL is in before the lock, which maybe you've realized can happen around here from time to time, which you asked about upthread.

Presentations? Haha, not enough. I do practice my draw, but not regularly enough, and it also depends on the season and what I'm dressing for in general as to what that draw might look like. Lately there has been a lot of range time with a battle belt or a drop leg in general and a lot of drawing. I know that's totally different than an IWB draw from concealment, which is what I'm assuming you're asking about but not sure why. The main retention in the IWB is obviously from the belt, but a nice tight mold in general but specifically to the trigger guard gives a bit of a 'pop' on the draw, IMO.
To be specific, maybe 10 or 20 a week, mostly on those days that I'm going to IWB carry. Why do you ask?

 

[Trapper Jim]

YMMV is your mileage may vary. Stating the realization that what works for one might not for another, or as you eloquently put it above, along the lines of debate and challenging ourselves for the better.
IBTL is in before the lock, which maybe you've realized can happen around here from time to time, which you asked about upthread.

Presentations? Haha, not enough. I do practice my draw, but not regularly enough, and it also depends on the season and what I'm dressing for in general as to what that draw might look like. Lately there has been a lot of range time with a battle belt or a drop leg in general and a lot of drawing. I know that's totally different than an IWB draw from concealment, which is what I'm assuming you're asking about but not sure why. The main retention in the IWB is obviously from the belt, but a nice tight mold in general but specifically to the trigger guard gives a bit of a 'pop' on the draw, IMO.
To be specific, maybe 10 or 20 a week, mostly on those days that I'm going to IWB carry. Why do you ask?

Thank you. I ask because what is a lot to some people is not that much to others. Like Dryfiring is to trigger control, practicing presentations is the road to accurate fast first shots. For me the presentation starts with the choice of equipment to busting the cap. You can not practice it enough IMHO. It’s the only way to the economy of motion and confidence one needs to bring the gun into play swiftly including reholstering with one hand without looking. Then, I practice some more. I do a minimum of 300 a week and sometimes that Many a day. I see way to many CCW peeps that Are not fluid in their presentations. It is this awkwardness that can interfere with a successful shooting.

again, thank you for your question and good luck.