AIWB Holsters Trial Results

Late last year I acquired seven AIWB (Appendix Inside Waist Band) holsters for testing and review. There are many, many such holsters on the market now, some good, and some not so good. I could have asked for and received more holsters but to have been even-handed in my testing, it would have taken me far too long to use each one long enough to provide a fair evaluation. So, I chose these as my guinea pigs: Cook's IWB Holster with Adjustable Belt Clip, their #1 best seller currently; G-Code Holster's Incog Eclipse; Blade-Tech's Klipt. I also tested four Remora holsters: the standard no-clip holster, the Micro,  the Carbon Carry Hybrid holster, and the Clip IWB holster.

I carried my S&W M&P Shield in these holsters over a period of half a year, alternating them, getting each experience in my daily carry activities, winter, spring and summer. This is important since, like most of you, my activities vary from day to day and week to week. As the seasons change, so do my clothing needs and preferences. A good holster should be adaptable to all of these varying conditions and requirements. As you will see, some were, and some were not. I will discuss each holster in turn, then my conclusions at the end of this article.


Cook's IWB Holster with Adjustable Belt Clip

Cook's with the Shield
body side

Cook's with the Shield
belt side

This is a kydex holster with carbon fiber imprint. It has an ABS 1 1/2" belt clip that is adjustable for cant. The holster was shipped with an extra 1.75" clip.

As you can tell from the photos, the quality of this holster is right up there with the best. Fine attention to detail. Smooth edges and corners. The carbon imprint (an option) is flawless. The Shield fits perfectly. The tension was as I like it originally and I never had to adjust it, although a screw is placed correctly if that is needed.

The sweat guard works as it should and is no bigger than it needs to be. Note that the magazine release is also covered. For AWIB carry I settled on the 1.5" clip, slightly canted as you see. Gave it the best concealment under a T-shirt, which are the mainstays of my summer wardrobe.

The Cook's holster is easy on and easy off yet holds to the belt firmly and won't come off unless you open the clip and deliberately take it off. I carried this one many times and it was always comfortable, didn't pinch or poke and holstered easily and unholstered just as nicely. I found that it conceals your weapon very well. I have worn the Shield in this holster to many public events, all day, under a basic T-shirt and no one has ever been the wiser. After one all-day outing my wife asked me after we returned home if I carried a gun that day. Silly question, but still it spoke volumes about this holster.

G-Code Holster's Incog Eclipse

G-Code Incog Eclipse

G-Code Incog Eclipse

G-Code says that their INCOG series holsters are "joint development projects between Haley Strategic Partners and G-Code Holsters."
As with the Cook's holster, this is a single-clip, kydex (I think. More on this later on...) holster that has what G-Code refers to as "tactical fuzz" bonded to the outer surface. This "fuzz" is what G-Code calls a suede-like synthetic outer laminate which is supposed to dampen noise during movement and reduce the "reflective signature in the IR spectrum and blend with the surrounding environment." All this may be true in certain situations, but for an AIWB holster the fuzz's main advantage is comfort and friction. I'm not overly worried about reflective IR signatures or blending in with AIWB carry.

Of all of the holsters I tested for this writeup, I found the Eclipse to be the best. It wasn't far and away more comfortable than Cook's, but I think the "fuzz" is a bit softer, tends to grab a bit more on my clothing and doesn't move around much at all. For me, I'd say I prefer it. Not by a lot, but still I tended to reach for the Eclipse instead of the Cook's more often.

I haven't found the need to change the position of the clip but it is easily done. The aluminum stand-off looks kind of funky at first, but it is solid and puts the clip out even with the holster body. Note that the clip is sprung outward and is plastic, not metal. I hate metal clips. Thin, springy, sharp and tend to catch on things and are pretty obvious. Not this one. It flexes open easily, grabs the belt, even my thin nylon one, tenaciously and somehow almost disappears. How do they do that?

And, it's a 'tuckable'. I hardly ever tuck my shirt over my weapon. I've done it, and it works, but typically I don't bother.

Blade-Tech's Klipt

Blade-Tech Klipt

This holster is a less expensive and basic version of the Cook's and Eclipse holsters, and many other similarly designed kydex holsters on the market. Its main virtue is the cost: $29 msrp. This is likely due to the fact that these holsters are moulded from injected thermoplastic, not kydex. Can't tell you much more than that except I would venture that because they are moulded on an assembly line, Blade-Tech can produce in volume and bring the costs down.

Injection moulding can produce as fine a holster as kydex, so don't let that stand in the way of regarding the holster for what it is and what it can do. I'd say that this holster performs all of the functions as the previous two almost as well at far less. The Klipt concealed and secured the Shield as well as the Cook's or Eclipse, stayed where I put it, is lightweight and offers an easy draw and re-holster. It certainly came in third in the comfort department, but not by much. There were times, when wearing it all day, that I would have been hard pressed to quickly declare which of the three holsters I had on.

There is not much more to say other than if you want an inexpensive yet quality AIWB holster, this one is definitely worth consideration.

Remora

Remora holsters have been a conundrum for me since I got my first one almost five years ago. I have used pretty much all of their holsters except for their new shoulder holster rig. Sometimes I love them. Sometimes I don't. When the pistol comes out of the carry holster for the day, it goes into a Remora and into the drawer or safe. If I keep a pistol close by in the house, it will be in a Remora. If I zip out to the yard or maybe just down to the store, I may slide the pistol in a Remora under my waistband and take off.

Other times when I'm moving about a lot, like sitting, kneeling and bending, the Remora will work up from it's AIWB position and I can feel it riding too high under my belt and have to take the time to reposition it. I was doing yard work one day and my Remora-clad LCP fell out onto the lawn.

I strongly suspect that if I carried in the strong-side position, I would not have this issue. But, I don't.

So, I have this odd relationship with the Remora. I have some. I use them often, but not for extended out-in-the-world concealed carry. I reviewed the newer ones below.

Standard no-clip holster

Remora standard clipless holster

This is the one that sometimes gives me fits. It is a high-friction, clipless holster with a smooth interior for an easy draw, and high-friction outer material to adhere between your waistband and body, or undershirt. It's biggest drawbacks are, using it in the AIWB position, it's tendency to work up and out of the waistband position, and the inability to re-holster with one hand. (I don't buy the notion that this isn't necessary. One may have one hand occupied with supporting or helping another person, or that hand or arm may be injured so that two hands are necessary to put the gun safely away.)


Micro

Remora Micro

The Micro is essentially a standard Remora holster, open at the bottom as well as the top, with a swiveling metal clip attached. These modification perform two functions: the open bottom allows similarly shaped guns with varying barrel lengths to fit. It is much like the 'belt slide' design, but for IWB carry. The swiveling clip – why they put the clip on a swivel is beyond me – keeps the small surface area holster in place. And makes it tuckable.

This is a surprisingly comfortable holster and pretty much disappears under a light shirt. Two handed holstering is a must. But, I don't like steel clips and the bottom of the clip-swivel sometimes hangs up trying to don the holster.

It is inexpensive. It works. Of bells and whistles, there are none.

Carbon Carry Hybrid holster

Remora Carbon Carry with Shield

The Carbon Copy is Remora's foray into the world of standard type hybrid holsters. I think the main difference is Remora's "no-slip" material on the back side of the leather backing which enhances it's IWB capability. Otherwise, it is very similar to other hybrid design holsters with leather backing and kydex shells. Better made than some, especially the Crossbreed brand.

I have tried this holster for AIWB and although it works, it is better used for strong side carry in my opinion. The Remora folks also advertise this as an optional OWB carry holster and it probably will work that way too, but I didn't try it.

Clip IWB holster

Remora IWB Clip (Remora's photo)

I have used Remora's photo of this holster because I found the holster to be unsatisfactory and took none with my gun inserted. The basic idea is good, and one I had implemented before on a Remora holster, although in a different fashion. Turing the "clipless" holster into a "clip" holster is a means to overcome the tendency of the clipless design to work up and out of the waistband when carried in the appendix or cross draw positions. I earlier took a Remora clipless with mag pouch attached, drilled a hole between the holster and mag pouch, on the sewn seam there, and attached a kydex clip to it. This worked perfectly in the AIWB position, being comfortable (the wide surface area of the holster plus mag pouch contributing to that) and the clip kept it in place.

This design, from Remora, on the other hand has a big problem. It is very difficult to put on and even harder to take off. The metal clip is fitted over a loop sewn onto the holster. The clip stays there because there is a short lip bent into the end of the clip so that it can't slide back off the loop. The end of the clip that goes over the belt is also bent down into a channel and back up forming a lip. Getting the clip over your belt and waistband is hard due to the bend of the clip at the bottom of the loop – it catches something, pants, belt, and snags up. After you do manage to get your belt over that lip and under the clip proper, it holds tight. Trying to remove the clip is a struggle. You have to seriously pull the clip apart, no easy task for some of us with old and or weaker hands, then struggle to get that lip at the end of the loop to release the belt.

I tried this a number of times and finally gave up.

Remora, use a good plastic clip and attach it securely to the holster in such a way that it doesn't interfere with getting the holster on and off. And, forget the swivel thing.

Conclusion

After months of use and testing, it has come down to a toss-up between the Cook's holster and the Eclipse. I am leaning more toward the Eclipse for two reasons: 1. the holster is a bit smaller and the tactical fuzz makes it a bit, but not a lot, more comfortable, and 2. the clip is better.

After extensive use of holsters for mid-sized semi-autos like the Shield and the Ruger SR9c I have come to favor the minimal designs. Less is more in the sense of, with the right design, an AIWB holster should be as small and unobtrusive as possible while meeting the requirements of security, accessibility, concealment and comfort. Personally, I find a small, conforming excellently designed synthetic holster to be much more useable, comfortable and secure than a slab of leather, clips and kydex or plastic stuck inside my pants.

For the ones I tested for this article I am declaring the G-Code Eclipse as the one that meets my requirements the best.

Cook’s Holsters – The Chef’s Surprise

Cook's IWB adjustable clip holster with the S&W M&P Shield

Cook's IWB adjustable clip holster

Cook's IWB adjustable clip holster, body side

Cook's IWB adjustable clip holster with the Shield, body side.

Last year I embarked on a project to find excellent IWB holsters for we civilians who carry concealed in everyday life. There are, of course, literally hundreds of holster makers out there vying for our money. Some of them are established, large businesses that also make other gear for law enforcement and military use. Some are medium to small businesses making gear of their own design to their own specifications and quality requirements. Some are people working out of their garages and basements making gear they believe in, and a few others are turing out cheap knock-offs to make some quick money.

Although one has perhaps too many choices in holsters, and most of us accumulate a box full of rejects while looking for the right one, holsters are a most important part of a person’s every day carry gear. You will see some people who have expensive handguns of which they are inordinately proud, but carry them in inexpensive holsters that may confer potential liability for the shooter. I have also seen some people who have inexpensive but well cared for handguns holstered in quality holsters that will always be ready to do their job effectively, every time. If you carry a handgun, you need, absolutely need, a quality holster.

A quality holster will do a number of things very well. It will keep your gun securely contained while protecting the trigger at all times. It will be constructed so that your handgun is easily accessed when needed, but will not come out unless you draw it. It will be designed to ride in the position you choose for carry, and not wobble, twist, or deform. It will be acceptably comfortable. I

t will be constructed so that it is ready for one-hand re-holstering without taking one's eyes off of the scene to search for the holster’s opening. Although some firearms pundits and internet ‘experts’ claim this is not necessary, they are wrong. There may be occasions when one needs absolutely to quickly and securely re-holster one’s firearm: if one is helping an injured person or shielding a child, or if one’s weak-side arm or hand is injured, or if the fight is probably over and the police are arriving. You do not want to be waving a gun around when the police are trying to sort out who they bad guys are.

After much trial and error, and as I’ve become more and more comfortable with concealed carry over the years, I have settled on appendix carry for 90% of my carry time. It just makes sense considering my life style and where I go and how I dress. Appendix carry makes getting to your gun easier and quicker while walking, standing or sitting, in the car or on the street. And, it is easily concealable even under a simple shirt. There are some who will not consider appendix carry because they have a fear of shooting themselves in the stomach, groin or leg when drawing or re-holstering their gun. It should be noted that many people and professionals choose this type of carry especially when concealment and quick access is primary. Given the fact that a modern semi auto handgun, even those without a manual safety like the enormously popular Glock, do not just go off by themselves, but require a positive, trigger pull, it only makes sense that keeping one's finger off of the trigger until ready to fire is a cardinal rule not to be broken. Allied with this is the necessity to keep any other object away from the trigger during holstering or re-holstering. That's where a plastic or kydex holster comes into it's own. They don't (or shouldn't, if the right holster is chosen) deform or collapse like fabric or leather holsters may do, especially after they are older. Keeping one's clothing out of the way when drawing or re-holstering is the shooter's responsibility regardless of the holster.

As I've mentioned before, there lives in our little town a retired law enforcement officer who often goes armed around town with his Glock stuck into the waistband of his jeans. No holster. No trigger shroud. He likes to call this "Mexican carry" and thinks he knows what he is doing. A few of us have reflected on how long it will be before he creates a negligent discharge. Speaking with him about the dangers of this to him and possibly others hasn't done much good. Maybe we should just take up a collection and buy him a holster?

Most of the various holsters I have used over the years are languishing in a box or have been sold. I’ve used leather, hybrid, synthetic, plastic and kydex holsters. For IWB appendix carry holster for my M&P Shield I reach for my Cook’s Holster’s IWB with the adjustable belt clip. Mine is made of 0.080” Kydex. Cook’s offers other thicknesses, but his one is light, strong and will not change shape. I could probably stand on it without damaging it. It has an ABS injection molded plastic belt clip that is strong, flexible and easy to slip on and off over the belt. Once it clicks into place, it stays put. The clip is wide enough to keep the holster and gun from rotating, and shaped on the end so that it’s easy to manipulate, but doesn’t stick out like those awful metal clips which are just waiting to sang on your shirt or sweater.

The other fine points worth mentioning are the sight channel built into the holster. No chance of your gun’s sight being snagged during the draw. The holster has a built-in sweat shield and sports a retention adjustment screw.

I have worn this holster in the appendix, cross draw and strong side positions to test its flexibility in placement. It rides extremely well in any of those positions and with the adjustable cant from the belt clip screws is readily adaptable when you wish to carry in different positions.

I have carried my Shield in many different places and situations riding in this holster. It is comfortable as a hybrid leather and kydex holster, and to my mind better, because it is easier to re-holster into, doesn’t move and I don’t have a large swath of leather and two clips to deal with. This is important when I need to quickly remove the gun and holster, then just as quickly and easily slip it back into place and secure it to my belt. Try that with a hybrid two-clip leather/kydex holster.

I’ve been using this Cook’s holster for the better part of a year, summer, fall and winter and I’ve yet to find something to complain about.

If you are serious about an everyday carry holster that offers quality, durability and is just plain outstanding at what it does, consider a Cook’s holster. They are plain outstanding kick-ass holsters. I call them “Chef’s” holsters, they are that good.

Another future candidate: G-Code's INCOG holster system.

I am looking for other candidates for my personal favorite IWBA (In Waist Band Appendix) carry holster for the S&W M&P Shield. I have been reading and seeing video reviews on G-Code's offering in this area. It's an injection moulded holster that can be part of a modular system, can be adjusted for different carry positions (not just appendix), has the ability to attach a magazine carrier, and has a unique coating called 'tactical fuzz'. It is getting very positive reviews. I hope to have one for testing and to report back here soon.

SwapRig - Intelligent Design, Quality Holsters

A few weeks ago I saw a reference to a new, to me, holster – SwapRig.   I have seen and tried many holsters over the years but this was a new name for me, so I traveled over to their website for a look. While the basic design is similar to the ordinary leather/kydex hybrid holster, SwapRig's owner and holster maker, John Malucky, has come up with a unique way to offer a very good holster, good concealment and comfort, quality of materials and workmanship plus, and this is where it gets interesting, the ability to use one SwapRig holster to accommodate hundreds of guns. That's right, hundreds of handguns.

Got my attention.

SwapTuck set up for a Ruger SR9c

Reverse of the SwapTuck showing the adjustment system. Note that the four center star nuts do not have to be removed for adjustments or holster shell swaps – an important point. The clips can be easily moved because the nuts used do not stab into the leather, but fit neatly into the punched holes.

SwapTuck with the shell removed. You could now slip in any of John's shells for practically any other handgun, tighten the four screws in the rails, and you have a 'new' holster.

My carry handguns range from a Ruger SR9c to a Ruger LCP – two significantly different sized guns. I have, of course, different holsters for each. I was intrigued by the idea that I could buy one Swap Rig, say for the LCP, and also carry the SR9c in the same rig. It works like this. John makes a kydex shell for many different handguns that will exactly replace the shell on any Swap Rig holster chassis. Loosen the four screws holding a shell, slip it off the rails on the holster chassis, slip on a different kydex shell for a different handgun, tighten the screws and shazam! you have a holster that will precisely hold that other gun. And the shells cost $18.75 each.

Really.

I did exactly that with the LCP holster. (See photo below.) I will say that the chassis – the leather component of the holster – is made wider to cover more surface area for larger guns than for smaller ones, but other than that, it works just fine. I often prefer a smaller backing area on double-clip hybrids anyway, and the SwapRig system allows me to select the size of the holster I prefer for the style of carry I'm interested in, and use it for any gun I happen to have. Nice. Very nice.

John was kind enough to provide a few holsters for me to try out and report on here. I have three different sizes and styles of holsters, two of which also have the capability to be carried IWB or OWB. I have shells for the LCP, SR9c and the Ruger SR22-P. I'll report on those as we go along, but I would note now that changing between OWB and IWB is simply done by including leather belt loops on the back side of the small holster, and slots in the leather for the medium sized holster. It's merely a matter of removing the clips, which is easily done with the great "T" handled Allen wrench John includes with each holster.

When John's package arrived I was in for another pleasant and unusual surprise. Customer service. That's a concept that is often more lip service than actual practice, but not with John. I've received holsters that have been dropped into a thick envelope and sent in the mail. None have been actually mangled, but often I receive only an envelope or a box containing a holster. That's it. I opened John's box to find all of the holsters individually and neatly wrapped along with a comprehensive set of instructions, the necessary tool you will need, and a kydex backing plate for those who might prefer additional retention on a holster. (Mine definitely don't need that, but if I wanted it, John supplies the means to achieve it easily.)

See the photos below for a look at what you get and how it's packaged for you. Outstanding.

An explanation of the different holsters, and instructions for set up, use and swapping new shells.

The CargoPack, for cargo pants pocket carry.

The CargoPack holster.

For example, this is how the SwapTuck arrived.

Unwrapping the SwapTuck reveals this.

The MiniSwap IWB & OWB holster for the Ruger LCP, with a shell for the Ruger SR9c. Note that the shell for the larger gun fits exactly on the MiniSwap backing.

Obviously, I am impressed with the idea, the quality of the components and way in which John makes them come together, and with the idea that one does not have to buy a separate holster for each gun, or for a gun that will sometimes have a light and or laser attached, and sometimes not. One of the issues with lasers is the need to buy yet more holsters to replace your other non-laser holsters. With SwapRig, this can be easily and inexpensively done.

I will be putting these holsters, and others I have collected for a comparison evaluation, over the next few months, reporting on what I find. Holsters have to be worn and used for a period before other weaknesses or strengths come to light, so my evaluations won't be complete until I've given each of them a thorough test run. Stay tuned.

See SwapRig holsters at: http://www.swaprigholsters.com

Reducing the Inventory. Reducing Complexity. Re-focusing

Ruger SR9c, Comp-Tac Minotaur AIWB, Kytex mag holder.

Bond Arms Snake Slayer, Remora holster,
BA Ammo holder with .410 Personal Defense Rounds

As with so many shooters, my personal inventory of weapons, accessories and holsters has grown far beyond what I need to be well equipped for personal defense.

I also have the proverbial box of holsters, except in my case, it is a large drawer full of holsters. As readers of this blog will note, I've tried and analyzed many holsters over the past months, reporting on what I see as their good and bad points relative to self defense carry. There are many different designs and executions of those designs. There are many ways to carry spare ammunition, a subject that really doesn't lend itself to debate - if you carry for self defense, then be adequately prepared with extra ammo. A gun with no ammo doesn't work. It looks like a gun, but it don't shoot. Case closed.

Laser sights. Night sights. Grips. Mag extenders, modifications (which I don't recommend in general) to the gun... There are many, many ways to spend money on more stuff for more guns.

But, I've come to the conclusion, what's the point? If you are interested in guns, shooting, target practice, and all of that, then fine. There is little limit to what you can spend your money and concentration on. But, if you are primarily interested in carrying a gun for self defense, and the legitimate defense of other innocent people who may need protection, all of the 'noise' of more stuff isn't going to do you much good for a couple of reasons.

One, it really doesn't matter if you have a leather or kydex holster, or mag carrier. It doesn't matter if you carry a Model 1911 .45, or a LCP .380. Strong side carry, cross draw, appendix and anywhere else - it's not all that important to the main goal of being prepared with your pistol for self defense situations. "No," someone is going to say, "you're wrong." Then comes one of the standard arguments: caliber (bigger is better vrs. accuracy trumps caliber), carry style (cross draw is too vulnerable to gun-grabs, and slow vrs. cross draw is better for driving and sitting), or (IWB is too uncomfortable and harder to get to, vrs. OWB less concealable and  harder to get to...)

And so on.

Two, if you have four different holsters, three different styles (IWB, OWB, SOB) and five different guns, you are setting yourself up for confusion, uncertainty and delay when, as the Marines so accurately put it, the shit hits the fan. Take the Bond Arms derringer and the Ruger SR9c for example. I had both of these guns - still have the Ruger - and can speak from experience. As the photos demonstrate above, carrying them in the same manner still presents significant differences and potential difficulties. It's easy enough when I'm just practicing moves like drawing from concealment, safety, presentation, reloading, but if that SHTF moment ever comes, I will be suddenly in full blown, adrenaline fueled, get-it-done-right-now mode. No luxury or time for consideration of what's in my waistband, or where, exactly, it's located.

If I'm carrying the Ruger with the manual safety on (I don't, but I don't recommend this practice to anyone. You have to make your own choices.), I have to click it off when I draw. If I'm carrying the derringer, the safety will be off, but I have to cock the hammer. It's a single action. (Which barrel will fire first? The bottom one for more accuracy and recoil control, if I've remembered to set the hammer accordingly.)

I can quickly squeeze off two, three or four shots (or more) with the Ruger with simple trigger presses. I have to re-cock the derringer with the thumb of my weak hand before I can shoot a second time. Third shot with the derringer? Well, first in the midst of all this fear, panic and craziness, I have to open the barrel latch, swing the barrels up and over, lock them there with my shooting hand thumb, strip out the two shotgun hulls, reach to my ammo carrier, lever up two shells so I can grab two together, bring them up to the gun, which I hope I've remembered to lock upright into my field of vision so I can also assess the situation while seeing the empty chambers, slide two shells into the barrels - all the way in - and close and lock the barrels into the frame. Oh, then I have to re-cock the hammer.

By then, I might be dead.

With the Ruger, once I've emptied the magazine, which will be eleven to eighteen rounds, depending, I have to push the mag release button, hold the gun into my field of view, slide a new magazine from the holder on my weak side, and slap it home and slap the slide back into battery.

Confusion. Mistakes. Too many options for a time that demands simplicity and clarity.

I am simplifying. The Snake Slayer, a fine handgun, is on the block. Someone will like it and find a good use for it. I don't spend much time afoot in snake country, although there are a few 'wild' dogs around here that would benefit from a face full of #4 shot. My holster collection is being reduced to a few that are simple, effective and concealable. I am carrying in only two locations on my body and none of my holsters are so comfortable that I 'forget I have it on'. That's pretty much BS anyway. Your conscious mind will become attuned to a good holster, but it doesn't forget where it is.

There are times and occasions when a good OWB holster works well and is appropriate, like a long day on your feet, walking, at the fair, around town. There are times when appendix carry is better, like in the car, or at the coffee shop or restaurant. Even walking around. My holster requirements have gone down by at least 50%.

The carry guns I depend on now, both Rugers - the SR9c and the LCP look and operate much the same way. Yes, I know that the LCP is hammer fired and the SR9c is striker fired, the triggers are very different, and the magazine capacities are very different. But, my hand and brain knows which is which when I put my hand on the gun and it knows how to achieve a self-defense sight alignment quickly (and when it's too close-quarters to worry about sight, or slide, alignment) with either. All I have to do then is press the trigger. Repeatedly, if necessary.

A couple of simple, effective and reasonably comfortable holsters for each pistol, one for AWIB, one for strong side carry. That's it.

If I need a separate mag carrier, I go with one from Kytex. I've reviewed them on this blog and I still recommend them. None better. With a gun in either carry position, the Kytex mag holder and spare mag is always in the same place. Don't have to worry about that.

Re-focusing
Finally, simplicity applied to self defense shooting itself.
The internet can be a good thing. Yes, there is a lot of crap flying around out there, especially regarding guns, self-defense, the Second Amendment and all, but I watched a couple of enlightening videos recently that I recommend to you. One was an interview by Rob Pincus with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman a literate, educated, soldier, former LEO and student of violence and combat, consultant and author of a Pulitzer nominated book on those topics. He was discussing the concept of the "sheepdog", the title of his new children's book. Now, I'd much earlier seen a video by Nut N Fancy, who is certainly opinionated and knowledgeable, but whose attitudes I don't always agree with. My understanding of 'sheepdog' then was that people who considered themselves to be that kind of person were arrogant and looked down on everyone else, who they, the sheepdogs, were out to protect. Whether the sheep liked it or not. An odious concept at best.

However, hearing Lt. Col. Grossman's explanation of the sheepdog cast a new light on this concept. There are people who rather than run from trouble, run toward it in order to deal with it. Fire fighters. Cops. Military. Teachers in 'bad' schools. Counselors. First responders. The 'average citizen' who rushes in to help or save. These are all sheepdogs and they don't look down on the people who are not. I believe anyone who elects to legally carry a gun for defense must consider themselves to have accepted the role, to some extent, of a sheepdog, if only for one's self and one's family. I believe the commitment goes much further and that, and it becomes a duty of protecting the innocent whenever that is truly necessary, whether through the use of a firearm, or jumping into a burning house trailer to rescue a trapped person. No one can make someone else be a sheepdog, but if you are carrying a gun for defense, you've already signed up.

I have to remark here that on a gun forum I used to moderate we had a few posters who declared that if they were ever in a place where a random shooter went active, their main and only responsibility was to get away to safety. Why, I asked, were the posters carrying a gun in the first place? I would wonder how a person could live with themselves if they had the possibility and means to stop such violence and they crawled out the nearest exit instead.

Re-focusing on the basics of shooting for defense. Obviously, when pushed to the point where there is no alternative but to shoot your weapon, one then is forced from the defensive to the offensive as a matter of survival. Offensive shooting with a handgun is not difficult. Anyone can learn the basics of drawing, presentation to the main target area and squeezing off rounds. You don't have to hit the bull's eye, or the 10 ring. You just have to put rounds into your target, which at normal self defense shooting distances of around 10 to 15 feet, is not difficult to do. If a normal person trains to do only this, that is all that is needed to be effective at self defense shooting.

And, accepting the fact that you are a sheepdog and you are able and committed to shooting the bad guy(s) if required.

Keep it simple. Restrict the number of your carry guns. Two, or three at the most. Make sure they are well maintained and you can shoot accurately enough to hit a man-sized target repeatedly and quickly. Carry in only one or two locations on your person. Avoid fancy or trick holsters. Keep it simple. No matter which caliber or calibers you choose, make sure you can shoot them accurately.

Where it is legal, always carry your gun.
Where it is legal, always carry your gun.
Where it is legal, always carry your gun.

Carry Holster Torture Report

Well, not 'torture' exactly, but significant. I want to report on my experience over the last five days in which I was traveling, working a convention with thousands of people, living in a hotel, up, down, walking around, unloading boxes, going out to dinner with groups of people, etc. All of those things you normally do in a normal month of life, but amplified and crammed into five days.

As my usual mode is to carry whenever legally permitted, I knew I would be packing for all of the time except crashing out in my hotel room, so I needed a good holster that was secure, comfortable and unobtrusive. I took three for the LC9 - a Bullard Belt Slide leather OWB, a pjholster IWB and a basic, plain-Jane Remora.

The short version is that except for one day, when I wore the Bullard with a loose, tropical short-sleeve shirt all day, I ended up with the Remora. The pjholster didn't work for me because I tend to carry appendix style IWB and all of the bending, stooping, carrying, sitting for ten and twelve hours is not comfortable with a kydex holster. At least for me. I do like pjholsters if I'm going with kydex, which I often do around the town, but for this intensive, active period, I found the kydex too uncomfortable.

It's an SR9c in the Remora, but the LC9 is basically the same. (I'll post a photo of the LC9 and the Remora when I get the chance later today.)

The Remora did shift, but really not to any large extent. I never had to re-adjust it or worry about it coming out or being loose.

So, what the week's torture test told me was that the basic Remora worked as advertised and became my almost constant companion. If I had taken a model with a sweat shield, it would have been almost perfect.

Carrying Concealed: the first year

This post is primarily addressed to those who have recently received their concealed carry permits, or are within their first year of actively carrying. Welcome to a new world of increased awareness and responsibility. Awareness of having a weapon stashed somewhere about your person almost all of the time. Awareness of the idea that you think everyone else knows that you are carrying. Awareness that your weapon might not be totally secure in its place or holster. Awareness of your awesome responsibility to be safe and to stay out of confrontations whenever possible. Awareness that you possess access to deadly force. Awareness that innocent people can not be threatened or harmed by the fact of you having a legal gun and possibly being required to use it.

For those new to concealed carry, probably the overriding fact for them is that they have a gun on their person. It is natural to be constantly aware of the weapon - after all, it is not something that most of us have grown up with. A pound or more of cold steel encased in plastic or leather hanging off our belts, tucked inside the waistband of our pants or skirts or in a purse or briefcase is difficult to ignore under normal circumstances. It's always there. It pokes, prods and weighs us down. It bumps into doorways and cars. It is there to be felt when a friend gives you a friendly pat or hug. ("That? Oh, that's my insulin pump." Or, depending on the friend, you can say that's my new 9 mm semi-auto... Wanna see it? I don't recommend disclosing to anyone whom you don't have to that you are legally carrying. Once you tell someone, it is in the "wild". You have no control over who else will know... Not a good idea.)

It is a good idea to practice giving and receiving hugs, being an increasingly normal greeting in some circumstances, so that the other person is redirected from touching your weapon. I've found that some men friends will reach out and give one a friendly pat on the side, about where your kidneys are. Wearing a gun near that position - strong side carry on or behind the hip, a common practice for men - guarantees that such a friendly pat will find your gun. Then what? I've used the 'insulin pump' ploy before, but that's pretty lame and leaves the suspicion that you are hiding something. Which you are. I tend to favor a cross draw or appendix carry position when I know I'm going to be mixing with a lot of people to forestall the good old boy kidney pat, or the friendly females who are into hugging everyone. Once, when a male friend gave me a "hello" pat like that on the street and his hand banged into my pistol under my shirt, he looked at me with a quizzical expression. I just smiled back and carried on like nothing happened. To this day, I still think he isn't sure what happened, but I never admitted carrying, so he doesn't know for sure.

So, finding a carry position that works for you, and a good holster that you can depend on will go a long way to becoming more at ease with concealed carry. My experience is that you will end up with a number of holsters to suit different needs. For example, I recently spent two days traveling to another city, going to restaurants, hotels, stores, walking streets, visiting friends, in and out of the car and in a large movie theatre. I took two guns along. One, a Ruger LCP with a Crimson Trace laser sight, and a Ruger LC9, no laser. I had the LCP in a Remora holster, leather lined with an attached mag pouch. Since I carry this mostly at the cross draw position, this was an excellent package for driving, when I was not wearing a coat or sweater (it was pretty cold outside) and in the dark movie theatre. Slipped between my belt and waistband on my cross draw side, it is totally unobtrusive, comfortable and secure - there is a large amount of surface area with the mag pouch attached and this grips exceedingly well.

Even under a simple long sleeve T-shirt, it's not detectable, and it's accessible when sitting.
Other times, I changed to the LC9 in a D.M. Bullard "Bandit" which I use for either my LC9 or my SR9c as a strong side OWB holster. Being almost a straight drop (small cant) I can also wear this cross draw if I like. When I was carrying one pistol, the other was in my messenger bag along with my iPad, notebook and pens and flashlight. It's become my BUG ( back up gun) bag when I carry two guns. When I know I will be walking a lot and want more comfort with a larger caliber, I favor OWB holsters. Although I like cross draw for most situations, I have still not found an acceptable OWB cross draw for anything larger than a small pistol like the LCP.

Other people's awareness that you are carrying a gun
Unless you are sloppy and careless, or carry without a holster, or in an inferior holster that will allow your gun to fall out on the sidewalk as you exit your car, or on the floor as you bend down in public, or dress so that your gun and holster shows, other people will not know you are carrying. I frequently observe others in public to see if I can determine if they are carrying. So far, unless the gun actually shows by printing badly (once) or is exposed when they reach for something (once), I can't tell. And, considering where I live and how many people own handguns and permits to carry them, I am certain that in any sizable gathering, I am not the only one carrying.

When you are new at this, you will have a tendency to fiddle. Re-adjusting the gun and holster, which, after a brief time of carrying, could be the sign of an inferior or ill-fitting holster. Mostly, assuming you have the holster thing figured out, this is only the result of you being too aware of the gun. It is also a give-away to anyone who is looking for signs. If you think there is a problem with your holster or gun, head to a private area - stalls in a restroom are good - and check it out. And fix it. And, remember, that when you look down and see a small dent in your shirt from the end of the grip, you may know it's from the gun under your belt, but hardly anyone else does, if they even notice it at all. Just looks like another wrinkle to them.

Practice. Practice. Practice.Sometimes awareness comes from the sneaking suspicion that you aren't ready to carry, deploy and use your weapon. Comfort with carrying comes with carrying. If you have decided to do that, then by all means, carry whenever it is legal to do so. Not when it seems important or convenient, but all of the time. If you have to leave your gun behind, like going to the Post Office or Court House, invest in a cable-secured gun box, attach it to your car and lock your gun there until you return. Not convenient but better than leaving it at home. You can never predict when you will be confronted by a situation that calls for self protection.

Practice deploying your gun from your various holsters, quickly, efficiently, safely and properly. Needless to say, do this with an unloaded weapon, with no one else around. If you carry with the safety on, always disengage it a the proper place in your draw sequence. Even if it is already off-safe, it is good practice to swipe it off anyway. Do this while wearing what you normally would wear - shirt, sweater, coat, purse, etc. Do it five hundred times to be sure you can do it right the one time you will need to. Then do it five hundred times from the other holsters and carry positions you will be using. This is a good method to get you to settle on a limited range of carry positions as well as holsters.
Above all, practice drawing, aiming and shooting what you want to hit so that you can be certain of hitting what you aim at, and only what you aim at. Nothing else. In my view, there is only one way of doing this, and it involves a significant investment in time and ammunition, and, of course, money.
Shoot regularly and substantially. Invest in targets, ammunition and training. This isn't target shooting. This is self-defense shooting. Quick, but not blazingly fast. Deliberate, so that you engage the right target. Accurate, so that you hit an appropriately sized target area with all of your rounds. Sufficient, so that you can get two or three rounds into that target area before assessing the situation. (Even though you might be loaded up with eleven rounds, there is no need to practice shooting them all as fast as possible.)

There is a school of thought that a laser sight is a prerequisite, or great benefit to accomplishing good self defense shooting skills. I am in the process of testing this theory, along with a couple of laser sights from major manufacturers. However, my expectations right now are that a laser sight does not excuse one from bearing down and practicing solid self-defense shooting skills so that they are effective and come naturally. I expect that a laser, while offering certain advantages in some circumstances (I will have a better idea about this after I've done my testing and evaluations) will not substitute for the requirement of a significant amount of practice and ammunition expenditure.

To sum up, I think that awareness of having a gun on one's person is a requisite to being a safe and effective practitioner of legally carrying for self defense. The type and level of awareness changes and one gets familiar with the weapon, carry systems and responsibilities inherent in gun ownership and use. Always be aware, but be experienced, trained and effective.

Posted with Blogsy

pjholsters Update

A few months ago I received a new IWB holster for the Ruger LC9 from Paul Giannaula, owner and chief bottle washer at phjolsters.com  I reviewed it here. I was very impressed with the workmanship Paul managed to put into this holster. Kydex holsters can be pretty perfunctory - basic, get the job done, but nothing special. But, Paul's creations are different. The holsters he produces are thin, smooth, well moulded and effective. They are also becoming more popular and with good reason. I hope to highlight some of those reasons here.

A few weeks back I got another pjholster, this time an OWB straight drop belt clip for the LC9.

pjholster OWB for the Ruger LC9 belt clip view
There is a slight cant built into the clip, but not enough to matter for my purposes.

pjholster OWB for the Ruger LC9 end-on view

pjholster OWB for the Ruger LC9 front (outside) view

As I expected it was made to the same high standards as the IWB holster. I adjusted the tension with the single screw on the holster to my liking and slipped it over my belt. First thing I noticed is that it is an exact fit to my 1 1/2" Bear Creek gun belt. The belt clip on this holster is made an integral part of the holster and it's wide enough to solidly lock the holster onto the belt.

The second thing I noticed is that this holster sits tight to the belt and snug to the body. That, combined with the thin kydex Paul uses on this model makes for excellent concealment. There is very little width added to the gun by this holster, and the LC9 is a pretty thin pistol for a 9 mm - one of it's characteristics that makes it an outstanding carry gun - and that, combined with being kept close to the body and locked firmly to the belt gives me the peace of mind to know that it's going to stay where I put it, and it's not going to show under a proper cover garment. Even a loose T-shirt is sufficient to conceal this setup.

Strong side

Showing the thinness of the kydex and how close the holster rides.

Very snug.

Another characteristic of note is the combination of the tension screw with the expertly moulded shape of the holster. The gun snaps in with authority, held securely by the moulded shape of the holster. I played a bit with the tension. With the screw set to a loose tension, the pistol still was grasped securely by the kydex. With the tension screw cranked down, it was somewhat tighter of course, but still easy and smooth to draw. I'm not sure how Paul manages this, but I suspect it is a characteristic of a process that requires time and attention to detail when he makes a holster for a specific gun.

Most of the time, I prefer to carry in the cross draw position, especially when I'm going to get in a lot of car time or sitting around in public time. I always experiment with a new holster to see how it will perform as a cross draw rig. I moved the pjholster and the LC9 around to the cross draw spot. It was like it was made for it. Being a relatively straight drop design, the holster was locked onto the belt and pulled in close. Importantly, it stayed that way.

Moved to the cross draw position.

Same position, showing how it remains close to the body.

Another shot in the same position.

This is more important with a cross draw setup since the butt of the pistol points forward, toward the midline, and if it cants out a bit, you'll have a sharp poky shape pushing out the front of your shirt. Not a good thing.

I have tried a number of holsters made for cross draw and none are completely satisfactory. They have all been leather of various designs intended to keep the holster close and upright, but leather, being what it is, will get some flexibility with wear and I've found that when this happens, the weight of the gun, being mostly above the belt line, will pull it out and away from the body. To counter this you have to cinch your belt tight, tight enough that it is just damn uncomfortable after a while.

I've now come to the conclusion that an effective OWB cross draw holster made for concealment will likely have to be made from kydex. Kydex does not get loose or soft over time. It can be thin enough to not add bulk, and with the right design can be made to stay firm and upright all of the time. I haven't seen one yet, but I'm hopeful. For now, Paul's OWB, belt clip, straight drop is doing the job just fine.

If you are in the market for an OWB design, I suggest you give Paul a try. He has an unconditional 30-day guarantee so you won't have anything to lose and you might find he has the setup for you.