After Holiday Thoughts

The holiday season was busy for us, as I'm sure it was for many of you. Our grown children converged on our little home in the 'sticks'. We live in a county that, literally, has more black bears than any other place in the lower forty-eight according to the wildlife department. We have a local deer herd of about 150 mule deer, with the occasional white tail seen now and then. Deer are always accompanied by a few lions, and we've had those in town too. Within the town limits live less than a thousand souls, with about that many clustered around the outskirts. The nearest stoplight is sixteen miles away.

This is good and bad, depending on your references and needs at the time.

The bad part, in terms of readiness for self defense, is that our local law enforcement organization fluxuates between three employees and zero. Right now we are down to one from a year long high of two. The deputy got himself arrested for domestic violence and fired from the force. Now we have one Marshall, with backup being the county Sheriff Department which is in the town to the east of us with stoplights. So, unless a Sheriff's car is nearby - not too likely - it's a good ten to fifteen minute run from there to here. Does not inspire a high level of confidence that law enforcement will be able to respond quickly in the event of an urgent emergency situation.

Hence, the need for self defense.

Being in an essentially rural area of southern Colorado, it is a good bet that the majority of households here house at least one gun. A shotgun or .22 if nothing else. However, there are a number of retirees here from other parts of the world who come from social histories and background that don't use, like and understand guns and the part they play in our society. Not to get into that here; such a discussion would require at least one, if not more, lengthy posts. The point now is that not everyone is able or inclined to be self supporting in terms of defense of life and home. Not too much one can do about that, and the situation gets murkier when discussing self defense outside the home.

I had coffee with a couple of friends the other morning. One grew up in California in the Los Angeles metro area, an area I know fairly well since our son spent a few years in graduate school there. The other friend is a former Marine. We got into a discussion on guns. I learned that both have them, one knows how to use them (guess who) but they have different ideas about that. The California friend has a shotgun and a revolver. He knows the revolver is made by Ruger and has a swappable cylinder so that he can shoot .22 Mags and long rifles. He knows his shotgun is a pump and made by Remington and someone told him to shoot slugs in it for self defense. The former Marine has a .380, but he's not sure who made it, and a Colt .44 mag. Which he likes because it's loud. And effective.

They both agree, in principle, that bad things can happen anywhere, to any one, at any time, but beneath this, I sense they think it won't happen here, or to them. It's a small, friendly town. There are no criminal elements robbing people or selling drugs on the streets. Never mind that we had a murder stabbing last year in town (it was undocumented Mexicans anyway, so not too many people here feel threatned...) and anyone who has sight in both eyes can see the drug deals going down in the town park, and the county and surrounding areas are known for hidden meth labs, and the local gang wannabe's live only fifteen minutes away where the stoplights are.

I asked why they didn't have carry permits. They had no good answers. I told them I did and encouraged them to look into it, especially since we don't seem to be able to maintain an adequate local law enforcement presence. Yeah, they'd have to do that sometime.

Not likely to happen, in my estimation.

I do believe that local bad guys who know about people who live in southern, western, rural areas (and likely other places rural as well) understand that the likelyhood of being opposed by an armed civilian is very high should they decide to threaten someone. But, as we all know, there are other criminal, drug fueled and crazy elements that just don't care about that.

So, over the holidays, as we went about our business and visited other towns and cities nearby, I often wondered, being Colorado, how many of my fellow revelers and shoppers were carrying. Knowning something about the backlog of background checks for firearm purchases and carry permits, I had to guess that the percentage was pretty high. I'm encouraging it to grow. How about you?

Posted with Blogsy

The Bond Arms Snake Slayer Holster Report

As I mentioned earlier, I have been trying out my Bond Arms Snake Slayer derringer in various holsters for the puprose of determining, for me at least, which are most suitable for carrying this pistol concealed. I have used the following: Remora clipless (and modified with a kydex clip), the Bond Arms driving cross-draw, and the OWB belt clip holsters, and the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster.

 

This has been an excercise in expectations. Before embarking on this analysis, I had pretty well figured that the modified Remora and the Bond Arms driving holsters would come out on top. But, as with many assumptions and expectations, this did not prove out to be so. The short version - details to follow - is that, for me, the best concealed OWB carry holster is the D.M. Bullard cross draw. By a big margin. For IWB carry, the Remora with attached mag pouch, that I modified with a kydex clip and carry either appendix or cross draw, depending on the situation, works best. Strangely, though, I also have a D.M. Bullard IWB holster with belt loop for my SR9c which accommodates the Snake Slayer beautifully. I could also use this one as an IWB option, and sometimes do. Now to details.

I found both of Bond Arms holsters to be extremely well made. Beautiful leather and craftsmanship. Nothing at all to complain about with either of them. What knocked them out of contention for me were design decisions, not quality of materials or workmanship.

The Bond Arms Belt Clip holster

Bond Arms Belt Clip Holster

Bond Arms clip

Bond Arms Belt Clip Holster top

The OWB belt clip holster is plainly not suitable for conclealed carry if the retention strap is left on the holster. Although it is there to 'retain' the gun for OWB carry, it's really not needed for concealed carry, but instead is an additional, and unnecessary, impediment to a reasonably quick draw. If it was a thumb-break strap, then it might be more suitable, but as it is, you must unsnap the strap, then, hoping it doesn't get in between your hand and the grips, grasp the pistol for the draw. Frankly, one could use this holster without the strap and it would retain the pistol just fine, the fit is that good. Also, for concealed carry, this holster must be worn with a long cover garment because the holster rides so low on the belt. It is a fine holser for open carry though and I would recommend it for that without reservation.

 

The Driving (cross draw) Holster did not fare well as a general concealed carry rig for me. I was surprised at this. I've seen the videos and the photos and know this is an innovative and functional design. For sitting (including in a car, restaurant, at home, etc.) the design is very good, once properly broken in. However, when not sitting - standing, walking about, running, etc. - the holster did not work so well for me.

The Driving Holster had the longest and most difficult break in of the four. The fit was extremely tight. Not unexpected in a good leather holster, but certainly more tight than any other quality leather holster I've used. And I've used more than a few. After a few days of break in using the derringer tightly wrapped in a few layers of kitchen cling wrap, and many insertions and withdrawls from the holster, I got it to the point where it would grudgingly release. The thumb break strap also took a deal of flexing and snapping/unsnapping to attach without a struggle. Attaching the holster to my gun belt with the leather flap and velcro was easy enough, but it would not hold quite tightly enough, nor the end of the flap tuck under, or against, the holster, until the leather flap itself was sufficiently broken in to curl around the holster body and not spring away from it.

Once all that was in readiness, the thumb break and draw were easy enough to surrender to a firm pull, and the flap was attached securely to the belt and holster, I began working on the access and draw technique. The thumb break strap is attached so that it doesn't readily interfere with the draw. The holster securing-flap however, did not hold tightly enough to keep the holster from sliding along the belt until it fetched up against a belt loop and stopped, where I was then able to extract the pistol from the holster. After fooling with this for a while, I found the solution to be a combination of more break-in for the holster so the pistol did not fit so tightly but was on the verge of loose, a tightened belt (which I don't particularly like. It was tight enough to begin with.) and a tighter wrap of the leather flap around the belt, which can only be so tight because of the nature of the velcro securing patch. You can't pull it tighter like you could with a buckle, for example.

With the horizontal carry position, and the need to have a non-tight fit of the gun to the holster, a thumb break is essential, otherwise, the pistol will eventually, if not sooner, fall out of the holster. I don't worry about it discharging due to the rebounding hammer and the single-action design of the gun, but the Snake Slayer is no lightweight. If it lands on your foot, you will certainly know it. Not to mention, so will everyone else in the room.

My other objection to this holster for concealed carry is that it would, in my case at least, being tall and relatively slim, be restricted to times and places where I can wear a very loose shirt, or jacket, vest or some other concealment garment. Even with the horizontal, up front, orientation of this holster, I does not hide very well without a good cover. For me, light shirts and t-shirts are out.

My conclusion is that if one is primarily wanting a driving or sitting holster, the Bond Arms Driving holster will work fine, once properly broken in and used correctly. But for concealed carry, when one is moving around, sitting, standing, bending, and perhaps running, I don't think it is the best choice.

 

The modified Remora. I attached a black kydex clip where the mag pouch is sewn into the holster. This means it really does not move, which is an issue with Remora clipless holsters, regardless of what many reviews say. If you don't move around much, the cllpless versions are just fine. They basically stay generally where you put them, but, for me, they have moved around, swiveled, rotated and on occasion, depending on where I put them, began to work up and out of my waistband. I think the Remora with attached mag pouch is both a good idea, and, given the almost double surface area, makes for stable and extremely comfortable holsters. I just wanted the extra confidence of the clip, and this has worked out beautifully for me. One kydex belt clip. One chicago screw. One drilled hole. Shazam! An improvement to an already good holster.

The other positive thing about this rig, is that it perfectly fits the Snake Slayer and the mag pouch will hold three .410 shells flat, or you can get four in there in a diamond configuration, which doesn't add enough bulk to impact the concealability of the holster. The other good things are that this rig is inexpensive - under $30 - and can be worn cross draw or appendix carrry (my favorites) and is easily slipped on and off. I have this set up for my LCP as well.

 

 

Lastly, but in first place, is the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster. Here are the good points: one of the best made leather holsters on the market today. Exact fit to the pistol to such a degree that it really required no break in. Really. I've had a number of Bullard holsters, and they all were excellent in fit, but they also required a small amount of break in. This one did not. Holds tight, but easy to draw. I'm not sure how this was accomplished, but I'm not complaining. Just the opposite.

D. M. Bullard Cross Draw Holster front

D. M. Bullard Cross Draw Holster back

The holster secures to the belt with a loop sewn on the back of the holster body and a forward-facing 'wing' of heavy leather for the second belt loop attachment. This serves to keep the holster close against the body and pulled in tightly to keep the butt of the gun from swinging outward. The nice thing about this design is that it does not require another layer of 'reinforcing' leather to be sewn around the holster mouth. It is just not needed. When I wear this one just forward of my hip bone, it tucks right in and disappears under almost any kind of shirt. When I am going into the 'city', I often throw on a light leather western vest over my shirt and that really makes the holster and Snake Slayer disappear.

 

 

I have often worn this setup around the house all day under a light sweater or long sleeve t-shirt and not only do others not know it is there, I sometimes am unaware of it as well.

Although I have not, obviously, used the Bond Arms holsters for an extended period, I have a few well worn Bullard holsters in my rotation for different guns. They show the marks and wear associated with long use, as you would expect from a good leather holster. Character marks, I call them. Even though not as pretty as when new, they fit me and the guns made for them almost perfectly. Often, after a long period of carrying in another type of holster, I will get home and switch to one of my Bullards. It is sort of like slipping into a favorite pair of comfortable slippers. That is the real test. If a holster fits me right, functionally as well as physically, it is going to stay around a long while. The others eventually find a new home somewhere.

I generally prefer OWB carry when I can and I can say without reservation, that the Bullard cross draw holster is the best I have found for this. It gets high marks in all of the categories:

• Quality
• Comfort
• Concealment
• Retention
• Fit
• Situational - doesn't matter what the situation, sitting, standing, moving about, running, etc. it performs equally well.

Holsters are very much a personal preference item. They are necessary, but all people don't like the same things. I've attemped to point out the various attributes, both positive and negative, of these four holsters in the hopes that this may help you in your choice of what works best for you.

 

Posted with Blogsy

The Bond Arms Snake Slayer Holster Report

As I mentioned earlier, I have been trying out my Bond Arms Snake Slayer derringer in various holsters for the puprose of determining, for me at least, which are most suitable for carrying this pistol concealed. I have used the following: Remora clipless (and modified with a kydex clip), the Bond Arms driving cross-draw, and the OWB belt clip holsters, and the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster.

Bond Arms straight clip OWB holster

Bond Arms OWB clip

Bond Arms Driving Holster

Bond Arms Driving Holster thumb break strap

Remora (modified) with mag holder and kydex clip

This has been an excercise in expectations. Before embarking on this analysis, I had pretty well figured that the modified Remora and the Bond Arms driving holsters would come out on top. But, as with many assumptions and expectations, this did not prove out to be so. The short version - details to follow - is that, for me, the best concealed OWB carry holster is the D.M. Bullard cross draw. By a big margin. For IWB carry, the Remora with attached mag pouch, that I modified with a kydex clip and carry either appendix or cross draw, depending on the situation, works best. Strangely, though, I also have a D.M. Bullard IWB holster with belt loop for my SR9c which accommodates the Snake Slayer beautifully. I could also use this one as an IWB option, and sometimes do. Now to details.I found both of Bond Arms holsters to be extremely well made. Beautiful leather and craftsmanship. Nothing at all to complain about with either of them. What knocked them out of contention for me were design decisions, not quality of materials or workmanship. The OWB belt clip holster is plainly not suitable for conclealed carry if the retention strap is left on the holster. Although it is there to 'retain' the gun for OWB carry, it's really not needed for concealed carry, but instead is an additional, and unnecessary, impediment to a reasonably quick draw. If it was a thumb-break strap, then it might be more suitable, but as it is, you must unsnap the strap, then, hoping it doesn't get in between your hand and the grips, grasp the pistol for the draw. Frankly, one could use this holster without the strap and it would retain the pistol just fine, the fit is that good. Also, for concealed carry, this holster must be worn with a long cover garment because the holster rides so low on the belt. It is a fine holser for open carry though and I would recommend it for that without reservation.

The Driving (cross draw) Holster did not fare well as a general concealed carry rig for me. I was surprised at this. I've seen the videos and the photos and know this is an innovative and functional design. For sitting (including in a car, restaurant, at home, etc.) the design is very good, once properly broken in. However, when not sitting - standing, walking about, running, etc. - the holster did not work so well for me.

The Driving Holster had the longest and most difficult break in of the four. The fit was extremely tight. Not unexpected in a good leather holster, but certainly more tight than any other quality leather holster I've used. And I've used more than a few. After a few days of break in using the derringer tightly wrapped in a few layers of kitchen cling wrap, and many insertions and withdrawls from the holster, I got it to the point where it would grudgingly release. The thumb break strap also took a deal of flexing and snapping/unsnapping to attach without a struggle. Attaching the holster to my gun belt with the leather flap and velcro was easy enough, but it would not hold quite tightly enough, nor the end of the flap tuck under, or against, the holster, until the leather flap itself was sufficiently broken in to curl around the holster body and not spring away from it.

Once all that was in readiness, the thumb break and draw were easy enough to surrender to a firm pull, and the flap was attached securely to the belt and holster, I began working on the access and draw technique. The thumb break strap is attached so that it doesn't readily interfere with the draw. The holster securing-flap however, did not hold tightly enough to keep the holster from sliding along the belt until it fetched up against a belt loop and stopped, where I was then able to extract the pistol from the holster. After fooling with this for a while, I found the solution to be a combination of more break-in for the holster so the pistol did not fit so tightly but was on the verge of loose, a tightened belt (which I don't particularly like. It was tight enough to begin with.) and a tighter wrap of the leather flap around the belt, which can only be so tight because of the nature of the velcro securing patch. You can't pull it tighter like you could with a buckle, for example.

With the horizontal carry position, and the need to have a non-tight fit of the gun to the holster, a thumb break is essential, otherwise, the pistol will eventually, if not sooner, fall out of the holster. I don't worry about it discharging due to the rebounding hammer and the single-action design of the gun, but the Snake Slayer is no lightweight. If it lands on your foot, you will certainly know it. Not to mention, so will everyone else in the room.

My other objection to this holster for concealed carry is that it would, in my case at least, being tall and relatively slim, be restricted to times and places where I can wear a very loose shirt, or jacket, vest or some other concealment garment. Even with the horizontal, up front, orientation of this holster, I does not hide very well without a good cover. For me, light shirts and t-shirts are out.
My conclusion is that if one is primarily wanting a driving or sitting holster, the Bond Arms Driving holster will work fine, once properly broken in and used correctly. But for concealed carry, when one is moving around, sitting, standing, bending, and perhaps running, I don't think it is the best choice.
The modified Remora. I attached a black kydex clip where the mag pouch is sewn into the holster. This means it really does not move, which is an issue with Remora clipless holsters, regardless of what many reviews say. If you don't move around much, the cllpless versions are just fine. They basically stay generally where you put them, but, for me, they have moved around, swiveled, rotated and on occasion, depending on where I put them, began to work up and out of my waistband. I think the Remora with attached mag pouch is both a good idea, and, given the almost double surface area, makes for stable and extremely comfortable holsters. I just wanted the extra confidence of the clip, and this has worked out beautifully for me. One kydex belt clip. One chicago screw. One drilled hole. Shazam! An improvement to an already good holster.

The other positive thing about this rig, is that it perfectly fits the Snake Slayer and the mag pouch will hold three .410 shells flat, or you can get four in there in a diamond configuration, which doesn't add enough bulk to impact the concealability of the holster. The other good things are that this rig is inexpensive - under $30 - and can be worn cross draw or appendix carrry (my favorites) and is easily slipped on and off. I have this set up for my LCP as well.

Lastly, but in first place, is the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster. Here are the good points: one of the best made leather holsters on the market today. Exact fit to the pistol to such a degree that it really required no break in. Really. I've had a number of Bullard holsters, and they all were excellent in fit, but they also required a small amount of break in. This one did not. Holds tight, but easy to draw. I'm not sure how this was accomplished, but I'm not complaining. Just the opposite.
The holster secures to the belt with a loop sewn on the back of the holster body and a forward-facing 'wing' of heavy leather for the second belt loop attachment. This serves to keep the holster close against the body and pulled in tightly to keep the butt of the gun from swinging outward. The nice thing about this design is that it does not require another layer of 'reinforcing' leather to be sewn around the holster mouth. It is just not needed. When I wear this one just forward of my hip bone, it tucks right in and disappears under almost any kind of shirt. When I am going into the 'city', I often throw on a light leather western vest over my shirt and that really makes the holster and Snake Slayer disappear.

I have often worn this setup around the house all day under a light sweater or long sleeve t-shirt and not only do others not know it is there, I sometimes am unaware of it as well.
I generally prefer OWB carry when I can and I can say without reservation, that the Bullard cross draw holster is the best I have found for this. It gets high marks in all of the categories:

• Quality
• Comfort
• Concealment
• Retention
• Fit
• Situational - doesn't matter what the situation, sitting, standing, moving about, running, etc. it performs equally well.

Holsters are very much a personal preference item. They are necessary, but all people don't like the same things. I've attemped to point out the various attributes, both positive and negative, of these four holsters in the hopes that this may help you in your choice of what works best for you.

Posted with Blogsy

Christmas Present from Texas

Well, not exactly a Christmas present, seeing as how I bought it for myself. A present to me, from me. It is a new D.M. Bullard IWB with Belt Loop for my trusty Ruger SR9c.

I've been carrying one of Dave Bullard's Belt Slide OWB holsters for my Ruger since I bought the gun. It's been through a lot and shows it, like a good leather holster will, but is still my OWB go-to holster for the SR9c. The design is such that I have also used it successfully to holster an LC9 and a Bond Arms Snake Slayer. Those were temporary solutions to a pressing need, but now it's reserved for the SR9c, as it should be.

Today I received the IWB from Dave Bullard's shop. Even though I know they have been working very hard to keep up with demand, hiring and training new people (not an easy thing when Dave's quality and craftsmanship standards are so high) and moving to a larger space to accommodate the increased work demands, the quality of my new IWB has not been compromised by all that.



It is not a good practice to say much about a holster when it is brand new. I've often found my initial enthusiasm to be misplaced because issues and irritations I had not considered come to light with actually using a holster day-to-day as they are intended to be used. But, in this case, I will say this: the fit to the pistol is right on and it's not so tight that it will take a week of break in before it is ready for duty. And, it's comfortable, right out of the box. The back of the leather is almost flat, with some moulding to the pistol shape, but not aggressively so. The 'sweat' guard (I'd call it a slide guard) cushions my delicate abdomen from the slide, yet the grips ride high enough for a good, quick grip on the draw.

I bought the version with the belt loop attachment rather than the metal clip. I don't like metal clips even though they are thinner than leather. I don't like the way the end sticks out. I know why it does that, to help you get the clip over the belt, but I've had issues with these kinds of clips before, snagging an overgarment when I lift it to uncover the pistol for the draw. The belt loop is not as thick as my belt, to put it into perspective. And, it is adjustable in cant so you can wear the holster pretty much where you like. I like the flexibility to wear my concealed firearm in different positions, depending on the situation. This one will move easily to the cross draw position when I am driving or sitting for long periods. Or I can swing it around to a strong side carry if I like.

I'll post more as time goes on about how this latest acquisition from D.M. Bullard is working out. But, since I've given many holsters the field test and I have thought long and hard about what is best for me, I think this one will become my main IWB holster, like Bullard's belt slide has become my favorite OWB holster.

Dave Bullard's website