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

It's an internet minefield out there...

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, "never have so many had so much to say about so little."

I'm probably as guilty as most other people who use the internet to talk about guns. I was a moderator of a popular gun forum for over a year, and I still visit one or two now and then. When you moderate posts written by people who have guns, or want to have them, you read a lot of nonsense, bragging and basically stupid things. These are almost exclusively written by men. Take that for what it's worth.

Internet gun forums are bad enough but add on You Tube videos, which can be made and uploaded by practically anyone, and "self defense" and "training" outfits and you get full-on audio and video "how to" onslaught. Now, some of this – some – is good stuff, valuable information, but not most of it. The problem is, how to tell the crap from the good stuff? It's not easy.

Here is a sampling of some gun forum internet topics:

"How are you all doing shooting on the move?"
"2 am, you're asleep with your wife, you clearly hear a break-in. Do you check alone?"
"Navy SEAL vrs Israeli Commando: The Deadliest Warrior Video"
"AAR: Tactical Defense Institute Extreme Close Quarters"
"Combat Mindset: Cooper Color Code"
"Firing from inside the pocket"

There are thousands more "training" and "self defense" topics to choose from. Many of them are bad, and many are ill-informed, posted by individuals with no actual self defense training or experience.

I think there are two main camps at work here, the camp populated by people, men almost exclusively, that believe one should think about, talk about and, possibly, train for almost all scenarios of self defense. Home defense. House clearing. Constant street awareness. Knife and bare hand fighting. Guns and backup guns. Night shooting. Shooting while running, walking, standing, lying down, rolling over, ... The list goes on. I suppose if one has been trained by the Army special forces, Navy SEALS or in Marine advanced combat tactics, or wants to be, this is a good thing. For the most of us though, it's unrealistic overkill. All this material, posts, videos, courses, etc., evidently reaches an audience large enough to support forums and numerous "training" organizations offering live, video and internet-based courses for a fee.

I don't want to live my life in constant preparation for the apocalypse, zombie, religious, biker gangs or otherwise. I don't want to train constantly for a street fight with drug crazed monsters out to kill me at all costs. I strongly suspect none of that is going to happen. Not to me, or to most of us.

One online business offering internet training, video courses and "live" training at it's facility said, quite truthfully, that your gun is not the solution to your self defense problems. I agree, that by itself, the gun will sometimes not be enough. But I do not agree that the solution is constant and rigorous training in all manner of self defense tactics and equipment. For the vast majority of us civilians, having the right attitude and a few basic skills, which do need to be refreshed from time to time, is sufficient to provide a much higher level of personal security in normal life. I think these are easily summarized as follows:

Attitude.
Know that you may have to act to defend yourself or others. This is based on the attitude that one should be aware of one's surroundings and the people in them most of the time. You can't always tell if a person in your vicinity is meaning to do violence or not. Sometimes it is pretty easy to make the assumption that certain people may be more prone to violence and unpredictable behaviors than others. Three or for drunk young men hanging out on the street rate higher on the potential violence list than a carload of well dress people heading for the theatre.

Cultivate the attitude of awareness. Be aware of where you are and who is around, or could be around. It's not rocket science.

Preparation.
Be prepared to take action that will move you and those you care about to a more safe situation. This could be just turning around and walking off in a different direction from a situation you are aware of that may be unsafe. Crossing the street. Not getting out of the car. Not hassling people on the highway. Ignoring insults.

And, having the means of protection on your person if your avoidance actions don't work. If you have a carry permit, and you are basically trained and efficient with your carry weapon, carry it. Wherever you can. It will do you no good if you need it and don't have it. Having a gun does not mean you will be successful, or even that you will survive, but it certainly puts the odds much higher in your favor.

Effectiveness.
This is where the internet "experts", trainers and sellers of all kinds of protective equipment thrive. One could possibly become maximally effective in all scenarios with all manner of gear given the time and money to become superbly trained in them. Most of us won't. Most of us don't need to. But, there is a basic level of effectiveness that is required for those who choose to carry a weapon for self defense. You must know how to carry and use it safely and effectively. Most of us don't.

Many people carry a handgun in a place that is not optimal, like the font pants pocket, or behind the back, or off at the 4 o'clock position (right handers), or even ankle holsters. Getting to a handgun efficiently while sitting down, which for most of us is most of the time, is very difficult when carried in those places.

Getting to and safely pulling a handgun from a concealment holster is a difficult task and should be practiced until the muscle memory is in place. That means you have to be consistent with where it will be carried and have a good holster to keep it there and accessible. And, this is more difficult and dangerous when one has to practice pulling a loaded weapon relatively quickly and efficiently and firing it at a close in target. Hardly anyone practices this. It takes time and money. You must begin slowly in order not to shoot yourself or an innocent bystander at the range (which won't be an indoor range because most of them have insurance companies that would fall over in a dead faint if such a tactic were suggested).

You must be willing to shoot up a significant amount of ammunition in order to get this drill down efficiently and safely. You must be willing to practice shooting with one hand, keeping the other out of the way so you don't shoot it. Most close in defensive shootings happen quickly and with one hand. Most of these only score hits to the target (in real, stressful, life-and-death situations) about 20% to 30% of the time, and 30% may be too optimistic.

Then, to actually be effective, you MUST be able to hit what you shoot at the vast majority of the time. In many situations there will be innocent bystanders around, and the most effective response might be not to shoot at all rather than take the chance of hurting some innocent person. How many of us train NOT to shoot even after drawing and holding with the finger on the trigger? Hardly anyone, is my guess.

So, some basic training by knowledgeable people is a good thing. There are clubs and organizations, sometimes police or Sheriff departments that offer instruction, that can provide the basic education and training you need. You don't need to invest significant time and money to become a civilian commando in order to be prepared to defend yourself. One may not always come out on top, but one can even the odds a great deal with good knowledge and basic training.

Resorting to a legally carried handgun to protect yourself or other innocent people is a deadly serious thing and most legislation that deals with this is very clear on when you are permitted to resort to deadly force. Know it. Learn it by heart. And, although you don't need to undergo zombie apocalypse training, you do have the responsibility to be aware, prepared and effective with your self defense weapon.

Fortunately, the gun in the hands of a citizen who is set to protect herself and, perhaps, others, is often all the deterrent needed to put a stop to a potentially bad situation. I can't help thinking that if most people were armed, the bad people would think twice before attempting to prey on a seemingly innocent, unprepared person.

Bad Information and Trolls

Certain firearms forums can be valuable sources of information. But, with so much "free" speech out there, one must be careful of what some people will say. After a long series of posts discussing the pros and cons of carrying a concealed handgun with a round chambered or not, a person I characterize as a troll (one whose main purpose is to troll for an argument) posted some non-sense and I replied. I am posting this here as an example of what to watch out for should you visit Internet forums.

The following is my reply to the posting troll. His prior comments are in quotes:

If I was still a moderator here, I would lock this thread. The subject has been thoroughly discussed, pro and con. Now, contrary to what one poster says, some are indeed "throwing fuel on the fire." That is the sign of a forum troll. Someone who is throwing fuel on a fire for no purpose other than to start, or keep arguments going. Flame wars we call them. To make my final point here, which is not about how one should carry - that ground has been well plowed already, - but to illustrate the way in which a troll operates, I offer the following:

"At the risk of throwing more fuel on the fire; I'll argue that doing "what works for you" is without question the correct way to carry."

Fuel on the fire. That's the first big clue. "Without question" - don't bother to question my view because you can't, it's self-evidently right.

"My main concern is having a weapon on my person in case I need it, while absolutely minimizing the chance of a AD."

This is not a logical proposition. To absolutely minimize the 'chance' of an AD, and still have a weapon on one's person, that weapon should either not be a firearm, or should be completely unloaded with the magazine, or cartridges, out of the gun. The two conditions (weapon on my person) and (absolutely minimizing the chance of an AD) are mutually exclusive as a 'main concern'. For a discussion concerning the advantages and disadvantages of carrying a firearm with a round in the chamber, the poster's assertion is not at all relevant.

"To walk around with "one in the pipe" when there is no immediate threat is foolish in the extreme."

Another bald assertion with no supporting evidence whatsoever. Where is the evidence? Just because one says something is true, does not mean it is. And, note embedded within the "foolish" statement is the secondary assertion, also without basis in fact or evidence (unless, I suppose one is a mind reader or fortune teller), is the statement "when there is no immediate threat".

"This isn't the movies. I'm not a cop."

No, and no one who has addressed this topic in a serious vein has said so. Why is this statement here? To denigrate the other more serious and thoughtful comments to the level of gullible people who get their information from the movies. This is condescending in the extreme.

No, you are not a cop. But plenty of cops, and there are a few on this forum, do not share your views.

"The chance of an unprovoked, bolt-from-the-blue attack is virtually zero."

Another baseless assertion. The literature will easily demonstrate that many, many attacks are, from the victim's perspective, unprovoked and 'out of the blue'. The same thing I guess. While the victim may feel the attack is unprovoked, be assured that the attacker has reason for his or her actions and favors the 'out of the blue' approach. The less time the victim has to respond, the better for the attacker.

"An AD is always a possibility."

This is essentially an empty statement. We already know this and it is a main reason this thread began in the first place. Possibility? So is the fact that Elvis is alive and married to a space alien. But, I doubt it. A car accident is always a possibility, and that's why most folks wear seat belts and buy insurance.

"Every gunshow I attend forbids loaded weapons, permit or not. Yet ADs happen at gunshows with great regularity. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not researching the subject very well."

How many gun shows has the poster attended? He does not say. What does "great regularity" mean? "Researching the subject"... I see no facts here, no research, no cites to support this claim. Again, the poster hopes you will take his word for something because he says it is so.

"So weigh your options. Consider the consequences. The risk to reward, you might say. Then do what works for you, that is cetainly my course of action."

This is the first time that actual "options" have been mentioned. This is a good idea. In this I agree. I also agree that this is a question of risk assessment. However it should be noted that risk is relative to the one assessing it. What might be very risky for me, is not so much for another person. It's not a one size fits all proposition.

"I don't expect any minds to be swayed, but just wanted to keep this rather interesting thread going!"

At last! The reason for the poster's long-winded, rambling and illogical statement is revealed. It is true. This post was not intended to sway or influence minds. It's purpose is to keep this thread going. Fuel on the fire.

I think the thread has long outlived its usefulness to a good gun forum. I will not be posting in it further and would suggest to the moderators that they be aware of trolling posts like the one I've discussed and lock this thread so we can move on.

I believe the thread is now locked. Don't get sucked into arguing with a troll, and use your common sense for all "advice" given on the internet public forums.

Posted with Blogsy

A practical lesson in holsters from someone who knows what he is talking about.

Lobo Gun Leather offset IWB holster

As anyone knows who has followed or read this blog postings over the last year or so, I have tried out and reported on many holsters for self defense carry. I have, as many of us have, the proverbial "box of holsters" holding the rejects and not-so-good holsters. Even so, I am always on the lookout for what I perceive to be a better holster. Last week, reading a post on my forum from a member who had received a new holster from an outfit called Lobo Gun Leather, (http://www.lobogunleather.com) owned and operated by Ray Cory. I cruised on over to the site to take a look.

Right away I saw that the quality of these holsters were very good and the prices were, in turn, very reasonable. And, the main motto on the home page made no bones about what these holsters are all about. "Lobo gun leather. Serious equipment for serious business."

One in particular caught my interest. Ray made an interesting holster for my kind of concealed carry: AIWB or cross draw. It's moulded leather, well made and designed with an offset single clip. This reduces the width of the holster, making it easier to conceal, and instead of the usual mass market spring clip, Ray spent time and money to acquire a better clip for this design.

Being in the initial stages of putting together a series of articles here on the different holster designs for AIWB and cross draw carry – leather, synthetic, kydex, hybrid – I inquired of Ray if he would be interested in including the offset clip design in my testing and review. Later that day, I received a reply from Ray along with his informative 'dissertation' on holster design. I have copied and pasted the relevant part at the end of this post. It is the most informative and intelligent explanation of holster design and use that I have read. I had earlier, independently arrived at the four basic factors of holster design explained by Ray, below. However, I have not been able to so clearly articulate those facts as Ray has done. With his permission, I am posting Ray's dissertation on holster design below. Read it and learn. I certainly did.

"Everything in holster design involves compromises among the 4 basic factors of comfort, accessibility, security, and concealability. Whenever one factor is emphasized there will be compromises in the other factors. There is no such thing as the "perfect holster" for every user or situation. Only the user can decide which factors are most important for his needs and how much he is willing to compromise in the other factors.

If you do nothing but repeat that little paragraph you will be doing your readers a great service. Every day I am contacted by at least one new graduate of the "Holster Genius School" who has an idea for the "perfect holster", looking for someone to turn his idea into reality. You name it, I've been asked for it. Convertible IWB-OWB holsters with variable cants and ride heights, strong-side/cross-draw combinations, combination holster-magazine pouch-handcuff case (still waiting for someone to ask for a way to carry his MP3 player or smartphone as well).

It seems like just about everyone has read two gun magazines and a couple of blogs, and is now an expert demanding every feature imaginable in a holster. Their public range forbids holsters without covered trigger guards (basically an insurance requirement) so they "know" that this is cast in stone. The instructor at their last training class demanded holsters that permit one-handed reholstering (important for law enforcement applications where escalation and deescalation of force issues are serious matters, but the typical civilian in a self-defense situation might best treat reholstering as the last possible consideration) so they are convinced that this must be holy writ. One easy example that I deal with all the time:

IWB-style holsters are designed to emphasize concealability by keeping the bulk of the holstered handgun inside the trousers. The compromises or trade-offs for this are typically in reduced accessibility and reduced comfort (for many people). My approach to IWB-style holsters is to keep bulk to a minimum (to maximize comfort and concealment) and to keep holster cant and ride height within certain parameters (allowing full access to the grip frame so that a proper grip can be obtained during the draw, rather than having to shift the pistol in the hand before a target may be engaged). But what do people seem to want or expect? (1) Holster mouth reinforcement to facilitate ease of reholstering (cannot possibly be done without significantly increasing bulk, compromising comfort and concealability). (2) Ride heights and/or holster cants (carry angles) that place the grip-frame so close to the waistband and belt that it is impossible to get a solid grip on the pistol during the draw. (3) IWB-style holsters with thumb-break retention (which can be difficult, if not impossible, to release due to proximity to and pressures applied from the body, waistband, belt, and other clothing).

I regularly respond to inquiries about these things several times every week. When someone expresses a requirement for easy one-hand reholstering in an IWB-style holster I always recommend that they consider any type of holster other than IWB. When someone wants a ride height or cant that seriously compromises accessibility I always recommend against that. When someone requests thumb-break retention on the IWB-style holster I always tell them that I do not offer or recommend that.

I could sell many, many holsters by simply giving some people what they think that they want, so it may appear that I am talking myself out of a good deal of business. But I've been in this business long enough to know that the customer will never realize that his new holster didn't work out as expected PRECISELY BECAUSE of his bad ideas, but he will always remember that the holster maker failed to make his fantasy a reality.

The idea behind the Offset Belt Clip IWB Model was to reduce the overall bulk of the "package" (holstered handgun) by placing the belt clip away from the thickest parts of the handgun (revolver cylinder or pistol slide). This significantly reduces both "printing" and the tendencies of the clip to snag on clothing, upholstery, etc. Development of the idea quickly identified the need for a clip that was stronger than most then available through suppliers as well as properly sized to grip the belt securely while also allowing for the fabric of the trouser waistband.

I contacted a manufacturer who agreed to produce clips to my specifications (size, shape, material, etc) and accepted a deposit on the job. The promised delivery date passed without response so I contacted the manufacturer and was given a new production date. That date passed, and the manufacturer stopped responding to e-mails and telephone calls. Never saw a clip, never received a refund.

The project went on hold for the better part of a year, then I found another manufacturer who actually produced the first batch of clips for me. Prototype holsters were produced and tested (I use several experienced people to test new designs for me, allowing me to get a broad sample of comments and criticisms), then the new design went onto the market. The result has been that the Offset Belt Clip IWB Model is now my second most popular design (after the Enhanced Pancake Model), now in its 4th year of production. That point was reached only after a year and a half of development and the investment of more than a few dollars before the first holster could be sold.

The Offset Belt Clip Model does not come without compromises (remember my little lecture above). The mounting position of the belt clip limits applications to neutral cant (vertical carry position). Offsetting the belt clip places the balance point of the handgun's weight forward of the belt attachment point, and testing revealed that the larger and heavier handguns (particularly large-frame revolvers) are not fully stabilized by this holster design during any strenuous physical activities. Consequently, I have limited production of this model to the smaller and lighter-weight handguns. Finally, with the smaller and shorter semi-auto pistols there is some necessary limitation of accessibility to the grip-frame during the draw in order to keep enough of the handgun contained within the holster for reasonable retention qualities.

So, I have just given you the opening chapter in my "What It's Like to be a Holster Maker Today" treatise! I hope that I have not bored you completely. I do hope that you will make some productive use of the points I have attempted to communicate.

I offer 11 holster designs (two new designs nearing completion), with or without 4 common options, in 4 finish colors, left-hand and right-hand, for 143 different handguns. This results in well over 60,000 possible variations, allowing customers to "customize" a particular holster style to individual needs and preferences. I am currently filling about 2,000 orders per year for customers in all 50 states and 33 other countries so far. With experience as a soldier in combat and as a peace officer in uniform, plain clothes, and undercover assignments I think I know a little bit about what really works and what doesn't work. I hope you will forgive me for my tendency as an old man to ramble on a bit.

Best regards,

Ray Cory

Police Chief (retired)

formerly Sergeant, US Army Airborne Infantry, Vietnam 1969-71

Founder of Lobo Gun Leather, making serious equipment for serious business since 1972"