{"id":173,"date":"2010-03-08T22:35:05","date_gmt":"2010-03-08T22:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/holster-overview-options\/"},"modified":"2010-03-08T22:35:05","modified_gmt":"2010-03-08T22:35:05","slug":"holster-overview-options","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/holster-overview-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Holster Overview Options"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><P>Click the READ MORE below to read our articles and watch our weekly video on Holster options.<\/P> <HR id=system-readmore>  <P><SPAN> <H1>Introduction to Holster Options<\/H1> <P>By Jessie Indracusin<\/P> <H2>Background<\/H2> <P>I have had a lot of questions about concealed carry handguns from viewers recently. This started to bring up the question about holster options. So I put together this updated video about various holster options. This is by no means trying to cover every holster option, but I wanted to provide a good overview of the basic ones that people ask about. Keep in mind, nearly all holsters have their pros and cons. I hope to provide a basic overview of the different options out there.<\/P> <H3>Thigh Holster Rig<\/H3> <P>These are pretty much the best tactical holster option available from a usage standpoint. Of course, this has some limitations. <\/P> <P><STRONG>Pros:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Easy access based on lower location on thigh. Makes the draw easier from the holster<\/P> <P>2) Positioning is very comfortable when standing<\/P> <P>3) Extremely secure for tactical movement. <\/P> <P>4) Enables waist area free for other tactical gear<\/P> <P><STRONG>Cons:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Not concealable at all<\/P> <P>2) Can be difficult getting in and out of smaller vehicles<\/P> <P>3) Very Expensive<\/P> <H3>Ankle Holster<\/H3> <P>The Ankle holster has the best concealment option of all of the above. A favorite for me personally if I have to go to a nice dinner and want to carry a firearm for maximum concealment<\/P> <P><STRONG>Pros:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Maximum Concealment<\/P> <P>2) Securely holds gun for regular use<\/P> <P>3) Very in-expensive. Can be down to $25\/$30<\/P> <P><STRONG>Cons:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Longest Weapon Draw (No quick draw option in most cases)<\/P> <P>2) Running\/jogging with ankle holster can be irritating<\/P> <P>3) Only works with VERY small handguns<\/P> <H3>Fanny Pack Holster<\/H3> <P>A very convenient option for carrying a handgun. I personally like using this in the summer time if I am wearing a T-shirt and shorts in the blazing hot summers in Texas<\/P> <P><STRONG>Pros:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Maximum Concealments<\/P> <P>2) Works great with larger handguns<\/P> <P>3) Can carry even extra magazines for handguns<\/P> <P><STRONG>Cons:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Fanny packs in certain parts of the country screams \u201cI have a concealed handgun\u201d<\/P> <P>2) Can make you look like a dork<\/P> <P>3) A little bulky, can only work when you are wearing very casual summer clothes<\/P> <H3>Galco Leather Thumb Break Holsters<\/H3> <P>A personal favorite for conceal carry. This option is how I carry more than 80% of the time. <\/P> <P>Example of holster for the HK USP Compact 45 <A href=\"http:\/\/www.usgalco.com\/HolsterPG3.asp?ProductID=2563&amp;GunID=198\" mce_href=\"http:\/\/www.usgalco.com\/HolsterPG3.asp?ProductID=2563&amp;GunID=198\"><U><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: #0000ff; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: #0000ff; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN>http:\/\/www.usgalco.com\/HolsterPG3.asp?ProductID=2563&amp;GunID=198<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/U><\/A><\/P><\/SPAN><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN> <P><STRONG>Pros:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Very close to body on your side, minimum exposure<\/P> <P>2) Gun is held very securely<\/P> <P>3) Excellent gun retention option if someone trying to wrestle gun off hip<\/P> <P>4) Available for nearly every handgun<\/P> <P>5) Extremely durable and can be used for 10+ years <\/P> <P><STRONG>Cons:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Expensive -Most cost in the $70-$85 range<\/P> <P>2) Can irritate your side if concealed and you are not \u201csandwiching\u201d the gun between shirt and t-shirt<\/P> <H3>Quick Access Paddle Holsters<\/H3><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"> <P>Uncle Mike\u2019s makes these holsters, as do many others. They are normally very inexpensive and available in a variety of brands. Quickly allow access to your handgun. Example can be found here: <A href=\"http:\/\/www.uncle-mikes.com\/products\/kydex_paddle_holsters.html\" mce_href=\"http:\/\/www.uncle-mikes.com\/products\/kydex_paddle_holsters.html\"><U><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: #0000ff; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: #0000ff; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN>http:\/\/www.uncle-mikes.com\/products\/kydex_paddle_holsters.html<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/U><\/A><\/P><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN> <P><STRONG>Pros:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Inexpensive<\/P> <P>2) Fast Gun draws<\/P> <P>3) Widely available from a variety of manufacturers<\/P> <P><STRONG>Cons:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Poor Weapon Retention (if you are in a struggle with someone trying to get your gun)<\/P> <P>2) Not as concealable as a leather Galco holster paddle holster<\/P> <H3>Serpa Holsters<\/H3><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"> <P>Excellent option of giving both benefits of a leather paddle holster and the gun retention functions along with the benefits of the speed of an injected mold holsters. Can require additional personal training to use safely and effectively. Can be found here: <A href=\"http:\/\/www.blackhawk.com\/catalog\/SERPA-Concealment,1410.htm\" mce_href=\"http:\/\/www.blackhawk.com\/catalog\/SERPA-Concealment,1410.htm\"><U><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: #0000ff; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: #0000ff; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN>http:\/\/www.blackhawk.com\/catalog\/SERPA-Concealment,1410.htm<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/U><\/A><\/P><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"><SPAN> <P><STRONG>Pros:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) VERY comfortable to carry. <\/P> <P>2) Very good weapon retention option<\/P> <P>3) Pricing can be down in the $30 range (but can go up to the $100 range too)<\/P> <P>4) Very fast weapon draws<\/P> <P><STRONG>Cons:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Can be a dangerous holster to use without proper training (finger can slide down to trigger easier on this design that can cause someone in a panic to discharge their firearm in a draw)<\/P> <P>2) Not very concealable. This is a more exposed option<\/P> <P>3) Limited selection of firearms -although constantly growing<\/P> <H3>In the Waistband Holsters (IWB)<\/H3><SPAN style=\"FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: x-small\"> <P>I don\u2019t like these at all. In fact I don\u2019t even personally own one anymore. They are extremely difficult to use when you sit in any type of a reclined chair. Can irritate you after as little as 2-3 hours of wear.<\/P> <P><STRONG>Pros: <\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Cheap -numerous manufacturers available.<\/P> <P>2) Some people swear by them<\/P> <P>3) VERY concealable option (nearly impossible to see at all)<\/P> <P><STRONG>Cons:<\/STRONG><\/P> <P>1) Can be VERY uncomfortable while sitting in a car, theatre, reclined chairs, etc.<\/P> <P>2) Can be difficult to draw firearm quickly<\/P> <P>3) Only works typically with very small handguns<\/P> <P style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\">Part #1 Below<\/P> <P style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\">{youtube}FJ9U3BMMrKA{\/youtube}<\/P> <P style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\">Part #2 Below<\/P> <P style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\">{youtube}BJfgn-g_lK8{\/youtube}<\/P> <P align=center>&nbsp;<\/P><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Click the READ MORE below to read our articles and watch our weekly video on Holster options. Introduction to Holster Options By Jessie Indracusin Background I have had a lot of questions about concealed carry handguns from viewers recently. This started to bring up the question about holster options. So I put together this updated [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":49,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-173","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/173\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.civiliantacticalweapons.com\/wpctw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}