Holster Orientation

[Capn Jack]

Holster Orientation

I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I refuse to wear a holster that
orients the handgun towards any part of my body, or anyone else's.
When hunting, I carry my rifle/shotgun pointed up, rather than down at the ground.

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[Capn Jack]

Shoulder holsters....Inside waist band....Middle of back....pocket holsters..."crotch holsters"...
Most seem to be oriented towards towards taking off a piece of the wearer, or someone near by if discharged for any reason in, or partially in the holster .
Just my .02 and looking to make it .04 with other input.

 

[etrain16]

Shoulder holsters....Inside waist band....Middle of back....pocket holsters..."crotch holsters"...
Most seem to be oriented towards towards taking off a piece of the wearer, or someone near by if discharged for any reason in, or partially in the holster .
Just my .02 and looking to make it .04 with other input.

First question - so what does that leave you for an option?

Second question - what makes you think a gun is going to discharge inside of a holster?? Short of you reaching inside the holster and pulling the trigger (or say a piece of clothing being in the trigger housing when you holster the gun). Have you heard a lot of stories about guns just going off inside a holster? I can't say I've heard many myself, and each story I have heard has been the result of poor handling by a person, not spontaneous discharge in the holster - I'm even sure that's possible with modern guns.

 

[Capn Jack]

etrain16, so what does that leave you for an option?
For my "single stack 9mm" a strong side belt clip on. For my "K Frame", a belt high waist "Ambidextrous Open Face". The only time the "K Frame" would be pointed at me is if I were forced to do a weak side backwards draw.
"etrain16,Second question:
As you say "Negligence."

titsonritz,
Just saw another ad that brought it to mind and was looking for input.

 

[rick benjamin]

Holstered guns don't go off by themselves.
Holstered guns don't sweep folks.
I carry inside waist band, on my hip
My holster covers the trigger of a G27.
When I draw, my finger is pointed out and up until the gun is on target.

 

[Koda]

have to admit Im not a fan of horizontal shoulder holsters for this reason...

 

[Koda]

strong side OWB

 

[Capn Jack]

I guess I just don't dance like that guy.
Why was his bugger hook on the trigger before he presented his piece?
Figure if I ever shot myself in my strong side hip, or leg
it would just bounce off of the steel plates.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

strong side OWB

Boy! That never gets old!

 

[mjbskwim]

He's pointing a clock at his junk!! Those go off by themselves all the time.
Maybe that would have been a good carry for that DEA> that shot himself in the grade school class?. Wouldn't have to worry about his gene pool in society any more
Actually looks like a good carry position...for a skinny guy
For fat guys it would be hard to draw in a car jacking situation.

 

[mkwerx]

Any holster can be a disaster if the user isn't conscious about finger placement, or stuff getting in between the gun and the holster. Also every holster type out there, even strong side OWB will wind up with the muzzle pointing at your body at some point - be it while stand up or stitting down, moving, drawing or reholstering. Especially the holsters that have jacket slots, or an offset like a competition rig that push the butt of the gun out.

Fast out of the holster, slow back in. If the situation calls for the gun coming out - the gun shouldn't go back in until the threat is over. At that point you can take all the time in the world, make sure the holster is clear, make sure your finger is clear of the trigger, and you can even *gasp* look at the holster during the process to ensure it goes back safe and sound. Too many guys think they need to be fast IN to the holster, or that they absolutely should never look at the holster while putting the gun away. For a cop or a soldier in a warzone that has to change from pointing guns at someone to going hands on to affect an arrest or something - putting the gun away without seeing the holster has merit, but that's a totally different scenario than Joe Snuffy carrying a concealed PDW. The tacticool crowd is to blame here. A quick glance - you don't have to stare at the holster - is all that's needed. You can also use your thumb to index the gun, and ensure the mouth of the holster is clear of obstructions before inserting the gun back in.

In the case of Tex Grebner - it was a brain malfunction, and poor choice of holsters. He explains that he went from a Glock in a 5.11 Thumb Drive holster to a Kimber in a Serpa and on his draw he didn't index his finger properly to defeat the Serpa lock, so he pushed IN with his finger, so when the gun cleared the holster the safety was switched off and the trigger finger got into the guard while making the pushing motion and BAM - bullet in the leg. That is why I do not like the Serpa, it'd be too easy under stress to shoot yourself while drawing the gun. Lots of training accidents with Serpas and it's why they've been banned on a lot of gun ranges or by a lot of instructors. I've owned the Thumb Drive before and liked it - though my thumbs are kind of short and I wish the lever was a tad taller. I'd rather have a Safariland SLS, or Blade Tech WRS hood though. Or even a good old fashioned thumb break.

They're not tacticool anymore - but one of the best retention holsters/security holsters was the Safariland 070. They also had a level 2 version for OWB concealed carry that left off the thumb break - still had the strap by the trigger guard, and still had the ejection port lock. No buttons or levers.

 

[Medic!]

Holster Orientation

I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I refuse to wear a holster that
orients the handgun towards any part of my body, or anyone else's.
When hunting, I carry my rifle/shotgun pointed up, rather than down at the ground.

I carry IWB over my right a$$ cheek so I'm good.

You see I'm 48. And like many men my age, suffer from butt atrophy.
So it's not likely I will shoot myself [in it] if my gun dose mysteriously goes off?

But for gosh sakes! If you carry a gun. And don't know it can put a hole in you. Why are you in possession of a gun in the first place?

As for hunting where I hunt. With your rifle barrel up?
Good God! It would be filled with pine needles!
I would run away from you if I even thought you were going to let a round loose!

Plus every time I looked at you. Your F-ing muzzle would be pointing up my nose!
And that my friend, would cause me to hurt you after the first offence.
I'd realy prefer to have my foot shot off. Rather than my head!

 

[oknow]

Holster Orientation

I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I refuse to wear a holster that
orients the handgun towards any part of my body, or anyone else's.
When hunting, I carry my rifle/shotgun pointed up, rather than down at the ground.

(know your target and what is behind it) where is your gun pointed and where will the lead end up if the gun were to go off if you are carrying your gun pointing up.

 

[Capn Jack]

where will the lead end up if the gun were to go off if you are carrying your gun pointing up.

My thoughts are someone is less likely to be hit by a bullet accidentally fired into the air than a ricochet off of the ground.

 

[therealhitman]

Appendix curry is a good hoption for the consee led curry enveerenment...

 

[David Bowman]

Jeff Cooper said you can violate 1 of the 4 basic rules and get away with it, and it was designed that way. If you violate more than one of them though, you stand a better than average chance of putting a smoking hole in something you value.

If you have a holster of any kind that you worry would allow a round to be let off without you consciously or unconsciously making it happen (negligent, accidental or otherwise), you need to go get your money back.

Every holster I am aware of that allows you conceal your handgun is also going to "flag" a body part at some point. I carry AIWB and Strong Side Hip IWB (using the same holster, depending on my position-- Sitting, Standing, Walking etc.). I can count on the fact that at some point during the day, depending on my position, I am flagging my femoral artery, pelvis, hips, knees, feet, calves or wedding tackle. I train students wearing an OWB belt holster and every time I draw and holster the gun, I am flagging my hip, leg or foot; because anatomically speaking, it is impossible to not do that.

My holster completely covers the trigger and trigger guard and there is no way that anything gets in there to push, pull or press anything without me making a conscious effort to get inside that holster. If I have to draw the gun from concealment, the holster will allow me to get the gun out and still index my trigger finger.

Bottom Line: Don't be so overly worried where your gun rides in the holster. The holster should be the safest place for it to be. Train more so that you can be confident and competent at not shooting any part of you or others that doesn't need shot.

 

[Koda]

Jeff Cooper said you can violate 1 of the 4 basic rules and get away with it, and it was designed that way.

I'll say one would be veeeerry lucky to get away with violating rule #4.

 

[edslhead]

When hunting, I carry my rifle/shotgun pointed up, rather than down at the ground.

Up would be dangerous with my sock holster

 

[Roop]

I'll say one would be veeeerry lucky to get away with violating rule #4.

Which version are you referring to?

My Beloved Corps used these 4:
Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
Never point a weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot.
Keep your weapon on safe until you are ready to fire.
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.

Not recommending it, but I'm thinking if you got the first three down you should be groovy to go all 1980s action star.

 

[Koda]

Which version are you referring to?

My Beloved Corps used these 4:
Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
Never point a weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot.
Keep your weapon on safe until you are ready to fire.
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.

Not recommending it, but I'm thinking if you got the first three down you should be groovy to go all 1980s action star.

Im referring to Jeff Coopers 4 rules, #4 in itself cannot be violated at all.