13 Nov 12
Yesterday, a friend called my attention to a new IWB, kydex concealment holster, designed to minimize profile. It looked slick in the ad, but it is obviously “one-way!”
By that, I mean, when using it, you may be able to draw your pistol quickly and smoothly, which is all wonderful, of course. But, what do you do with your drawn pistol when you suddenly need to go “hands-on,” or you need to politely greet arriving police officers?
It is my contention that being able to smoothly and quickly reholster and re-conceal your drawn pistol is nearly as important as your ability to draw and present it quickly.
The act of reholstering, using the holster in the above-mentioned ad, required both hands and the better part of thirty seconds. In a continuing emergency, that obviously won’t fly. The pistol would have to be quickly stuffed into a pocket (a dangerous procedure in itself), or jettisoned.
Thus, holsters that collapse after the pistol is drawn, or, as in the above case, require both hands, and an inordinate amount of time and effort, to get the pistol re-secured and re-concealed, are not suitable for a main, concealment, carry-pistol. They may be at least arguable for back-up pistols.
The point is this: When selecting emergency equipment and procedures, upon which you’re very life will depend, you have to think it through!
I know it all looks great in the showroom. However, being shot by arriving police, because they see a gun in your hand that you can’t get out of sight and don’t know what to do with, is hardly an improvement over being shot by a VCA moments earlier because you were unarmed!
“… I guess that’s your concern. We live and learn.”
From “Ballerina,” written in 1947 by Sidney Russell and Carl Sigman. Most famous rendition was Nat King Cole’s from 1958
/John
