FIST
1 FIST
2
Rhino
3
(L to R) 1. The FIST Dave Spaulding rig is an easy on/off pancake-style holster based on the classic Alessi CQC-S rig. 2. The back of the FIST DS rig shows it really is Kydex and not leather. The holster is light, fast and easy to wear all day. 3. The Rhino holster is a unique Kydex rig that is designed to wear between the pants and belt for maximum concealment but rapid access.
fact you have a gun, be comforted by the fact you have enough gun and the skill to use it!
The Gun The concealed-carry handgun
should be big enough but also small enough. By this, I mean small enough to conceal with reasonable prepara- tion, but large enough to fi ll the hand in a fi ght. Do you really want to take on the active shooter/killer that has just entered the restaurant where your family is eating with that cute little .380 that is sooo easy to carry?! Yep, the .380 is better than open hands, but consider why you started to car- ry a gun in the fi rst place. Medium- size pistols are probably best. Guns like the Glock 19 or 23, HK USP-C, Commander-size 1911s, etc., fi t this description. Why not the sub-com- pacts like the Glock 26 or 27, Smith & Wesson M&P compact or Ruger SR- 9c? Once you add the magazine exten- sion to fi ll your hand, you have just made the gun about the same size as the medium frame. To each his own, but choose wisely. Regardless of what gun you choose, it’s a proper holster that conceals the pistol, so this piece of kit should be selected with the same level of care as the handgun. I would like to give you some solid hol- ster choices for your concealed-car- ry pistol — maybe I can make your search just a bit easier.
Hillsman Holsters I fi rst heard of Dan Hillsman from
the Denzel Washington movie “Man On Fire.” Don Rosche, former Recon Marine and in-demand trainer via his company Advanced Weapons Train- ing International (
www.awti.com), trained Washington on weapons and tradecraft for his role and is a fan of Hillsman Holsters. In fact, the hol-
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM
sters Washington used in the movie were Hillsman Holsters. Dan started with leather, but moved to Kydex due to its lightweight, durability and re- tention qualities. He currently uses Boltaron 4330, an acrylic-modifi ed PVC similar to Kydex, which exhibits better performance
characteristics.
Unlike production holsters, every Hillsman Holster is custom crafted using the actual pistol
it will carry.
When Dan makes a holster for a Glock 22, the only “mold” he uses is an actual Glock 22, as he feels there is no other way to achieve the perfect fi t a combative holster requires. Since Dan makes each holster one
and at time, he can create some pretty unique carry rigs. For example, he can use pieces of wood to “dress” the hol- ster, and offers the same wood as grips for a 1911, giving the end user a grip and holster that matches. Dan can use blue pieces of Boltaron to offset a po- lice holster or green for military mem- bers … whatever the customer wants.
No, these holsters are not inexpen- sive, but they are tough as nails and offer serious pride of ownership. Dan recently built me a belt holster he jok- ingly called the “Scalding Spaulding” due to the speed of draw. The holster combines the ease of use of a paddle, but the solid ride of a closed belt loop. This rig has become my go-to hol- ster for carry, teaching and training.
www.hillsmanholsters.com
Rhino Holsters While most agree that a strong-
side belt holster is the way to go for rapid access and concealment, how to mount the rig is open to debate. An inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster is the most concealable, but requires larger pants and belt than normal. An outside-the-waistband (OWB) is faster and more comfortable, but tends to stick out more depending on holster design. While teaching a pistol class in Florida recently, I was introduced to a holster that splits
(Left) The DeSantis Pistol Pack looks more like a cell phone or Blackberry case than it does a holster, but it holds a small handgun and spare magazine readily. (Right) The new Galco TacSlide is a hybrid Kydex/leather holster that is light- weight yet heavy in concealment. Also, it’s easy on the wallet!
73
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180