ACCESSORIES feature
Plainclothes Duty Gear
the diff erence when bad things happen on the street. A law en- forcement friend survived a gun grab several years ago with good tactics and a survival mindset. His relatively expensive reten- tion holster did not. He was using a very commonly used nylon model, which became al- most completely detached from his belt during the attack. What would have happened in that scenario if the holster in ques- tion had been one of those $15 jobs? Bad things.
Any cop who doesn’t wear a uniform regularly would be well served by a body armor carrier equipped with pockets for emergency equipment.
is a bit of a well-kept secret. It’s a family- owned business located in northeast Okla- homa. T ey off er the only $25 holster I would use for defensive purposes. T eir JIT Slide model is the most quality one could ever hope to get for the money. Hume also off ers a variety of other quality leather in- cluding ankle holsters, inside-the-waistband holsters, small-of-the back holsters, and uni- formed duty gear. Most importantly, they understand customer service. When I made my department’s SWAT team, drop-leg hol- sters for my chosen duty pistol, the S&W M&P, were not widely available yet. When I received the offi cial notice that I was as- signed to SWAT, the next team practice was only eight days away. I certainly didn’t want to miss it for lack of equipment. I tried call- ing several of my favorite leather dealers to no avail before I remembered Don Hume. I didn’t press “1” or anything, but in-
stead an actual person answered the phone. I explained my predicament to the very nice lady at the leather maker. Fifteen min- utes later, a suitable tactical holster was on its way and mere days later, it was in my mailbox. With Don Hume’s great customer
8 The Police Marksman May-Jun 2014
service, I was able to attend practice and I was unable to blame any shortcomings on my equipment. Bianchi also off ers aff ordable quality gear for the non-uniformed offi cer. Its founder, John Bianchi, is a retired California cop with a true understanding of what is needed in gun gear. Comp-Tac, Safariland, DeSan- tis, BLACKHAWK!, Crossbreed and many others make leather and Kydex products that may fi t the bill.
Holsters
Even upper management police administra- tors carry at least a fi rearm on duty. T e ones who don’t certainly aren’t Police Marksman readers anyway, so it’s safe to say that it’s wrong. Even if a department is large enough that it can provide its top cop an armed es- cort, it must be considered that the sidearm is the second most important symbol of a law enforcement offi cer next to the badge. If you disagree, think about the fi rst and second places you look when meeting a cop from another jurisdiction for the fi rst time. T ose who carry a sidearm should invest in some quality gear. A decent holster can be
Granted, defensive tactics (DT) have a lot more to do with prevailing in a physical encounter than equipment. DT probably carried the day in this particular event. Still, we should strive to have the best equip- ment because we never know when it will be our turn in the arena.
Career advancement is no reason not to have a rail-mounted light (RML). Comp-Tac makes a RML holster for Glock duty-size pistols that would serve well in this role. It’s light, functional and still looks like the gear of a professional. Leather options are also avail- able from Galco and Don Hume. T e shoulder holster is a carry iteration that I cannot recommend for any duty use. Eff ective draw stroke and weapon retention are both seriously compromised with this manner of carry. T e worst of its variety is one in which the pistol is held horizontally. While it is often touted as being perfect for vehicle carry, in a well-publicized case in the late 1990s, two Florida detectives were murdered when a handcuff ed suspect seated in the back of their vehicle accessed one of their pistols from its shoulder holster. He then used that pistol to take a female clerk hostage and eventually, end his own life. I don’t fault this fallen offi cer or his partner because shoulder holsters were much more commonly accepted then and nothing like this had happened before. Additionally, those investigators had no way of knowing that they were in the presence of Nietzsche’s referenced “monster.”
www.policemarksman.com
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