Army Holsters

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ccaleb67

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What is the army's policy on holsters? Anybody here ever issued a sidearm and no holster. If you got a holster what kind did you get? Can you use personaly owned holsters if you don't like your issued one?
 
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Link doesn't work to wherever you wanted to bring attention to. Looks like a problem on their end.

It is far more common in the Army to not be issued a pistol at all rather than a pistol with not holster, but it does happen.

The most common holsters I have seen issued in the Army are Safariland ALS types with the rotating thumb hood, internal retention, drop leg, quick release holster. Can't find the model number on their site after a brief search. I wore it for all of an hour, constantly adjusting it and could not get it comfortable. I ended up using a SERPA holster for my tour using a belt setup when not on mission and a STRIKE plate on a quick disconnect mount to my plate carrier. Pistol lanyards are also a very common method of weapon retention that many of my soldiers used as it was much cheaper than getting a whole SERPA set.
 
I have an OD M12 for my peronaly owned M9 and I love it to death. Do you think I would be allowed to use it on a deployment or would that be a no-go.
 
Your personally owned M12 should be no problem. That is what is normally issued (and you might want to verify that you are NOT being issued one before using yours...or use yours and put the issued one away, if new, and swap when you redeploy.) Once you are actually deployed, policies on what holsters can/will be used will vary from unit to unit. Almost NO ONE with me on my four deployments used the issue holster.
 
Almost NO ONE with me on my four deployments used the issue holster.
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Agree completely.

On my one deployment, I think I was the only one running an M12. And I only used it with my pistol belt to go to the shower point. Other wise, I had a Yaqui Slide by G&G for the FOB and a Tactical Taylor for my IBA.
 
herrwalther said:
Link doesn't work to wherever you wanted to bring attention to. Looks like a problem on their end.

It is far more common in the Army to not be issued a pistol at all rather than a pistol with not holster, but it does happen.

The most common holsters I have seen issued in the Army are Safariland ALS types with the rotating thumb hood, internal retention, drop leg, quick release holster. Can't find the model number on their site after a brief search. I wore it for all of an hour, constantly adjusting it and could not get it comfortable. I ended up using a SERPA holster for my tour using a belt setup when not on mission and a STRIKE plate on a quick disconnect mount to my plate carrier. Pistol lanyards are also a very common method of weapon retention that many of my soldiers used as it was much cheaper than getting a whole SERPA set.
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Probably the Safariland 6004 or 6005.
 
txgunsuscg said:
Probably the Safariland 6004 or 6005.
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Don't think so. The most distinguishing characteristic of the issued holsters was there were 2 pinch tabs at the bottom where the holster itself could be removed from the dropleg platform that I don't see on the 6005.
 
If you use a milspec holster, make sure you have proof of purchase or ownership stored away somewhere, as they may think you stole it. Same for any other gear that you purchased for yourself.
 
When I was in the Army Reserve(2002-2010) they only type of pistol holster I ever saw was the Bianchi UM84(M12) type holster. None of our pistols were issued with holsters they were all stored in the arms room w/o them. Soldiers that did have holsters(usually the officers and senior NCOs) were issued them from supply and they stayed on their LBE. In the sandbox is whole other story, never got to experience that so can't help you there.
 
Myself and most of my guys our own Serpas during deployments. Our unit issued some type of convertible belt/drop leg holster. It would work, but the Serpa was better and faster to draw from.
 
2003 we were issued BlackHawk drop leg holsters. Once we were in Iraq holsters ran the gambit. Lot of local shoulder holsters were used. After a bit the only time I carried the pistol was to go to the chow hall.

WB
 
The UM84 is an excellent holster, even today.

Though designed for an M9, it also fits most other 9/40 service pistols. I carry either a Beretta 8040 or CZ-75 in mine.

Does an excellent job at protecting the pistol, good retantion for trail use, keeps most of the dirt out, and carry a cleaning rod with the holster. They also can be had lightly used in the $30 range at gun / militaria shows.

They can also be quickly retrofited with factory kits for different types of carry, as well as optional parts like a thumb break.

No good for concealed carry, but for open carry or field use they are hard to beat in anything approaching a reasonable price range.
 
While on Active Duty, I felt the UM84 was an excellent design. It is ambidextrous (big plus for me) and offers reasonable draw time, positive retention, good protection from sand / direct impact. Some of the current designs look to more at home at an IPSC match than in the field with real soldiers. For most (NOT all) military personnel, the necessity of a quick pistol draw is more of fantasy than reality.
 
I got a Safariland 6004 prior to my first tour and used it for all my deployments thereafter. My guys tended to use the issue M12, Safarilands, TT, and TAG holsters. The only holster I didn't allow my guys to use was the Blackhawk Serpa. I saw a guy in another platoon with one and the release lever was so clogged with dirt and dust that he couldn't push the lever down far enough to release the pistol.
 
Issued holsters were complete crap. I used blackhawk holsters, either kit mounted or on the thigh. Definitely appreciated the rugged nature of the blackhawk holsters when out in the boondocks.

Lost my last one in an IED. Probably some Afghan running around with it now. :D
 
In my unit (heavy mech), soldiers were issued M12 holsters, or this monstrosity.

I have never used the Army's holster. On my first deployment I used a SERPA, and by my second I had wised up and used a home-made kydex holster or a Safariland w/SLS hood depending on the mission.
 
As an aircrew member we were issued a leather shoulder holster to conceal our M56 .38 special snubby. We had some well preserved and very stiff leather belt holsters when we went to war in the gulf, for the longer barreled open carried .38s. When we went to the M9 we were issued a cordura holster that positioned the Beretta up in our armpits- those sucked bad.

EDIT to add: Just noticed the OP specified 'Army' holsters. Sorry.
 
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Its easier to get forgiven than it is to get permission.
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To err is human; to forgive is not Army policy.

I carried a Ruger SBH 44 on the DMZ in Korea in '75, but we were were spooks & got away with a lot of crap that would have landed others in the stockade. Several guys carried non-standard holsters for the 45, but since we weren't in active combat, it really didn't matter. I still have (legally - paid for them) the GI Bianchi-made hip holster & the NSN stamped shoulder holster I used there. Sometimes I wear them just because I can... ;)
 
We could use what ever holster we wanted to. Most either used the tactical tailor molle holsters or the polymer blackhawk holsters. The only holsters we were ever issued were drop leg holsters through company supply which everyone hated and never used.
 
When I deployed, we were all issued sidarms (M9), and all were issued this piece of junk (as MrClean also said). We were allowed to use any holster we wanted. I used a Blackhawk Serpa belt mounted for walking around the FOB, and had a Serpa holster that I mounted to my IOTV for out on mission. Both worked great
 
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