Holster Newbie Questions?

[boxlobster]

hey guys i recently signed up for a defensive gun training course and i need to purchase a holster and a double mag carrier. i have been looking into blackhawk and fobus holsters. my question is what is the difference between a belt holster and a paddle holster? from what i've read the only difference i see is that the paddle allows you to rotate the gun to various angles. what are the advantages and disadvantages of having either one?

also the course i'm taking requires that i have a sturdy hip holster. is a hip holster the typical holster most people/law etc.. carry on their belts? i always thought it was called a belt holster? as for the double mag carrier i've read that some have a screw that secures the mag in and depending on where that is located is how long tension will be on the mag while pulling it out. what works best? for double mag carriers what is double and single stack?

the holsters im looking at are the standard fobus left hand holster and the blackhawk cqc serpa holster also left handed. anyone have any experiences with either of the two? the plus side to blackhawks holster is that it comes with both belt loop and paddle platforms.

i have a colt 1911 govt model and when i search the sizes for these holsters all i get is 1911 stye. will it fit my full size 1911?


sorry for these extremely newbie questions but any help would be great.



-thanks

 

[eagle45]

Belt holster - as the name implies, it is worn on your belt, with the belt threaded through a couple of slots.
Paddle holster - has a 'paddle' attached to it that slides over your belt and inside your pants. The paddle holds the holster securely to your side.

I can only speak from experience with Fobus. Both styles can be purchased to rotate. This is good in that you can adjust the angle or 'cant' of carry. The bad thing is that it requires a little more space so the gun is a little bit farther from the body. In your SD class, that would not be a problem. A lot of folks, myself included, do not favor the Fobus for CCW.

If the class requires a 'sturdy hip holster', you may want to check with the instructor before you spend your money. I would consider this description to be a belt holster, and possibly even a leather holster. Your instructor should be able to explain what it means to him, and since it is his class, his opinion matters. Also a 'sturdy belt holster' requires a 'sturdy belt'. You won't be wearing it on a flimsy dress belt, and a good belt is really not optional.

For your mag carriers, you can buy single or double carriers for both style of magazines. I shot IPSC for awhile and used an XD, I carried two double mag carriers that each held two double stack mags. When I used a 1911 instead, I wore two double mag carriers that each carried two single stack magazines. The double stack are for the pistols, like the XD, with a wider grip and higher capacity. The rounds do not sit directly on top of each other like in a 1911 mag, each one is slightly off to the side of the one below it. The single stack is for pistols like the traditional 1911, each round directly on top of the one below it. The tension screw is on the back and allows you to adjust the tension to your liking, firm enough to hold the mags while your moving around, and not too tight when you draw them out. Just a little experimenting and you'll be able to determine what you like, it is just your own preference.

As I said, my only experience is with the Fobus. Understand one thing to begin with, if you end up with only one holster you will be the only person on the face of the earth to do so! I had both belt and paddle holsters for my XDs and 1911s, and in each style I had fixed holsters and those I could rotate, or change the cant of. I liked the belt holsters that I could adjust the best, but that's just me. A little arthritis makes drawing a little more difficult, and being able to adjust that cant is nice. Fobus holsters aren't expenisive, buy one of each and see how you like them.

The 1911 model is the one you want for you Colt. Enjoy your class!

 

[boxlobster]

that was perfect! thank you for answering my questions! i am swaying more towards fobus now partly because i like my gear to match brandwise if possible and i found a good double mag carrier from fobus. thank you again.

 

[Bilt4Comfort]

As far as a "sturdy" hip holster, I recently purchased a Safariland level II retention holster for my XD45, and I absolutely love it. It's built rock solid, looks nice, and for open carry it's gonna be tough to do better. A Wilderness brand instructor belt works very well with it.

 

[eagle45]

Glad it helped. For what it's worth, I found the belt holster to work much better in the competition style shooting. With a good belt it holds the gun more securely, and your already going to be wearing a good belt for the mag carriers, unless of course you get them paddle style too.