Oops...I Dropped My Gun!

[rainbowbob]

It happened while I was carrying my j-frame in an IWB Galco clip-on with a thumb snap.

My wife - who a year ago was a rabid "anti" - has more recently acknowledged that a gun is a safe security tool. She was watching me as I climbed over the tongue of a dump trailer I was hooking up to my Jeep when my holster popped off my belt and fell to the ground at our feet.

A year ago she probably would have shrieked in horror! Instead, she just casually looked at it, and then at me with a raised eyebrow. I sheepishly said, "Oops!", picked it up, and clipped it back on my belt. No further comment from Dear Wife.

Although dropping your weapon is a terrible faux-pas - it wasn't a big deal. I had explained to her when I first acquired the M36 and concealed license that they can't go off when dropped and are quite harmless unless you point it at somebody and deliberately pull the trigger.

So we're making progress. Now if I can just find a belt holster that I can wear when I'm active without worrying about it popping off my belt. It's never happened before - but once is too much. Perhaps (no, definately) I need a better belt. But I don't think I'll ever fully trust a clip-on holster again.

 

[The Bushmaster]

That's one reason I don't use clip holsters...Good go with your wife though...

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I have tried a couple clip on holsters and couldn't get any to stay put (one broke the clip after about a day of use). The only ones I trust now have 2 clips or loops, they seem to stay where they are supposed to. And a belt helps tremendously.

 

[Daniel1120]

Is the gun ok? I'm glad to hear it fell while still in the holster, sheesh.

 

[VINTAGE-SLOTCARS]

I think we have all dropped a gun. It's awsome that the wife now understands why you have/carry one and isnt skittish about it. Her knowledge is your gain.

 

[WAID]

Not to hijack but what sort of clips are the problem here? I have 3 holsters with different sorts of clips and I have more problems getting them off at the end of the day than having them come.

 

[loneviking]

Go to simplyrugged.com and get one of their pancake holsters and a belt. You won't drop the gun again and it won't fall out of the holster!

 

[BullfrogKen]

Trade-offs and finding the balance

The trade-off with holsters is between accessibility and security. A duty holster with a retention, or several retention devices provide great security at the expense of slowing down accessibility. Open top holsters with no thumb breaks do away with security and offer easy accessibility.

Well-made holsters provide a bit of both. Well-formed kydex, or nicely made leather that's had some hand boning done will provide some retention to the gun. Enough so that it's got to be pulled out, it won't fall out.

The problem with bargain holsters is they offer none of either. They have no security. And since they don't stay put, the gun isn't quickly accessible, either.


If you've decided to carry that J-frame with you about your daily activities, do yourself a favor. Invest in something better than the holster you're using. Clip-on holsters make sense for some people, with specific needs. Unless you need to be removing and replacing your gun several times a day, such as in a courthouse or other gun-free environment, get a more secure system. Some clip-on holsters are well-made, and won't give you this problem. But they are going to cost you a good bit more than that Galco.

Bargain holsters will make do in a pinch. But they're the worst of all trade-offs. You've given up both accessibility and security for the benefit of spending less money.

 

[WardenWolf]

It also depends on the type of belt the clip was designed for. The holster I use for my Ruger P90 was designed for a wide belt, and stabilizes nicely when such a belt is worn. I really am not at all concerned about it falling off, either. Using such a clip with a smaller belt will allow it to rotate, gain leverage, and potentially pop off your belt. If you plan to wear a clip-on hoster, you may need a different belt. I experimented fairly heavily with it because I am planning to wear my .45 when I go hunting next spring. The area I will be in is an illegal / drug trafficking corridor, and I'd much rather have my .45 at my side.

 

[rainbowbob]

I usually carry the j-frame in a Mika pocket holster - cheap, accessible, secure. But there are times when a belt holster makes more sense. It's beginning to dawn on me that for belt carry, I need a better belt and a more secure attachment. I like the idea of snap-loops and I'll be looking around for just the right one - definately something in leather. More money than a Galco - but hey - Xmas is coming!

 

[BullfrogKen]

Some snap loop holsters are very well made, and don't suffer any of those kinds of problems you described or I discussed. Milt Sparks Summer Special and the Versa Max are probably two of the benchmark snap loop holsters in the industry that provide great accessibility of the gun, and retain good security.

But they're not cheap.


With regards to leather - the general rule is the more detailed and defined the outlines of the gun you see on the outside of the holster, the more secure the gun will be in it. You can get something with less boning that has a thumbreak, and have yourself a very secure belt holster. But I'm not a fan of belt clips at all. Sometimes you can find a really well-designed one, but its hit or miss. And unless you can find someone who's got one for you to borrow and try out first, you're running the risk of ending up with a box full of holsters.

Do a search here in the holster section. Approach it as an investment, and not an expense, and you'll probably pick something that'll do just fine.

 

[BHP FAN]

Blackhawk makes a simply GREAT holster.The original Berns Martin Speed Holster was a clamshell type rig,This modern update uses Strong surgical quality elastic instead of bulky springs,further reduceing the size .I wear an 1 3/8'' black dress belt with mine,and it's snug,so it would also work with an 1 1/4'',but it looks like you could work up to an 1 1/2'' through there,if you had the patience.There's an extra loop built into a ''tab'' that really helps in keeping the revolver sucked in over my [and just a little in front of] my right hip jeans pocket,so that it doesn't ''print''.Absolutely secure.You could do cartwheels,and not lose your gun [the neighbors might stare,though] and the draw is like a magic trick,no flaps or snaps ,just tug,and fire.

 

[BullfrogKen]

BHP, I'd have to see that holster.


I know of only one person still utilizing the original Berns-Martin design - Rusty Sherrick. He's using it on his shoulder holsters. And yes, its an awesome system. Very secure, and very fast, and comparatively expensive compared to other products on the market.

Patrick Johnakin Brown Shoe Corp. Muzzle Up Shoulder Holster

 

[rainbowbob]

I looked at some of the Milt Sparks varieties - and one of them should do the trick. Not cheap, as you say...but a good investment. My goal is to NEVER allow my firearm to hit the ground again. That is worth whatever it costs.