Recently we had some sobering reminders of what works and what doesn’t relating to concealed carry. Some will get it and others will continue to resist.
Accepting truth
It’s hard to believe we have completed ten Concealed Carry Tactics class this year. Come to think of it, it’s hard to believe we are almost through 2015, man time flies when you are having fun. In this time, we have observed so many things both good and bad, but one thing we keep having problems with is the notion clips and paddles are an acceptable option for securing a holster to your body. I don’t care where they come from, if they are plastic or metal, they will fail. It is not a matter of if, but “when” they will fail. The problem we run into is those unwilling to accept the truth.
Murphy’s law
Sometimes we hold onto a belief because we want it so bad to be true and will ignore all other information. Other times we will try to justify to ourselves and even those around us in an effort to keep our fragile bubble alive. During a recent class we had a holster wait until the absolute worse time to finally separate from the body. During the drill, the student was to perform some close contact exercises so they were right in front of the target, within arms reach. As he draws his pistol the holster comes off and the disbelief on the student’s face was priceless. Aside from a safety issue it was pretty harmless since it occurred during training, but it sent a very clear message.
Letting go
In another recent class we had one student use a paddle holster. A paddle holster is technically no different than a holster with clips, it is an unsecured holster. His resolute stance he had been using the holster for 15 years without incident is of little consequence to me when in this year alone we have seen several slip off. The difficulty he had in accepting this surfaced several times in the class. Putting that aside, what is important is letting go of some things in our lives, things that might be damaging or have a negative outcome. If that is not possible, then at the very least acknowledging the issue and the chances it could occur and at the worse time. In all honesty, during the short duration of use in our class his did not slip.
Failure points
We ask our students to understand the skill mechanics. To understand the what’s, the why’s and the how’s of the skill we are employing. It is important to your skill development you understand beyond a surface scan. It helps to buy into some skills and validates others, but the critical component is understanding when things don’t go your way. Can you identify the malfunctions or failure points in your techniques or tactics. If you are attending a notable school or instructor then absolutely. They will have already identified these malfunctions and created contingencies to deal with them should the occur in training or more importantly the real world. One such contingency is dealing with a “non-secured” holster that slips off the body. It is is one of six malfunctions we have identified as it relates to concealed carry. In this case, the solution is to come over the top of the slide to pin the holster as you violently pull the pistol rewards. The motion of pulling to the rear is what really separates the holster as you push the holster off and to the ground.
Everything works until it doesn’t, be open to change. If you are invested into something so much you cannot look past it’s limitations you are doomed to failure, it’s only a matter of time.
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Looking to take this course in January. What IWB holster would you recommend for glock 19?
That is a difficult question to answer. You might look at the ProCarry Scabbard from JM Customs or the Phantom from Raven Concealment (which can double as an OWB). Good luck and see you soon.
Hello Jeff,
I know you are a big proponent of carrying a blade. One of your articles that sparked my interest was the consideration of carrying a fixed blade on the support side rather than a backup gun. I think this is a great idea. However, most blade sheaths I am aware of typically come with metal clips. I would think these clips are just as susceptible to failure as firearm holsters with clips. What do you recommend (i.e., sheath) for carrying a blade? Thanks.
Look into our Strider blade and the sheath it comes with.
Interesting title “Coming Face To reality….what is not mentioned in scope of “reality”, is that mass shooters start firing first, if you are in the line of fire, it is best to get to safety instead of engagng. In other other words, sometimes the “bad guys” already have the “drop”. Another thing to mention is situational awareness. Knowing when to draw, when to flee, when not to be in a situation, i.e. envuronment.
Thank you Rick, there are several other blogs you may want to consider.
Wasn’t there a video of someone showing how a paddle holster fails?
There might be, but we have seen these failures in our training classes.