Harsh Words

Sebastian has some harsh words for the man who killed himself with a Glock stuffed in his waistband.

Some people are criticizing him for speaking ill of a dead man who leaves behind a wife and four children.

Nope, this man is dead, his wife a widow, and his kids without a father because he was too cheap or stupid to buy a $10 cheap holster for what was probably a $300 gun carrying $10 worth of ammo.

My shoulder holster is a mass-produced unit so it is VERY low priced at $120 (really reasonable when you note it comes with a double-mag carrier) and I have a $700 gun stuffed into it, and $25 worth of ammo in $90 worth of magazines. If somebody showed me a carry rig that was better (even by a bit) than the one I have that was $300 or $500, I’d buy it. This is not a cheap hobby, nor is it a hobby without risks. You put your $80 stamp in a $2 collector’s book the worst you get is a ruined investment….you spare expenses and skip the holster you could be finding yourself bleeding out in your minivan. If you skimp and buy a cheap piece of crap holster you also might find yourself shot (If you’re lazy, it was a thin nylon holster that allowed a crease of fabric to depress the trigger) or fail to replace a warn holster. Heck a “Better” circumstance might be you chasing your dropped gun across a parking lot where people might notice and call unwanted legal attention to you. Is a $10 one-size-fits all nylon holster worth potentially worth losing your $100 carry permit because somebody called the cops when they saw you collecting and re-holstering your gun when it got drop-tested in the Mall Parking lot?

BTW I’m not talking about a $500 Milt Sparks rig here! Holsters are like guns, you can get a REALLY nice one for a LOT of money, but in the end the difference between “Good” and “The Best” is really academic.

This man’s life could have been saved by a $20 Galco Stow-and-Go holster. Instead of stuffing the Glock into his pants, he could have stuffed it in this inexpensive holster and into his pants. He wouldn’t to have needed to adjust his gun in the first place, and the trigger guard would be surrounded by leather…probably is a LOT more comfortable too.

Caleb and PDB talk a good talk about Blade-tech Kydex. Their products are just as reasonably priced, I see nothing wrong with Kydex, just leather seems to work very well for me.

Also pocket guns need pocket holsters! Pocket holsters are different as they don’t “Hold” the gun the same way a belt holster does, your pocket does most of the retaining (tho the holster can keep a gun from slipping out of a pocket say if you lean back in a reclining chair) but what they DO is keep crap that shouldn’t be in your pocket from fouling your gun, and keeps your trigger in the un-pulled condition until you have drawn it. I bought my Desantis Nemesis directly from the factory (because Midway USA hadn’t yet stocked the PM45 model) and I paid about $25 for it….Probably could have gotten it for $15 or less once Midway or another warehouse starts stocking it.

You don’t need to go buy a holster that costs as much as your gun…you don’t even need to buy a holster that costs half-as-much as your gun, but if you carry a gun you SHOULD carry it in a quality holster. This is one of those things you can’t be cheap with.

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0 Responses to Harsh Words

  1. maddmedic says:

    Sad thing this is and true what you say.
    I use a both a Galco and Remora for my IWBs.
    Fobus for my paddle and/or belt, holsters on 3 of my handguns, depending on application, Self Defense purposes or Hunting.
    I make sure my guns are always seated in their holsters properly…Is damn hard to control a femoral bleed on someone else, as I know from experience and really hard to do so on oneself.

  2. Pingback: SayUncle » Repeat after me: Use a holster

  3. CTone says:

    Believe it or not, the guy in question was very well off, so the only reason I can think of why he wasn’t using a holster was out of ignorance. Sounded like a nice guy, too. What a shame.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      He was married and had four kids. I can name dozens of guys who will be less missed than this guy, even if he was an asshole. Its a damn shame, and as I tried to illustrate above, not a financial burden.

  4. Dadof3 says:

    Weerd,

    I like the article but have two points. I have not found any Glocks in the neighborhood of $300 dollars. I would snap that up in an instant, even if it was a Gen 1 or 2.

    Secondly, no cartridge in the pipe is a form of “safety” for this gun. Granted, you are right about advising holsters over that for all the right reasons and having to rack it first may cost you your life too.

    His story is about negligence – not having a holster is negligent. I find most people cheap out on the practice part since it requires a lot of ammo and time to be proficient.

    Thanks for doing what you do.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      Thanks for your kind words.

      BTW I’m talking used prices. I think you can still get a police trade-in glock for around three-bills with a tail wind.

      • Josh says:

        I picked up a used police Gen 1 Glock 19 for $350 from a gun store. I’m pretty sure you could get one private party for $300. They are worth every penny, too. I had to replace a couple of springs, but other than that I’ve put well over 10k rounds through the gun with no problems. Can’t go wrong with a Glock.

        And back to your original point…I’ve got a Galco paddle, Galco Miami Classic shoulder rig, and Comp-Tac C-TAC IWB. Absolutely no reason not to carry your weapon in a good holster. The C-TAC is a fantastic holster, btw. I love my Galco holsters as well, but the C-TAC is my favorite.

        • Weerd Beard says:

          There are a LOT of very reasonably priced guns that you can’t go wrong with. Anything from the old warhorse S&W Model 10 to the new-kid-on-the-block S&W M&P they all run, and they all have their quirks and faults.

          BTW good choice on the G19, that is hands-down the meat-and-potatoes of the Glock world.

  5. Paul says:

    I see alot of idiots on gunboards now saying chamber empty is the ‘safe’ way to carry your gun. Sure, instead of using a simple holster just force yourself to use two hands fast to chamber your gun while under attack.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      These are the same retards who won’t carry a Glock because it doesn’t have an external safety. If you think its too dangerous to carry your gun with a round in the pipe I’ll note it’ll be MUCH safer to lock the gun in the safe until you grow up.

      • Kristopher says:

        I’m comfortable with a GLOCK with a NY trigger.

        I personally think a 5 pound pull with a trigger safety isn’t good enough … but that is just my personal opinion.

        • Weerd Beard says:

          Glocks do have fairly short triggers. my Kahr has about 6 pounds under it, but its a LOOOOONG pull, like Sig Sauer DA long. I feel pretty good about it. If they made a trigger this smooth but 8lbs, that would be awesome too.

  6. TIM says:

    Hey Weerd Beard I don’t think it is a matter of growing up to be able to carry a gun.I mean do you honestly feel threatened 100% of the time.I mean the guy was waiting in the van in front of a grocery store with wife and kids.Don’t get me wrong there is always someone out there wanting to do harm to someone else.Bottom line is it is sad for the family but yes there should have been a holster especially carrying with one in the pipe.

  7. What’s your view on crotch holsters, a la Smart Carry? It’s how I have to carry in my shirt tucked in cashiers job. With the employer politics to boot.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      Use a good holster like Thunderware I don’t see the issue if you find it comfortable.

      The times I have to tuck I just belt a subcompact in a Galco Underwrap belly band with a semi-auto at 4:00 (which puts the reload pocket at about 8:00) or a J-frame at Apendix (so speed strips are at 4:00) not a terribly comfortable rig, and not very easy to use the bathroom….but not impossible.

  8. My Uncle Mike’s pocket holster now fits my Ruger LCP like a glove. Been carrying it that way for 3-1/2 years now.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      Keeps the Sugar packets out of the gun well, don’t it!

      Have you tried the Desantis? Little more price, little more quality….probably not worth the bother.

      • Riley says:

        I have a Desantes and like it, but felt like the grip tended to print, so I went with a wallet style that covers the grip on the outside, but you gotta have a holster if your going to carry. I dont know too many people who would shove a sharp fixed blade knife down their pants, why a loaded gun??

        • Weerd Beard says:

          The analogy is a LITTLE off. As a gun guy AND a knife guy I handle both a lot, and by nature I’ve dropped both. A dropped gun I’m more worried if I scratched or damaged my gun, a dropped knife I’m worried about it slashing me on the way down. A knife is always on….guns are on only momentarily on, so we can be lulled into complacency.

          DeSantis also makes the Superfly Holster I certainly want to give it a try…tho overall the print of my J-frame is really very amorphous with all the bumps and curves of that gun, plus the shape of the holster, with the PM45 the grip does print a bit more, but still the pattern is overall square which isn’t very obtrusive to the eye.

  9. lucusloc says:

    I carry a pm9 in a crossbreed holster. one of the most comfortable IWBs I have worn, and it’s tuck-able to boot. My open carry holster is a mitch rosin holster. It’s good to look good when OC!

  10. Tam says:

    You will probably be pleasantly surprised to know that even the best leather holsters on the market (Sparks, Alessi, Rosen) are rarely much over a C-note.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      I am aware….I honestly picked on Sparks because I know he’s not above adding exotic skins and making high-dollar pieces of art.

      I think that my big take-away point is that for about $100 you can get a belt and holster combo (or a shoulder rig like mine) that will serve you well, and safely for many many moons.

      Given that most Hi-Points are selling NIB for over $100, and used reputable guns generally will run you north of $300, and a box of cheap 9×19 range ammo is over $10 a box, that really you have NO excuse for not getting a solid holster.

  11. Pop N Fresh says:

    natchezss.com has eagle kydex holsters for $20 that’s like 2/3 off

    milt sparks makes great holsters I have 3 they’re just hard to get an order in on (try getting a call through the first 3 business days of the month) and think of it as an embryo cause you aren’t getting to hold it for 9 months

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