Sarge
.30 Stingray
Posts: 345
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Post by Sarge on Aug 19, 2019 0:00:25 GMT -5
Thanks for your reply Nichols. I've had a Sourdough and it's a great holster. I found that I never used the crossdraw slot and intend to eliminate it on the next effort. I also wanted the whole cylinder above the belt, to make it conceal better under a loose shirt. Finally, I wanted an exposed grip and trigger guard for fast access.
I'm just an old pistol packer trying to roll up the things that have worked for me into a neat package. Mernickle hit it out of the park with his PS-6SA.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Aug 19, 2019 6:19:49 GMT -5
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Post by papacharlie on Aug 19, 2019 8:34:45 GMT -5
I love my Galco pancake holster that I use for my full size 1911. It tucks that piece of iron into my side so well that it takes very little to cover it up. Although there are some issues with it that I have been thinking hard about. I have done a fair amount of leather work in the past and have been thinking about a new design. There are several issues with holsters for concealment, some holster designs address some of the issues but few address all or most. Automatics are narrower than a SA and therefore lend themselves to concealment. An SA adds another level to the puzzle. As I see it the issues are: Weight Distribution. That chunk of iron on the side can really put a stress on your and your belt. Weight Balance. Having the CG above the belt causes the gun to pull away from the body exposing the handle imprint. Ease of Draw. You need it high enough to conceal, but that restricts the draw. Comfort. How many times have you had your hammer jam you in the side. You want it tight to conceal but that places that hammer right against you. Concealment. Lets face it, the bottom of most holsters look like a holster. If you shirt rides up or as you are reaching for your wallet, you will expose the bottom. Versatility. What is comfortable for me to wear and draw may not be comfortable for anyone else. Also, what works with one type of clothing may not work for others. Security. You want the gun to stay in the holster until you are ready. But that often conflicts with the ability to access the piece. Appearance. Many of us live in open carry states. There are times we don't want to carry concealed and would like the holster to be appealing to the eye.
Anything I am missing here?
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Post by bula on Aug 19, 2019 9:06:06 GMT -5
I have a NM polished SS 44psec Sheriff that goes into a holster similar to the Mernickle. I believe it worthy of carry and more than adequate per my lifestyle and habitat. Some very well thought out replies above. I'm thinking in terms of perspective..the first rule of gunfighting, have a gun. Next is being aware, possibly avoiding the whole trouble without having to drop the hammer, or enough warning to get to cover before lead flies. Being the good guy, you will not be starting the fight, but reacting to it, playing catch-up so to speak. No "shooter ready ! BEEP". Third is putting your bullets where they need to go, as fast as you can, to avoid having it done to you. The gun, cartridge,bullet choices all come in after the 3 most important items. Stay safe folks.
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Post by Frank V on Aug 24, 2019 17:28:01 GMT -5
One thing papacharlie didn't mention is that a black holster isn't as easily spotted when your vest or coat rides up a bit & exposes it. I have tried this myself using a mirror with a tan & a black holster. Unless for exposed carry, I order my holsters black. Massad Aayoob wrote an article about that. I tried it & Massad is correct. An IWB holster will help too. I have an el paso saddlery IWB that is fantastic. I even have a couple nice holsters I've blackened with black leather die & with a felt tip marker.
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Post by papacharlie on Aug 24, 2019 18:09:53 GMT -5
One thing papacharlie didn't mention is that a black holster isn't as easily spotted when your vest or coat rides up a bit & exposes it. I have tried this myself using a mirror with a tan & a black holster. Unless for exposed carry, I order my holsters black. Massad Aayoob wrote an article about that. I tried it & Massad is correct. An IWB holster will help too. I have an el paso saddlery IWB that is fantastic. I even have a couple nice holsters I've blackened with black leather die & with a felt tip marker. As much as I like the look of brown leather, you are right about this. Great point.
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Post by rangersedge on Aug 25, 2019 21:40:37 GMT -5
I've often wondered about gluing velcro strips to OWB holster and on scrap material cut from old pants. Wearing dark denims? Use that cover. Wearing khakis? Use that one.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Aug 26, 2019 5:58:54 GMT -5
Thought you guys might find this interesting... Buddy & I made our annual trip to Ahlmans "Shooters Round-up" in Morristown MN, this last weekend... this gun shop advertises 5000 guns for sale, & at this time each late summer they hold this event, & invite a lot of Gun Suppliers... pretty much every make of shotgun is available, a dozen or so rifle manufacturers & handgun suppliers from Bond Arms, to Magnum Research... during the weekend, they have many exhibition shooters, gun twirlers & such to watch... we ran into "Pistol Packin Paula" between shows, & got engaged into a conversation, during which I said I had a gun I challenged her to twirl, if you click the link below, you see that even though I didn't know it at the time, she rarely backs down from a challenge... so she was up to it, & I pulled my snubbie single action out of my holster & unloaded it... she wasn't sure she could twirl it, since the barrel was so short, she figured it wouldn't balance well enough to twirl... I really snoozed not getting a picture, but being an old guy, that's not my 1st instinct to pull out a cell phone... she did a really good job, twirling it for a minute or two, commenting that it was surprisingly well balanced... & she didn't even drop it once a link to her page... pistolpackinpaula.com/allaboutpaula.aspand my gun again... of course my buddy threatened that he was going to have to text my wife & tell her he did know how it started, but he caught this woman touching her husbands gun... married to a jealous red head, when he snoozed on texting her right away, I thought I better explain beforehand... when I got home
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Post by bobwright on Aug 26, 2019 10:55:47 GMT -5
One thing papacharlie didn't mention is that a black holster isn't as easily spotted when your vest or coat rides up a bit & exposes it. I have tried this myself using a mirror with a tan & a black holster. Unless for exposed carry, I order my holsters black. Massad Aayoob wrote an article about that. I tried it & Massad is correct. An IWB holster will help too. I have an el paso saddlery IWB that is fantastic. I even have a couple nice holsters I've blackened with black leather die & with a felt tip marker. My own finding differs somewhat. I've found that black leather does indeed call attention, whereas dark brown, oxblood or cordovan, less so. I've been carrying a tan holster that has darkened some with age. So far its never drawn attention to me or itself. With so many leather cases being worn today, with cell phones and I-pads, showing a little leather really no longer attracts attention. Bob Wright
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Post by papacharlie on Aug 26, 2019 20:09:25 GMT -5
One thing papacharlie didn't mention is that a black holster isn't as easily spotted when your vest or coat rides up a bit & exposes it. I have tried this myself using a mirror with a tan & a black holster. Unless for exposed carry, I order my holsters black. Massad Aayoob wrote an article about that. I tried it & Massad is correct. An IWB holster will help too. I have an el paso saddlery IWB that is fantastic. I even have a couple nice holsters I've blackened with black leather die & with a felt tip marker. My own finding differs somewhat. I've found that black leather does indeed call attention, whereas dark brown, oxblood or cordovan, less so. I've been carrying a tan holster that has darkened some with age. So far its never drawn attention to me or itself. With so many leather cases being worn today, with cell phones and I-pads, showing a little leather really no longer attracts attention. Bob Wrightf I hear what you are saying. I think that the show of leather in some states and in more country or rural area may not not be unusual anddraw attention. but in more populated or of a blue environment, may be less the norm and stand out way too much.
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Post by wildcatter on Aug 27, 2019 10:04:47 GMT -5
I did this with a 4 5/8" Blackhawk in 45 Colt a few times, then a Bond Arms texan in 45 Colt for a while, I preferred 265grn Mihec SWC large HP over 6.0 grn of red dot for PP concealed carry, then a 357 SP-101. I had issues with all 3 of these, The revolver, any revolver was a compromise to conceal comfortably, the SP with less than favorable caliber for me. The blackhawk required special clothes in warm weather, the Derringer left recoil for follow ups at anything but face to face iffy, and the SP in small caliber with 5 shots feeling not as confident as the 45 Colt in the Bond Arms. But the Bond does at times get to double up still today. Then during one of the several CC classes I have attended, I took one piece of advice for what it was worth,,, Whatever you carry make it comfortable and easy to conceal (the last thing you want is any bad guy knowing you are a threat!) and if it is not comfortable, you won't always have it, and that is when the moment of truth will likely happen". So I had a Les Baer Premier w/1.5" guarantee, and inside the waste it was pretty easy to carry, more comfortable than the SP-101 as it didn't have that wider cylinder with it's round contour creating a sharp pressure point where it rode the bone, (and on me thats deep) but after an hour or two I was always adjusting it and uncomfortable from that tiny spot pressing and digging into me. But the Baer being so thin and so flat had no particular point pressing against me, BUT,, with the 5" barrel, and the full grip it tended to print thru thin shirts and T'shirts. So I tried a Dan Wesson Valor V bob after much input from a local LEO and instructor. I found after biting the bullet and paying the price for a second 1911 that the DW was a much better suited pistol for SD, the Bear was just to tight to begin with, and needed to be clean to ensure 100% reliable performance, and even then some ammo would cause it to stove pipe. The Valor was tight enough to kill groundhogs out past 50 yards reliably, and with it's bobbed grip it is amazing how such a small change can keep it from printing even with a T'shirt over shorts! and with the 4.5" barrel over the 5" it felt like even less was there, and when you put a less than 1" wide, flat object between you and a belt in that configuration, it is not even noticeable after all day being their! I found my perfect carry piece, and after years of Colt's Baers, Browns, Nightcore, and now the Dan Wesson, ( or CV), I have found the most reliable 1911 I have ever owned, that will feed anything from SWC FMJ HP's from 180 to 230 grains without a single FTF in over 5000 rounds, mostly reloads with cheap bulk HP's, that I can wear all day and do daily, from the time I wake up till I go to bed, I won't carry anything else. Plus with a trip to Dave Severns for a excellent tactical dehorn and Hard Hat exterior treatment, along with having the combat safety and slid release shaved, I had exactly what I wanted perfected. I always preferred a revolver for reliability. But after over 6 years carrying and practicing with the DW I have the faith and knowledge to know it is reliable, and if called on, it will perform with the Ranger T 230's at well beyond PP range. Some live where 2 legged threats might call for more power, or heavier bullets to penetrate. But here in Ohio, where DEFENSE is concerned, I have the perfect carry weapon for SD! But what made it perfect was even a 2 1/2" compact revolver is not as comfortable to carry, even in a pocket it is constantly bagging around on my leg and anoying me, the 1911 is secure and flat as a pancake with its impression on the hip spread out over it's entire surface, absolutely no pressure points cutting into you, this is so comfortable I sometimes feel their just to make sure I do have it on! But the best thing about it is like you Bob, I'm still carrying enough gun in a big enough caliber, to make that 1st or at most 2nd shot count! As in my opinion, and what I have been taught over and over, time and time again it has been proven, after that, you probably don't have the option to keep firing in a true personal defense situation, after the second shot, if you have not gained control of your situation,, it has probably ended in the bad guy's favor, but if needed, it's nice knowing I have 8+1 locked and loaded ready at the flip of the thumb! Oh ya, and its dipped in steel, not plastic! Speaking of plastic, I don't carry good steel in anything but leather either, the Sourdough from Rob at simply rugged is all my 45's have ever use anymore, now a decade or more later with the inside the belt straps and the commander length 4.5" barrel it would be hard to use for a government model anymore with their 5" barrel. But is my perfect compaion for comfort and efficient access when needed. What I was taught first and foremost, make sure you are efficient with whatever you carry, in a moments of truth you won't have time for sight alignment, let alone practice! Make sure it is not more gun than you can quickly and accurately fire a follow up shot, many times that second shot is what will stop all threats. Then make sure it is comfortable to carry, if not, their will be times you will find yourself leaving it and won't have it in that moment of need.
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Post by wildcatter on Aug 27, 2019 10:34:01 GMT -5
I have carried a .45 Colt Blackhawk concealed on occasion. Depending on the circumstances, such a gun would probably be more than adequate. Right up until I had to reload. While I'm no Jerry Miculek, I can reload either a DA revolver or a semi-auto handgun much, much faster than a SA revolver. Unfortunately, I seem to spend more of my time in urban areas than I do rural ones. Hence, an encounter with multiple assailants might be more frequent than for some others. IMHO, that mandates a handgun that has a capacity of greater than six rounds, and can be reloaded quickly. That pretty well rules out a SA revolver, at least for me. I think 99.9% of the time if you have to reload any "in a true SELF DEFENCE situation" if you have not gotten control of your situation and need to reload, it's a little late! It has proven time again in a real public self defense situation where you have the legal right to take another's life. If you ain't taken control by the 2nd or at most 3rd shot, you are probably now what is called a VICTIM! Far to much consideration from many when deciding on self defense weapons, are being considered in offensive situations instead of true self defense needs. This one thing covered over and over again along with being efficient with whatever weapon as being paramount! In the moment of truth, those first shots usually determine if you are the defendant when it is all over, or if you were the VICTIM!
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Post by magnumwheelman on Aug 27, 2019 13:12:55 GMT -5
I'll chime in since the topic has turned in this direction... I will admit to mostly being in a small town / rural situation most of the time, & the couple times that I ended up going inner city Minneapolis I did opt for my 10mm Witness ( that holds 15 rounds )
I'm not prejudice, but a couple years ago, the Black Lives Matter group was blocking the freeways in the twin cities in protests... once they got all the lanes blocked, & the 1st couple rows of cars stopped, things got ugly...I often wondered if a revolver was good enough, either in that kind of a mob situation, or in a group road rage situation, caused by a protest of that type...
I thought long & hard...
IMO, The best option... don't go there, or be where that type of situation could occur
2nd best option... carry a gun... I honestly don't think it would matter if it was a big shiney revolver, or a 100 round drum magazine... having a gun carries a certain amount of "presence"... if the situation has broken down to chaos, & a gun isn't getting anyone's undivided attention, I don't think it would matter what kind of gun was presented, & honestly in some of these mob type situations, you may not be able to shoot enough, to save your life, if in the wrong place at the wrong time, no matter what you are carrying
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laylow
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 59
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Post by laylow on Sept 25, 2019 1:09:52 GMT -5
I prefer a J frame, but I've been known to carry my Bearcat Shopkeeper or Single Six. Didn't worry me.
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