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How many have/do OC with non-retention holster

Fallguy

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Do any of you regularly OC with a holster that doesn't have an retention system? Like just a strap to hold the weapon in the holster.

Like to hear all thoughts and opinions.
 

Legba

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Yeah, my current one has a velcro thumbbreak that sucks, so I took it off altogether. I was using a nylon Uncle Mike's with a snap buckle (till the cops impounded it). I just clasp my elbow to the piece when I'm near people. I trust my positioning (being behind a counter or facing people with the gun away from them), reflexes, and situational awareness to keep people away from it. That and I can get at it faster if I need to use it. If someone tries to knock off the shop, I can fire/return fire in about 1 second flat.

-ljp
 

unrequited

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Kind of a copout, but when I'm CC'ing and I go into a restaurant that serves alcohol I'm technically OC'ing with no retention (Crossbreed Supertuck IWB). On the whole, I believe retention systems are a good idea, but not a replacement for good situational awareness (damn you agent19 for getting the slip on me at the gun show yesterday heh).
 

Marco

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unrequited wrote:
(damn you agent19 for getting the slip on me at the gun show yesterday heh).

;)

I don't use retention, no reason other than it isn't for me.
I view it as a personal choice.
Each person should weigh the alleged pros/cons and decided for themselves.


EDIT:
TYPO's
 

dng

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I use a Fobus HK1; no retention strap. It is resistance retention. Not having a strap just makes me even more careful. I have looked at other holsters with retention, and I really didn't care for them. Don't get me wrong, more retention is great, but it sucks to try to draw on many of them. I think I'm going to just have to spend the money to get a really good holster. I was holding out, hoping Blackhawk was going to come out with a serpa for Rugers, but that doesn't seem like it's happening anytime soon.
 

DreQo

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I sometimesuse a leather holster that hugs the weapon good and tight, but has no other strap or device that has to be removed or unhooked. Like others have said, I am comfortable as long I'm not in a crowded area and I pay attention to my surroundings. I keep the holster in a position where my elbow can always clamp down on it.

I think it's more important to know that the gun isn't going to fall out if I trip, fall, or jump more than anything. There are some guys at the local gun range that carry with an Uncle Mike's side-bet nylon holster, and they don't use the thumb strap. I have one of those as well, and when you don't use the strap, the gun is just sitting in there. If you were to happen to find yourself upside down for any reason (it happens, lol) the gun could EASILY come out. I think that's just stupid.

I have recently purchased a lvl II safariland holster for open carry, though. I feel that the level of awareness necessary to carry w/o retention can just get stressful sometimes. I'm hoping with a lvl II holster I'll still be aware, but not necessarily paranoid lol.
 

dng

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DreQo wrote:
I sometimesuse a leather holster that hugs the weapon good and tight,
I've heard leather is the way to go, but how do they hold up with being exposed to bad weather? I've heard you can ruin an expensive leather holster fairly easy; is that true?
 

DreQo

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dngreer wrote:
DreQo wrote:
I sometimesuse a leather holster that hugs the weapon good and tight,
I've heard leather is the way to go, but how do they hold up with being exposed to bad weather? I've heard you can ruin an expensive leather holster fairly easy; is that true?


I'm not exactly an expert on the matter, but I haven't had any issues thus far. Leather has been used for centuries for dang near everything lol. I've had leather footwear that has lasted years and years, and thats stomping through Minnesota's snowy slushy crappy winters. I'd expect that a holster made out of good quality leather would last more than long enough to be worth the money.

You also gotta keep in mind that leather is much kinder to your sidearm than any kind of plastic. Not that I'm suggesting you ONLY use leather. I have leather holsters, nylon holsters, and will soon have a kydex-type holster. They all have their uses. :)

EDIT: Oh yeah, and leather is hot. There's nothin better lookin than a leather holster :D.
 

FogRider

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For my XD-45 I have a Galco leather holster with no retention, but it does hang on to my gun pretty well unless you draw straight out. I had a buddy of min try to take my gun from me, and found the anything other than a straght draw causes a lot of binding. I also have a kydex IWB holster for when I am concealing. Easy to draw from, but I don't worry about it to much, as it is concealed.
 

Cue-Ball

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My daily OC rig is a leather holster with no retention device. I've had people try to perform a "gun grab" on me and so far nobody has been able to pull the gun from my holster, even without me fighting back. I think it would be much more difficult if I were resisting.

That said, I have been thinking about getting a Blackhawk Serpa level 2 holster recently.
 

WhiteRabbit22

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OCing I use a Serpa Level II CQC. CC I will be using some soft of IWB leather holster, with no retention.
 

Fallguy

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Cue-Ball wrote:
My daily OC rig is a leather holster with no retention device. I've had people try to perform a "gun grab" on me and so far nobody has been able to pull the gun from my holster, even without me fighting back. I think it would be much more difficult if I were resisting.

That said, I have been thinking about getting a Blackhawk Serpa level 2 holster recently.
Who has tried the gun grab and why? ...and what did you do afterwards?
 

DreQo

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Fallguy wrote:
Cue-Ball wrote:
My daily OC rig is a leather holster with no retention device. I've had people try to perform a "gun grab" on me and so far nobody has been able to pull the gun from my holster, even without me fighting back. I think it would be much more difficult if I were resisting.

That said, I have been thinking about getting a Blackhawk Serpa level 2 holster recently.
Who has tried the gun grab and why? ...and what did you do afterwards?
The impression I got was that the gun grab attempts were staged for the purpose of testing the retention ability of his holster. Am I right?
 

Fallguy

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DreQo wrote:
Fallguy wrote:
Cue-Ball wrote:
My daily OC rig is a leather holster with no retention device. I've had people try to perform a "gun grab" on me and so far nobody has been able to pull the gun from my holster, even without me fighting back. I think it would be much more difficult if I were resisting.

That said, I have been thinking about getting a Blackhawk Serpa level 2 holster recently.
Who has tried the gun grab and why? ...and what did you do afterwards?
The impression I got was that the gun grab attempts were staged for the purpose of testing the retention ability of his holster. Am I right?
LOL...you're probably right...I'm getting too paranoid....:what:
 

FogRider

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DreQo wrote:
The impression I got was that the gun grab attempts were staged for the purpose of testing the retention ability of his holster. Am I right?
I do that with all my holsters. Realy helps out my confidence by showing me just how hard it is to take my gun. Even with my aformentioned Galco, there is very little chance anyone could get my gun before receiving an elbow to the chin. This is of course assuming my SA breaks down to the point that happens.
 

Cue-Ball

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DreQo wrote:
Fallguy wrote:
Cue-Ball wrote:
My daily OC rig is a leather holster with no retention device. I've had people try to perform a "gun grab" on me and so far nobody has been able to pull the gun from my holster, even without me fighting back. I think it would be much more difficult if I were resisting.

That said, I have been thinking about getting a Blackhawk Serpa level 2 holster recently.
Who has tried the gun grab and why? ...and what did you do afterwards?
The impression I got was that the gun grab attempts were staged for the purpose of testing the retention ability of his holster. Am I right?
Yes, you are right. These were staged gun-grab attempts by my wife and one of my friends (with an unloaded gun, of course). I'd read on this board that people were worried about retention of their sidearm in a non-retention holster. I had my wife (who is admittedly quite small) and another friend (average-man sized) try to remove the gun from my holster. I stood still and kept my strong arm out of the way. They stood behind me and slightly to the right. Neither of them were able to remove the gun. Because the weapon is canted forward, you have to pull forward to remove it. It's very difficult to pull a gun forward from behind. And pulling the weapon from the front is even more difficult since the grip is facing away from you and because I could more easily see the threat and fight back.

Someone probably could pull the gun from the holster if they tried really hard and if you didn't fight back, were completely oblivious, or were otherwise subdued, but it's a lot harder than people seem to think. Really, if someone is going to go to that much trouble they could just knock you unconscious and take it without a struggle. A rentention holster isn't going to help in that scenario.
 

mzbk2l

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Mar 13, 2007
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Superstition Mountain, Arizona, USA
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I've been carrying with an Uncle Mike's nylon holster with a thumb break retention strap. I've ordered a belt from the beltman and a Galco Combat Master that I'll be trying out next time I get back to the states.
 
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