Jul/Aug - uspsa

Quick enough? Butch Simpson rolls into
action using the Uncle Mike's kydex belt
holster. For the shooter on a budget, the
new Uncle Mike's rigs present an easy way
to try new games and/or new divisions.
Er GLOCK
• STUFF!
4-Lock Floorplates NOW + 5!
Our rock-solid +4 floorplates
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New relief cuts clear rnag wells,
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oistom VUolff spring and "Fort Knox"
retainer system. No more "speed unloads,"
guaranteed. Also available for NON-DROP
rnags! (140mm +5/6 = $29.95, 1–Ornm
+8/10 = $39.95)
The Giock in
Competition
explains how USP-
GSSF, and bowling
pin shooters win
with a Gluck! Advice
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527 Fern Rd. Bellingham, WA 98225
Please include S5 Postage+ Handling.
Plastic Fantastic!
Uncle Mike's Kydex
Holsters
L
By PAuL SCAIUATA, A-22693
PHOTOS BY: BUTCH SIMPSON
et's face it, we live in a
plastic
world. Just look
around you. I'd be willing
to bet there are few
things in your immediate vicinity
that don't include plastics in
their construction. And even
though it continues to draw
moans of despair from the traditionalists
among us, the use of
high tech plastics in firearms
and gun-related equipment is
growing by leaps and bounds.
High tech plastics possess intrinsic
features that make them a natural
for firearms and shooting
equipment. Besides being lightweight,
their resistance to moisture,
lubricants, solvents, salts,
and perspiration put such materials as
wood, steel, and leather to shame.
They stand up very well to abuse and
neglect, require next to no maintenance
and - did I say? - are quite inexpensive.
Now I like leather holsters. They
are attractive, comfortable and, with
proper care, capable of serving for a
long time. BUT...in the last few years a
few things have happened that have
caused me to gravitate towards holsters
made from synthetic materials.
First of all, my home
state of North Carolina
passed a "Shall Issue" law
allowing licensed civilians
to carry concealed
weapons. Second, I have
become more involved in
practical pistol shooting.
rri
Tr'
For eight months of the
year our North Carolina
weather is warm. For six
of those months it is hu- The Uncle Mike's kydex
mid and hot! When carry- mag pouch.
ing on a daily basis, heat and perspiration
have an adverse effect on leather
holsters. What is needed is a holster
made from a material that will maintain
its form, hold a handgun securely,
and hold it in place.
I like practical pistol shooting and
when possible I attend at least three
matches a month. In the last two years
USPSA has inaugurated Limited 10 and
Production divisions, each with different
rules as to the type of pistol, magazines,
holsters and mag pouches that
can be used. In addition, IDPA rules are
just as strict regarding handguns and
ancillary equipment. When I decided
to compete in all of these disciplines I
ran into a small problem: money!
Competition holsters, belts and mag
pouches can be quite expensive and the
thought of having to provide a number
of different rigs did not improve my attitude.
What I needed was to be able to
change my holsters and other gear
around so as to be "legal" (and competitive)
in the different divisions, but
at a price that would still allow me to
purchase ammunition.
Last year Michael's of Oregon announced
several new additions to their
Uncle Mike's line, the Kydex Belt Holster,
Kydex Paddle Holster and Kydex
Mag Cases. Kydex, the tong time
choice of concealment
holster makers, is generally
heat formed and
shaped from sheet stock.
Holsters produced in this
manner are labor inten-
sive, and therefore somewhat
costly. Michael's of
Oregon uses a new injection
molding method to
produce high quality, economically
priced Kydex
holsters that exactly fit
the contours of the pistol,
62 FRONT SIGHT • July/August 2002