utm fk

HANDGUNNING
February 2020 G&A 21
Drop holsters can be dangerous.
HOLSTER HEIGHT
RECENTLY I WAS TALKING to Guns & Ammo Editorin-Chief
Eric Poole, and our conversation turned to the
writers and pistoleros of yesteryear. We both consider ourselves
history buffs when it comes to firearms, so
this line of discussion is common. Poole mentioned
that he was re-reading Bill Jordan’s
“No Second Place Winner,” and recalled
that Jordan had some very specific ideas
when it came to holster design and
positioning. While some of the Jordan’s
musings are somewhat dated (and fodder
for another article), his thoughts on holster
position remain relevant, even today. As
the conversation turned from yesteryear
to today, Poole said, “I think you
have your next column here.”
Indeed. In fact, this article
is not going to make me
any friends, especially
amongst those in my
chosen profession as a
police officer.
You see, the drop
swivel holster used
by my department,
and the doubleleg-strapped
Safariland
found in
many others, are
more than just a
means of carrying
secure, quick access
to a gun. They’ve
become a symbol that suggests,
“Hey, look at me! I’m
a gunfighter!” Except that
they’re not. These types
of holsters are garbage
that need to be sent to the
dustbin of holster history, along
with holsters that don’t cover the
triggerguard and those offering
no retention.
Yes, you read that right. Drop
holsters are garbage.
JEREMY STAFFORD
Bold words, I know. And now you want to fight me? The
painful truth is always better than a soothing lie, so let me
explain why drop-leg holsters are less than optimal for
today’s law enforcement officer, soldier, sailor, Marine,
and others.
First, let’s talk about the argument that
many proponents default to: speed.
Before we even consider drills against
a shot timer, let’s just look at the physics
of the draw. You are not likely to start the
draw with your hand on the gun. The days
of resting your hand on the butt of the pistol
when speaking to members of the community
are long gone. (Besides, it makes you look
scared, so don’t do it.) When drawing, the
further away the handgun is from your waist
line, the further your hand has to move
to get to get a grip. Now that you’ve
had to move your hand further down
your body toward your knee, you’re
going to have to bring it back up
your body to present the pistol
toward the target. Because of
that distance, the mechanics
of the draw are also going
to be compromised with
your bigger, less efficient
torso movements necessary
to get the gun aimed. While it
might not seem like much time or
distance, a long draw time consumes
time in a gunfight, a luxury you’re not
going to have much of when someone
is trying to kill you.
The next factor to take a hard look
at is our ability to control the holster.
There are many times in the course of
a fighting person’s career that being
able to physically control the holster
becomes a matter of life and death,
the chief concern during a lifethreatening
altercation in which a
bad guy attempts to disarm the
good guy. I have taught defensive
tactics and firearm retention to