Sunday, September 25, 2005
Retention
No...not that kind of retention. I'm talking holsters. I've seen many different "tests" for holster retention, ranging from jumping jacks to cartwheels, but I don't think anybody has tried my latest test: the Mosh Pit.
My musical tastes are quite diverse and eclectic. I like a little bit of everything.....opera, country, celtic, jazz, big band, rock, even a little bit of hip hop, but my default favorite music has always been speed metal. Yes, I know that a 36 year old father of two is not the typical metal head, but I enjoy it. The last concert I attended was Iced Earth, Evergrey, and Children of Bodom. This led to some interesting conversations at the t-shirt booth ("What's yer story, man? Yer way to f*ucking old to be here!) as most of the concert goers apparently thought I was either a cop or part of the venue staff.
Humph. I was banging to Judas Priest and Black Sabbath when these punks weren't even an itch in their daddies pants yet. Posers.
But I digress...........
Last night my family and I attended a wedding. The husband-to-be works for the same company that my wife and I work for, but not directly for either of us. "Dotted line reporting" is the term for those of you who also play the corporate game. This was a "young people" wedding, and my wife and I were in a small minority of people who weren't 'age group friends' of the bride and groom and who weren't 'old people' like the parents, grandparents, aunts, etc that always show up for weddings. I guess the gray hair and conservatively cut 3 piece suit made them assume that I was just another old fart.
They are so wrong. I am not just another old fart. I am an exceptional old fart. The jaws started dropping when my wife and I were doing the bump and grind on the dance floor, but when the DJ switched to heavy metal I threw myself (coat, tie and all) into the pit and really flipped everybody out.
Now, at this point in my life I am 5' 10" tall, have a 32" waist, and weigh 210 pounds. The kid getting married is about 5' 8" and weighs maybe 125 soaking wet with rocks in his pockets. He didn't stand a chance. Two other big guys slammed him in a sandwich and I hit him just afterward, popping him out of the pit and into the crowd like a cork from a champagne bottle. It was the most fun I've had in a long time.
Some of you may be asking why I didn't at least take off my coat before all of this. The answer is rather simple: the coat was my cover garment for the evening. I was wearing my Series I (yes, I'm a snob) Kimber Compact CDP, a spare mag, and a Surefire 6P on my belt and needed the coat to keep from scaring the sheep......which leads back to the entire reason for this post: Retention.
I carry all of my Kimbers in variations of the Bruce Nelson belt scabbard. My Series I Classic rides in an Alessi ACP, my Series II Classic rides in a Dillon LTD, and my CDP rides around in a Forward Drop Scabbard from Josh Bulman. The pictures show the Bulman FDS with an extra flap of leather that acts as a shirt protector. I had Josh make my holster without that flap so that the top was clear...just like my other two carry holsters. All three holsters ride in the same belt position and use the same draw stroke. This means that no matter what I'm carrying the act of drawing the pistol is the same every time.
The Alessi and Dillon holsters have served me well in competition, combat shooting classes, and daily carry, so I know that they will keep the pistol where it needs to be. I've carried the CDP in the Bulman FDS for about 6 months now and last night was its' first real test.
It performed beautifully. Not only did it keep the pistol in place, the holster itself stayed exactly in place without any flopping or front-to-back movement. I highly recommend Josh Bulman's products. The holster is on the same quality level as my Alessi pieces, costs slightly less than the Alessi's, and only took 8 weeks from the initial email describing my needs to the finished product arriving at my door. I believe the current wait time for the "big name" holster makers is running 8 months or more for their catalog items. Custom work might be ready in a year if you're lucky. Josh is fast, honest, a true artist in leather, and you actually get to talk to HIM when you place your order.
A far cry from Gwa45's latest shopping experience.
My musical tastes are quite diverse and eclectic. I like a little bit of everything.....opera, country, celtic, jazz, big band, rock, even a little bit of hip hop, but my default favorite music has always been speed metal. Yes, I know that a 36 year old father of two is not the typical metal head, but I enjoy it. The last concert I attended was Iced Earth, Evergrey, and Children of Bodom. This led to some interesting conversations at the t-shirt booth ("What's yer story, man? Yer way to f*ucking old to be here!) as most of the concert goers apparently thought I was either a cop or part of the venue staff.
Humph. I was banging to Judas Priest and Black Sabbath when these punks weren't even an itch in their daddies pants yet. Posers.
But I digress...........
Last night my family and I attended a wedding. The husband-to-be works for the same company that my wife and I work for, but not directly for either of us. "Dotted line reporting" is the term for those of you who also play the corporate game. This was a "young people" wedding, and my wife and I were in a small minority of people who weren't 'age group friends' of the bride and groom and who weren't 'old people' like the parents, grandparents, aunts, etc that always show up for weddings. I guess the gray hair and conservatively cut 3 piece suit made them assume that I was just another old fart.
They are so wrong. I am not just another old fart. I am an exceptional old fart. The jaws started dropping when my wife and I were doing the bump and grind on the dance floor, but when the DJ switched to heavy metal I threw myself (coat, tie and all) into the pit and really flipped everybody out.
Now, at this point in my life I am 5' 10" tall, have a 32" waist, and weigh 210 pounds. The kid getting married is about 5' 8" and weighs maybe 125 soaking wet with rocks in his pockets. He didn't stand a chance. Two other big guys slammed him in a sandwich and I hit him just afterward, popping him out of the pit and into the crowd like a cork from a champagne bottle. It was the most fun I've had in a long time.
Some of you may be asking why I didn't at least take off my coat before all of this. The answer is rather simple: the coat was my cover garment for the evening. I was wearing my Series I (yes, I'm a snob) Kimber Compact CDP, a spare mag, and a Surefire 6P on my belt and needed the coat to keep from scaring the sheep......which leads back to the entire reason for this post: Retention.
I carry all of my Kimbers in variations of the Bruce Nelson belt scabbard. My Series I Classic rides in an Alessi ACP, my Series II Classic rides in a Dillon LTD, and my CDP rides around in a Forward Drop Scabbard from Josh Bulman. The pictures show the Bulman FDS with an extra flap of leather that acts as a shirt protector. I had Josh make my holster without that flap so that the top was clear...just like my other two carry holsters. All three holsters ride in the same belt position and use the same draw stroke. This means that no matter what I'm carrying the act of drawing the pistol is the same every time.
The Alessi and Dillon holsters have served me well in competition, combat shooting classes, and daily carry, so I know that they will keep the pistol where it needs to be. I've carried the CDP in the Bulman FDS for about 6 months now and last night was its' first real test.
It performed beautifully. Not only did it keep the pistol in place, the holster itself stayed exactly in place without any flopping or front-to-back movement. I highly recommend Josh Bulman's products. The holster is on the same quality level as my Alessi pieces, costs slightly less than the Alessi's, and only took 8 weeks from the initial email describing my needs to the finished product arriving at my door. I believe the current wait time for the "big name" holster makers is running 8 months or more for their catalog items. Custom work might be ready in a year if you're lucky. Josh is fast, honest, a true artist in leather, and you actually get to talk to HIM when you place your order.
A far cry from Gwa45's latest shopping experience.
Comments:
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Thanks for the notes on holsters. I have a plastic Uncle Mike's abortion which is fine for IPSC but useless on the street. When I carry, I use a fanny pack or just stuff it in my belt, cross-draw, with an extra mag in my pocket. The FDS looks nice. Dillon is not even taking orders for their LTD, which would be $30 cheaper.
I believe I found you thru Jerry the Geek.
DKDay
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I believe I found you thru Jerry the Geek.
DKDay
# posted by 
: 9:33 PM
: 9:33 PM << Home
