Selecting a duty holster is a big decision for a new cop, most don’t understand the gravity of the situation at the time they buy their first duty holster. Those who have them issued at first and try to move to a personally owned one can find the options mind boggling and much of the advertising confusing.
The fact of the matter is that until it breaks or causes us problems we don’t give our holsters much thought. We should. That holster is our last line of defense for keeping our sidearm under our control and not some street urchins.
Here are some things you should take into consideration when evaluating what holster to use. Obviously we have to worry about policy, but if you are reading this I assume you already know what your agency policy is and how to comply with it.
1) RETENTION
Holsters come in various retention “levels" that are mostly marketing fluff.
Instead of looking at what level the holster is rated at what you want to consider is what mechanisms keep the pistol in your holster if someone is trying to take it out by lifting you up off the ground by it.
That is the only retention that matters for police duty use as anything that can retain it through picking you up off the ground by the butt of your pistol is probably going to be just fine for keeping the gun from falling out.
When evaluating this characteristic I suggest you forget about what level it is “rated” by the manufacturer and look at the device by its merits. Friction fit is not “retention" for our purposes and neither is a “retention screw" or “molding". What we want is a mechanism that affirmatively holds the gun in place until we perform some function to release it. This can be the actuation of mechanism with our fingers or a twisting and/or rocking motion of the gun. Keep in mind how robust that mechanism and the point on the gun it articulates against looks as well.
2) COMPATABILITY
If the holster you are looking at is “universal fit", run. At least in regards to the gun it accepts. Obviously some holsters are going to fit several types of handgun. What it shouldn’t be is a box on your belt or a series of straps and retention screws that adjust to the gun. These types of things have their place but I would be very leary of using one for patrol because if any one of those mechanisms fails it could lead to the gun either coming out unexpectedly or not being able to be drawn when needed.
3) ATTACHMENT
That new retention holster doesn’t do you any good if it doesn’t fit the belt you are using. Most holsters are made to fit a standard 2.25" duty belt. If you are using a 2” belt this can cause some rocking and looseness. If you are using a 1.75" belt the issues are exacerbated for most combinations. It is best to make sure your holster's attachment point it sized correctly to the belt you are using or vice versa.
4) HEIGHT
It is no secret that most police gear is designed at, least initially, for a 6 foot tall medium build man. If you are anything other than that it can cause problems.
Luckily designers have caught on and started making drop, high rise, bump out, and now even negative cant holster mounts. Which one is right for you is going to depend on your shape and size but suffice to say that fitting is going to be best done in person.
Your best bet is to find a well stocked police supply to try various types but barring that ask around and see if people you work with have mounts they no longer use. Just like holsters many people have spare mounts that they tried but just didn’t work for them. This doesn’t make them “bad" at all, those same mounts might be just the ticket for you.
While we are talking about mounts I think it is important to point out that if you are eyeballing a holster mount system and you think it looks “cool" or makes you look good take a deep breath and ask yourself if it adds anything to your day to day operations.
Often times people buy things because an elite unit or individual has a niche use for that particular thing and they want to emulate them. This can be a big mistake, especially for cops who are emulating elite military units.
Use your head.
These are very different jobs you are doing and unless you are repelling, operating a turret mounted heavy weapon, parachuting, and/or scuba diving with your gun on some of these systems are not going to meet your needs. Some will even make it harder to run, climb a fence, and retain your sidearm in a gun grab situation. (I’m looking at you thigh holster and vest mount people)
5) Speed
Different retention holster systems are made for different purposes and environments. Nowhere does this come out as much as when a bunch of cops from dissimilar areas talk to each other on forums or at conferences about speed. Neither are wrong...evaluate their words based upon your skill level and needs.
You'll hear defensive tactics instructors telling you about how great "level 4 retention holsters" are and firearms instructors calling those same holsters "liability holsters". You'll hear urban cops from bad sides of town talking about how great hood holsters are and rural cops getting angry about how fast ejection port locking systems are and how hoods will lock up on you if they get sand in them...neither are wrong. Listen to them both and decide what is important to you.
If you are new to buying holsters one thing that people find shocking is exactly how much a duty holster can cost and how long they take to get.
In a world of next day shipping, drive throughs, and industrial manufacturing, people are amazed when it takes weeks (or months) for their $250 holster to arrive.
Some of this has to do with the pistol/light/mrds combo you choose to use on the job. If you are using a common pistol naked, or a common pistol with a very common light sometimes your holster might be in stock, built by the thousands, and ready to ship from a website or on the shelf at your local uniform supply. So your duty holster for a glock 19 with a tlr-1 might be to you in a couple days or right over the counter. On the other hand if you are trying to find a holster for your FN FiveseveN with an firefly v2 and an Aimpoint T2 mounted you are likely going to be looking at months of waiting on a custom holster...even if some big maker lists it as a catalog item and the price tag will reflect it's custom nature.
At the end of the day the goal is to have a holster that is fast and keeps your pistol adequately retained. Which one is right for you is a matter of not just preference, but the realities of what you need it to do, your skill level, and the environment you work in.
Have other ideas about duty holster selection? Check out the Free Field Training video on YouTube and leave a comment with your thoughts:
https://youtu.be/B0WZ87GVrlA
