SFC Rick
Member
This is a sweet OWB holster I made today.
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Made another holster today
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Murphy's Law
Member
Very nice indeed and appears you have a lot of talent. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the "open trigger" area but to each their own.
Florida J Frame
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I agree, the craftsmanship looks great but I would want the trigger covered.
27 Man
Member
Nice holster. Nicer watch.
Rastoff
US Veteran
Why would you need access to the trigger while the gun is in the holster?
Covering the trigger is not a "child proof" feature. It's to keep something else from activating the trigger while it's in the holster, like a stick, cord or piece of clothing.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
Folks can argue the relative merits of covered trigger guards until the cows come home. The fact of the matter is that the OP is making holsters in a classic and historically correct style, not attempting to impose today's accepted standards on yesterday's designs.
I personally carried a variety of handguns over the course of my 24 years in law enforcement, and not only did all of my holsters have exposed trigger guards, I seldom saw anyone using a holster with a covered trigger guard. Many of those same designs remain in high demand by knowledgeable people, despite all the dribbles running down the legs of recent graduates of "Holster Genius School" who know everything about everything and don't hesitate to educate us old guys on our foolish choices.
Rant over.
I personally carried a variety of handguns over the course of my 24 years in law enforcement, and not only did all of my holsters have exposed trigger guards, I seldom saw anyone using a holster with a covered trigger guard. Many of those same designs remain in high demand by knowledgeable people, despite all the dribbles running down the legs of recent graduates of "Holster Genius School" who know everything about everything and don't hesitate to educate us old guys on our foolish choices.
Rant over.
white cloud
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Lobo,that reply is perfect.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
During my years in the holster business I shipped to customers in all 50 US states and 33 other countries. Most of my products were modern designs intended for concealed carry, but a couple were modern recreations of classic designs (such as the Tom Threepersons' style).
At least a couple of times every week I was contacted by people who offered gratuitous criticisms of my holster designs, in addition to several with an idea for the "perfect holster" seeking someone willing to take on the job of turning their dream into reality in leather. It became obvious to me that these were people who had read at least two gun magazines and an internet blog or two, so they felt qualified as experts on everything to do with holster design and construction. Years ago I started referring to them as "graduates of Holster Genius School".
Covered trigger guards were never an issue until the advent of striker-fired semi-auto pistols (such as the Glocks and industry-wide clones of the type), frequently with no manual safety devices. As law enforcement agencies transitioned from double-action revolvers to semi-auto pistols (latter 1980's until the current date) there was a HUGE INCREASE in unintentional and negligent discharges, all too frequently including injuries and deaths. One of the measures taken in response was holster specifications intended to prevent contact with the trigger mechanism (i.e.: covered trigger guards), and that has become the norm for LEO's as well as public and private shooting ranges (especially those listening to liability insurance carriers and lawyers). Nothing wrong with that, but certainly not a panacea overcoming the very real needs of training, training, and more training.
Back in the days of the 20th Century the LE standard was American-made double-action revolvers, all of which were designed and manufactured to include such features as rebounding hammers (firing pin does not rest on the primer of a cartridge), hammer blocks (trigger must be fully depressed throughout the hammer fall in order to cause discharge), and DA trigger pulls averaging in the 20-pound range. LE training focused exclusively on double-action shooting, and some major departments required duty revolvers to be modified to prevent single-action mode entirely. All of these things combined to make unintentional and negligent discharges rare events.
Nearly all holsters for law enforcement and sporting use featured exposed trigger guards. Some (such as the clamshell designs used by LAPD and CHP) actually required the user to insert the trigger finger through the trigger guard to release the weapon from the holster. Law enforcement revolver training stressed trigger control, "staging" of the trigger during DA shooting, and keeping the trigger finger on the trigger! (Just about everything we did on police ranges 40 years ago would get us thrown off the property of today's ranges).
The semi-auto pistols occasionally seen in police use were primarily DA/SA pistols (such as the S&W Model 39) which had relatively heavy DA trigger pull and effective safety/decocking mechanism. Even the 1911-style pistols have an effective array of safety devices including the grip safety, sear-locking thumb safety, and disconnector devices that (when coupled with good training regimens) allow for safe carry and handling without concerns over exposed trigger guards.
The whole issue of covered trigger guards has become such a bug-a-boo issue that many folks today are appalled by the appearance of any holster without that feature; indeed, some will run away and more than a few will lose bladder control just thinking about it!
Rant continued to conclusion! At least now, in retirement, I don't have to deal with each week's new graduating class from the Holster Genius School.
rednichols
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A modern viewpoint only made necessary by Glocks and similar. THOSE can fire if something tangles the trigger. Especially when covered! By children!! DA revolvers and autos with external hammers and safeties -- and especially single actions -- are correctly carried with the bang switch exposed. Have been for one hundred years. Covered guards on those guns have caused some big problems when holstering and then entangling the trigger. Especially with trigger shoes.
It is not the holsters job to provide the safety that pistol makers leave out.
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Couldn't have said it better, Ray......
BTW, That's a nice lookin' holster, SFC
BTW, That's a nice lookin' holster, SFC
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elm_creek_smith
US Veteran
Imagine the dismay felt by those who complain about not having trigger guards covered by holsters if they saw a Texas Ranger carrying these.
Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas didn't want trigger guards getting in the way...
Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas didn't want trigger guards getting in the way...
rednichols
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Another of my "maybe" considerations: I was looking through Keith's "Hell I Was There" for his Alaska hunts and encountered a discussion about him and an expert about gun takeaways. The expert would shift the opponent's pistol and break his finger inside the guard. And Keith talked about that being partly solved by removing the front of the guard. I'll see if I can find it again. So -- what if removing the hoop wasn't at all about reaching the trigger quickly but was about keeping control of the pistol?
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
Taking a handgun away and breaking your assailant's finger (shove to the side with one hand followed by push and twist with the other hand) was taught in basic police defensive tactics training back in the early 1970's. Very fast and fairly easy to do, but still glad I never had to try it on the street!
I'm sorry for exposing the kids to raw open trigger holsters. I'm a little old school and have made my own leather gear, knowing very well what the limitations of my firearms have. I will post this bunch of my gunbelts that show triggers... if you are easily distressed by the thought of triggers, just relax.
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ericrlarson
Member
SFC,
I think my Smith 617 would look wonderful in one like that. Can that be done?
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I think my Smith 617 would look wonderful in one like that. Can that be done?
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