SAFETY STRAP OR NOT?

[crazyphil]

I have always believed that a retention strap and thumb break
are not necessary on a concealed holster. Your gun won't get
snatched, if no one knows you are carrying it.

The strap and thumb break slows your draw and increases your
chance to fumble the draw. Chic Gaylord said "with a properly
fitted scabbard you should be able to turn the holster uside down
and shake it without the gun falling out". If your holster passes
this test, there is no need for a retention strap.

Carrying in plain view is a different story. There is the danger of
your gun getting snatched. It is also possible the gun could come
out when tromping around out in the boondocks, or some other
vigorous activity.

I have far more concealment (open top) holsters, than those
with retention straps, because I carry concealed far more than
I carry in plain view. Here, Left to Right, are examples of 3
open top holsters, and examples of 2 with retention straps.

Model 10 2" with Ken Null's RSS (Revolver Super Speed)
S&W 642-1 with Chic Gaylord's little black speed scabbard.
Colt's Agent with KD's shark trimmed pancake.
Charter Undercover with Idaho Leather holster.
Colt's Gold Cup with DeSantis HRT (Hostage Rescue Team)

 

[SS336]

My concealed carry holsters do not have straps or thumb breaks. The holsters construction means they are not needed.
When if the woods hunting birds of just bumming around all my holsters have retention of some kind. Tension screw, strap, or thumb break.
Seems to work that way for me.

 

[CQB27]

So Much Class. You don't know this, but I have a folder on my work computer with the pics of your rigs you post saved in it. When I get a minute to just sit and chill, I open it up and grin! Keep them coming! That Charter Arms with the laced Idaho and Ranger Belt and Stetson Open Road (I think, I'm learning about hats too, lol) will be the memorizer for the rest of this week! That DeSantis HRT and Colt rig ain't too shabby either! I guess I can get away with that on a S&W forum, lol.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Concealed Carry..... Milt Sparks IWB Summer Specials or Executive Companion holsters; Bang Bang Leather's OWB Stakeout or the Rhodesian that's coming. NO retention straps.

Open Carry or out in Penn's Woods on foot or on an ATV........ thumb break.

 

[Llance]

Many years ago, cira 1978, when I was in the stationed in San Francisco in the Coast Guard, I was in the local cop shop buying a holster (ended with a full Sam Brownie rig) and a local (lived in the area) FBI agent asked what I intended to do with the strap holding the revolver in the holster. I was fitting a model 28-2 and I replied I'd be using it as intended. The rest of the conversation went something like this.

Do you have a cc?
No.
What are you, a wannabe?
No, I'm a hunter and this is the cheapest I can find.
Will you be hunting in bear country?
Most likely. I'll be hunting in the PNW.
Don't have the strap connected when out with the bears, it will only get you killed.
How is that?
Anything which slows your draw might just get you killed. If the gun is not restrained by the holster then the holster is unfit for your intended purpose.
Good advice, I'll remember that.

I paid the 35.00 asking price took the rig home and fit it to my 28. I'd fit a Colt .45 to a military holster so fitting the 28 was only a little bit harder.

I heard the store clerk tell the agent, as I was walking out, he thought I was a wannabe. Later, several weeks later in fact, I was in the same store with the same people, but this time I was in dress uniform as I was on my way home from the office. Again I heard the conversation between the agent and the clerk only the agent was doing the talking, saying to effect, "That boy (at that time I was 28 yo) has seen more action then the two of us combined."

The clerk was well into retirement age, and the agent was getting close.

Llance

 

[Mainsail]

I like the pictures.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

With so much “Brillology” on this and Colt Forum and especially in the book “Holstery” I’ve been really focusing on making welts as tight as possible against the gun as I can yet drawing the gun is still easy. I am fascinated by the lack of safety straps on old Texas Ranger Brill holsters when these guys still rode horses and got in fights with bad guys but their guns stayed put. But these holsters were under coats concealed like you said and less likely to get grabbed by a criminal. This holster is very tight with my Model 24-3 in it, but not so with a fixed sight N frame with thinner top strap.

IMG 4176 1 - YouTube

 

[max503]

Many years ago, cira 1978, when I was in the stationed in San Francisco in the Coast Guard, I was in the local cop shop buying a holster (ended with a full Sam Brownie rig) and a local (lived in the area) FBI agent asked what I intended to do with the strap holding the revolver in the holster. I was fitting a model 28-2 and I replied I'd be using it as intended. The rest of the conversation went something like this.

Do you have a cc?
No.
What are you, a wannabe?
No, I'm a hunter and this is the cheapest I can find.
Will you be hunting in bear country?
Most likely. I'll be hunting in the PNW.
Don't have the strap connected when out with the bears, it will only get
you killed.
How is that?
Anything which slows your draw might just get you killed. If the gun is not restrained by the holster then the holster is unfit for your intended purpose.
Good advice, I'll remember that.

I paid the 35.00 asking price took the rig home and fit it to my 28. I'd fit a Colt .45 to a military holster so fitting the 28 was only a little bit harder.

I heard the store clerk tell the agent, as I was walking out, he thought I was a wannabe. Later, several weeks later in fact, I was in the same store with the same people, but this time I was in dress uniform as I was on my way home from the office. Again I heard the conversation between the agent and the clerk only the agent was doing the talking, saying to effect, "That boy (at that time I was 28 yo) has seen more action then the two of us combined."

The clerk was well into retirement age, and the agent was getting close.

Llance

In all things as well as CC, I am still learning to follow my own counsel. There are so many opinions out there. We find what works for us and use it. If somebody else don't like it, too bad. The way I do it has already got me through one real-life situation so I'm sticking with it.
That FBI agent sounded kind of nosey.
Those are some fine looking holsters.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Been up and down the road on this one.
Here my issue holster that I carried in SEA.
OMG! It’s got not one but two straps.
And a tie down string.
Didn’t want to lose my 19 during ejection or get it hung in the seat.

 

[Borderboss]

To quote Dan Bongino, "You do you, I'll do me".

For me, I always want a thumb break. If that slows down someone, they haven't practiced enough. Thumb breaks are extremely easy to disengage during the draw.

It's kind of like the comments about whether or not to engage the thumb safety on a semi auto. If that slows someone down, they haven't practiced enough.

 

[Igiveup]

I had a custom tooled holster made by Mernickle for a snub M66. I was concerned that the gun would fall out when tipped upsidedown, but was insured by Bob Mernickle that it would be a tight fit. Well, you guessed it, the gun fell out when tipped over. I had a local saddle maker put a retaining strap on it. It is my bar-b-que holster, and has my M10-7 snub with bigmtnman's elk horn grips snuggled in it quite nicely.

 

[Pig Hunter]

I've been dumped off horses several times wearing IWB holsters I made (only make them for myself) with a 3" 65 and BHP. No retention straps and they both stayed put. I don't plan to get any more violent than that. ymmv

 

[Old cop]

Our issued holsters (no substitute leather permitted) all had a strap of some sort over the hammer. In my opinion it was a good thing b/c it kept the gun in place during foot chases, and the inevitable wrestling matches that sometimes followed IF we were fleet footed enough to catch the suspect.

 

[MG34/bar]

Hi Phil,

I got used to a retaining strap more that 50 years ago, as that was required (in uniform) by my department. I’m so slow now that it really doesn’t make much difference, but for guys our age I think a likely possibility if we were assaulted is to be knocked off our feet. If that happened I wouldn’t want to see my pistol sliding across the floor.
Stay safe.

 

[StrawHat]

… I am fascinated by the lack of safety straps on old Texas Ranger Brill holsters when these guys still rode horses and got in fights with bad guys but their guns stayed put. But these holsters were under coats concealed like you said and less likely to get grabbed by a criminal. This holster is very tight with my Model 24-3 in it, but not so with a fixed sight N frame with thinner top strap.

IMG 4176 1 - YouTube…

Nice looking holster, MAtt! It fits my Model 625-6 and my Model 28-2 very well. The Model 22-4 does slip from it when held upside down BUT, it is securely held when the holster is on my belt. Will it stay in place during a handstand. A younger man will need to test that! I am happy with it and anxiously await your email saying you are willing to tackle another one.

Kevin

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Most of my concealed carry holsters are open top. But not all. Some are leather, some are Kydex. But for woods walking, pig hunting, etc., I only use a holster with a thumb break or strap.

Dave Workman made this for my 4" M686+:

This one made by Baranti for my bobbed hammer 2" K frame has a thumb break.

 

[smoothshooter]

I prefer the thumb snap as an extra level of security.
I am always concerned about sitting down in a restaurant chair or outdoor equipment seat and the back of the seat catching the grip of the gun and lifting it partially or fully out of the holster. I know a tight friction fitted holster ( I have a few ) can prevent this from happening a lot, but I do not like the extra effort it takes to get the gun in and out of such a holster.
The only problem I have with snap strap holsters is sometimes new and used ones have a snap that pops open too easily.
I am very particular about that point.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

STRAPS

I dont believe any of my cc holsters have straps. CC means just that. Walk around hunting is another matter. While Dove hunting once, I forgot to put the water kennel down for the dog. As I turned to do so, my toe caught in a unseen root. I went down hard- Shot gun was on safe and I tossed it. Down in a pile of some kind of thorns my ever-present Mdl K22, stayed strapped in place. This was a active cattle pasture and I was cut up pretty bad. Got home, bleeding all over the place, took a bath then went and got tetanus shot. Yeah, I want straps in place when walking around for sure.

 

[Buford57]

I prefer the thumb snap as an extra level of security.
I am always concerned about sitting down in a restaurant chair or outdoor equipment seat and the back of the seat catching the grip of the gun and lifting it partially or fully out of the holster. I know a tight friction fitted holster ( I have a few ) can prevent this from happening a lot, but I do not like the extra effort it takes to get the gun in and out of such a holster.
The only problem I have with snap strap holsters is sometimes new and used ones have a snap that pops open too easily.
I am very particular about that point.

Yes, these friction fit holsters !can stop it from happening "a lot" but they can't stop it from happening. I was working without a cover garment on a hot night and bailed out to help a uniformed officer subdue a fighting drunk. The Milt Sparks Summer Special stayed in my waistband. The 469 stayed in the car. Back to the pancake with a thumb snap. I had bought the SS on the recommendation of our Coroner who liked to demonstrate their retention by doing handstands.

 

[usmc2427765]

I am fond of a Hip Grip that fits nicely over my belt and covered with seasonal clothing worn over the belt concealing my holster.