Zzz wrote:^^ That's my pistol!

Why do you think I picked that pic?

Zzz wrote:^^ That's my pistol!

That's your pistol, too. Not sure what you were looking at that you missed it...

I was looking at the extra 'support' that holster was giving her, not that she needed it....just happened to be the thing that caught my attention.

There’s a gun somewhere in that picture? I’ll have another look!

I spent years trying to find "just the right" holster to carry my service weapon in the airplanes.....Never did, actually. But, I learned a few things in the "trials".

The one sound that a seaplane pilot never wants to hear while around said seaplane is: "Clunk, splash".

I was trying out a new shoulder holster in Kodiak, flying the Super Cub this particular Saturday. Everything went well, but upon arrival back in Kodiak, it was a bit windy.....but no sweat, the wind was pretty much right down the pipe. No sweat, that is right up till I needed to park that light little airplane.

But, I had a U shaped dock, with a floating ramp in the middle, so even a bit of wind across the dock was a piece of cake.....just stick the plane gently on the ramp, hop out, reach down for a toe line, jump onto the dock and secure the line to a cleat......Piece of Cake.

But, as I ran to the toe of the right float and reached down with my left hand for the toe line it happened.....that sound no seaplane pilot wants to hear....."Clunk, splash".

That Smith and Wesson 4046 semi auto just slid right out of that shoulder holster, bounced once on the float deck and went for a swim. Dang!

Well, this was near the end of a very long day, the gun went into about 5 feet of water, and it was Saturday evening. I figured the odds that someone would find that gun before morning was pretty low. So, I went home.

Sunday dawned bright and warm (for Kodiak). I donned my wet suit (which hadn't been worn since my Hawaii days), a mask and snorkel, and headed for Lilly Lake.

I paddled around under that dock with mask and snorkel for the better part of 45 minutes, feeling blindly in the muck on the bottom of the lake for that pistol. Finally, Eureka! Found it.

Well, I took the gun home, changed clothes, stripped the gun down and cleaned it, oiled it and figured no harm, no foul. I actually felt pretty good.

Monday morning I crawled out of bed and picked up my morning copy of the Kodiak Daily Fish Wrapper and Litter Box Liner (and, yes, that was actually the name of the local newspaper) and the front page banner headline read "Lilly Lake Condos Have Been Dumping Raw Sewage into Lilly Lake for Months."

Now, said condos lay right across the lake from my Cub slip, and it's a very narrow lake.

I took one of the longest, hottest and most thorough showers ever that morning.

Henceforth, I carefully read the instructions for said shoulder holster for setting friction. I will admit it might have impeded my draw speed just a touch after that, but that friction got set up pretty damn tight.

I've never really trusted a shoulder rig since.

MTV

LMAO! Sorry Mike, couldn't help it. I think we have all had those 'duh' moments.

One holster system that I'm quite fond of is the Hill People Gear Kit Bag: https://hillpeoplegear.com/Products/CategoryID/1

It's comfortable, accessible, and allows carrying a few other pieces of kit along with the handgun. I leave a match case, fixed blade knife, flashlight and extra batteries, and bug wipes or hand heaters in the bag, so if I grab that bag I don't have to double check those things. On top of those items, you can empty your pockets into it and add case for your sunglasses and maybe a couple granola bars, and it'll still be comfortable and usable. If you fill it to the brim it gets a lot less comfortable, and a lot less usable.

Perhaps the best part of the Kit Bag is it doesn't look like a gun strapped to your chest. If you use it as a shoulder bag instead of a chest pack it looks pretty much like any other nylon pack for trips to town.

Unfortunately, it's also ridiculously slow to draw from compared to a conventional holster. I've had one for years and even modified it to be easier to open, and it's still slow. I made a kydex holster insert that held a pistol inside the bag, and it wasn't any faster, but was a lot less comfortable to wear. You really need a couple seconds warning that you might want your handgun, and there's no instinctual draw like a conventional holster will allow you to develop. That's still faster than a gun in your backpack or sitting back in the airplane, but it's no quickdraw rig and never will be.

Without a gun in it I've used it instead of a vest for my airplane survival kit. It'll hold a surprising amount, and it's cooler than a vest in hot weather. They're good bags...whether they're the right bag for you to cary a pistol in is sort of dependent on why you're carrying a pistol. If I was worried about a sudden close encounter with a grizzly, it wouldn't be my holster of choice.

WWhunter wrote:I was looking at the extra 'support' that holster was giving her, not that she needed it....just happened to be the thing that caught my attention.

That's a nursing holster she's wearing.

WWhunter wrote:I was looking at the extra 'support' that holster was giving her, not that she needed it....just happened to be the thing that caught my attention.

To be fair, many of us guys need the same support.

#manboobs

For those interested in the Kenai Chest Holster, Gunfighters INC is having a pretty good thanksgiving sale.

I quite like the holster...it's more comfortable than I thought it would be, even while mountain biking. You can wear a binocular case over the top of it easily enough, and it works with a backpack, though a binocular case and a backpack ends up being too much pressure on the left shoulder for comfort after a couple hours.

About the only real downside to the Kenai is that in cold weather the holster traps perspiration agains both your chest and back when you exercise, making it colder than a hip holster. Other than that, it's really a very good set-up. Comfortable, quick to draw, and with some manipulation you can re-holster without lasering yourself...something very hard to do with a shoulder holster.

As for the yahoo factor of wearing a gun on your chest...I guess if I'm wearing a gun on my chest I really don't expect to meet anyone else, or at least anyone else who would be offended by it. YMMV.

Hammer wrote:For those interested in the Kenai Chest Holster, Gunfighters INC is having a pretty good thanksgiving sale.

Gaahhhh.... it is so tempting. $112 for the N-frame model.

Zzz wrote:^^ That's my pistol!

Then I guess he needs to give it back to you, eh Zane?

Zzz wrote:

Hammer wrote:For those interested in the Kenai Chest Holster, Gunfighters INC is having a pretty good thanksgiving sale.

Gaahhhh.... it is so tempting. $112 for the N-frame model.

So did you buy it?

Guns are much like airplanes in that purchasing them is the cheap part...

https://www.diamonddcustomleather.com/p ... st-holster

Hands down the best. I have two,

bushpilot490 wrote:https://www.diamonddcustomleather.com/products/guides-choice-chest-holster

Hands down the best. I have two,

Thanks for the link...I just found my new EDC holster!

Hammer wrote:

Zzz wrote:

Hammer wrote:For those interested in the Kenai Chest Holster, Gunfighters INC is having a pretty good thanksgiving sale.

Gaahhhh.... it is so tempting. $112 for the N-frame model.

So did you buy it?

Guns are much like airplanes in that purchasing them is the cheap part...

Nah...I decided to buy groceries for the family instead.

So you guys carrying the 10MM, where do you carry your spare magazines? You do carry spare magazines dont you?

I’m not a big fan of chest holsters and absolutely will not participate or give any training to anyone wearing one, dangerous holster. I am a fan of strong side hip carry. I find this is the fastest draw, safest carry, least likely to hit anyone in the event of a negligent discharge, best for weapon retention, easy to conceal and fast access/draw, best for close quarters combat, best for seated position in car or airplane. I carry spare magazines on weak side hip. This is what has worked best for me, YMMV.

Kurt

G44 wrote:So you guys carrying the 10MM, where do you carry your spare magazines? You do carry spare magazines dont you?

Kurt

Big believer in carrying, my wife and I both do. Can’t imagine why we would need an extra mag?

G44 wrote:So you guys carrying the 10MM, where do you carry your spare magazines? You do carry spare magazines dont you?

I’m not a big fan of chest holsters and absolutely will not participate or give any training to anyone wearing one, dangerous holster. I am a fan of strong side hip carry. I find this is the fastest draw, safest carry, least likely to hit anyone in the event of a negligent discharge, best for weapon retention, easy to conceal and fast access/draw, best for close quarters combat, best for seated position in car or airplane. I carry spare magazines on weak side hip. This is what has worked best for me, YMMV.

Kurt

I love my chest holster. It's the most comfortable and versatile handgun holster I've ever used...but then again I hate wearing belt holsters due to nerve damage...from wearing duty belts. I do not see any inherent danger to the chest holsters...several law enforcement agencies are moving towards load bearing vests with an integrated chest holster to prevent just the kind of nerve damage I experienced. As for weapon retention: a weapon on the chest can be protected with both arms...belt holsters can only be protected with one arm, but that's not really a backcountry priority.

Chest holsters also work much better than a belt holster with a backpack or waders, or while kayaking or bicycling or wearing heavy winter clothing. I don't think they're superior to belt holsters for all applications, but they can work better for many situations.

I generally do not cary an extra magazine...I've got 16 rounds in the weapon and can count the failure-to-feeds I've had during the last 10,000 firings on my thumbs, and both of those were due to the same (now retired) magazine. If I choose to I can cary extra magazines on my waist or on the straps of my chest holster, but I rarely do. I considered attaching a magazine holder to the chest holster itself but decided I didn't want that much additional weight.

I'm not working patrol anymore and have no obligation to insert myself into needlessly dangerous situations. If I didn't think 16 rounds was enough firepower I'd bring a long gun or just stay home that day. That's a little flippant...I do occasionally strap on an extra magazine, but not often.

Not long after the guide was killed by bears in Wyoming a fellow chastised me for not carrying TWO extra magazines, since you might have to deal with multiple bears. I guess I see his point...a person with 46 rounds is better armed than a person with 16 or 31, but I figure at some point it's just your time to die and you might as well get on with it, and being tag-teamed by two bears sounds like one of those times.

Hammer wrote: but I figure at some point it's just your time to die and you might as well get on with it, and being tag-teamed by two bears sounds like one of those times.

Classic Hammer. Well said.