hols  holsters

I have a dear friend who is just getting into guns.  Although he’s a Colorado native, he only recently has taken an interest in guns and hunting. Probably because he’s been working hard his whole life with his company, Patio Splash. He just opened his third hot tub store in Fort Collins, and finally is about to take some time to himself. Check out some of his tubs at patiosplash.com.

Now let’s get back to the business.

This article is written for him and any newbies out there. It’s a basic overview of the different types of holsters. That way when you get yourself a nice piece of art, you have something to carry it in.

Holsters come in different sizes and can be worn on different areas of the body and can even be carried in a other places other than the body. Holsters are used to offer protection to the gun, and easy access for the gun holder.  We will cover some of the more popular and practical holsters there are.

There are basically four types of holsters. Each one is specific for what the gun will be used for, ex: protection, hunting, etc.

The four types of holsters are:

  1. Duty Holsters (think law enforcement)
  2. Sporting Holsters (think sporting or hunting)
  3. Tactical Holsters (security/military
  4. Concealment Holsters (private individuals to conceal the gun)

There are many ways a holster can be worn, depending on what it is being used for. Holsters are often carried on the waist, especially for the private individual and anyone carrying a handgun or pistol.  Sporting Holsters are often held across the body. Here are a few Holster styles.

OWB. (Belt Holsters) When you see this, it means Outside the Waistband, meaning the gun is holster is held on the waist, but outside the waistband.

IWB. Inside the waistband. You clip this style to a belt.

Sling Holsters. This style holster is slung across the shoulder and around the chest. These aren’t your everyday holsters, but they were used a lot during world war two for comfort.

Shoulder Holsters. Slung across the shoulders, kind of work like a backpack. This style offers comfort allowing for the weight of the gun and holster to be more evenly distributed across the body, rather than just at the belt.

There are several other styles of holsters. For example, ankle, chest and thigh holsters, obviously to carry the gun at the ankle, chest or thigh, pancake holsters, strut holsters and more.

The ones I’ve listed above are more or less what you’ve seen and will be used.

There a different ways to attach the holster, depending on what style you have. There are clips, belts, snaps, and loops.  When can choose the way you want your holster to attach.

When your choosing the right holster for your firearm, there are many things to think about and factors to take into consideration.  Remember a Holster is there to help keep your gun protected, you protected, the firearm accessible and concealed, and more.

Think of what you are doing with your firearm, the ease of access, comfort and concealment, when choosing your holster. They can range in price, so if you plan to get fancy and buy a nice pieces to house your firearm in, make sure it will hold up and last. You also want to keep in mind the weight you will be carrying.

Purchasing a firearm is a personal choice and there are many different reasons people choose to purchase one and applications they will be using it for. Choosing a holster is just the same. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and contact me directly.

Sometimes being a seasoned firearm man leaves me forgetting about the basics. Thanks to my good friend Rick, I hope I brought you some good basic information if you are need to holding and owning firearms and accessories.