Holster experiences

[Dan-O-Mite]

For those who have the Tanfoglio Limited, if you also shoot IPSC, have you tried the Speedsec 5 holster and what do you think of it?

I've been using my old CR Speed holster that was for my CZ Tactical Sport, after alot of modifications. But I've had to use almost all the spacers that came with the holster because the trigger guard on the Limited is so narrow, and now the gun doesn't sit straight in the holster (because all the spacers fit on one side only) and often hangs up when I draw.

I'm considering the Speedsec 5 because Henning recommends it, (what more do I need right?). My concern is that I have seen other styles of this holster, with no muzzle support, and some seem to allow the gun to flop around quite a bit. Another one mentioned having to drill the gun, .

I'd apprieciate any input/personal experiences with this holster. How sturdy is it, does the gun come out clean or drag a bit, how firm is the hold on the gun when locked? Any other info or recommendations would be very helpful.

Thanks guys,

Dan

[pivoproseem]

I have a certain hate for race holsters, so I run a Bladetech DOH. Safe and secure....and you don't have to lock and unlock it.

For those who have the Tanfoglio Limited, if you also shoot IPSC, have you tried the Speedsec 5 holster and what do you think of it?

I've been using my old CR Speed holster that was for my CZ Tactical Sport, after alot of modifications. But I've had to use almost all the spacers that came with the holster because the trigger guard on the Limited is so narrow, and now the gun doesn't sit straight in the holster (because all the spacers fit on one side only) and often hangs up when I draw.

I'm considering the Speedsec 5 because Henning recommends it, (what more do I need right?). My concern is that I have seen other styles of this holster, with no muzzle support, and some seem to allow the gun to flop around quite a bit. Another one mentioned having to drill the gun, .

I'd apprieciate any input/personal experiences with this holster. How sturdy is it, does the gun come out clean or drag a bit, how firm is the hold on the gun when locked? Any other info or recommendations would be very helpful.

Thanks guys,

Dan

[CHA-LEE]

I have used the Blade Tech Paddle, CR Speed, Speed Sec, and Ghost holsters in USPSA match shooting conditions. I have listed my opinions of them below in my order of liking, worst to best.….

Ghost – This holster is ultra fast and has very minimal restriction if you are drawing from a stationary standing position. When its locked down its absolutely locked down, but its also easy to bump the lock and it will pop into the unlocked position. When its unlocked it takes very minimal movement or effort to disengage the gun from being retained. But if you input any outward or twisting movement on the gun as you draw it will jam up. If you have to draw the gun while you are in a crouched position and the gun is leaning in towards you its almost guaranteed that it will jam up during the draw unless you pull it straight out of the trigger guard slot in the holster, which some times isn’t possible given the start position of a stage. I also found that the base of the holster would dig into my leg due to the weight of the gun pushing in on a single place. This made it painful to wear your gun all day long during a match. The holsters angles are super adjustable though so you can fine tune it to your needs. Due to the very minimal effort needed to remove the gun from the holster while its unlocked I was never very confident with using it during USPSA matches. Any time it was unlocked I worried that the gun would fall out or get knocked out due to body movement after the buzzer went off, such as a turn draw or exiting a start position and drawing at the same time. If you were shooting Steel Challenge where all of the draws are from a stationary position this would be an awesome holster to use. Since I don’t shoot steel very often and its painful to wear all day I choose to not use this holster any more.

Speed Sec – This holsters design is very similar to the Ghost and so is its performance. When its unlocked it is really fast and unrestricted. When its locked down its absolutely locked down. But you also have the issue where it will jam up if you induce any outward or twisting motion on the gun as you draw. So awkward or crouched starting positions will have you wrestling the gun out of the holster after the buzzer goes off, which isn’t fun. This holster also seems to be constructed of a lot cheaper materials, which are mostly injection molded plastic parts. When you look at it up close you can’t stop asking yourself why you paid $150 for $5 worth of injection molded plastic and Ace Hardware fasteners, at least I couldn’t. The Ghost holster at least uses high quality machined aluminum, steel and delrin parts. One big issue with this holster is that you are somewhat limited in the angle adjustability of the gun from an outward cant perspective. Since the amount of outward cant really affects how much it will jam up during the draw, not being able to adjust it without permanently changing the parts is a poor design to me. The one good thing that puts this holster ahead of the Ghost is that its not painful to wear. It does not allow the weight of the gun to dig into my leg at a single place allowing me to wear it all day long without being in pain. But overall the Ghost and Speed Sec holsters are both in the same boat, pretty much limited to steel challenge stationary draw only situations.

CR Speed – This holster retains the gun by the trigger guard and also supports the front of the gun by hooking into the barrel. It is also highly adjustable so you can fine tune the angle of the gun to whatever you like. This holster has a somewhat tighter draw resistance than the Ghost or Speed Sec but still allows the gun to come out pretty easy. You have to draw the gun upwards first to disengage it, then you can bring it forward. If you don’t bring the gun upwards enough before you start moving forward it will jam up. So the initial part of your draw needs to be consistently “Up then Out” or it will jam up. This holster does work pretty good in awkward or crouched starting positions but if you fail to do the same “Up then Out” draw motion it will jam up. The unlocked retention state of the gun is pretty secure so I never worried about it falling out or getting bumped out at the start of a stage due to body movement. When the holster is locked you can still draw the gun but it does take some considerable force to overcome the lock. So if you forget to unlock it, you are in for a fight but you will at least be able to get it out eventually. Unlike the Ghost or Speed Sec where you are more likely to rip the whole holster and belt off your pants before you get the gun out of the holster while its locked. One disadvantage to this holster is that it is designed around retaining the STI/SVT 2011 guns. So you need to do some creative rework to retain the longer and slimmer EAA/Tanfo trigger guard the same way it does an STI/SVI guns. I used this holster for a while and it worked good but I did have my fair share of jam issues because I wasn’t drawing the gun “Up then Out” well enough or I would simply forget to unlock it before the stage run. Most of these jam issues were user error though from either drawing wrong or forgetting to unlock it. This is my current backup holster that I take to big matches.

Blade Tech Paddle – This holster is obviously super simple. But with simplicity comes less chance of failure. The major drawback to this holster is that it has very little adjustability to its angles. You can put shims between the paddle and the drop offset to change the rotation of the gun while its holstered but that’s about all the adjustment you have, other than moving the whole holster forward or back on your belt. Since the holster retains the gun by covering most of slide and muzzle you have to pull the gun up about 4 inches then you can start moving it forward during the draw. The difference between this holster and the others is that it will not jam up if you start moving forward too soon. The gun just wont move forward until it clears the top edge of the holster. This makes it way more forgiving while drawing the gun from awkward positions. You just have to change your mechanics of the draw to get use to the pronounced UP, then Out draw motion. The other thing that is really nice about this holster is that there are no locks to worry about or manipulate. The gun is either sitting in the holster or out in your hand after the draw. I have never had to worry about the gun falling out or bumping the gun out of the blade tech holster either. Once you get use to drawing the gun from this holster there really isn’t a disadvantage to using it. I think I can draw the gun a little faster with the “Race” style holsters but I am also doing the draw in a more forced or sloppy way to gain the extra speed so I don’t think its really an advantage since the quality of my grip is usually worse with the increased speed. The Blade Tech Paddle holster is my choice for the overall best holster to use in USPSA style shooting conditions. After trying all of the other holsters and figuring out their advantages and disadvantages for my style of shooting, I see myself using the Blade Tech Paddle holster from now on.

Keep in mind that these are only my opinions of these holsters from my testing and experience with using them. I am sure that every one of these holsters can be used with great success when matched with the proper draw mechanics and physical build of the shooter. So to make it simple, everyone is different so there really isn’t any better way to figure out which one is best for you until you actually try each one yourself.

[BritinUSA]

THere's a forum thread Here about the Speedsec 5. My understanding is that Henning stocks a later model than the one I was using. With all these 'bikini' holsters the trick is to make sure that the channel that the gun sits in is vertical. While wearing the holster, put a gun with a loaded magazine (empty chamber) into the holster and see if it cants inward (or outward). You need to adjust it so that its vertical and that will stop it from binding during the draw.

I'm happy with my modified Speedsec 5.

[CHA-LEE]

BritinUSA> You are spot on with the "Slot being vertical" recommendation to eliminate jamming up. My challenge was that I could only keep the slot vertical when I was in an "optimal" stance. There are quite a few stages where your starting position is less than "optimal" and would put the slot at a cant (in or out) and thus jam up. Maybe this is just a fat kid issue that I end up having more of an issue with than others?

Edited April 9, 2010 by CHA-LEE

[JorDanO]

I have both the Speedsec and Ghost. They are very similar as far as Cha-lee pointed out. I prefer the Ghost personally. The click when the gun is holstered is more reassuring that the gun is actually secured in the holster.

I like the lock on the Ghost better. When I'm not shooting I rotate the lock lever to the vertical position so I don't accidentally knock it off.

I have the holster positioned about the same place as my production holster, and haven't had an issue with the gun binding on the draw.

[Dan-O-Mite]

Great replies guys, lots of information. Somehow, I still don't know what to do. My CZ TS worked great in my CR Speed holster, never seemed to hang up on me when drawing, and it was very secure when locked in. If I could find something to work as well with my Tanfo, I'd be happy. I would prefer one of the race style holsters, but it sounds like most have issues with the Tanfo, or just have issues.

Looks like I'm going to have to make a real effort at the next match to see what holster guys are wearing. Maybe if I get a chance to see them and see how they work, I'll get a better feeling for one of them. The only other holster I've used was an Uncle Mikes when I first started, and I had my fill of that thing.

I've seen some ads for the CR Speed that says it has holsters specific to certain guns, anyone know if they have one for the Limited Tanfoglio?

Thanks again for all the info guys.

[askomiko]

My favorite is this Finnish SLB-holster that two dudes make for a hobby. (And about every IPSC shooter in Finland has one...) It has a perfectly placed locking lever with three positions:

1. Locked. 2. Still locked, but the lever is more accessible and perfectly positioned for draw, good for use if there is movement before the draw. 3. Open, ready to go:

They're all specifically made for each gun model, so they fit perfectly. They make one for at least Tanfoglio, CZ 75, Shadow and TS, STI's, Glocks, and bunch of other common guns.

The holster is adjustable in every direction, and the locking is very secure - for example, I once dropped my bagpack from my shoulder, full of ammo, and the strap went around my gun grip, and almost pulled me to the ground, but the gun stayed put.

I also have an old Sickinger which is adjustable to fit many guns, but I'm not too comfortable with it. The locking system isn't the fastest to use, and also the locking is not totally solid, but it worked as a backup until I got the SLB for Tanfoglio too. (I had one for the CZ's I used before Tanfoglios.)

Edited April 9, 2010 by askomiko

[CHA-LEE]

You can get the EAA/Tanfo guns to fit well in the CR Speed holster, it just takes some fiddling. I made a thread on how to do this a while back. The link to it is listed below.....

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=85681

[Dan-O-Mite]

Thanks Cha-Lee, pics help alot. I did move my retaining plate down, but not back. Your gun definately fits better in your holster than mine. Although I can't get my fingers on the trigger while holstered, I could see someone maybe making a stink about it if I'm doing too good at a match . Since I still have my CZ, I don't want to mess up this holster anymore than I already have.

So looks like I'll be spending a couple bucks on a new holster. I have a little voice that keeps whispering in my ear (anyone else hear this voice?) it's saying Ghost, for some reason. Still not sure, but it's got my attention.

[Chris Spiess]

DAA has a new holster coming out soon. It looks nice on paper. I've got one pre-ordered. Presently I am using a ghost, so I'll be able to post a comparison when it shows up.

[Dan-O-Mite]

DAA has a new holster coming out soon. It looks nice on paper. I've got one pre-ordered. Presently I am using a ghost, so I'll be able to post a comparison when it shows up.

Dang, that does look good. But it says the end of May for the Tanfoglio holsters, and who knows if that's guaranteed. Says it's been designed with input from Saul and Angus, gotta figure it will be good. But it is about $50 more than a Ghost. Decisions decisions.

[Chris Spiess]

According to Saul (here) the Tanfoglio units should be ready with all the other platforms and should start shipping by 20-Apr. There are a couple of shoulds there, but hopefully I'll have mine by the end of the month. Assuming I like the Race Master, Dan, I'll make you a deal on my Ghost, then you'll have something else to cloud you decision making process.

[LeoHallak]

I have a Ghost and have used one since I started shooting and I love it... one holster for limited and open its hard to beat, I have never had any problems with retention on any sort of stage. I have also never had a problem with it jabbing my thigh. I haven't tried a SpeedSec but I know Henning likes them a lot and that goes a long way with me. If my Ghost ever fails Ill probably try one.

I do have a Bladetech for my limited but never liked it as much as the ghost.

Leo

[Dave Gundry]

I love my SpeedSec - much better than the Ghost - the gun doesn't flop around, adjustments are more secure, much less pain to wear, ingenious lock design (able to draw from locked with 95% speed), much more difficult to accidentally unlock. Yes, drawing from a awkward angle will give you a bit of a wedgie and there is no in/out cant adjustment, but that is easily fixed through practice. I am super picky about product designs, and the SpeedSec is as close to perfect as one would need. Only beef is their customer service and price.

[Dan-O-Mite]

According to Saul (here) the Tanfoglio units should be ready with all the other platforms and should start shipping by 20-Apr. There are a couple of shoulds there, but hopefully I'll have mine by the end of the month. Assuming I like the Race Master, Dan, I'll make you a deal on my Ghost, then you'll have something else to cloud you decision making process.

Well Chris, I don't know if I should thank you or curse you. My order is in for a DAA Race Master. Your option was the most expensive, but also the newest design by some of the best in the sport, made by one of the biggest names in the sport.

It is always fun to show up to a match and have everyone around give you this look, . Uttering those words, "what the hell you got there?"

I figured, if I'm going to get a new holster, it might as well be a "new" holster, not one that has been around forever.

I'll offer a "thank you" for now, but I might whisper a few curses when the credit card statement gets here.

[Chris Spiess]

Well Chris, I don't know if I should thank you or curse you. My order is in for a DAA Race Master. Your option was the most expensive, but also the newest design by some of the best in the sport, made by one of the biggest names in the sport.

I'll offer a "thank you" for now, but I might whisper a few curses when the credit card statement gets here.

Curse all you want. My wife has been doing it for years. I'm immune by now I think

[Ridgerunnr]

I have considered a "race" style but findithard to justify..other than being cool..lol I run 1 sec to first A but have been as low as .72 with my DOH...daddy always said if it aint broke dont fix it.

[Chris Spiess]

If you're not shooting open, I'd be inclined to agree. I used a Blade Tech DOH for several years shooting production and limited. But now wanting to shoot open at some point, some sort of race holster is about mandatory. I'm shooting both limited and open on the Tanfoglio platform, so one holster for two guns in nice and eliminates the need for a complete second rig.

[Dan-O-Mite]

Well I can't comment on what kind of draw times can be accomplished with a Bladetech holster. But I do know that sumpthin' this purty shouldn't be hidin' a ugly black holster.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Dan-O-Mite

[CHA-LEE]

Are you entering a Fashion Show or a Shooting Match???

Since I shoot matches I will always pick function over fashion. But then again I have always been an ugly SOB so I haven't had to worry about fashion much

[Dan-O-Mite]

If the functions are about equal, then I will choose the one that is a little more appealing to my eye.

[LeoHallak]

If the functions are about equal, then I will choose the one that is a little more appealing to my eye.

I totally agree.

Leo

[BritinUSA]

Are you entering a Fashion Show or a Shooting Match???

Its a shooting match first but if people look good doing it then it makes the sport more attractive to watch. The success of TechWear shirts is a case in point, they perform their job well and look good at the same time.

No-one wants a dull holster, not when they can have some sleek-colorful-bikini type thing.

Fashion is certainly not the most important thing but I think it contributes to the success of the sport.

[CHA-LEE]

I guess I am a freak then. Because I could care less what my gun “looks like” while holstered.

I can see why people would want to show off their “Bling” though. To each their own.