Most secure Open Gun holster

[UW Mitch]

Having only ever used Bladetech holsters for Limited, L10, Prod, and IDPA games I'm very comfortable with a holster style that holds the entire gun. Also having gone to matches and seen "race holsters" fail, and guns come tumbling out, I worry about that style of holster. I can understand if there's "operator error" with the holster, but with the Bladetech's the design inherently holds the gun securely not leaving too much room for operator error. So my question is, what's the Open Gun holster that minimizes the chance for operator error and provides an S_I type gun with the best retention for walking around the range?

I already know answers will vary, but I'd like to hear different peoples input. Especially wrt CR Speed, Limcat, Ghost and Guga Ribas.

Thanks,

Mitch

[BrianATL]

Might want to think about modifying a kydex holster to work with your open gun, since you seem to be comfortable with that style.

[BritinUSA]

I only had a Limcat for my S_I and with that the lever in the down position there was no way that gun was coming out.

I wish they would make that holster for Tanfoglio... It think it's the best design by a mile.

[dr2e]

i only have experience ribas and ghost and between the two i feel more comfortable with the ribas as far as securing the pistol. i like the fact that there are 2 locking positions the lever has to go through before the pistol is "free". with the ghost i am lucky i haven't dropped the pistol because when i have put a cover on the lever has found it's way to the unlocked position. it takes real hard contact to dislodge an unlocked pistol from behind but it doesn't take much to lose it if it is bumped upward. getting used to and comfortable with it will take a little time especially after having used a full kydex type. also you being a southpaw might limit your choices some, maybe not.

[G-ManBart]

I have had a Safariland 012, Ghost and Guga Ribas. I've tried a CR Speed but didn't own it and handled a Limcat.

The Safariland was least secure of all. The CR Speed was a lttle better followed by the Ghost (needs more tension on the locking lever). The Limcat seems to be a big jump in retention with a lever that would be hard to disengage accidentally. The Ribas seems a bit more secure with the two-position locking lever and the only problem I've noted is that you can hit the lever to engage the lock during the draw if you do a funky movement with your hand. I trimmed the lever a bit to prevent that. R,

Edit to add:

I have had two friend DQ at a big match when their gun popped out of the holster. One was a Safariland 012 and the other was a CR Speed. The tension adjustment for retention with the 012 doesn't cut it....one bump from the back and it's gone. The lever on the CR is more secure, but it didn't hold the gun in when it got hit from behind with a prop (dummy).

Edited February 29, 2008 by G-ManBart

[XD Niner]

I have a Ghost and assuming I put the lever in the up or horizontal position, I've never had a problem in three years.

[Jaxshooter]

I have used a Ghost, Limcat, CR Speed. I am currently using a Ribas, with the two locking positions I feel it is the most secure holster of the ones I have used. They are also easy to swap to left handed.

[Jake Di Vita]

I've tried every big brand name holster and CR Speed is by far the best. I'll never use anything else.

[grandbagger]

been using limcat for couple of years, as long as the lever is down theres no way the pistol will fall out.

[outerlimits]

+1 on the limcat...caveat being that lever better be down to retain. conversely, it's always fun to watch shooters get the "johnny wedgie" when they forget to unlock it.

now, having said all of that, we're just talking pistol shooting here-3 gun, while running around with a hot pistol, is another story.

[UW Mitch]

I'll add that I saw a shooter fumbling around behind the line with an S_I limited gun in his hands that had come out of an Aredondo holster. I know nothing is fool proof, but I'd like to help my odds

Keep 'em coming guys.

~Mitch

[DonT]

So my question is, what's the Open Gun holster that minimizes the chance for operator error and provides an S_I type gun with the best retention for walking around the range?

Guga Ribas... If you're walking around the range and the holster has a locking mechanism, it should be locked. IMHO the Guga lock is superior. I say this because of the quality of the holster and the fact that I forgot to unlock it one time when the buzzer went off (only one time). I can yank a gun out of a locked CR Speed easily.

As far as human error, if you have the Guga tension set light and the holster not locked the gun will fall out on the ground with little movement but that's human error and you just avoid movement when unlocked. The only time the holster should be unlocked is at "make ready" and up until "hammer down and holster".

So if the Guga is locked, it ain't coming out... If the Guga is unlocked and it comes out, that's human error. BTW, my 2nd choice is CR Speed

Just my .02 and everybody is different that's why the make so many different styles. Try as many as you can and get the one you like.

DonT

Edited March 1, 2008 by DonT

[Flatland Shooter]

My humble ratings:

#1 CR Speed - Very secure with the lever in the "secure" position. Since the catch is plastic (as it is with all my holsters) it may not be as secure when well worn in, but if it ever gets to that point I will either get replacement parts or a new CR Speed holster. In the "unsecure" postion, the holster has minimal drag on the gun during the draw. The nose piece that engages the comp and the locking lever at the side make this holster is my #1 choice over the Limcat. You can look down and see that you are locked in.

#2 Limcat - Very secure with the lever in the "secure" position. Just try to draw your gun with it engaged. Can we say "self inflicted wedgie"? My only reason to knock it down to #2 is the lack of a nose piece that stabilizes the front (comp) of the gun. That's strictly a personal preference. With the lever in the "unsecure" position, there is almost no resistance to the draw making it very fast, even faster than the CR Speed. The locking lever is under the holster which means you must use the braile method to assure its locked. Just reach down below the trigger guard and you can feel it locked or not.

#3 Safariland 012 - Junk! Pretty junk, but still junk. It may be #3, but its a very distant #3. I've never been DQ'd at a match due to this holster, but thats only because I was not on the line with a loaded gun when it dropped. Once it lost my gun when I was RO'ing and bumped into a prop. The second time was when I cleared and holstered the gun after the stage, watched the scoring, and then bent down to pickup a magazine. The solution was a "chicken strap". That's about a foot of velcro wrapped around the gun and holster. This holster has been relegated to airsoft practice and I seriously doubt it will ever see range time again.

There may be better holsters out there but these are the three I have used with both STI and Para Ordnance. Others may have their rigs set up differently and have better success.

As a slight side note, when I switched from #3 (junk) to #1 (Excellent) I was somewhat amazed at the reduction of my stress level. Wearing the Safariland stressed me out. I knew it wasn't secure and it caused me to worry. The switch to a more secure holster almost immediately lowered the stress level to the point where I wished I'd made the change much earlier.

The Limcat was included in a gun purchase made after the CR Speed was acquired. (DT1, its running great and you ain't getting it back!) If I had the Limcat earlier, I may have never bought the CR Speed.

Bill

Edited February 29, 2008 by Flatland Shooter

[AlamoShooter]

I like the Safariland 012 - I like that it has the pad and muz captive so that the gun dos not pivot in to the leg on the draw, -When- it gets snagged up. I have seen plenty of holster snags that lock the gun in place on the draw and the gun end up twisting into the shooters leg while it is still lock in the holster.

One funny thing with the older Ghost was when I went to do a draw at Steel Challenge and my finger caut the lock just rite and pushed it back into the lock position and just past that to extra lock. I had one heck of a time getting it unlocked, with the clock running.

I think a ghost style with a leg pad and muz trap would be good = more like the CR, but I did not like the CR

JF

[ogiebb]

i bought almost all of them ...Limcat is what i stuck with

[TMC]

I bought a bladetech 6" holster with a drop and offset bracket then took a dremal and torch to it and made really secure holster my open gun. It took some work, its not real pretty but it works great even with the SV carbon scope mount. It was nice at last years Ironman were we did some reholstering during the stage, and even going prone with it.

[Neomet]

I've only used a Ghost. When it is locked a gorilla couldn't get it out. The one problem I have had was when I was wearing a zip front sweatshirt. It got between the pistol and my body and with normal movement walking around between stages it was able to flip the lever off. Lets just say there was a very scary moment not long after that. Just to make sure that was what happened and that I hadn't forgotten to engage it I was able to duplicate this happening on my own.

[warpspeed]

I really like my 012. I've never felt like I was going to lose it but then I bag my gun a lot.

[XRe]

The Safariland holsters have never been super secure.... I've been shooting a Ghost for a couple of years - when its locked, its great. Unlocked, its wicked fast and smooth. Unfortunately, when its unlocked, the gun is very free - and unlocking the holster on the fly can be error prone (I tend to cause the locking lever to bind, and the gun doesn't come out ).

I've tried CR Speed - I agree with the other assessments that its reasonably secure. However, there's no real "lock" option, which is good during a stage, but still leaves me a taste nervous during walk throughs and such. Its just as fast as anything else.

The Ribas has me intrigued and I may be trying one out soon - it has the benefits of the Ghost over the CR Speed (ie, its a "bikini" holster, as DP40 likes to call them), plus it has a tension adjustment for the draw when the holster is unlocked, which is a bonus over the Ghost. That solves the instability problems for seated draws, and the like.

I haven't tried a Limcat in the new "no pin" version. I had an older pin version years ago, and it was a nice holster, too - went to it from a 009, and loved it at the time.

[scooterj]

Wish I still had my Ernie Hill Jet II. Was the best I ever had!

[tgibson]

I have a Ghost holster that I use for my limited SV, but I also like what this guy does with kydex. www.comholsters.com (sorry I don't know how to make the link) I have several of his holsters and I know he is making them for open rigs too. We had a couple of guys use them at the Ironman last year and from what I heard really liked them. They look similar to TMC's.

TG

[TMC]

Hey, tgibson

speaking of the Ironman is there any chance of moving the match one week either way? My daughter graduates high school the same weekend and my wife says I have to be there.

[newshooter]

I only had a Limcat for my S_I and with that the lever in the down position there was no way that gun was coming out.

I wish they would make that holster for Tanfoglio... It think it's the best design by a mile.

+1

[tgibson]

Hey, tgibson

speaking of the Ironman is there any chance of moving the match one week either way? My daughter graduates high school the same weekend and my wife says I have to be there.

Probably not. Sorry. Graduations and weddings seem to be about the only two things that interfere with this match. Isn't your daughter going to collage? That would be a better graduation to go to any way wouldn't it?

TG

[nhglyn]

I was DQ'd at the 2006 Florida Open when my open gun came out of a LOCKED CR Speed holster. Those who shot the match that year will remember the stage with the helicopter. Start with 2 hands on those handles and run across about 20 feet before drawing. LAMR, lock the holster, tug on gun to make sure, grab handles, beep, move, and it popped right out after about 10 feet...........trip to Dairy Queen!

That was the last day I ever used a CR Speed holster, bought a Ghost the next day at the vendor tent and have had great luck with it ever since.