Ghost Holster question

[Bigpops]

Thinking of switching from the CR Speed to the Ghost.

On the new Ghost holster (pinless) do you have to engage a device, while drawing, to release the lock? I thought I read somewhere that your finger must hit something to release the safety mechanism. I wasn't sure if it was the old version or new.

Thanks!

BP

[TISCHLJ]

With the Ghost one may draw from "locked", disengaging the lock lever on the draw, or from "unlocked".

There is no lever to disangage when drawing from unlocked.

[Rolex]

When in the locked position-the lever will be at the three o'clock

position-on the draw your middle finger-will pull up the lever and

unlock the gun. Or if you are a dare devel you stay unlocked

and just draw-caution-the gun will come out of the Ghost very easy

in the unlocked position!! I keep my lock on and release on the draw,

have two and have been using them this way for a year now-no problem's

just remember to unlock with the finger on the draw- or you will end up

with an empty gun hand It is a very secure holster!

[Bigpops]

Thanks fellas.

I love my CR and have never had an issue.....until last night. I was showing someone how it all works and I barely bumped my magwell (while the gun was holstered) and it nearly came out. That got me thinking. With my Ninja like speed (ok, a grandpa Ninja) in competition things could get pretty ugly. I have read several posts on the Ghost and am willing to try one. Just not to sure about the whole disengaging on the draw thing.

BP

Edited April 28, 2009 by Bigpops

[lugnut]

Interesting. I have the Ghost and draw with it unlocked. I talked with a bunch of people to see what they did. All of them leave it unlocked unless for some reason the COF required lots of movement before drawing- rare. I too am concerned about it disengaging by accident but don't lock it prior to the COF.

[gmantwo]

I also draw my gun from an unlocked Ghost. I keep it locked until the make ready command, then I load and reholster without engaging the lock. I don't know if the unlocked hold on the gun is adjustable or not(bought mine used and didn't get a manual), but with my Ghost unlocked you can hit the magwell as hard as you want, as if slapping a mag in, and it WILL NOT come out. I can grab the grip and violently move the gun forward or back enough to shift my belt(and I wear my belt tight) and the gun won't come out. The only way to get my gun to come out is to lift STRAIGHT up 1/4 of an inch, then the gun comes out very easily. My Ghost is the non-pin newer version.

As an asside, the lock will work at 3, 12, 6 or 9 o'clock as well. I lock mine at 12 where it is much more protected from accidental release. Don't remember which shooter it was, but a "Super squad" shooter was DQ'd at a match last year when his gun came out of his Ghost and fell to the ground. But, the holster was unlocked and as he sat down the comp touched his knee and the gun lifted enough to release. OUCH! These are great holsters and I wish I had at least one more, no two.

[RiggerJJ]

+1 to what gmantwo said...

The Ghost just works. lock it if you are going to move AT ALL before the draw, leave it unlocked if no movement. I use a hefty rubberband to keep it in the locked position if I am goin prone or running with a long gun before drawing the pistol. On a rare occasion I use the up-lock position WITH the rubberband...

jj

[Bigpops]

Thanks again ALL!

You helped me with my decision. I get to spend more money!

[Lee King]

I switched to a ghost from my CR speed after I DQ'd at a sectional match a year ago because the gun fell out. In defense of the CR speed, I could never get it adjusted correctly for my new gun. It was either too tight or too loose. It NEVER scared me with my old gun. But I didn't like the inability to lock the CR speed in circumstances where you felt you needed that extra bit of safety. The stage where I DQ'd required you to shove a car door closed. I gave it a good shove and the hip snap that went with the shove is what threw it out. I would have prefered to lock it for that start.

My ghost works perfectly. I lock it when I feel the need. I had been leary of the unlocked position until I saw the article in the front sight about holsters. I never realized there is a hook that is activated by the little tab inside the holster. I always thought the tab was what kept the gun from falling forward (in addition to the ball bearing) kind of like the safariland rigs. But if you take a pencil and slide it along the tab, a hook actually comes out and goes through the trigger guard.

Now that I know that, I unlock it for about 90% of all starts. What you really need to watch out for is "upward" movement of the gun. If you bend way forward at the waist and cause the gun to slide up in the holster for example. The last time I used the lock, you ran about 10 steps from the start position before engaging the first target. I normally move my hand to the gun immediately. But I didn't want to risk the gun bouncing in the first step or two IF I got moving before my hand made it there (realistically I'm not that fast). It's easy enough to unlock I just erred on the side of caution. An option you don't have with the CR.

[Lee King]

I will add that I use my ghost for IPSC only. When I shoot 3 gun I switch to a bladetech not because I don't trust the lock. I use the bladetech because you go prone, bang into trees, wear one long gun or another slung (possibly banging the gun depending on if you sling it front or back.. I do both). The bladetech just covers a lot more of the gun and especially the muzzle and the front sight.

[R.Elliott]

I have the muzzle peg version of the Ghost (preference). Unlike some of the other designs out there, when the trigger lock is applied you cannot pull the gun out of the holster no matter how hard you yank on it. For running starts or holster tests, setting the lock at the 3 o'clock position provides a very fast draw, as you just wipe it off on the up-stroke with your middle finger with no time lost. For general range carry just lock it at 12 o'clock and forget about it. Even if you bump it with your range bag the gun is staying put. With the lock off the gun lifts out of the holster with very little resistance, though this can be adjusted with a heavier spring.

It's a very good design.

[Bigpops]

Lee, Elliot thank you very much. I like your details and discriptions and again has helped make my mind up. I just ordered one from Chris Patty. If he is true to form it should be in my mailbox when I get home today! (Ok, maybe not that fast)

I also like the fact that I can use the same rig for my Open gun. Looks like a yard sale in the future!

Thanks for sharing the DQ Lee. That is exactly what I was afraid of after my little incident last night. I NEVER want to DQ but especially with a gun hitting the dirt.

[rishii]

I also have an old pinned ghost.

like the others have said, it's a great rig and I modified mine be cutting out the 12 o'clock super locker position.

I ran into the problem of drawing with the gun locked, (which I do for any start that requires movement before the draw) of driving the locking lever passed the release point, into the super locker and giving myself the super ghost wedgie.

also when there is a seated start, I will after I load and holster, lock it, making sure my muzzle clears everything, and once seated, double check and un-lock it. I once DQ a shooter with a limcat holster, it was on a seated start, he loaded holstered, sat, muzzle touched something, pushed the gun straight up out of the holster on to the dirt.