[roosterjuicer]

Im about to buy a blackhawk serpa cqc I noticed that it ships with both a paddle and a belt loop system. i am new to holsters and I am about to get my concealed carry permit on march 28th. what is the advantage of a paddle system vs a belt system?

also, will I be able to use this holster inside the belt? Is there an attachment for it so i can use it on a shoulder rig?

[Dillinger]

Rooster - I have a similiar model. The paddle is a POS in my opinion. Here is the designed purpose - you know when you watch a cop show, and the detective comes back to his desk, takes his gun off and puts it in a desk drawer? There you have it, quick and easy removal of the holster, from your belt, at the end of the day/shift/whatever.

It works, but I have also had it snag only on one "tooth" to keep it from coming off my belt altogether. That alone was enough for me to dump the paddle go back to the standard, slide the belt loops through the holster and my jeans together situation.

"inside the belt" ?? Do you mean inside the waistband? In that case, no, I would not recommend this holster for that application. It's quick bulky and unless you are wearing the paddle backwards, I don't think you could pull it off, let alone comfortably...

As for the future of making it into a shoulder rig - I don't honestly know. My hip holster is a Serpa, though I don't recall the model, and it's only positive retention system is the tightening of a screw to keep the pistol in place.

I have an actual Galco Miami Jackass rig for my shoulder harness that has a leather strap to keep the pistol in place that I am MUCH more comfortable with than relying on contact pressure around the trigger guard...

JD

[roosterjuicer]

thanks dillinger, always very helpful.

BLACKHAWK! CQC SERPA Shoulder Harness - BLACKHAWK!

it looks like this is a strap system for a shoulder holster that the serpa attaches to. but im wondering if it comes with a holster or if it just straps that you attach to your own

[Dillinger]

^^ Yeah, that is different from mine bro, that is the Level II ( or Level III ) I believe, as it has the trigger finger release system. I have the Level II on the tactical thigh rig and it is good to go. Your pistol will stay in there no matter what you are doing until you push that button and release it.

I don't know about those straps, they look a little thin, but I guess it depends on what you are carrying. My steel slide and frame 1911's get a bit weighty after a few hours and I prefer the larger, wider, leather straps on the Galco. Might be something to think about...

JD

[roosterjuicer]

what do you know about "abetterholster"? its like an under armor shirt with a built in holster. is that the real deal or a sham?

[Dillinger]

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

what do you know about "abetterholster"? its like an under armor shirt with a built in holster. is that the real deal or a sham?

It's the real deal. The "holster" is triple stitched and sewn into the shirt, but I thought it was by 5.11 Tactical.

I personally don't like it, because my shirts don't last long enough to warrant the purchase, plus unless you have a gun with no rough edges, you are probably going to get it snagged on the way out of the "pouch".

I like my holsters to be more of a stable platform....

[matt g]

Avoid all of the tacticool garbage. It does nothing to help you. You're not an operator and don't need to features that they need.

Get a good leather holster that is setup for strong side FBI cant. Many on the forum will tell you the same thing. A lot of us have been at this for years and have the big box of crap holsters in our garage to prove it.

High Noon Holsters

[Dillinger]

Originally Posted by matt g

Get a good leather holster that is setup for strong side FBI cant. Many on the forum will tell you the same thing. A lot of us have been at this for years and have the big box of crap holsters in our garage to prove it.

That's a true story right there. I have about 2 dozen holsters I don't use. Maybe I should raffle those off next month...LOL

JD

[Bighead]

No, the Serpa CQC won't work inside the waistband.

The paddle is for the convienence of being able to take the gun & holster off without having to unbuckle/unlace your belt. Most paddle holsters ride a little farther off the body, and are only well concealed under jacket/outerwear garments.

A standard belt holster ride a bit tighter to the body, and is obviously more secure than a paddle.

Inside Waist Band is another design altogether, and I would personally recommend a leather holster for IWB carry. The Galco Royal Guard is a good example of a popular style IWB holster.

The BLACKHAWK shoulder harness is designed to be used with a Serpa CQC holster that you already own. You would remove the paddle or loop back and attack the harness for shoulder holster carry. I can't speak to the quality, but I have been pleased with other BLACKHAWK gear. In other shoulder holsters I can +1 the rigs from Galco Gunleather.

I can comfortably recommend leather and polymer holsters, and think the CQC would serve you well, especially in the belt slide format. I also like Galco Leather holsters.

I can also +1 MattG about passing on the ninja gear. A quality strong side holster is the gold standard for law enforcement for a reason, it works. Also, invest a little money in your carry gear. People spend hundreds (even thousands) of dollars on a piece, and then buy a $12 nylon holster with a cheap plastic belt clip. I'm not against frugal if it works, but know that often quality has a little extra cost.

Galco Combat Master:

*I'm surprised pic is hammer down carry...only one on Galco site I found like that.

Galco Royal Guard:

[matt g]

Check with High Noon Holsters. They're at least the same quality as Galcos, if not higher, but you can get them for 2/3s the price of a Galco. Each holster is custom made too, so you can have them made to your exact specs.