There are three basic types of on the waistband (OWB) holsters: single belt loop on the back of the holster; single belt loop on the back of the holster with another belt loop on the trailing edge of the holster; and holsters with only a belt loop at the leading and trailing edges of the holster. Speed vs. concealability explains the differences in these holster types.
The single loop on the back of the belt holster is typified by the duty holsters of soldiers and civilian policemen. For the private citizen, the Blade-Tech “Classic OWB” holster provides THE fastest draw for readily available, mass produced OWB holsters (though as I sadly reported recently; Blade-Tech is no longer a true “custom” holster maker). Using the company’s Tek-Lok single loop attachment, the Classic OWB tilts ever-so-slightly away from the body, speeding the draw stroke. Of course, the trade-off is a holster which will “print” or “bulge” like crazy underneath a concealing garment. I prefer to use the single belt loop on the back of the holster for pistol matches or for carrying openly in the field.
The second type of on the belt holster does a great job of replicating baby bear’s “just right” soup. Often called an “Askins”-type holster, these holsters which bear the old border patrolman/Army officer/gun writer’s name add a single trailing belt loop along with the loop on the back of the holster which serves to pull the pistol’s butt closer to the body, yet the pistol is still canted slightly away from the body affording a smooth draw stroke. The Kramer Leather “Vertical Scabbard” is the top of the heap in Askins holsters.
Finally, the forward and rear edge only belt looped holsters are often referred to as pancake-type holsters with the El Paso Saddlery “Tortilla” being a personal favorite. If you regularly carry a concealed duty-sized pistol on the belt, the pancake is the most efficient (as the name implies) at “flattening” out the pistol’s profile. The trade-off of course is decreased draw speed. Pancake holsters make the critical, initial grip somewhat more difficult to establish due to the pistol’s tight tuck against the body.
A “trick” to make the initial grip easier to achieve with a pancake-type holster (or any holster, for that matter) is to place the stronghand thumb on the back of the pistol’s slide (the thumb of course moves off the back of the slide as the muzzle moves toward the target) as the stronghand fingers wrap around the pistol’s front strap (this also helps to naturally align your pistol’s sights upon presentation). It’s a good idea to use this grip for reholstering, too. Double/single action (DA/SA)-type pistol hammers will push against the thumb if anything is moving the trigger on reholstering; a thumb on a 1911-type single action will cause the hammer to fall to half-cock if for some reason the trigger is pulled on reholstering; and the Striker Control Device available for Glocks which replaces the slide cover plate allows the user to detect striker movement if the trigger is being pulled (as with DA/SA pistols’ exposed hammers).
Next Week: IWB
Shane Morris is a retired soldier and teacher. Contact at: sigm11@yahoo.com (Subject: NtC)
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