Holsters

[mffjm8509]

Has anyone found or seen a holster that mounts horizontally accross body armor?

I'm looking for something to wear that allows for a cross draw while riding in a vehicle and can access my drop holster very well.

mp

[Razor]

Well, there are several options to make this happen. First off, you can go the expensive route and get the Paraclete 'taco' holster, which provides a user-adjustable cant, but costs around $95 (you can probably get it for much less through GSA, though). The drawback of this (besides price and availability) is that with the holster mounted horizontally, there won't be as much secured Velcro between holster body and 'taco' attachment panel. Check out Lightfighter.com for a good picture of this holster.

Next, you could contact Gene at High Speed Gear and order his horizontal PALS holster. Its specifically made for horizontal carry (I've attached a pic, as I didn't see one on his website) and PALS attachment. Not sure on availability or price on this one. Downside is possible limited availability, and you're fixed at horizontal carry only.

Another option is the Tactical Tailor modular holster. Yes, I know its set up for vertical carry, but if you weave some MALICE clips through the vertical webbing on your vest or plate carrier, you can now mount the holster on the MALICE clips, making it horizontal. Drawbacks are extra bulk and weight due to the additional MALICE clips, and possible retention problems (not sure how well the pistol would ride in the holster as the retention strap is made for vertical security).

One other option would be to contact a custom gear maker, and have him sew up a PALS panel adapter that allows you to mount gear horizontally on vertically oriented PALS webbing. Then you could use any PALS compatible holster to solve your orientation issue. Drawbacks are the same as those for the TT jury rig idea above (extra bulk and retention). There are a few of us here that could do that for you pretty easily.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

[mffjm8509]

Thanks Razor,

That HSG photo looks similar in design to the parclete one. I've tossed around the idea of rigging a TT model on, and I may end up doing that. I've written both paraclete and HSG now, and hope to get something back from them soon.

I've looked into the paraclete model before, (with no answer back from them on accually HOW it mounts w/ the velcro). The photo on lightfighter.com is kind of vauge, and obviously I dont want to rely on velcro for retention.

Diamondback also has a plate that is adaptable to the safariland 6004 holster. It rivets to the plate adn the plate attaches to the front of the armor. I havent been able to take a close up look at that system as of yet.

As ussuall, I've waited until nearly the last minute to make yet another change to the kit. I should've started on this when I came back from my site survey a couple of weeks ago.

mp

[Smokin Joe]

mffjm8509,

Just throwing ideas out b/c you are short on time. How about lacing a standard belt slide holster horizontally through your malic channels with a malice clip?

It might be a temp fix until you can get what your looking for.

[mffjm8509]

I may go that route w/ one of our old eagle thigh rigs. With some modification I can probably ziptie it through the molle loops.

I'm hoping to find a GP holster that will accept both the beretta as well as a 1911 as thats the pistol we are attempting to transition to. I'll have to check the fit of the Eagle holster in the team gear locker.

thanks,
mp

Originally Posted by Smokin Joe

mffjm8509,

Just throwing ideas out b/c you are short on time. How about lacing a standard belt slide holster horizontally through your malic channels with a malice clip?

It might be a temp fix until you can get what your looking for.

[eggroll]

FWIW

the HSG holster is roughly equivalent in price to the Paraclete, BUT the quality and robustness of design and construction is in the HSG court.

Good luck in your search.