Holster Types
- Holsters ensure that the trigger and trigger guard are protected against accidentally fingering the trigger and discharging the pistol. Holsters may secure the pistol visibly (open carry) or hidden (concealed carry).
Different situations in your life may require different ways in which to carry your pistol. You may have multiple holsters for the same pistol, depending on those various needs.
WARNING!
It is very dangerous to carry a pistol unholstered. For instance, if you are carrying a pocket-size pistol in a pocket without a pocket holster, a single loose coin and a shift of the body in a certain direction can discharge the pistol.
Contents of this page
- Ankle holster
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A holster meant to be worn around the ankle, typically for the purpose of concealed carry.
Advantages
- Allows for concealed carry with close-fitting clothes and without printing your pistol on your upper body.
Disadvantages
- As with other concealed carry techniques, you must move the fabric of the clothes that are hiding the pistol to access it.
- It takes a much larger move to access your pistol because you must drop to the ground.
- In the waistband (IWB) holster
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A holster meant to be worn inside the waistband, typically for the purpose of concealed carry.
Advantages
- By keeping the pistol at your waist level, it makes the pistol more quickly accessible.
Disadvantages
- As with other concealed carry techniques, you must move the fabric of the clothes that are hiding the pistol to access it.
- You must allow for the extra space used by your pistol and IWB holster in your pant waist size.
- This technique works poorly with tight fitting and well tailored clothes.
- Outside the waistband (OWB) holster
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A holster meant to be worn outside the waistband, typically for the purpose of open carry.
Advantages
- Immediate access to your pistol without having to move fabric.
- Allows you to be armed while wearing well-fitted clothes.
Disadvantages
- Open carry announces to all other people that you are armed.
- Pocket holster
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A holster meant to carry a pistol inside the pant pocket.
Advantages
- Enables concealed carry with moderately well fitted clothes.
Disadvantages
- You must be absolute about carrying only the pistol in the pocket in which you carry your pistol. If anything (coin, key) works itself between the trigger and the trigger guard, the pistol can discharge in your pocket.
- Because of the lint of pant pockets, the pistol must be cleaned regularly even if it has not been used.
- The holster itself can prevent the easy access to the pistol when pulling the pistol out for self-defense use unless the holster has been specially designed to compensate for that issue.
- Shoulder holster
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A holster meant to carry a pistol at the level of your ribcage, typically for the purpose of concealed carry.
Advantages
- Enabled concealed carry for formal outfits.
Disadvantages
- The shoulder rig is meant to be concealed by a jacket or suit coat. Removing that jacket announces that you are armed.
