By Mike Boyle
During my initial firearms training, one warning stuck with me: Every citizen contact involves at least one gun — the one in your duty holster.
The instructor’s intent was to make it clear that even in a routine situation, things could go deadly wrong at the drop of a hat and that we should always be tuned in to our positioning and what is going on around us. At that time, roughly 20% of officers killed in the line of duty were shot with their own gun.
As we fast-forward to the present, I am pleased to report that we have made a great deal of progress in that area, although there is still plenty of room for improvement. Better training in both tactical awareness and retention techniques has gone a long way toward keeping officers safe. In the 1970s, Jim Lindell, a trainer with the Kansas City Police Department, devised a handgun retention system that is still widely taught to this day. Other systems have also been developed and, clearly, this is an area in which all officers should be trained. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
The threat remains real
Improved holster technology has also contributed to the cause. Today, the overwhelming majority of patrol officers utilize retention-style duty holsters, often with multiple levels of security. While the holster alone is not an absolute barrier to a gun grab, its proprietary design can provide the officer a few valuable seconds in a violent confrontation to defeat a disarm attempt and turn the tables on an aggressor. Many years ago, an officer in my agency was attacked by multiple subjects who attempted to disarm him. Even though he was injured, the attack was defeated through countermeasures combined with a Smith & Wesson Security Plus holster, an early retention design.
Holsters are part of a system that includes situational awareness, taking a good position and being familiar with and willing to use decisive retention techniques to control your firearm. A deficiency in any one of those areas can have catastrophic results in a violent confrontation.
How retention holsters evolved
Duty holsters that provided a measure of security have been on the scene for quite some time, although many of those early efforts would seem primitive by today’s standards. One example was the clamshell and, as the name implies, it completely enveloped the gun. To draw, the user had to press a button, which caused the holster to spring open, freeing the gun. Many years ago, a senior officer showed me his old duty rig, which he described as a “motorcycle holster,” where you had to insert your finger through the trigger guard and press a button in order to draw. Modern retention holsters are safer to use, offer greater security and allow the trained user to access their handgun far more quickly.
One of the earliest true security designs was the Rogers SSIII, developed by former FBI agent Bill Rogers and later marketed by Safariland as the 070. The SSIII required three separate manipulations in order to draw and was indeed very different from most of the popular holsters back in the day, which featured only a thumb break for security. When I got the SSIII, I invested a bit of time practicing the draw stroke and, in fairly short order, found that I could get into action very quickly.
Safariland is largely credited with categorizing different levels of security in holsters. A Level I holster requires only one distinctive hand motion to free the pistol for a draw, while a Level II holster requires two motions. A Level III holster offers even greater security, as three separate movements are required in order to remove the gun from the holster. It sounds more complicated than it really is, and the trained user can perform all three movements almost simultaneously. Draw times may be a tad slower than with a Level I holster, but an officer using such a rig will have far greater security in the event of a gun grab.
Modern holsters meet modern challenges
The popularity of accessories such as red-dot optics and weapon-mounted lights has certainly complicated the process for duty holster manufacturers. Because the external dimensions of such accessories differ from one model to the next and proper fit is required to maintain security, the problem is obvious. Fortunately, a few manufacturers have found a solution to this dilemma.
Safariland has long been an industry leader in the development of cutting-edge retention holsters and offers the widest variety in the industry. My agency has used the Safariland 6360 Level III duty holster for many years, and it has held up very well to the hard knocks of patrol. It is very secure and yet fast to draw from.
Last year, Safariland introduced the Ballast, a lightweight duty holster with a minimalist footprint on the belt. Available in Level I, II or III configurations, the Ballast is red-dot capable and features a removable RDS optic lid to protect the lens from impact and debris. The Ballast features a cantable UBL belt mount that supports forward and rearward angles, as well as vertical alignment, so the end user can fine-tune it for comfort and draw efficiency.
The Ballast is an open-muzzle design that allows debris and moisture to quickly pass through. Another key feature is the fact that this holster can accommodate just about all of the popular weapon-mounted lights. I have been working with a Level I Ballast holster for several months and have used it with a Streamlight TLR-7A and a SureFire X300 Ultra with positive results. Safariland advises that the Level III Ballast, which combines the ALS lock with the SLS rotating hood, is the most popular variant.
A new entry to the market is the Valor from Blade-Tech. While most of us associate Blade-Tech with high-quality Kydex concealment holsters, they have hit it out of the park with the new Valor. The Valor is an extremely durable holster, available with Level I, II or III retention. Patented release mechanisms help deliver a very fast draw without compromising retention security and, once I affixed my Level II Valor to the belt, I was able to get into action very quickly.
A very attractive feature of the Valor is its modularity. The Valor Duty Drop allows the holstered pistol to ride lower for greater comfort, while the Duty Loop offers standard ride height. Yet another mount option is the Tek-Mount, which is a quick-affix/remove two-part system that allows the end user to adjust the holster angle without the use of screws. A Tek-Mount Mini and mounting plate allow one to secure a tourniquet to the front of the holster.
The Valor accepts a wide range of popular weapon-mounted lights and I tested my sample with a Streamlight TLR-1 HL, Streamlight TLR-7A and an Inforce WML. Fit was satisfactory for all. Unlike some other retention-style holsters, security was not compromised with the light removed. Two different-size optics shrouds are available to protect your red dot, including those with closed emitters such as the Aimpoint ACRO and COA. The Valor is available in plain black, basketweave green, coyote brown and Multicam. Models are available for Glock, FN, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson and Walther pistols.
No holster is foolproof
A security holster represents a formidable, but not absolute, barrier to a gun grab. I recently watched a videotaped interview of a uniformed security guard who had his gun removed from a Level III retention holster. The most troubling aspect was the fact that the guard did not even immediately realize he had lost his gun. Fortunately, the gun was recovered without anyone being injured. The bottom line is that any holster can be defeated and there are indeed criminals who train to do just that. But in a violent physical confrontation, the security measures built into your holster will hopefully afford you just enough time to employ decisive countermeasures and regain control of the situation.
Stay switched on and be aware of what is unfolding around you. Always take a good position when making citizen contacts and maintain proper distance whenever possible so as not to invite a gun grab. Unfortunately, we cannot always control this, and the harsh reality is that we often have to get close to people who may turn violent with little forewarning. Familiarity with and practice of weapon-retention techniques remain critical and, if authorized to do so, you may want to consider a backup weapon for that worst-case scenario. Combined with situational awareness and physical retention skills, a quality security holster will go a long way toward keeping you safe.
About the author
Mike Boyle served as a Captain with NJ Fish & Wildlife, Bureau of Law Enforcement. He has been an assistant police academy director and rangemaster and continues to provide training in use of force disciplines at recruit, in-service and instructor levels. Mike is the author of several hundred published articles that have appeared in firearms and law enforcement periodicals, as well as three books. He also has been a featured presenter on three videos for Panteao Productions and is a member of ILEETA and NLEFIA.
