The only thing I get nervous about OC

imported post

I carry the para companion C7.45 LDA singlestack .With wilson 8+1 magazine .@ spares on the otherside..Attached is a photo of this equip.My concern is that when I oc with this ,is that is to vulnerable to a snatch.Although it fits sucurely.If oc I find myself trying not to get in lines with people to close behind me etc.Or will put my jacket on if in a crowd.Would you guys feel comfoatable with this equip.or reccomend something else.By the way in these photos there is a round chambered and ready to fire.Thats what I like about the LDA you don,t have to carry around in the full cock position which I have found will make some apprehensive.

imported post

It doesn't look like there is any kind of retention on that holster.......do you have to draw a certain way to get the pistol out, or is it just a firm fit? I have a Fobus, which some don't like, but I feel it's secure enough, to where you really have to have the right angle and technique to draw, and in order to do that, you have to basically be on top of me to do it. I'd certainly know you were trying to grab my pistol before you got it, and since you wouldn't have the right angle to draw it, it wouldn't come out.....

That holster doesn't look like it has any such feature....if it does, I'd say you are good, but if not, no thumb break, nothing......I'd recommend something with a little more retention, just to give you a chance of retaining your gun in the unlikely situation of a gun grab......

imported post

It seems to have good retention and is quite snug.And it does have to be at a cetain angle to draw properly.When I played around with someone from behind would have a difficult time getting it out.It is a colt 1911 (that is the only stamp on the back.

imported post

Avery popular OC choice is the Blackhawk Serpa.

But the number one retention feature is you. You are doing the right thing by being aware of your surroundings. I found myself turning in lines on occasion to put my strong side towards the back of the person in front of me.

Just being smart about it is the most important part.

If you are not comfortable with how you currently carry (sounds like you are) than it might be best to get a holster with at least 1 mechanical retention feature. It will help put your mind at ease a little.

imported post

Thanks I,ll look into that.I am for the the most part ok with it.This holster is a very comfortable carry holster.Being aware I think comes from the year in Vietnam as a grunt in the bush for 10 months.You find yourself always looking around.







Brush poppers..................

imported post

David.Car wrote:

Avery popular OC choice is the Blackhawk Serpa.

But the number one retention feature is you. You are doing the right thing by being aware of your surroundings. I found myself turning in lines on occasion to put my strong side towards the back of the person in front of me.

Just being smart about it is the most important part.

If you are not comfortable with how you currently carry (sounds like you are) than it might be best to get a holster with at least 1 mechanical retention feature. It will help put your mind at ease a little.

Click to expand...

They are ugly and over kill for your purpose and many find the uncofortable as hell. Go find your present holster with a retaining thumbstrap. Retention is mostly between your ears. Situational awareness is everything. Double or triple retention is for cops who are required to chase down and get into it hand to hand with bad guys. At yours and my age we just aren't gonna go there and neither should any other OCer or CCer for that matter.

imported post

I love my Blackhawk Serpa. How do you guys carry that you would
not be comfortable with it?

imported post

I've found very few people who found the Blackhawk CQC serpa mounted on the paddle to be uncomfortable.

Personally I love mine, but then again I've never had a leather pancake holster and that does look very comfortable. But most of the time I can forget my serpa is even on.

imported post

okkid wrote:

I love my Blackhawk Serpa. How do you guys carry the you would
not be comfortable with it?

Click to expand...

I think a lot of this is in the individual. I like my CQC and am very comfortable with it. Among the things I like is that it is very smooth and quick to release, yet quite secure. Those of us who know the holster know the release mechanism. Remember that many thousands do not, and if they grab may give you a wedgie, but not get the gun, or access to the trigger.
Sitware is essential. I turn my back to a wall, display, or old folks in line. I will even turn my back to my wife while in line and talk over my shoulder. She knows why.
I can protect with a cart. There are any number of ways to limit access to the gun. It might be advantageous to practice a bit to assure yourself of its security.
Here I must say
UNLOADED
UNLOADED
UNLOADED
Even tho we all know it, it is never overkill to remind of safety.

To the OP, I prefer a retention holster to a friction only holster for OC in public places. I live in a rural area, and at one time we didn't even need to lock the doors. That has changed much, and I never know when some nut job may have designs on my sidearm. I have also rehearsed a grab, and all I can say is, someone is going to get quite a beatdown if they try. They'd better be fast and deadly, or I'm coming back very pissed off.

imported post

That is good advice Hammer.I assure you I have been well trained as well.I am going to look for a different holster set up next week .Going to Champion arms in Kent.My buddy just bought a Taurus mellinium and will be picking it up monday .He is like a little kid waiting for Christmas .(no cpl yet)They have a great indoor range and the courtesy and service I find has been beyond reproach.I do keep a round chambered however and with the particular weapon I carry it is practical.Lda trigger, Hammer is down not resting on the pin.In fact with the para companion they say not to hand cock.You guys are an awsome group and very helpful and all the advice is much appreciated.I forgot to mention earlier that when I was in starbucks this morning there is always the pervbial kid that chimes in."wow mom look at that guys cool gun"So everyone looks..Any suggestions on how to respond to that.I didn,t say anything and no one seemed to be paying attention.



This is with round chambered and ready to fire...Para companion LDA C7.45.I use wilson magazine 8+1

imported post

Those LDA's are a sweet gun. I fired a buddies and I really liked, just not a huge 1911 fan.

As far as holsters, I OC with a Serpa. I have had no comfort issues with it. My CC holster is a Comp-Tac MTAC, at about 4 o'clock. I do find that when I OCI am more comfortable moving the gun to 3:00 and tend to "guard" it with my arm.

As much as I hate to agree with Bear, situational awareness is key when OC. I am always aware of who is near and tend to keep my strong side away from people.

imported post

I will check out the holster suggestion when I do some shopping next week.I find I do the same, tend to keep my weapon at about 3 and strong side away from folks.Situational awarness is most effective I believe.

imported post

asforme wrote:

I've found very few people who found the Blackhawk CQC serpa mounted on the paddle to be uncomfortable.

Personally I love mine, but then again I've never had a leather pancake holster and that does look very comfortable. But most of the time I can forget my serpa is even on.

Click to expand...

Big +1.

I actually was about to go into Applebee's to eat dinner, was going to take my overshirt off while still in my car to OC into the restaurant, but thought "Oh, darn! Forgot to put on my carry gear." and was about to get out of my car when I hit my holster on my steering wheel, sat back down and realized that I couldn't feel it while sitting in my 1991 Honda Civic CRX Si. Now, those of you who are familiar with this vehicle will know that the seats have VERY generous bolsters and should make it uncomfortable to carry, much less forget I was carrying... but that's what happened.

I find that, with practice, the paddle comes off and on fairly easily. Without it, there's no way a gun-grabber is going to get it off my pants.

Plus, the mechanism is such that I've found that if you try to pull the pistol out and THEN hit the release, the firearm is not release. I tried this a few times with my Glock 27 (unloaded, of course) and never got it to come out. So, if they pull it up and then realize there's a mechanism, they have to release the pull force to get it to work, by which point you should've beat the living daylights out of them.

imported post

Well we were talking about this on another thread I posted a while back and it did seem everyone liked their Serpa. I bought one a week ago as I posted and tried it out. But I just could not get comfortable with how far it stuck out. I like to go back and forth between cc and oc . plus the Serpa was 2 inches longer than my Sigma 9v barrel. Some here gave me some other ideas but in the end I took the Sepra back to Sportsmans warehouse with the Sigma and spent 1 1/2 hours trying every holster they had.

I finally walked out the door with a Blackhawk Leather holster with thumb strap.

Belt Loop design. It was made for a Glock 9mm/40 cal but fits the sigma nicely. Plus it is a lower profile than the Serpa.

To each his own

imported post

It has already been said, retention is mostly attitude and between your ears. I have never heard of a civilian having his firearm snatched, and yes it happens to police, but when that occurs look at the situation he has put himself into, out of duty mind you.

All extremes can be met, don't carry it all, don't carry it loaded. Or just plain don't worry about it. How about when going into a line, conceal it, after all, that is one of the big advantages of concealed.

I carried in the open for 11 years in Arizona, I was skinnier then, a LOT skinnier, and often I would use cross-draw for that reason, ahhh, the snatch reason. But I also carried strong side, and always felt emensly more secure as long as I had a close high holster. Oh yeah, I did get snached, LOL, by a police officer who snuck up behind me while I was breaking into my own apartment that I had locked with the keys inside. But then my hands were way over my head, reaching inside a partially open window, so I don't recommend putting your hands and reaching for something on a high shelf, LMAO.

Personally, just carry a reasonably snug hoster thatis snug to your side as well as your around your gun. Add a little awareness and the odds of a snatch are extremely remote. After all, once the perp has it, he is an armed robber.

Oh, how about full flap hosters, some police departments mandated them, but anytime you increase security you also make it harder on yourself. Where do you think that leads? I'll tell ya, when you are insecure about your ability to get it out fast, you are more likely to fill your hands prematurely, or too late. When the time to draw occurs, you don't need any problems, there just isn't time.

Strictly just my opinion, but if it is secure enough that you can do a somersault or other upside down acrobatics you have it in tight enough. Oh and if they snatch it, attack hard and fast before they figure it out, you can punch harder.

imported post

911Boss wrote:

As far as holsters, I OC with a Serpa. I have had no comfort issues with it. My CC holster is a Comp-Tac MTAC, at about 4 o'clock. I do find that when I OCI am more comfortable moving the gun to 3:00 and tend to "guard" it with my arm.

Click to expand...

Exact same for me... OC serpa at 3:00. MTAC just a little further back.

imported post

The FBI cant of that (looks like a Galco) holster would make it difficult to snatch from behind, but easy to snatch if you were in a hand-to-hand situation. Reach in with left hand, withdraw gun upside down, pull trigger with ring finger.

Get some sort of retention, especially with a Galco holster that doesn't have a tension screw. Galco hosters seem OK at first, but get loose and sloppy pretty quickly.

IMHO, the 8-round mag ruins the appearance of the gun, and does little for you tactically. Many people have problems with the higer-cap magazines not feeding the last round reliably. I had wilson extended mags, and now they're in the drawer gathering dust.

imported post

With all the input on retention And being concernred about the holster I use(see above post) I had a buddy try to snatch the weapon from behind(of couse the weapon was cleared)Because of the snug fit and angle on the belt it was nearly impossible for him to remove the gun before I could react.Most of the time he could not get it out because of the forward cant.Gave memuch more confidence in my equipment.Will still check other options when I go shopping mon.But I do like the fit and concealbility of this one when CC.

imported post

I understand your view on the 8 rnd mag.I have put alot arounds through my pistol with these wilsons and have had no problems.Also a little off topic the grip saftey rattles could that be with the sear spring??

imported post

DEROS72 wrote:

I understand your view on the 8 rnd mag.I have put alot arounds through my pistol with these wilsons and have had no problems.

Click to expand...

It's still ugly on an otherwise beautiful 1911.:dude:
Carry the 8 rounders as backups but I'd keep a 7 rounder in there for OC.