Over the past 36 years I have collected a box of holsters that range from the well-crafted to the seriously flawed. The photo below is just a partial list of what I have. The best of the lot include Milt Sparks Summer Special and the Fobus paddle holsters for concealing my Kimber Ultra Carry II. The very worst of the lot has to be the ill-conceived Pager Pal.
The Pager Pal caught my eye at a gun show in Austin. There was a dealer at the table wearing one and he had a small crowd of gun enthusiasts enthralled with his demonstration of concealed magnificence. He wasn't a small man by any stretch of the imagination but man could he could whip that red play gun out.
In theory...you holster your gun, slide it down the front of your pants and clip the fake pager to your belt. Then, when the bad guys assault you, you grab that pager with your left hand and pull up and smoothly clear leather with your right. He did it one very quick move. I had to have one. So I get home to the wife who has a friend over to keep her company while I went into the bedroom to practice my lightning moves. Who could NOT be impressed with this. The first thing I noticed when I tucked that thing in my pants was the bulge that made me look like Al Gore's famous airbrushed "package" on the cover of a magazine during his failed run for the Whitehouse. It said "yes, I'm glad to see you" very loudly. I must admit that it felt just a little uncomfortable to have the muzzle of a 45auto pointed at my other package. Since I was practicing unloaded, I didnt fear for the moment. I spent good money on this thing. I wasn't about to let the prospect of shooting myself in groin dissuade me from quick-draw history.
Disregarding my better judgement, I walked into the livingroom to stand in front of my wife and her friend to give them the demonstration of a lifetime. They both noticed immediately that something was "up". I told them that it was my special conceal holster and not to worry. They laughed out loud. Not to be discouraged, I said, "Well watch this!" With one swift move that would have made the Flash feel like my mentor I grabbed the pager and yanked it straight up. The fake pager broke off of the leather with a snap and the gun slid down my jeans and lodged somewhere above the knee.
My dear sweet wife and her friend laughed so hard that I doubt they could have spoken their names for a full minute. So here I am with a gun lodged in my jeans. I had to take my pants off to get the gun out of there. I'm so glad I tested it in the safety of my home BEFORE taking it onto the streets. Best case scenario, the bad guys would laugh themselves to death. I took the Pager Pal back the next day and got a replacement (no refunds).
So...what did I settle on? The plastic Fobus holster. Now understand when tell you this that I believe holsters are a subjective thing. Not everybody is built the same. Some guys have no hips while others have more than their share. One size does not fit all. With that in mind, I'll tell you several reasons I like the Fobus-style holsters. They fit me securely. The gun comes out cleanly and quickly. The paddle design allows me to put it on in a matter of seconds. No buttons to snap, no arranging the holster till it's most comfortable. For me it just seems to slide into place. It's harder to take off, but that's a good thing. It conceals underneath an untucked shirt just as well as the Summer Special and is comfortable while seated. I have gone through hundreds of dollars worth of holsters over the years. I never thought I'd be settling for a piece of plastic. It's not sexy, but it has become a part of me. And there are some that would say that IS sexy. Pay them enough and they'll say anything.
The Pager Pal caught my eye at a gun show in Austin. There was a dealer at the table wearing one and he had a small crowd of gun enthusiasts enthralled with his demonstration of concealed magnificence. He wasn't a small man by any stretch of the imagination but man could he could whip that red play gun out.
In theory...you holster your gun, slide it down the front of your pants and clip the fake pager to your belt. Then, when the bad guys assault you, you grab that pager with your left hand and pull up and smoothly clear leather with your right. He did it one very quick move. I had to have one. So I get home to the wife who has a friend over to keep her company while I went into the bedroom to practice my lightning moves. Who could NOT be impressed with this. The first thing I noticed when I tucked that thing in my pants was the bulge that made me look like Al Gore's famous airbrushed "package" on the cover of a magazine during his failed run for the Whitehouse. It said "yes, I'm glad to see you" very loudly. I must admit that it felt just a little uncomfortable to have the muzzle of a 45auto pointed at my other package. Since I was practicing unloaded, I didnt fear for the moment. I spent good money on this thing. I wasn't about to let the prospect of shooting myself in groin dissuade me from quick-draw history.
Disregarding my better judgement, I walked into the livingroom to stand in front of my wife and her friend to give them the demonstration of a lifetime. They both noticed immediately that something was "up". I told them that it was my special conceal holster and not to worry. They laughed out loud. Not to be discouraged, I said, "Well watch this!" With one swift move that would have made the Flash feel like my mentor I grabbed the pager and yanked it straight up. The fake pager broke off of the leather with a snap and the gun slid down my jeans and lodged somewhere above the knee.
My dear sweet wife and her friend laughed so hard that I doubt they could have spoken their names for a full minute. So here I am with a gun lodged in my jeans. I had to take my pants off to get the gun out of there. I'm so glad I tested it in the safety of my home BEFORE taking it onto the streets. Best case scenario, the bad guys would laugh themselves to death. I took the Pager Pal back the next day and got a replacement (no refunds).
So...what did I settle on? The plastic Fobus holster. Now understand when tell you this that I believe holsters are a subjective thing. Not everybody is built the same. Some guys have no hips while others have more than their share. One size does not fit all. With that in mind, I'll tell you several reasons I like the Fobus-style holsters. They fit me securely. The gun comes out cleanly and quickly. The paddle design allows me to put it on in a matter of seconds. No buttons to snap, no arranging the holster till it's most comfortable. For me it just seems to slide into place. It's harder to take off, but that's a good thing. It conceals underneath an untucked shirt just as well as the Summer Special and is comfortable while seated. I have gone through hundreds of dollars worth of holsters over the years. I never thought I'd be settling for a piece of plastic. It's not sexy, but it has become a part of me. And there are some that would say that IS sexy. Pay them enough and they'll say anything.
