Jcabin

Do yourself and the movement a favor and grab a retention holster before you start OC'ing. Also a good idea is receiving professional training on the topic of retention.

kentuckycarry

I use leather holsters at times when I OC. Both IWB holsters and belt holsters.
I prefer to use a Comp-Tac paddle holster when I OC. I set the retention on it pretty tight so I have to give it a firm yank to draw.
Never thought I'd like a paddle holster, but it carrys the weight much better than a belt holster. I can carry a 5 inch tactical and forget I have it on.

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TN_Mike

I carry in a Blackhawk serpa. That's OC or CC. I use the same holster for either to keep the same draw motion no matter my mode of carry.

I always try to keep people 3 of 4 feet away from me but realistically in public that is difficult to do.

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chiefjason

I OC a G19 in a SERPA paddle holster. That thing is fast on the draw with a little practice. It's lightyears better than the thumb break strap holster I was using.

I'll preface this by saying I have seen one instance where a civilian was disarmed. Wish I could find the story again. Lots of mistakes made though. My point is that I was in an accident a few weeks ago. When the State Trooper arrived I asked if he wanted me to put my OC in the truck. He took 3 steps and disarmed me in a matter of seconds. I'm sure they practice, and if he was not a LEO I would have fought back. My point is that for someone who knew what they were doing it could happen quickly. It's not a big worry of mine, but worth mentioning.

I tend to keep my forearm in contact with my handgun. I try to position my handgun away from folks I do not know. I'll use shelves, carts or anything else to separate my handgun from a crowd. But definitely get some type of retention holster before OC'ing. And keep your SA up when in a crowd.

kellyII

SERPA, thats a good start, then if you can take a course on weapon retention tactics,

I have a pretty good SA, and to this day if someone is walking or coming up behind me, I will stop move out of the way and let them pass. I know back in the states this is gonna be a transition that will require some work.

But I just dont like people behind me or people that I cant keep my eyes on..

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Jblack44

When I OC I tend to favor a 3 o' clock position with a forward cant. This keeps it away from the hip bone and the draw is forward motion in front of me. Would be very hard if not almost impossible to be drawn from behind me. Also as stated above the SA is elevated and the forearm is always just above the grip.

dirtysanchez

I use the SERPA paddle while I OC as well.

I have been looking for a leather belt holster without a snap-type thumb break-just don't like them, cheesy looking.

Do any of you have any experience with the Desantis Chek-Mate? It has a thumb release lever of some sort but the photos on their website do not show how this thing works.

While the SERPA is nice, it does hold my weapon away from my body quite a bit which I have learned to deal with. I'd like a level II leather belt holster which holds the weapon a bit closer to my side.

Any other suggestions?

Dirty

JD

I used to think that only a more beefy retention holster would do...

Until I was willfully disarmed by a LEO while carrying in my Galco Avenger, the officer could hardly get the gun out while I was complying, had it been a grab I could have had the guy for breakfast.

So, while an active retention holster isn't a bad idea, I would go so far as to say that it's not a requirement either. The Galco Avenger is an open top design with tension screw adjustment, however the draw needs to be vertical from directly above the gun, any grab from the front, side, or rear and that gun won't budge.

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NoNameMan

I like to use the SERPA too. It has a lot going for it and it doesn't cost much. I use the belt slot and not the paddle because with the paddle I couldn't remove it with my pants on. With that said I also wouldn't hesitate to use an open top leather holster for OC. I'm in the market for a good one for a 4'' 1911 that I can carry cross-draw at 9-10 o'clock. Any suggestions? That Galco Avenger JD spoke of may fit the bill. Never cared much for thumb breaks.

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dukalmighty

unload your gun and have a friend try to get the gun out of your holster while you practice retention skills and ways to offensively strike with your elbow or palm to his face,while moving away

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