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Don’t Give Up on a Holster Until You Have Done Your Part

By on October 22, 2018 in EDC, Guns, Reviews

A reader recently emailed me looking for a recommendation on a holster. He was looking to replace a holster that wasn’t working for him. It was not a holster that I have personally used but it had many features common to kydex inside the waistband holsters and looked like a perfectly acceptable holster to me.

He was having problems with how the holster concealed and its stability on his belt. I struggled to come up with a recommendation for a new holster because any holster I could come up with had a similar feature set to the one he was trying to replace. We decided to try to a few things to correct the issues he was having with his current holster. Fortunately, that approach worked. All he really needed to do was make his belt loops smaller to match his belt.

Many modern holsters offer quite a bit of adjustment to the end user. “Adjustment” may not even be the right word because it sounds optional. You can think of it more as “fitting” because holsters are designed to work for a wide range of shooters and really need to be fit to the individual. Adjustments like ride height, cant, belt loop size, number of clips, and types of belt hardware all come to bear on how well a holster works for a particular shooter.

Like most great holsters, the Henry Holsters AIWB is even better when the loops are matched to belt size.

Belt Hardware Size

Open a new tab in your browser and head over to Instagram. Search “holster” and check out #holster. Now, look at the top ten holster pics with pull-the-dot style soft belt hardware in your feed. I’ll wait… When I did this, none of the 10 pictures showed any evidence of the belt straps having been trimmed to fit a belt. Either there are a lot of people using IWB kydex holsters on 1.75-2″ wide belts (doubtful considering many belt loops won’t even fit belts that wide) or most people just never take the time to trim their belt loops to fit their 1.25″ and 1.5″ belts.

Matching your belt hardware size to the size of your belt is like an instant upgrade for a holster. It should probably be the first thing your do when you receive a new holster because it has tremendous influence on several attributes of the holster and other adjustments. It improves the stability of the holster on the belt reducing wobble, tilt, and sliding. It ensures that the kydex releases the handgun properly. It helps make devices like struts/claws work consistently to turn the butt of the handgun in toward the wearer.

You may have to either purchase new belt hardware or resize your current belt hardware to make this happen. If you do replace/adjust your belt hardware, check to make sure that things like claws/struts are still engaging your belt effectively as sometimes reducing belt loop size effectively raises the ride height. You may need to lower your ride height slightly to accommodate the change. If you are adjusting the size of the common black coated nylon soft loops, consider trimming the excess loop off once you have tested your adjustment so the ends don’t interfere with establishing a full firing grip.

Tension

I tend to prefer quality holsters WITHOUT adjustable retention but if my holster has a retention adjustment screw, I make sure to tune it to the tension I prefer. Basically, I tighten the adjustment until I can hold the holster upside-down and give a shake without the handgun falling out. FOLLOW SAFETY RULES WHEN YOU DO THIS!

Some tension adjustment screws tend to back out slightly over time so you may want to add a little thread locking compound to the screw. I have also had a few holsters that tend to lose a little tension with wear so you may want to check your tension periodically.

Ride Height

Ride height can and should be tailored to the wearer and the application for the specific holster. Some may find that they need to lower the ride height on IWB or AIWB holsters to prevent the gun from tilting outward away from the body. I usually set my inside the waist band holsters to sit as low as will still allow a full firing grip to be established directly out of the holster. Some people with higher belt lines may find that extreme high ride holsters are uncomfortable to wear as the gun rides most of the way up their torso. Some OWB holsters will lay tighter against the body simply by tuning the ride height.

Cant

The cant of a holster is typically a preference but it can be an important adjustment for some shooters depending on size and the position of the holster on their body. Adding a bit of cant might make a larger gun easier to conceal for a shooter of smaller stature or make the draw stroke easier to deal with for a holster that is located slightly behind the hip.

The Bravo Concealment DOS holsters can be used with 1 or 2 clips depending on user preference.

Number of Clips

Some holsters can be used with either 1 or 2 belt clips. The performance will vary greatly based on this choice. Typically, shooters will find that the holster is perhaps more comfortable with one clip but more stable and concealable with 2 clips though this varies by holster and body type.

If you are going to try to remove a belt clip, make sure your holster is designed to work this way and that you are leaving the correct belt loop installed. Typically, you will want to leave the one located most centrally on the holster.

Type of Clip

If you have a holster that slips off your belt instead of releasing the handgun during the drawstroke, you definitely want to see if you can find new belt hardware. In most cases, you are not limited to the clips provided by the holster maker. Find something that works for you and your belt.

Other Adjustments and Considerations

There are, of course, other adjustments that I haven’t covered here. There are less common adjustments like adjustable claws/struts or items like removable ramps/pads that will have bearing on how aggressively the handgun is turned in toward the wearer. You may also be able to improve your initial grip by trimming a little material off a sweat guard. In some cases, you may even need to remold a kydex holster slightly to better accommodate something like an aftermarket part.

Don’t over look your belt either. Some holsters need belts with certain attributes in order to really shine. Almost every holster on the market will benefit from being worn on a good quality gun belt (click HERE to determine if a belt is stiff enough). Consider belt tension as well. Many AIWB carriers have learned that tighter isn’t always better when it comes to belt tension.

Do Your Part!

Every shooter has that holster box in the corner. You know the one. It’s full of holsters that didn’t work, that were worn out, or that were outgrown as you learned more about what worked for you. If you spend much time shooting, the holster box is unavoidable. However, you can avoid filling the holster box needlessly and prematurely if you take the time to tune your holsters. There’s a good chance that the holster you are using right now could conceal better, be more comfortable, and perform better in general. If you do nothing else, at least match your belt hardware to your belt size (and then post a pic to Instagram so we can fix that mess).

Before you toss another holster in the holster box for poor performance, make sure you have done your part in tuning the holster.

Review: PHLster Spotlight Holster for Glock 43 with TLR-6

By on September 4, 2018 in EDC, Guns, Reviews

Before I start talking about the PHLster Spotlight Holster for the Glock 43 with TLR-6, I need to give you some context. I’ve been carrying a Glock 43 with TLR-6 for a little more than 2 years. The TLR-6 adds significant capability to the G43 but it has one downside that had me so frustrated, I nearly got rid of it. It installs by wrapping around the G43’s trigger guard and it has a very rounded shape. Kydex holsters typically retain the handgun via a molded detent on the trigger guard or weapon light, both of which are difficult thanks to the shape and location of the TLR-6.

During the previous two years, I have purchased two different holsters from well established makers and tried several others. They just didn’t have acceptable retention. The last holster I was using was able to be tightened to the point that it had barely acceptable retention but only when the adjustable retention was completely maxed out. Unfortunately, repeated drawstrokes during training eventually loosened the holster to the point that the G43 will fall out under its own weight.

I was ready to give up on the TLR-6 and I would have… if PHLster didn’t release their Spotlight Holster just in time.

Overview

The PHLster Spotlight Holster was designed in conjunction with Henry Holsters. It is a kydex AIWB holster with a fold-over design and adjustable retention. It features dual soft loops that are adjustable for ride height and belt width (2″ to 1.5″ belts).

The Spotlight has two features that help turn the handgun grip in toward the user. The first is a tear-drop shaped ramp that is molded into the back of the holster. The second is Henry Holsters ModWing-L strut that comes with two different height pads to adjust how aggressively the handgun grip is turned into the wearer.

The holster is cut to accept slide mounted dot sights and extended to fully cover most barrel mounted compensators.

Observations from Use

I purchased this holster with just one hope – that PHLster and Henry Holsters would have worked out how to provide acceptable retention on the TLR-6. They did. It is not quite as crisp as my other holsters from PHLster and Henry Holsters but it can’t be due to the shape of the TLR-6. However, it does offer a more than acceptable level of retention and is far better than any other holster I have tried for this combination. The gun and light do drop into the holster with a pronounced “click”, there is MORE than enough retention, and PLENTY of tension adjustment left. That alone makes this holster important for those who are trying to make the G43/TLR-6 combination work.

The Spotlight Holster has a full sweat shield but it shaped such that it does not interfere with the drawstroke. Even with the holster set to ride as low as the adjustment allows, it is easy to establish a full grip.

This holster conceals extremely well. The molded in ramp and ModWing-L strut do an excellent job of turning in the grip. The extra length that PHLster adds to accommodate a compensator plays a big role in concealment. The little bit of extra length helps anchor the holster below the belt so it less likely to rotate out at the belt line and it provides additional leverage for the ramp. This holster conceals better than any of the other holsters I have tried for this particular gun and light combination.

I find the Spotlight Holster to be very comfortable. I think there is a misconception about ramped holsters with those who may not have tried one that the ramp itself may create a hotspot. I find the opposite to be true. The ramp is very rounded and has a tear drop shape. This creates a large area of contact with the wearer and prevents the hot spots that you get from some AIWB holsters without ramps that end up pressing the bottom corners of the holster into your body.

The shooter should plan on spending some time adjusting the Spotlight Holster to fit their particular needs when they first receive it. There are some very thoughtful adjustments built in. There are two ride height settings for the soft loops which will also have some bearing on how the ModWing-L works. The soft loops should be cut to fit your belt width as this great increases stability. Finally, you should spend some time experimenting with the ModWing-L and its different height pads. If you plan on using the Spotlight Holster somewhere other than the AIWB position, you may want to remove the ModWing-L altogether.

The fit and finish of this holster are excellent. The mold lines are clean, crisp, and the blocking is generous, all of which contribute to a clean draw stroke. Care has been taken to finish the edges and the sight track is straight as an arrow.

Wrap Up

I haven’t tried every available holster for the Glock 43 with TLR-6 but I have tried a lot of them. The Spotlight Holster is better than any of the holsters I have used by a country mile. It isn’t even close. The combination of the extra length, the well-designed ramp, the ModWing-L, and PHLster’s insistence on getting the retention right make this holster worth your consideration.

PHLsterHolsters.com

The EDC Tool Roll: VIM Tools HBR3 Bit Ratchet

By on August 30, 2018 in Reviews, The EDC Tool Roll

The EDC Tool Roll is a feature on Jerking the Trigger in which we profile various every day carry worthy tools. The tools shown aren’t multi-tools but rather real tools, that by virtue of their compact size, light weight, usefulness, or unique functionality, can find a place in any range kit, emergency kit, or every day carry bag.

Feel free to comment on the tools that you carry so we can all learn! The discussion on these posts has been very valuable so far.

The VIM Tools HBR5 Bit Ratchet is one of my all time favorite tools and that made the VIM Tools HBR3 just a little too tempting to try. I bought one last month and have been using it since. At first glance, the HBR3 and HBR5 are very similar tools but there are some differences.

The HBR3 is about 3.5″ long which is about 1″ shorter than the HBR5. It is smaller in almost every dimension which makes it considerably more compact and lightweight. The HBR5 features a ratchet at each end (see the HBR5 review for more details) but the HBR3 has a ratchet end and a box end both of which accept standard 1/4″ shank bits. The smaller size and the box end is what really sets the HBR3 apart from the HBR5.

The compact size and excellent quality is what has endeared the HBR5 to me. The HBR3 is even more compact and just as well made.

The HBR3’s box end has proven to be very handy. It is extremely compact, barely adding any length to the bit itself, which allows it to get into very tight spaces – like behind a door knob to tighten the screws holding it to a door. It also allows you to apply a lot of torque without fear of breaking your ratcheting mechanism.

HBR3 (top) with HBR5 (bottom)

The ratcheting end has a quick disk/speed wheel that makes it easy to start fasteners even when they don’t have enough friction to start using the ratcheting mechanism. It is reversible and has a small lever to change directions. VIM Tools claims that their ratcheting heads are the smallest in the industry and I believe it having used several competing tools.

The HBR3 seems to be intended to use as a bit driver predominantly. It does not come with provisions to be used with sockets but the adapters to accomplish this are easy to find. I recommend picking one up as I find it to be very handy. This is a great socket wrench for tight spaces. I also recommend adding a bit extension if you plan on using this in your range bag so that you can access things like AR-15 grip screws.

Where to Buy:

I have never seen VIM Tools anywhere but online. I purchased my HBR3 at Amazon: VIM Tools HBR3 Bit Ratchet at Amazon

Alternatives from Previous Reviews:

Drivers:

Victorinox Swisstool Plus Replacement Wrench

Wera Kraftform Kompakt 10

Engineer DR-07 Twin Wrench Driver

Tekton 14-in-1 Offset Screwdriver (2945)

Replaceable Edition Fix It Sticks

Doc Allen’s VersaTool

Wera Kraftform Kompact 25

Ratchets:

VIM Tools HBR5

GearWrench MicroDrive Set

Chapman MFG Midget

See all the reviews for previous tools: The EDC Tool Roll

Do you have bot ratchet that you prefer or another tool recommendation that fits The EDC Tool Roll? Tell us about it in the comments below or drop us a line on the Contact page.

The above URLs may be affiliate links.

Review: Gearward HemiSERE Titanium Lapel Knife

By on August 8, 2018 in EDC, Knives, Reviews

Gearward’s HemiSERE Titanium Lapel Knife is a throwback to the OSS Lapel Knife… at least in terms of function and intended use. It is thoroughly modern in material, a titanium-ceramic composite, which makes it feather light and gives it aggressive cutting properties. This knife is designed to be immanently concealable. Its size and the materials chosen for its construction are in keeping with that design goal.

Overview

The HemiSERE is a diminutive 3.375″ in overall length. It is ground from 0.05″ thick non-ferrous titanium/ceramic composite material that is most commonly found in high end kitchen knives. That small size, wafer-thinness, and material mean that this little knife weighs in at just 4 grams.

The wharncliffe blade shape is chisel ground. It has a full height flat primary grind with a secondary bevel on only one side. The tip is very slightly ground off, sort of like a micro reverse tanto, to render a still very acute but slightly stronger tip.

It ships already stuck to dummy credit card and with 12 3M Glue Dots.

Observations from Use

I’ll start first by saying this knife is VERY small and that means that the handle design has to be on point or it just won’t work. Fortunately, Gearward did their homework. The handle has a bead blast finish and a deeply dished choil that locks the knife into the users hand. Without the choil, this knife would probably be nearly impossible to use and retain. Handle design is exceedingly important on knives this small and thin.

The HemiSERE is so light and concealable that it can be stuck just about anywhere with the included (and easily replaceable) Glue Dots. Gearward shows the HemiSERE stuck, without a sheath, under the collar of a shirt which caused a bit of an uproar when the knife was announced here on JTT. I tested this and found that it actually seems safer than you might think with a stiff collared dress shirt and the edge turned down but I likely would not carry it that way. This knife was designed by a world traveler for world travelers… and I don’t mean Sandals resort. If you are already the type of person who is taking risks with the places you travel, under collar carry might make more sense.

The carry methods are only limited by your imagination. It can be stuck inside a phone case, inside your wallet, on a credit card (replace the dummy with a real card that you don’t use anymore), in an out of the way place inside a bag or briefcase, inside an Altoids tin, or anywhere else you can safely carry a razor sharp knife. Your carry options could be expanded if you fashion some kind of a small sheath for it. My favorite way to carry it is on the back of a credit card though that might not be the most accessible in an emergency.

There are a number of thoughtful touches in this knife, many of which I think are unique to the HemiSERE. I have already mentioned the well designed handle and bead-blasted finish that promotes grip. The material itself is interesting. The titanium/ceramic composite is extremely lightweight. It cuts better than titanium alone and is more durable than ceramic alone while retaining the non-ferrous, lightweight properties of both which are desirable for a knife like this. Gearward grinds the tip off very slightly. It still penetrates quite well but the needle like point that would likely break off anyway is gone. Finally, the choice of a wharncliffe blade shape puts the point forward and gives plenty of straight cutting edge to lever through cuts.

Speaking of cuts, this is an aggressive cutter… I mean very aggressive. It cuts like a paring knife! It is wafer thin which helps and comes sharp with a somewhat toothy edge. It bites deeply into soft materials, slicing cleanly thanks to the full height flat grind. Sharpening is a little tricky but not impossible – definitely easier than sharpening all ceramic blades.

I would like to see Gearward make a small, non-metallic sheath available for this knife. I would pay extra for some kind of minimalist blade cover just to have some expanded carry options.

Wrap Up

Gearward went all in on concealment with this knife and it shows. It is purpose built. The design, the material, even the philosophy of use baked in with the included credit card and glue dots speak to the extent to which this knife is to be concealed. This knife is meant to disappear and it does so readily.

HemiSERE on Gearward.com

Review: Speedbox Endurance-40

By on July 23, 2018 in Preparedness, Reviews, Survival, Tactical Gear

Speedbox is known for their “modular container systems for palletized cargo” which is a fancy way of saying they make rugged cases that stack together easily and are sized perfectly for various pallets in use by the military and other groups. The palletization features are very cool and very useful for some people… but not me. I have no military background and no need to palletize gear but a rugged, water resistant box that I can roll pretty much anywhere? Well, that I can use.

Speedbox Endurance-40 in FDE

Overview

The Speedbox Endurance-40 is the second similar product from Speedbox (the first being the larger Voyager-70). It is a 40 gallon capacity container (33.40”L x 19.95”W x 26.00”D) with a footprint that is sized to maximize the capacity of the ISU 90 and 463-L pallets. It has features that allow it to be locked together with adjacent Endurance-40s and to be stacked on other Endurance-40s.

It features durable rotomolded polymer construction with steel and aluminum parts. The interior of the case is sprayed with a textured liner used in marine applications. It has both a drain plug and breather vent to help equalize the interior atmosphere with the exterior.

The lid is secured with rubber cam locks that serve to compress a large gasket that keeps the Endurance-40 water-tight. The hinge for the lid is beefy and pivots on a solid rod.

The Endurance-40 rolls on large, no-flat tires that are mounted on a 5/8″ thick through axle. It can be rolled on those wheels with it’s “Never-Fail Handle System” that is constructed with solid aluminum square stock with steel reinforcement plates.

Who Might Want One

I am not the original military market for the Endurance-40 but it is versatile enough and unique enough to have broad crossover appeal to anyone who spends time outdoors. Gear and the outdoors go hand in hand so having a way to haul that gear is handy.

I have used the Endurance-40 to cart my family’s gear down to our favorite swimming hole. That involves a quarter mile hike on the trails on our property to get to a creek that is dominated by glacial granite boulders of various sizes. It takes everything we need in one trip and rolls over everything along the way.

I’ve used it to access shooting spots on public land where there are no sidewalks. It can hold multiple Defense Targets RSTs (think B-C sized silhouettes), short 2×4 target uprights, my shooting bag, lunch, and still have room to spare. Best of all, I can throw my rifle bag over my shoulder and get everything from my truck to the shooting line in one trip. Once I arrive, it makes a decent shooting table.

Ivan at KitBadger.com shared with me that his gear often had to be palletized when he was serving as a security contractor. He thought something like this would offer a lot of peace of mind for someone who’s gear was sitting out on a hot or rainy tarmac for hours at a time.

It could provide rolling, semi-secure storage for a hunting camp. It could store extra gear at a camp site or vacation spot. It could be used to pack for a carbine course. A firearm instructor could keep all their course supplies packed and ready to roll. You can even use it as a cooler in a pinch!

If you need to carry a lot of gear into a rugged place, you can probably put something like this to use.

Observations from Use

Is it possible to fall in love with tires? Because, I think I am in love with these tires. There are other wheeled boxes out in the marketplace but they are usually geared more toward photography equipment or tools and their wheels range from tiny rollerblade wheels to hard plastic wheels that look like they came off of push-mower. The Endurance-40’s wheels are one of the keys to its usefulness and what sets it apart. This thing is purpose-built to go to rough places. I have rolled the Endurance-40 on interior surfaces, gravel driveways, sidewalks, hiking trails, glacial granite rock, and grassy fields. It rolls over all them with varying degrees of effort. I am not talking about dragging the case. It actually rolls.

40 gallons of internal capacity can hold a lot of stuff! I fit 3 steel targets including their uprights and stands along with a large range bag, a lunch bag, 2 water bottles, a belt rig, and still had room left! I can fit my full overnight hiking pack into it with about 2/3rds of the interior space to spare.

A word to those who plan to carry this in a pickup truck. It is a BIG case and it may not fit under a bed cover upright. I just lay mine on its side in my F-150.

Shown: Handle, Valve, and Plug

I appreciate the build quality of this Endurance-40. When you look at it, you initially see a lot of polymer. When you really start paying attention, there are some absolutely over-built design details. The wheels ride on a 5/8″ solid axle and the area between the wheels has been angled so that when you lift the front to roll the case, additional ground-clearance is created. The handle is built extremely well from solid aluminum square stock and reinforced with steel plates so that there is never metal bearing on polymer under load.

Steel Reinforced Handle Interface

The handle is not only solid but comfortable to use. The handle itself is large enough to grip comfortably and spins freely so that you never have to reposition your hand as the angle of the Endurance-40 changes when lifting or rolling over uneven terrain. I do wish there was some way of securing the handle when it wasn’t in use like a friction lock or something along those lines. It hangs freely and can stick out when the Speedbox is tilted.

I think Speedbox may have also missed some opportunities for internal organization with the Endurance-40. If there were something like like molded in ledges that could hold a tray used to organize cargo or maybe molded slots that accepted partitions, that could be useful. The military market might not have need for an internal trays or partitions but the guy who buys this for personal use might and he would likely pay extra for the parts!

The Endurance-40’s gasket is huge.

Testing

I tried to come up with some tests that would simulate the kinds of rough treatment a box like this might experience in regular use. I wanted to see if the Speedbox was up to transporting and protecting gear in a variety of conditions.

The most important test in my estimation was loading it heavily and rolling it on very uneven surfaces. The best test of this was likely my shooting loadout. It was well over 150 pounds with 3 steel targets (nearly 40 pounds each), loaded magazines, spare ammo, and everything else I need on the range. It was rolled over completely unimproved footpaths, dirt road, and rocky hillside with no signs of damage to the axle or where the axle interfaces with polymer body. It has also been rolled for more than a mile hiking trails and small glacial boulder fields (golf ball up to basketball size round stone) on its way too and from our creek with zero detectable change in the wheels or axle.

The Enurance-40 lodged on the rocks during testing.

Speaking of the creek… The most fun testing that we completed was the float test. I sealed the empty Endurance-40 and let it roll down the same 50 yard section of the creek twice. At the end of the second float, it lodged on some rocks were it stuck with the full force of the creek behind it. This isn’t a dive case and getting stuck on the rocks with the pressure of a creek behind it is probably beyond what Speedbox intended but the gasket did its job. There was no water in the case though a few drops did force their way just under the gasket.

Finally, I pushed the Endurance-40 off the tailgate of my truck (which has a 3″ lift) 4 times. I did it twice empty and twice with a load of firewood in it. The LZ was my gravel driveway. Ouch! The box took some gouging, especially when full, but the lid remained sealed, the cam buckles didn’t break, the hinge is fine, and its integrity is completely intact.

I am impressed.

Price

I rarely comment on price in reviews, preferring instead to let you make your own judgement on value. I am going to comment on price here because these boxes are not cheap but I believe the price should not be a surprise.

I’ll draw a few comparison to illustrate what I mean. Any and all high-end rugged, water-proof, rolling, polymer gear cases (usually geared toward firearm transport or camera equipment) are relatively expensive. You can also price similarly sized rotomolded items like high end coolers as a benchmark. The Endurance-40 is sort an amalgamation of both of those with other features thrown in like large rubber tires and an over-built handle. The Endurance-40 also happens to be larger than most high end cases.

Rocky hills? No problem.

Wrap Up

If you have seen Speedbox’s offerings online before and passed right by thinking they weren’t for you because you don’t need to palletize gear, you are missing out. I like to think I put the Endurance-40 through some realistic testing (maybe even some testing beyond realistic) and it proved to be extremely durable. It has a combination of features that make it useful in lot of situations.

I don’t know of another storage container that do what Speedbox does and, more importantly for me, go where Speedbox goes.

Speedbox.us

Disclosure: The Endurance-40 was sent to me by Speedbox free of charge for the purposes of writing a review.

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