Recent and unfortunate events have shown how police contacts can suddenly change from a normal conversational contact to a life-and-death struggle. These events have also served as a reminder of how important wearing a quality security holster can be.
- RELATED STORY: 9 Top Retention Holsters For Law Enforcement
While any security holster can be defeated by an assailant given enough time, a proper security holster will, at a minimum, allow the officer to realize that an attempt is being made to take their handgun, and allow them time to enact the appropriate countermeasures. Having retained control of my duty handgun during two such situations while I worked as a full-time law enforcement officer reinforced the value of using security holsters.
Security holsters are categorized by different levels of retention: I, II, III and IV. Originally, the retention number meant the number of motions that needed to be taken before the handgun could clear the holster. This number could include various combinations of releasing a number of catches and/or moving or twisting the gun in a particular direction as part of the draw. This is not always the case today, however, so as you look at potential security holsters for duty wear, make sure you understand the definitive terminology used by individual manufacturers. Unlike body armor, there is no standardization of security levels. Here are some of the best security duty holsters available for 2015.
For more information on the holsters listed in the gallery above, please visit the following websites:
- 5.11 Tactical ThumbDrive: 511tactical.com or call 866-451-1726
- Bianchi Model 7120 Defender: safariland.com or call 800-347-1200
- BlackHawk EPOCH Level III: blackhawk.com or call 800-379-1732
- BlackHawk SERPA Level III Auto Lock: blackhawk.com or call 800-379-1732
- DeSantis Stryker: desantisholster.com or call 800-424-1236
- DeSantis Pro-Enterprise: desantisholster.com or call 800-424-1236
- Galco M6X: galcogunleather.com or call 800-874-2526
- Gould & Goodrich B720A Astro: gouldusa.com or call 800-277-0732
- Gould & Goodrich K391: gouldusa.com or call 800-277-0732
- Hogue ARS Stage 2: hogueinc.com or call 800-438-4747
- Safariland Model 070 SSIII: safariland.com or call 800-347-1200
- Safariland Model 6360 ALS/SLS: safariland.com or call 800-347-1200
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