Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Another link I feel like posting this afternoon -
Cunningham Custom Leather
Of course, if you dearest reader are actually reading, you should suspect that "Leather" refers to gun leather. If you suspect that you would be quite right, it does refer to gun-leather (not just holsters, belts, ammo carriers too).
The interesting thing here is, they are made by a woman, for women.

I think this is wonderful. Too many times I see women who want to carry a handgun (and what woman shouldnt! I know plenty dont, of course, but firmly believe if all women were armed and ready to use it, rape would be a historical footnote within a few months) end up completely unsatisfied by commonly available holsters, which are generally great for the male frame/physique, and uncomfortable, unconcealable and simply a pain in the ass for the female.
This ends up with women chosing far less practical (and possibly dangerous) methods of carry such as purse holsters. Purse holsters are, on the outside, a decent idea, but when you actually consider the nature of the carry its not hard to see why they are, simply, awful. The purse is one of those things that is either immediately grabbed or dropped in a sudden violent attack (and what attackers announces from across the street "Bitch, better get out yo pistol, I'm gonna come over there and rape yo fine ass!" - not a single one. It will be a sudden violent surprise attack). The purse provides a drag handle to jerk you around with, and is very easy to grab and tug on. This will either break the strap, giving the purse to the attacker, or force you to choose between being a puppet on a string or letting it go to maintain solid footing and upright position. Either way, you just lost your gun. Maybe it gets dropped and the attack continues, maybe it was a purse snatcher and he runs off with it, maybe he rifles the purse, finds the gun and lays smoke on you with it. Lose fucking lose any way you cut it.
Guns should be carried on body - like knives, like mace, like any weapon. Specialty carries have their place, for specialty situations, but day in and day out, guns, knives, your first line primary/secondary weapons should be carried ON BODY.
Holsters for a woman, by a woman, should be understanding of womens needs for carry better than anything else. We all know that us men dont understand women, why should women go to men to get holsters? Exactly.

Reading around the site I also see a great deal of wisdom - for example the comment that the most important part of the holster is the belt.
Without a quality belt, which will hold firm and comfortably, without shifting or breaking in-fight or during the draw, the best holster in the world is, maybe not useless, but seriously detrimented.
Reliable tool-access depends on the tool (gun, knife, whatever) being where you expect it to be, when you need it to be. It needs to be in the same place on the range, in the same place when you practice your draw-stroke in the mirror, in the same place when you put a blue-gun in your holster and go roll around on padded mats training In-Fight weapon access, and it needs to be in that exact same place when you shove your thumb in an attackers eye, post him hard against a wall and then reach for your weapon. A good holster is half of this equation... but without a belt (the other half) it isnt half enough!

Check out the site - www.womensholsters.com - its worth it.

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