Torture Testing (Holsters) - Arma Training

7/28/2019 Torture Testing (Holsters) - Arma Training

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11holsters are not created equal. You holster and belt combo can make your day a miseryknow that. You also know that differ- and, in certain extreme cases, endangeryour life.en t types of holsters are designed to It's important that you have the right holster for thebe used for different police applica- job and that you trainwith it to gain skillsthat youwill

I Ltions. But what you may not know is need when things gobad on the street. Drawing andhow to evaluate holsters for quality,fit, retention, and reholsteringshouldbe second nature to you kom a va-general function. riety of positions and with eithe~and. You shouldalsoEverycop shouldknowhowto evaluate a holster.This take care to ensure that the gear on your belt does notis true whether your agency lets you buy your holster interferewith your ability to access your duty pistolfrom an approved listusingyour personal equipmental- under stress. (See "The Tragedy of Officer Molly Bow-lowance or it simply issues one. And it's especiallytrue if den" on page 44.)you are involved in making the decision aboutwhich Officers have been wounded or even killed becauseholsteryour agencywill issue to its officers. of improper,poorly designed holsters,and their own

No officerwho has spent time on the streetworking lack of familiaritywith their holsters.About the worstin full duty gear will questionwhy the greatestof care thing that can happen to you in a gunfight is to haveshould be taken in choosing a holster.A good holster troubledrawingyour gun.and belt combo can increase vour effectiveness and The successful deployment of gear hinges on

A bad three actions: choosing the right equipment for thepolicemag.comJune 2005

minimize38 POLICE

Dave Young and Gary T. Klugiewicz

that gear.

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to other types of holsters.SelectionProtocols

Holsters are no different than ty,and security.any other piece of equipment.There is not one right kind of hol- Evaluation Protocolster fi 11officers.A holster must There are a lot of ways to evaluate a

holster. The followingis a detailedexplanation of our method. If youare evaluating holsters for anagency, the manufacturers willgladlyprovide you with their prod-ucts fortesting. Ifyou're an individ-When testing a retention holster, ual officer who is thinking ofpu t i t on and have one of your switchingholsters, about the onlybuddies try to take a replica of way to make this evaluation is byyour gun. (Above) One of the

most neglected holster tests is the Warning:To prevent acadentalcross-draw. (Right) Your survivalmay someday depend on yourability to draw your weaponwhile seated in your car.han the non-functional plasti

to know how to evalu-ate i t and how to trai

job, proper supervision of officers fit the duty assignment of the officer firearmsfor this testing. With pull tests,using that gear, and training so that wearing it. For example, different hol- the "hardness"of the irearmneeds to beofficers gain familiarity with the gear. sters may be needed for the patrol offi- ascloseto the real thing aspossible.If you skip any of these steps or cut cer, the plainclothes detective, the bikethem short, then you compromise of- officer, the court officer, the tactical op- RetentionTestingficer and public safety. erator, and the list goes on and on. TreePull TestSecure the holster on a

As veteran officers and police trainers, There is no one specific style of holster duty belt; then strap the duty beltwelveput a lot of thought into develop- that fits all functions. around a tree. Now standat differentan-ing an efficientprotocol forthe selection On some agenciesthat issue holsters gles to the tree to simulate a rear, side,of holsters. We've also created training to their officers,the gear is selectedby ad- and front pull. Use two hands and makeprogramsthatwillhelp officerstransition ministrative protocol. This selection is three jerk and pulls foran averageof oneto a new holster. And we've worked with primarily based on price, appearance, second each.law enforcement managers and execu- and estimated service life. This means This is an excellentsimulationof some-tives, teadung them how to perform on- that holster selection is made by the fis- onetrying o disarm you. So obviouslyre-going reviews and evaluations of their cal management/accounting depart- tention is one of the criticalconcernsthatagencies' existing duty gear. ments, not the end user. Often the eval- you areevaluatingwith this test.

So let's take a look at our evaluation uation process consists of nothing more But there's more to it than that. It'sprotocol and discuss ways to improve than reviewing the manufacturers' and great to have a holster that can prevent

,

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Holster RoundupELThere are plenty of holstersto choose from today. A multitude of new materials and retentiontechnologies have a ,,lot to offer, if only you can decidewhich ones you want. Each holster has a different feel, a different fit, a different level ?of retention, and might requirea different type of draw. Here's a selection of productsto serve as a starting point in se- 7

lectingyour next holster.Bianchi International A wrap-aroundthumb-break lap

DutyLok from Bianchi S a 1tenance multi-retentionhotster. The Cmle Rsmkr !ServiceNo.318DutyLok usesthe company's Auto Re-tention concept. ~ u t oetention n- Don Hume Leathergoods @?$stantly locks a gun into place as it's Utilizinga pancake-styledesign, Donholstered. Hume's Agent 711concealmenthokter

Bianchi's KnuckleBreakthumbsnap providesa comfortablefit by permittingmakesthe hokter moresecure and al- the detailedmolding o cp totk frontlows for aom-stepdrawing motion. side, keepingthe back flat.FingerLok providesspeedandsecurity Compactsize makesthis holster w l l -for quick middlefinger release of the suited to conceal~nt.t also featuresafirearm. reinforcedopening at the mwth or

With itsinjection-moldedbelt loop longer life and easy rehdstering.with Ergotek comfort pad, the DutyLok Circle Reader S e m i i No.319fits snugly on the Bianchi ErgoTek beltor any standard 2.25-inch equipmentbeltand is available in six fits for semi- WLoped in b a d or militarys ~ & -automatic pistols. es,Fobusbktm eatwe laser customCircle Reader SenriceM. 16 $ 8 ' . -,*m i n j w I d n gd @b3 . ..

M& for cimeqwr2er cmmlment, gumsecureh i k alkwingyou ar drawthe CQC sierpaa c t k rekentianWer md [email protected]~eruicklym e s a ~ l k x k ~ n l h a t ~ " t ach F h e r underrequirethumbstraps. owes an$ has B c-ured a d nddThe Serpa Lock bdeigned toengage paddle that.secures.h w h ilg.frtlp.the rigger guard as flu b k t w he pi% ontoqrcwM.hem m m say^ thytdandprotletgountilyar itTo aremireleasethegun, weycrur normald m - Ma.320i ~ m o u C m V h f i ~ ~ Z T j l p g e r f l n ~ l w x ttotkhokterbadyartd ~ppesstbere- Gould & Goodrich-ease m h a n b u h our fin* EM Constr-d af a p n ~ fdy-yaudraw. w w aminate, K-FfXC du t y Iwkter5m G o u M & G m h @ e - t o bc a w with bath ~-~ andpaddlep&mmsCSrdat wi lo.517Millenniumrn,aterialk r durability. It'sa f f k d to a thermoplartkkit haflgerwith aircraft.-grade fasterren.The

features De5mti9'MonolaclQchtheMbrqertotheM

naltrigger guard lackuntheaffiiw qui& access to the!dutygun.

dusa& andxuff rm.irtant.Thesehd-stemare B d n

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Michaels of OregonMkhaekof I

ster is.des~rredwithm internal ltwking( k g V i o p i t i v d y k k the gun in@a= andmake matchingextremelyd h t t r m he front rear, top, w

side. A nun-stretchretentionstrap andmoldedthumb break are designedtostay open for easy reholstering, evenone-handed.An adjustable ensioningd&e a dan injection-moldedbelt loopensurecorrect placement.The holster issus-pendedwithin athermoplastic exo- 1skeleton for supportand strength. ' ' -4onstructedwith a foam core, ' ,smooth nylon lining, and a choice of %either a Mirage or Cordura nylon ex- fterior, the PRO-3 is durable and easy .to care for. "' I

marilandBilhed ss the firstasrmmfh, faat draw.%fwrth IeverIdr c t m m itk theaddirtjon srFth ho&er"s opticuralsentry ~ Y W .tw .bhter autmt&ally goes intoMwwr@ upsn &okteriq by of amd&d ejectionport iMertthsrt ocksthe gun.The Raptor featuresa seH-f-krckirpg rr y r t e r n , h m - i q r g atfw 0713JT53,a d uniwmal rwjk 1009. "that a l h ior aW e an* of mount-

,MW R a b I 2.:a n d I ~ 3 ~ t e ~ M w , ~ t a j n g aunique S* to keep agunware. $

The R o W d sestf-e@con 4:portof the h;l.dgun for securingthe ?\!gunk i c k theM e r . This,coupkc!with afingertry andWq ab, ai-d f y t?tu.ledto i6cmditbn.ed n b teel hardbare,made far durability.R's ewailabk forright-deft-

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Hdster Retention tevelsThe fevak one t o three as i gnd to halstm bymanufacturersare same-what subjective. There is no industry standard. Nor is t h e ny unHwrntgsting like there bwith ~e NLI standard for ballistic vests.Fallawing are the 1Ey accepted definitionsof txlllstsr re4entb.n h bLraval I-You or a km can just gra4 he weae~)at nd draw it famhe haktster. Theweaport is retained imi& *e hsbsterby the hoktw"smold,configuration,design, a d &m. The primary ~ 3 k epglicatien f a r Iml1holsters is fw gEair~toPk m t b n s hat require ccmcecealnwnt sr far k k -

2-These haMtn at@ a thumb break {safety strap) reten-t ion qstem that ha/& tk gun in place. Y w wilt find lwI2hl-' ters insterr feature mha n bm hat p a ~ i d eeanother lwei af pa'tectlonto mfquard t k eapon. t ans the wearer mt.& rock thew e a p n in a s.pwia~l ay or push BJ h r bw~ttono effectadraw. These hofsters are p g n d Par patrolofficers, al-zkizughsmaXisr cmcealm re aSm p p b rwith plaio-

More and rnme affierr are chc~oritnq olsterswi.ehmere retention %a-Ires anid here'swhyFBt statistics shw that. in th e 10-par per id from 1992 t~ 1001.. 48 polbofficerswere kilfed witkt their own srdgunsafter lesing them to a subjectRememhr,at any t ime during a physical emwnter durlrigwhich you

If you want to know how well yourholster can protectyour gun, fastenit to a tree with a non-workingrepli-ca of your duty weapon. Now, imag-ine that you are a muscle-boundbadguy andtry to disarm the tree.the bad guy from taking your gun. How-ever, a critical concern that's often over-looked is the effect of a disarming at-tempt on the operation of the holster.Once you have tried to disarmthe tree,be sure to strap on the holster and evalu-ate whether the "firearm" can still bedrawn and re-holsteredproperly.

Thetree testwill tell you many things

Imipana ou do.

Warning: Play ItSafeWhenMrqReal GunsUnkuyw an ona r a w , drawinga d iring at targets, alwayspractice

M a r rilbwith inoperable traininggum such n Blue GUM.tf p u JsnYhm awcrr cr training gum, cr - r ftclike ycw naed to practicewithyour actual - ILfirearm,k sum t o f o l l ~ whew! rules.Clear your -pan. Make sum there b no li.-ammun i t hm yourpm ar on yaur dwty belt.Thm, d

tok brdu tdy safe, put anAmma afe inyour gun. -ArnmSafe b a plastic W c t hat3dumknd ta fit ywr ,.I. It

I- than $5, and itprsscntr the Introduction af m y lh am -munitim into your w a p n . With an AmmO bfs n ghatIy t n ~ancycle th e weapon andavckn put1the riggm without wcurying about an ac -cidental d i a r g t .You knolrvan Ammo Safe b in a gun because e kng,brightly coloredplasticwhip protrude from ttw muzzle. Thewhip m.y hinder drawing andreheharing. tf it dow, oucancut itBut don't cut itx, shor t that youu n Y KC t.

Rea Sm No.325

about a holster. It will help you evaluate a tree.So have one of y ou officersput onthe protection provided to your firearm hisor herduty gear,the holsterto beeval-inside that holster, the durability of the uated, and the non-functional trainingbelt shank and holster, and expected firearm and holster.serviceabilityof the holsterand belt. Now have another officerorvolunteer

OfFcerPull Test-You can only simu- stand at differentangles at the rear, side,late so much using a holster strapped to and front of the officer and using twohands give three separate jerk and pulls,I qing to yank the firearm out of the hol-ster. Have at least three different volun-

teers of variousheights and weights tryto disarm your officer.Also, have you of-

assumeavarietyof positions,ding standmg,kneeling,sit-supine,and prone.

As you didwith the tree est, oncethedisarmingexercise is complete, attemptto operatethe holsterto evaluatewhetherthe firearm can be drawn and re-hol-stered correctly without jeopardizingholsterintegrity.This tests the protectionthe holster provides the firearm, alongwith the durability and serviceability ofthe holster and belt systemused.

I AccessTestingThis test is conducted in the variouspositions an officer may find hi m orherself in on duty, including standing,kneeling, sitting, on th e ground,

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supine, prone, and sittingin a vehicle. with your gloveson andwithbarehands. and while sitting in a vehicle. DrawwithWear your assignedduty gear, includ- Onceyou have completed this drillwith your gun hand barehanded and with

ingballistic vest.Then draw the training your gun hand, do it again with your gloves.Then do it againwith your non-firearm, scan from left to right with the non-gun hand. gunhand.firearm drawn, and then secure the Now, perform a seriesof drawswhile This may seem like an awful lot offirearm.Repeat this drill in allpositions standing,kneeling, sitting, supine, prone, trouble to go through just to evaluate a

meTragedy of ~ f T i a l ~owden-ir* imZ trrksrn enbiurar tha thehofaarand @earate pc14kepwwrfy wit im& m b l f , a r&fWlanhJ~eelr B~S C u d %

e cmQib&inig fectw in themur- from dr&;ng kmm.SriwrJrt?rm~tj@nMmW2 6 Mmd a atadfie

in Columbia.&lice say %hat kwpcf23-parsEd RichardBietEvam fa r hi licwse and registration when ha p s d w d

R and firedon the officer.n twot carer behindher patid a r . Evarn fistand a gunfightEhould haw ensued.Ex- their 0 % ~%imurthb 2 14 redding$atkk wcaul$ not get her gu crl2ter. m. f mar r h&tw rear dmp, be ~ulre?o

AS TH E OFF ICER CARRY ING IT .. .. .,&&4t:&*,;&i*i'B::*> & " ' 'i.;2>2;;&~::;i&~... ; . - **Hornady has develline of rifle, handgh,, and shotgunammunition that delivers reliabilitincredible accuracy, and hard-hit-ting terminal performance. Requerour Law Enforcement catalog bygoi d i n e at y v - - - - -"- ----r . ..- - 4 l -no


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TRADITION AND LEADERSHIP

P.O. ( 1300, ATTLEBORO FALLS, MA 02763-0300TEL: 800-699-4436 CALL FOR DEALER IN YOUR AREA FAX: 508-695-5349 ICircleNo.150 on ReaderServiceCard

Gombined Tactical SystemsThe MostTrusted Name16

less-lethalProductsR w oOffers The$meQualituandIisbilOtg nOEQRems11Spravs-it Non-Flammable-it AvailablewithSafelyTon in streamor largeCanaciN~ogger-c TrainingAvailable

CircleNo.37 on Reader ServiceCard46 POLICE

B 1simulation?Have some friends work upa role-playing scenariooruse a simulatorfor this test. If you can draw and rehol-ster your weapon successfully understress, then you andyour holsterare nowtruly ready for the street.Putting It AllTogetherBuyinganewholster foryourself or for

an entire department is not a task to betaken lightly. Theholster must be evalu-ated for safety, durability, appearance,and, most importantly, utility. Then,oncethe holster is selected and acquired,youwill have to train with it until draw-ingand reholstering aresecondnature.

If you are a trainer, supervisor, or ad-ministratorwho isoutfitting a number ofofficers with new holsters, you shouldkeep in mind the professional manage-ment paradigm. The rule here is thatmaximum officer preparedness can beachieved by choosingequipment, in thiscase,holsters,with protocolsthat providea fair and comprehensiveevaluation, byrequiring officers to train with the newequipment before using it in the field,and by making surethat each officerhasadequatesupervision.

But please remember that all officersare still responsible for their own safety.Each individualofficerneeds to take theequipment in hand, use it, evaluate it,trainwith it, and properlyplacelstabilizeit on his or her belt in conjunctionwithother equipment.@Dave Younghas served more &an 20 yearsas a militmy and civilian law enf-toflcer.He is the director of specializedpro-grams fbr the Tactical nainingDivision ofFox ValleyWE.)echnical ~ o i l e ~ end amemberof the POLICEdvisoryBoard.Gary T Klugiewicz served 25 years withthe Milwaukee County Sher i fs Depart-ment, retiring with the rank of captain.He is the director of training for th e Tac-tical TrainingDivision of Fox ValleyPC.)echnical College.

I 1 The authors' readv- I,. to-use holster evaju- 'ation form. I

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Torture Testing (Holsters) - Arma Training