Recently I’ve seen a video posted a few times on Facebook demonstrating something called the “Automatic Holster.” I finally took a moment to watch the following video:
Granted, I’m not the world’s top authority on firearms use, but I know the fundamentals. And I know poor training and skill when I see it.
This “automatic holster” is a terrible idea.
- Don’t use gear to compensate for lack of skill. The woman at the beginning of the video is a terrible shooter. She has almost no recoil management, most likely due to not using a two handed grip on the pistol as well as having poor body position.
- The Thunder model has no trigger guard. Probably the single most important trait of a good holster. The standard model barely had a trigger guard. At some point someone is going to have a negligent discharge and potentially injure or kill someone or themselves.
- For Americans, either carry in Condition 1 (round in the chamber and ready to fire) or learn to chamber during the standard motion of presentation of the firearm. I know in some countries, Condition 1 is not allowed – learn to chamber during presentation. Search YouTube for Dean Rostohar to see some serious skill on that.
- Related to the above, the automatic holster creates inefficient presentation. On the standard model, going down to come up out of the holster. That one I can almost let slide, but on the Thunder model, the man is “bowling” the pistol. Bowling takes more time than punching straight out from a high compressed ready position or even the Sul position. Also, he will have to slow down as he reaches the extended shooting position or he risks sweeping above his intended extended shooting position and having to reset. More inefficient and time consuming wasted motion.
- Standard rule of moving parts: the more there are, the more things that can malfunction. Not something I want to happen in a dynamic critical incident.
Those are the first few off the top of my head.
What do you guys think of the “Automatic Holster?” Leave a comment.