Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Hey guys. I recently purchased a GLOCK .40 22 and love it too death, however I can't seem to find a decent holster for it. Here's where it gets better, I actually got a BlackHawk CQC SERPA holster with carbon finish. I liked it at first up until the point I found out it was a bit loose in the holster, in fact, there is a small wear mark where you can see where it was rubbing against the side from the looseness. I know, guns wear over time when in and out of holsters, get over it right? However, this is not my concern. My concern is the looseness. I've tightened up the passive retention screw and I did get it too stop shaking, however, the pressure just seems to be out of proportion, in other words it now takes pressure too rip the gun out of the holster and the button only seems to get in the way. Should I just get use too it or return it and get a better holster. If so, who makes a worthwhile holster. (nothing leather btw)

My Blackhawk fits my Glock 22 very well, so you may want to return it for a different one, the gun should fit well even with no slop even without the retention screw tightened. You did not by chance get a Gen 4? that could also be an issue the new version may not be the exact same dimensions as the old Gen 3.

Get a rocket man.

I'm pretty sure it's a Generation 3, but I could be incorrect, I feel bad because I'm pretty good with the different style/model Glocks out there, however, the Generation 4 has that new spiky style grips am I correct? If I am incorrect, this may be the issue. I'll try to contact BlackHawk again, although the research I have done has only led me to be informed that other people have also had this issue in the past. The biggest concern is the fact that BlackHawk failed to resolve the issue before upon e-mail, although it would be rather impossible to do so, the associate told me nothing about the issue being normal/abnormal. In all honesty though, I may replace it with something different, mostly due too the fact I feel rather uncomfortable when sitting down with a BlackHawk, again though, everyone is going to have different experiences. Regardless, I will look into this matter, I rather not hunt down multiple holsters only too find my first decision was correct.

ProShooter wrote:Get a rocket man.

I checked these holsters out. They actually look pretty similar too the Front-Line series holsters and also look too be rough on the finish which also was my experience with the Front-Line Kydex holster for the Jericho 941 .45. I do appreciate the advice though. If all else fails, I will just turn to Fobus since Israel's military regularly caries this line of firearms as well as being a second leader in quality holsters.

Also on another note, does anyone know anything about these BladeTech holsters? Supposidly one website I was researching on said that this brand of holsters were actually very high quality but we all know how that quote goes.

(nothing leather btw)

Why?

For CC, I don't think you can do any better than a good leather holster. There are many brands and unless you are getting a "universal" holster (which I hate in any material except a tactical drop leg), I think they are all better than the plastic/nylon stuff for CC. Just my 2cents though.

The 4th gen. has the replaceable backstraps. Nothing wrong with leather holsters, they just cost more than the plastic ones.

wally626 wrote:The 4th gen. has the replaceable backstraps. Nothing wrong with leather holsters, they just cost more than the plastic ones.

They do. It wasn't clear if the OP was not considering leather for cost reasons or for some other reason.

I'd contact http://www.invictuskydex.com/ and http://atomicdogholsters.com/Main.html and see what they can do for ya

I've carried my G23 in a Rocketman IWB for years and have seen no wear to the finish. It is the most comfortable kydex IWB that I've ever used.

I have the BlackHawk Serpa CQC holster for my Gen 3 Glock 22 and I've not had any problems with ill fitting. I'd recommend sending it back or taking it back to the place of purchase and exchanging it for another one.Hope you get it worked out.

It has nothing to do with cost reasons for the leather holsters, it's mostly due to personal issues, mostly that I haven't seen any 'thumb break' leather holsters to date. I'm not a big weighted person, so I feel more comfortable with the extra security the tactical holsters have to offer. Another thing is, I often sweat profusciously during the summer time (go figure) so I don't want sweat destroying any of the exterior/interior of the leather holsters, specially since I carry everywhere I go and no air conditioning in vehicle so there's pretty much no way of getting away from the heat. I haven't had any personal experience with leather holsters, I'm not saying their not comfortable, in fact, I'm sure their much more comfortable then the tactical holsters but fact remains I need something with good retention security.

DavidG wrote:I have the BlackHawk Serpa CQC holster for my Gen 3 Glock 22 and I've not had any problems with ill fitting. I'd recommend sending it back or taking it back to the place of purchase and exchanging it for another one.Hope you get it worked out.

Actually, I've tried several different 'BlackHawk Serpa CQC' holsters and all seem to have the same problem with my Glock, my friend's Glock also will do the same in the holsters I've tried. The issue is easily resolved by tightening up the passive retention screw but there's one issue, too much pressure needs to be applied in order to pull the gun from the holster, a good example is like with the non Thumb Break Fobus holsters that are available, which in my opinion, beats the reason for using a BlackHawk holster. On another note, it's not ill fitted, it fits just fine, it's not wobbling from 'side to side' but 'up and down', basically while walking you can feel the pistol moving from one end too the other, it's not real loose, but enough too eventually wear blueing from the side from movement. I've found that their is a way too avoid this problem by simply loosening the holster's retention screw to loosen up too the point where the sides aren't touching, but still the movement worries me. (Mostly on personal issues of going off if the right amount of pressure was to strike.)

Actually, I've tried several different 'BlackHawk Serpa CQC' holsters and all seem to have the same problem with my Glock, my friend's Glock also will do the same in the holsters I've tried. The issue is easily resolved by tightening up the passive retention screw but there's one issue, too much pressure needs to be applied in order to pull the gun from the holster, a good example is like with the non Thumb Break Fobus holsters that are available, which in my opinion, beats the reason for using a BlackHawk holster. On another note, it's not ill fitted, it fits just fine, it's not wobbling from 'side to side' but 'up and down', basically while walking you can feel the pistol moving from one end too the other, it's not real loose, but enough too eventually wear blueing from the side from movement. I've found that their is a way too avoid this problem by simply loosening the holster's retention screw to loosen up too the point where the sides aren't touching, but still the movement worries me. (Mostly on personal issues of going off if the right amount of pressure was to strike.)

I just checked my Blackhawk and there is a little up and down movement. The only way to fix this is to tighten up the clearance on the retention button so the gun just fits under. I am sure in a mass produced system like the BlackHawk they do not want to do this so slight imperfections in the moldings and guns do not keep the holster from working. Yes, it will cause a little slide wear, as most all holsters will, but the Glock finish is very tough and a little wear is not going to hurt the gun. I am not sure what you mean by going off, while the gun is holstered nothing is going to pull the trigger.

Most leather retention holsters are of the Service type, but I have seen a few IWB leathers with thumb breaks.

I have one of those Blackhawk holsters, but I hated it. It stuck way to far out and made it difficult to CC. Open carry was ok. It also felt like the gun was wobbly (since it was so far from the body).

Have you seen this: http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?P ... 1&GunID=48

There are lots of other manufacturers who make similar items. Good leather isn't fragile. What breaks it down from sweat is that when it drys it leaves salt crystals behind. They act like little razors and cut up the leather. If you have had any motorcycle leather gear, they usually recommend you wash them out to remove the salt. Then put the oil back in so they don't dry out on you.

IMO, the only thing these cheap tactical holsters have over a leather holster like I linked is cost. The gun is more secure with leather and easier to CC. I recommend you go to a store and try one out if cost isn't the driving factor. I'll lay off it now, but leather really is worth the cost if you can afford it.

If you are that worried it could go off, carry it around the house unloaded. You will bang it, crush it, etc. If at the end of the test the gun still goes click, the trigger wasn't pulled.

I use the Galco PLE style shown at this link on a G23 and SIG 228 and am very happy with them. If you decide to look for one, go to the home page and get a model name and price then I would reccomend shopping around as the Galco Home Page stuff is right up there in price. I have found several on EBay at very good prices ,,It was worth the wait till one showed up to me.
http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?P ... 7&GunID=49

I have a Comp-Tac for each of my pistols, except for my SIG 1911 and S&W 686. For the latter, I have Blade Tech since Comp-Tac doesn't mold those guns. Prior to Kydex I was always a thumb break guy, but find these quality Kydex holsters to be quite sufficent for concealment.

For leather, each of my guns has a hand-made, neutral canted holster with thumb break by Mike Tarisano (Google Tauris holsters). That includes an ankle rig for the Kahr. Quality stuff. Great gunbelt, too. Mike is a retired LEO who's been making holsters forever.

Maybe one of these options works for you.

According too BlackHawk, the wobbling problem can be easily fixed by replacing the rail spring with a new one, this is the information I have been clarified with as of Friday. I'm just waiting for a return response on when the item will arrive. My only problem is I'm unsure of how to replace the rail spring.

gunderwood wrote:I have one of those Blackhawk holsters, but I hated it. It stuck way to far out and made it difficult to CC. Open carry was ok. It also felt like the gun was wobbly (since it was so far from the body).

Have you seen this: http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?P ... 1&GunID=48

There are lots of other manufacturers who make similar items. Good leather isn't fragile. What breaks it down from sweat is that when it drys it leaves salt crystals behind. They act like little razors and cut up the leather. If you have had any motorcycle leather gear, they usually recommend you wash them out to remove the salt. Then put the oil back in so they don't dry out on you.

IMO, the only thing these cheap tactical holsters have over a leather holster like I linked is cost. The gun is more secure with leather and easier to CC. I recommend you go to a store and try one out if cost isn't the driving factor. I'll lay off it now, but leather really is worth the cost if you can afford it.

If you are that worried it could go off, carry it around the house unloaded. You will bang it, crush it, etc. If at the end of the test the gun still goes click, the trigger wasn't pulled.

Since I am in the market for a holster, I liked your response. Heck, choosing the holster has proven to be more complicated that choosing which pistol to get first. I have a Glock 22 and want something for concealed cary because clearly if it works for cc it will be OK for open. So, thanks for your answer it gave me something to think about. All my life I have been a shot gun/rifle man. This is my first pistol as a civilian.

Student12 wrote:

gunderwood wrote:I have one of those Blackhawk holsters, but I hated it. It stuck way to far out and made it difficult to CC. Open carry was ok. It also felt like the gun was wobbly (since it was so far from the body).

Have you seen this: http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?P ... 1&GunID=48

There are lots of other manufacturers who make similar items. Good leather isn't fragile. What breaks it down from sweat is that when it drys it leaves salt crystals behind. They act like little razors and cut up the leather. If you have had any motorcycle leather gear, they usually recommend you wash them out to remove the salt. Then put the oil back in so they don't dry out on you.

IMO, the only thing these cheap tactical holsters have over a leather holster like I linked is cost. The gun is more secure with leather and easier to CC. I recommend you go to a store and try one out if cost isn't the driving factor. I'll lay off it now, but leather really is worth the cost if you can afford it.

If you are that worried it could go off, carry it around the house unloaded. You will bang it, crush it, etc. If at the end of the test the gun still goes click, the trigger wasn't pulled.

Since I am in the market for a holster, I liked your response. Heck, choosing the holster has proven to be more complicated that choosing which pistol to get first. I have a Glock 22 and want something for concealed cary because clearly if it works for cc it will be OK for open. So, thanks for your answer it gave me something to think about. All my life I have been a shot gun/rifle man. This is my first pistol as a civilian.

Don't sweat the holster too much. Make a good decision, but the reality is that if you carry often you will end up with several. There are pros and cons to all of them and nothing is perfect for every situation or clothing.

MastaCAK47 wrote:According too BlackHawk, the wobbling problem can be easily fixed by replacing the rail spring with a new one, this is the information I have been clarified with as of Friday. I'm just waiting for a return response on when the item will arrive. My only problem is I'm unsure of how to replace the rail spring.

I can only assume the rail spring is that little piece of plastic that rides against the dust cover (the part with the light rail on Glocks). All you need to do to remove/replace it is unscrew and remove the retention screw along with the rubber bushing. You can then remove the rail spring.