 |
| The 537 GLS Open Top Concealment Holster (the distortion to the mat is because I had one edge propped up). |
Earlier this year, as I was casting about for a suitable holster for my Sig P220 in .45 ACP, one of my long readers suggested that I try the Safariland GLS Open Top Concealment Holster. I ordered mine in late May at a cost of $60.50, which is still the price as of this writing. To take advantage of free shipping and because I wanted a double magazine pouch, I want ahead and ordered a Safariland Model 73 Open Top Double Magazine Pouch at the same time, which for the most basic model (which is what I ordered) was $40.
I will note that this holster is available for many different makes and models of semiauto pistols, although it does not appear to be available for any long slide models. Thus, for instance, it is not made for the Glock 34 or the H&K P30L or any model of 1911.
Safariland had warned that the holster would be made for me so I was not surprised that it was approximately 3 weeks until the holster shipped.
The holster itself is made of a stiff polymer shell to which has been applied a softer material on the outside, although I can't tell if it is a thin layer of leather or some other material. I suspect that the covering is also artificial. Nevertheless, it looks good and it has been stitched down near the edges and any other points where it might begin to separate. The inside is merely the bare surface of whatever polymer material is used. It is smooth and fairly slick which should minimize surface wear.
The fit was good and, being a polymer shell, was ready to go. Although I really like leather holsters, it can sometimes be frustrating to have to go through the process of stretching out the leather to get the proper fit. If you don't have the patience or need something that will work right out of the box, this holster may be for you: it has the appearance of leather but the advantages of a polymer holster.
The loops or slots for a belt are intended for a 1.5-inch wide belt according to the web-site. I would add that my particular sample was a little tight in this regard. I used it with a leather belt of that width and when I first tried it out, the loops on the holster were scraping and catching on the outer edge of the belt. Fortunately it wasn't a nice dress belt, but just something I used for work around the house and casual wear. I took a round file to the loops and with just a few strokes on each side of both loops had opened it up enough to feed my belt without problem.
Of course, the real test of a holster is comfort. My Sig 220 is my nightstand gun so I don't really carry it very much. Nevertheless, I did try this holster out for two days where I carried it most of the day on each occasion. I was very pleased with it. The rigid construction meant that the loops did not stretch and droop as the day wore on. The overall curve from back to front meant that the holster fit tight to hip and kept the point of balance closer to the center of body with the result that I had far less back fatigue than would be normal with that size and weight of pistol. In fact, on the day that I counterbalanced it with the double magazine pouch, I found that I had no back pain at the end of the day.
Sorry about the pink color--it is some artifact of messing with the exposure, brightness, etc., so you can better see the interior of the holster.
You probably noticed the lever sticking out below the trigger guard. This is part of Safariland’s Grip Lock System (GLS) that holds the firearm in place until you manually release it. Basically, as you grip the weapon to draw it, you press up on the lever which releases a catch inside the holster freeing the pistol. This particular design is quite intuitive and easy to use and takes but a little (very little) practice to master.
Of course, if you are like me, this probably brings back memories of the Blackhawk Serpa holster (and similar designs) that also lock in a firearm unless a button or lever is depressed when drawing the weapon. The primary problem with the Serpa holster is that the user employed their forefinger (i.e., trigger finger) to actuate the button which was in line with the trigger. As one author described the issue, "[a]pplying pressure with your trigger finger to a button in line with your trigger as you draw the weapon turned out to be an unsafe action. If the pressure remains as you draw your pistol, the finger will find its way into the trigger guard and potentially cause a negligent discharge." This holster's release is in a different location and, therefore, does not present the same danger as the Serpa.
The Serpa holster has some other structural issues that also rendered it unsuitable for a duty holster, including a propensity to break apart. In addition, the author of the foregoing piece relates:
The open design of the retention button allowed dirt, sand, and debris to get inside the button and completely disable it. This would make it impossible to draw your firearm. One of the reasons I moved the gun to my chest was a warning from an experienced sergeant who was already aware of this issue. As a machine gunner, I was in the prone position frequently, and the Serpa was exposed to the ground quite often as a result, meaning even after the change, I still had to worry about it.
Although I don't remember the source, I had come across a writer describing a Serpa holster that had become so jammed up with debris that there was no choice but to cut the holster apart to free the weapon.
I don't think that Safariland's design is as susceptible to such failures because the mechanism is inside the holster rather than on the exposed outer side of the holster. In addition, this particular holster is designed for concealed carry so in addition to the firearm protecting against the intrusion of debris, there would also be a shirt of jacket.
Although I really like the 537 holster, I have to say that I was disappointed with the Model 73 double magazine pouch. I had gone as basic as possible on this pouch, so the fact that it was a basic molded polymer with nothing fancy about it was not an issue. And it slid onto my belt without issue.
My complaint is that when tightening down the tension screw it didn't equally apply tension. So, for instance, when I had one side tensioned down to where I thought it was ideal, the other side was still quite loose. To arrive at an acceptable tension on the second pouch meant tightening down the first pouch to such an extent that it was near impossible to withdraw the magazine. I was finally able to reach a compromise where it was difficult, but still possible, to withdraw the magazine on one side without the magazine on the other side being so loose that it could simply slide out if tipped. But to get this compromise, I had to turn the magazines in a different direction (different orientation) than I had wanted.
I don't know if this is a result of different dimensions between the two pouches, or that there is only a single screw to adjust the tension for both pouches--i.e., you can't independently adjust the tension. It may even be as simple as the head on the tension screw may be too wide so that the tension screw doesn't fit between the pouches as I think it should.
In conclusion, the holster was a good purchase and one that I would recommend, but I can't recommend the magazine pouch.
No comments:
Post a Comment