Shooting Competitions Suck
Some writers like to tackle controversial topics like a rodeo bull gearing up to take out a flock of clowns. Half the time, the pot stirrer may not even care one way or the other about the topic they’re either defending or hyping. I get the strategy, but it’s just not me. And trust me, I’m not trying to do that here, although I will admit the title is somewhat provocative. On purpose …I’m addressing the topic of shooting competitions because I have a genuine love/hate relationship with them.
This Old Gun: Ruger’s Speed Six
Back in the day, not long after station wagons roamed free and kids slept on the rear window shelf on long highway trips, a highway patrolman bought this Ruger Speed Six .357 Magnum as a backup and off-duty carry gun. As you can see, it’s still in (not surprisingly) great health and ready for the range. The holster might be overdue for an upgrade, but I consider those consumable parts anyway. Well, after 30 or 40 years in this case.
Goop, Gunk & Good Sense: Cleaning and Testing for Reliability
Gun cleaning marketing suffers from the same problem as diet fads: spiffy photography and sometimes questionable science. Some products are game-changers in extreme environments; most are not. For average users, what separates success from failure isn’t a proprietary magic chemical. It’s far more mundane. You know, stuff like good cleaning habits, proper placement of lubrication, and simple functional checks.
OODA Schmooda: The Loop in Normal and Useful Terms
OODA. No, we’re not talking about some new yogurt that keeps you regulated.We’re talking about the famous Air Force acronym developed by Air Force Colonel John Boyd to describe human decision processes.In the gun community, this concept has been used, abused, misunderstood, and, in my view, misapplied to the point where it’s become some abstract bastardization of simple strategy.
A Stroll Down Accuracy Lane
I made at least one good decision when I started writing about guns a couple of decades ago. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then, right? I started to keep some basic records about the performance of the guns and ammo that came and went for various stories. I’m mainly talking about the significant stuff, like bullet velocity, basic notes on any performance issues with the guns, and accuracy results.
Kimber CDS9 Threaded: Small Gun, Big Attitude
When pondering the unique value proposition of this pistol, I was going to describe it as a “miniaturized combat pistol optimized for carry.” Then I looked at what the “CDS” name stands for. It turns out CDS represents “Covert Double Stack.” Close enough.
| The Good |
| Does most of the things a pocket holster should do: protects the trigger, hides the outline of your gun, keeps pocket junk out of the action, and generally stays in the pocket when you draw. |
| The Bad |
| The material is too soft. With a magazine heavy semi-automatic, it tends to bend and rotate in your pocket. |
| The Ugly |
| It can be really difficult to draw when your gun, and the holster, have both turned upside down. |
| Our Rating |
 One Nun. |
The Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster
Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster
Suggested Retail Price: $12.95
We wanted to like this pocket holster. It’s soft and squishy, feels great, and is really comfortable in the pocket.
But we didn’t. Like it, that is.
The Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster takes a universal approach to size and fit. It’s offered in four different sizes as follows:
18744-1Small autos (.22 – .25 cal.)
28744-2Most .380s
38744-32″ 5-shot revolvers; Sigma .380
48744-4Most sub-compact 9mm/.40 autos
So there is no custom fitting for a particular gun. You take your best guess at the right size and go from there.
The material is fairly thick and has a rubbery-suede feel. Is that even a valid description? We’re not sure, but that’s what it feels like. It’s an open top, sealed bottom design and there is a band of non-slip material at about the half-way mark to help the holster remain in your pocket when you draw.
On the plus side…
- The material is sturdy enough that we’re confident the trigger is protected
- The bottom (on our model for mid size semi-auto’s like the Walther PPK) is sealed and does a perfectly acceptable job of keeping pocket lint and leftover Tater-Tots out of the action of the gun. And no, we really don’t keep Tater-Tots in the same pocket as our gun! We store them in our other pocket of course! Duh.
- It’s comfortable. The gun is protected and it feels good in the pocket.
- We had no issues with sweat, or spilled Coke, penetrating the holster material. So hit all the drive-thrus you want – no problem.
On the not-so-plus side:
- This holster, like other Uncle Mike’s models, has very little structure. You wouldn’t think that’s a big requirement for a pocket holster, but when it folds from the weight of the gun, you can have trouble with the whole rig rotating in your pocket. We did most of our testing with a Walther PPK, which, as a steel gun, has some weight to it. Add a full magazine and you have a strong tendency for the grip end to want to follow that gravity rule and find its way to the bottom of your pocket. Not good. In fairness, this problem would not be as severe with a polymer gun like the Kel-Tec or Ruger LCP.
So all in all, we would elect to pass on this one and spend a few more bucks on something a little more substantial. In our next pocket holster review, we’ll be taking a close look at the DeSantis Nemesis Pocket Holster.
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| The instability issue really caused me to fear for my manhood. I found that with normal day-to-day activity, in a variety of pocket styles, the holster had a tendency to rotate so my gun was pointed right at, well, my gun. | I tried it in my purse and didn’t have great success. The non-slip band was not tacky enough to keep the holster in the purse pocket when I tried to draw. I do realize the holster was not designed for this use, but wanted to offer up the feedback to my lady friends out there. |
Read about more carry styles and over 120 different gun holsters in The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters – available at Amazon.com! Learn more about our Insanely Practical Guides!
