Progressive Reloading for the High-Volume Shooter
When shifting into the higher-volume gear, precision becomes a necessity. Lindsey explores the Dillon XL 750 press and shares some tips and tricks to make it run.
Columnist Lindsey Bertomen on Reloading
American Handgunner's Tom McHale met Lindsey at a haunted bed and breakfast bar, where he was beating the crap out of other event attendees. Naturally, the two got to talking and quickly figured out Lindsey was a penultimate reloading geek, fully qualified to take on the mantle of American Handgunner's Handloading column. Tune in to hear some fun (and weird) reloading discussion and what Lindsey has found interesting at SHOT Show 2024.
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Easy Kitchen DIY: How to Stipple the Grip On Your Polymer Pistol
Doing DIY work on a gun can, and should be, somewhat intimidating. You don’t want to be messing around with things that might impact safety or reliability unless you really know what you’re doing. But there are plenty of projects on the lower end of the risk spectrum. One example is customizing the grip surface on a polymer-framed gun. It’s mostly a cosmetic and “feel” customization that doesn’t impact any of the fire control elements, so if you’re careful, you can do a grip-stippling job right at home using inexpensive and readily available tools.
What You Need to Know About Self-Defense Training [VIDEO]
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Lowest Gun Accident Rate Ever? Project ChildSafe
You might be surprised to learn that, despite the noise, child-related firearms accidents are at an all-time low. That's no thanks at all to the supposed "gun safety" organizations. The real change is being driven by efforts within the firearms industry.
| 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!
