Holster

Gun holsters are designed to protect the weapon it holds as well as protect the police officer carrying it. It should provide a secure retention of the weapon and yet provide easy ready access when needed. The need for quick and easy access to the handgun is often at odds with the need for security and protection of the officer carrying the duty weapon. The officer must then determine what they are willing to give up in ease of use for the security of the handgun and vice versa. Making the right choice for the duty officer becomes very important as the results of this choice could put the police officers life in danger.

Holsters are designed to be used with one hand, allowing the weapon to be removed and/or replaced with one hand. To return a handgun to a holster one-handed, the holster should be produced from a fairly stiff material that holds its shape to keep it from collapsing when the weapon is not inside it providing support. Too stiff, however, and the holster might be prone to breakage if it is pressed up against another object, such as a chair or wall.

Generally holsters are worn attached to a belt or waistband, or clipped to an item of clothing. Some holsters may also fit inside a pocket, where they add stability and protection to the object, keeping it secure in the pocket. Holsters are generally kept near the waist, chest, or upper thighs of the user, where they may easily be reached. Other holsters may be behind the back, at the ankle, or even inside the pants, if they are intended to be concealed.

Since holsters perform better if made from fairly stiff tough materials, there are a limited number of materials that are commonly used. Leather is the traditional choice of substance used for handgun holsters. Leather is commonly considered attractive, and can be found dyed in many colors and embossed with elaborate designs if desired. Ballistic nylon is another fabric that works well for holsters, as it is stiff, wear resistant, and thick enough to provide protection. Molded plastics, such as Kydex, are also becoming popular.

Gun Holster designs cover a wide range of styles, shapes, materials, and retention/release mechanisms, from simple leather pouches hanging from a belt to highly protective holsters with flaps that cover the entire handgun, to highly adjustable competition holsters that hold the handgun at a precise position and release instantly with the right pressure. The wide range of types indicates the highly varied circumstances in which holsters are used, and the varying preferences of the users.

Holsters can be divided into four general categories by use: duty holsters, worn by uniformed peace officers and security personnel; "tactical/military holsters", worn by military, security, and law enforcement personnel; concealment holsters, worn by plainclothes peace officers and private persons; and sporting holsters, worn for shooting sports and hunting.

An Officers duty holster is designed to be carried openly, so concealment is not an issue, but retention and appearance are. Duty holsters can be made of leather, nylon, or plastic; they are designed to be attached to a duty belt, and worn on the strong-side of the user. Duty holsters are generally only found for full-sized and mid-sized handguns, as there is no reason to carry a subcompact handgun unless concealment is needed. The Berns-Martin is one example of a high-security revolver duty holster.

The primary characteristic that often distinguishes duty holsters from all other holster designs is retention. Current law enforcement duty holsters are available with varying levels of retention security, some security features are passive (such as retention screws, decoy straps, and Safariland's SLS hood guard accessory), while others are active and require deliberate manipulation by the officer during the draw (such as traditional thumbreak snaps, Safariland's SLS system and SLS Sentry accessory). While a higher level of retention will make it harder for a suspect to grab a holstered handgun from an officer, it may slow the speed and ease with which an officer draws his handgun. Therefore, when selecting a duty holster, an officer may be forced to select a balance of speed and retention that he/she is comfortable with.