A Trio of IPSC Holsters: We Like The Safariland 009
Another good choice is the new Bianchi Hemisphere, but we would pass on the Gilmore Concepts Speed Leader for serious practical-shooting competition.
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In Open Class IPSC competition, high-end |
In the hotly contested arena of Open Class IPSC competition, there are two pieces of equipment that seem to define the sport: a highly refined and modified race gun built on the basic 1911 Colt-format pistol—and the holster it rides in.
The demands placed on a holster in top-level IPSC competition are severe. It must meet the safety criteria and rules of the International Practical Shooting Confederation and its U.S. regional body, the United States Practical Shooting Association (U.S.P.S.A). To do so, it must hold the heel of the butt of the handgun above the top of the belt. It must hold the pistol so that the muzzle points downward no more than 1 meter from the competitor when standing relaxed. It must not position the maximum inside dimension of the pistol more than 2 inches from the competitor’s torso, must cover the trigger guard of a holstered handgun, and must retain the handgun securely during vigorous activity. Additionally, it should be comfortable enough to be worn all day, allow the competitor to position it for his own draw geometry, and give minimum resistance on the draw.
Over the years, many developments have come and gone, leaving a group of highly refined holsters that provide competitors with the ability to position the gun to best suit their own physical make-ups, retain the pistols under vigorous physical activity, and provide an effortless speed draw. This new genre of holsters is typified by synthetic construction, unidirectional adjustable trigger guard retaining devices that provide positive retention of the pistol unless it is intentionally drawn, and a high degree of adjustability. This month we take a close look at some top holsters that meet these requirements: the $155 Safariland 009, the $98.95 Gilmore Concepts Speed Leader, and the new $126.95 Bianchi International Hemisphere.
Holster Features
Safariland 009. This company was one of the first holster firms to recognize the benefits of synthetic construction and use an adjustable trigger-guard retaining device. These modifications were first incorporated in the original 008 design, from which the current model 009 descended.
The main difference between the 008 and 009 can be stated in one word: adjustability. Though the 008 was a fine holster, it didn’t allow the shooter to alter the holster’s positions. If its position didn’t suit your physique, you had to carefully heat the thermoplastic material to mold it as it cooled and drill new holes to effect a different muzzle rake.
The 009 is a different story altogether. The locking mechanism has been changed to one that gives more positive retention of the heavier, scoped, high-capacity pistols, and the holster body itself has been reshaped to accommodate the frame mounted dot scopes that adorn the current crop of race guns.
The holster body is no longer attached directly to the belt hanger, but instead is attached to a rod that extends downward from the belt hanger by two clamps that allow it to pivot and be adjusted vertically. The rod, in turn, can pivot from its hanger attachment (front to back through an arc of 45 degrees) to facilitate changes in muzzle rake. It comes equipped with an oversized positioning pad that mounts to the rod by a single Phillips-head screw that can be used to position the muzzle outward from its point of contact with the shooter’s thigh to increase stability and consistent positioning for the draw. Pistol retention is adjusted via a single external thumb screw that varies the amount of effort needed to disengage the pistol from the dual retention fingers in the locking block.
The 009 we examined had a very well executed simulated leather–grain finish with a basketweave pattern. It is available only in black. For a correct fit, the 009 must be ordered for either right- or left-hand use and for the specific barrel length of the pistol.
Gilmore Concepts Speed Leader. The Speed Leader surely sets the record for versatility. It is constructed of three major units: a belt hanger of rigid, wrinkle-finish plastic, an adjusting plate of the same material, and a molded, rigid plastic holster. Like its peers, it is available only in black. It is unique in that the single model is reversible to accommodate both right- and left-handed shooters, 5-inch stock-length barrels to 7-inch barreled compensated pistols, and 1911 and CZ-75 clones.
The height of the pistols’ grip and axis rotation is adjusted by three Allen-head screws that mount the adjustment plate to the belt hanger. The muzzle angle is maintained by two Phillips-head screws on the muzzle shroud, the barrel length by two thumb screws, and rake by a single Allen-head screw. Retention is adjusted by a shrouded, click-adjustable knob in the bottom of the holster body.
The Speed Leader is quite a piece of engineering. Its range of adjustment and adaptability is all effected with flat mating surfaces. There are no rods or balls on which to pivot and rotate the pieces.
Bianchi Hemisphere. The newest Open Class holster on the IPSC circuit is the Hemisphere from Bianchi International. It is made of a matte-finish, rigid, black synthetic plastic. It is available in only a right-handed model at the time this is written; however, according to Bianchi’s customer service representative, if the company hears from enough southpaws, it will consider introducing a left-hand model.
The Hemisphere’s innovative design utilizes only three adjustment screws. Two easily accessible thumb screws adjust the muzzle shroud to accommodate 6- to 7-inch compensated pistols, but it will not accept full-profile compensators that continue the full line of the slide out to the muzzle of the firearm. The rest of the positioning adjustments are made with a single Allen-head screw on the external surface of the holster body. This is made possible by mounting the holster body to the belt hanger by a pivoting ball-and-socket joint similar to the human shoulder. It can move in several planes at once and be locked in place by tightening a single through-bolt.
Retention is by a single spring-tensioned finger that intercepts the trigger guard when it is properly inserted. Like the 009 Safariland, it is adjusted by a single thumb screw. The tension screw is mounted inboard between the holster body and the belt hanger, where it is safely out of the way.
As competition speed holsters have developed, they have gotten lighter and more open. The Hemisphere carries this concept to a new level. Visually, the pistol holstered in a Hemisphere appears to be resting on top of rather than in the holster. Only a half inch of the muzzle and the trigger guard are actually covered by the holster.
Performance:
All Fast On The Draw
One thing we noticed immediately after initial positioning and tension adjustments was that all three holsters were capable of providing an effortless, tension-free draw to the user. This is a prerequisite for a sub-1-second draw that tracks precisely to the A zone on IPSC targets. Holsters, like competitors, don’t appear at the top levels of IPSC shooting unless they produce smooth, sub-second draws. Since all three holsters tested easily made the grade, we concentrated on other factors such as comfort, adjustability, and retention to evaluate overall performance.
Comfort
One of the most important aspects of performance in any shooting sport is comfort, yet few shooters are able to evaluate products for this vital performance component without buying and trying a product. While comfort may not affect performance directly, indirectly it plays a great role in the final results. Do you think for a minute that a high-power rifle competitor will turn in a winning score in his offhand strings if his subconscious mind is distracted by stone in his shoe? Comfort is of paramount importance. It enables the subconscious mind to concentrate on the important details instead of being distracted by some annoying point of discomfort.
In IPSC shooting, a competitor frequently spends a full day outdoors with his holster on, helping with range duties, picking up brass, walking, bending, and stretching. If his equipment does not fit properly, or bears against some bony part of his pelvis, things can get uncomfortable by mid-afternoon. You will notice it as soon as you put 31/2 pounds of loaded pistol in your holster when you get the command to load and make ready. The pressure points and abraded spots will scream for attention, distracting your mind from the task at hand.
The key to comfort with these holsters is the belt hanger. This is where the interface between body and holster is formed. The Gilmore Speed Leader utilizes a rigid plastic hanger with a fixed curvature spanning 5 3/4 inches. Due to its span and fixed curvature, it will only fit one physique perfectly. On my frame, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 145 pounds, the Leader bears uncomfortably on the top of my pelvic bone and the curvature touches my torso for only half of its span. This produces a rocking affect where it does contact. After walking only 50 yards, it became uncomfortable with an unloaded pistol in place. If an individual weighed perhaps 50 pounds more it would pad the contact with his bone structure and take up the unsupported curvature of the hanger. On the other hand, overweight shooters should expect a degree of discomfort from the sharp 90-degree corners at the ends of the hanger. They bite into any flesh that might overhang the belt. Overall, we thought the Speed Leader was uncomfortable. In our view it could realistically be expected to fit only one type of physique well.
The Safariland 009 was a different story. While the belt hanger’s curvature has a span of 53/4 inches (the same as the Speed Leader), its thermoplastic material can be reformed by carefully heating it with a hair drier until the hanger is flexible. It can then be placed on the belt in its final position and the belt tightened to form-fit it to the body as it cools. This method works quite well as long as the material is not heated enough to melt and care is taken to wear enough clothing to protect against burns. Once formed, it results in a very comfortable, custom-molded fit.
The 009 also comes equipped with an oversized positioning pad that, as an option, mounts to the vertical positioning rod. It can be ground to shape and moved vertically or rotated to give an additional point of support. This allows the shooter to consistently position the pistol for a positive draw and spread out the weight of the pistol over a greater area to reduce pressure points. For the competitor who can carefully mold the hanger, the 009 provides a great deal of comfort and adds to the stability of the hanger/torso interface because its curve can be molded to form-fit the bony structure of the pelvis. This gives it a definite edge in comfort and ensures a positive position during a full day on the range.
The Bianchi Hemisphere uses a hanger of rigid plastic material, but its curvature only spans 23/4 inches, decreasing the likelihood of bearing against bones that don’t conform to its shape. The hanger itself extends downward 51/4 inches from the top of the belt and supports the holster position against the hip.
It fits a slender physique well. However, the top edges have square corners that could be uncomfortable for a shooter of heavy build. In addition, if hip measurements exceed those at the belt line, the pistol’s muzzle will be canted outward, creating a draw geometry that meets interference from the upper torso.
We found that holster fit is subjective, and a competitor would be wise to try a holster before buying to ensure the best possible fit. However, we expect that the 009, which can be tailored to a shooter’s torso, will provide the greatest comfort for most people. The Gilmore, with its hanger of rigid material, a wide span, and fixed curvature, is least likely to fit well on any but a few waistlines, in our estimation.
Adjustability and Convenience
IPSC competitors come in all shapes and sizes, so holsters must be adjustable. Otherwise, many different shooters couldn’t achieve a natural draw geometry. While most competitors will adjust their “leather” only rarely, when they do, they want it to be as simple as possible while having a minimum disaster factor of losing adjustment during the course of a tournament. It goes without saying that the greater the number of adjustment points there are, the less convenient the adjustment procedure will be and the greater the possibility of losing adjustment.
The Gilmore Concepts unit has eight adjustment points, but this single holster can be adapted for either right- or left-hand use, 5-inch stock guns to 7-inch comp guns, and it can accommodate the CZ-75 series of pistols and 1911s.
The shooter adjusts the Leader using four Allen-head screws, two Phillips-head screws, and two thumb screws. Though all the screws had a good friction-tight fit that could be expected to resist loosening, several were difficult to access, reducing the convenience of adjustment. The inboard thumb screw was difficult to tighten and loosen without the use of needlenosed pliers, unless the holster body was removed from the adjustment plate. Likewise, the rear in/out cant-adjusting screw could not be accessed in some positions without first changing the position of the holster body. This necessitates adjusting the unit in at least two steps, first the adjusting plate and then the holster body.
On the side of convenience, all the Leader’s screws were accessible from the outside of the holster, so the adjustments could be made without repeatedly removing the belt, hanger, and adjustment plate from the shooter. Thus, the screws could be loosened to a friction fit, the holster positioned, and then all the screws tightened, eliminating much time spent in trial-and-error fitting when the holster has to be removed from the shooter for each trial adjustment.
To adjust the Speed Leader fully, it is necessary to have a small toolkit handy consisting of an appropriate Allen wrench (supplied with the holster), a Phillips screwdriver, and a pair of needle nose pliers. While the Gilmore may appeal to those shooters who want one holster for a variety of applications, there are trade-offs. Here the desire for the ultimate in flexibility of application and adjustment results in a decrease in simplicity and convenience, we think.
The Safariland 009 has only four adjustment points: two slotted screws adjust vertical and rotational positions, one slotted screw adjusts muzzle rake, and a single Phillips-head screw adjusts the positioning block. The wise competitor will carry both a standard and Phillips screwdriver in his kit to facilitate adjustment of the 009. Though it is not as versatile as the Gilmore and must be ordered for a specific model and pistol length, it achieves the same positioning variation with half the anchor points found on the Leader.
As for convenience, all adjusting screws are on the back of the holster. Though this contributes to a clean, businesslike appearance, it requires the 009 and its belt to be taken off each time adjustments are made. To minimize trial-and-error fitting time, we found that if the screws were just friction tight, the competitor could put his pistol in place, wiggle the holster and positioning block into the desired alignment, then carefully take off the holster before giving the screws a final tightening.
The Hemisphere is supposedly state of the art when it comes to convenience of adjustment. It has all of the flexibility of the Speed Leader and 009 but uses only three screws to accomplish it. Two conveniently located thumb screws maintain the adjustment for barrel length and a single, long, externally mounted Allen-head bolt provides tension to lock all the mating surfaces of its ball-and-socket joint.
The adjustment procedure is fast, simple, and direct. Place the pistol onto the holster and engage the trigger guard with the retaining mechanism. Loosen the thumb screws and adjust the muzzle shroud to cover one half inch of the compensator. Now, place the empty holster in the desired position on the belt. Lock the pistol into the holster by its trigger guard and hold it while loosening the adjusting screw with the supplied Allen wrench. Now maneuver the pistol and holster around the ball joint in all planes until the desired position is found and then lock it in place by tightening the external bolt. Once tightened, the surfaces of the ball joint were sufficient to maintain adjustment, even during repeated blows administered during the retention test.
Retention Is A Must
The ability of a holster to provide an effortless draw is a highly desirable trait, but foremost must be its ability to retain the firearm during vigorous activity. In this respect a holster is considered to be part of the equipment that helps guarantee the safety of a shooting event that combines athletic movement with shooting skills. Failure of this piece of equipment to retain its cargo of a loaded firearm compromises the standards of safety on which the sport is based and can be grounds for disqualification from a match. Even if disqualification and safety were not considerations, it is unlikely that a competitor’s optical dot sight and mount will survive the impact of 31/2 pounds of weight if accidentally dropped from a holster at waist level.
We tested each of the three holsters for a combination of retention ability and ease of draw. The procedure was to adjust each holster to find the maximum retention that would still allow an effortless draw. Then, while guarding the pistol from a fall, we gave it a moderately sharp rap forward on the heel of the butt to see if it could be knocked loose. If it could be disengaged by the blow, we adjusted the retention device until it could no longer be dislodged and then performed a draw to evaluate how much tension was felt that could negatively influence the draw.
It was in this phase of the test that we experienced problems with the Speed Leader. When adjusted for a speed draw, the pistol could easily be dislodged from the holster by a mild blow. When adjusted to retain the pistol, the draw retention was increased to a point where the pistol needed to be forcefully jerked from the holster instead of being gently lifted out. The choice with the Speed Leader boils down to either retention or a smooth draw, and safety considerations must always take precedence. The Speed Leader may be suitable for disciplines like the Bianchi Cup or Steel Challenge where the courses of fire do not require movement, but we don’t think it would be our choice for IPSC unless the competitor was willing to sacrifice draw speed to gain its versatility.
The Safariland 009 rated excellent in the retention test. The pistol rode firmly in place and could not be dislodged by a sharp blow to its butt, while at the same time the pistol could be drawn effortlessly from the top without disturbing the holster, even when mounted on a flimsy belt (a practice that is not recommended!). The 009 can truly be considered a winner, as witnessed by the number of top competitors who have used it at the USPSA National Championships.
The newcomer on the IPSC circuit, the Bianchi Hemisphere, also rated an excellent retention grade. A sharp blow to the butt of the gun failed to dislodge it, but the draw remained smooth and free. As with the 009, there was no tendency of the gun to bind on the draw. The only criticism of the Hemisphere was a disconcerting tendency for the pistol to rattle around when holstered, which causes anxiety that the retention mechanism has failed. As previously stated, it passed the retention test with flying colors, but this idiosyncrasy would take some getting used to.
PS Recommends
We cannot recommend the Gilmore Concepts Speed Leader for serious IPSC competition due to its retention and comfort problems. The Safariland 009 and the new Bianchi Hemisphere both gave exemplary performance, and your buying decision should be based on their individual design limitations.
The Hemisphere is available only in a right-hand configuration and will not accommodate full-profile compensators. However, it offers the ultimate in convenient adjustment. The 009 is a competition-proven design, is available in models for left-handed use, can handle full-profile compensators, and has a clean, conventional leather holster look. It isn’t quite as easy to adjust as the Hemisphere.
They both meet a high standard of comfort and function and exemplify the current state-of-the-art evolution in IPSC speed holsters. Were we buying one today, however, we would pick the Safariland 009.
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-By Charles Woolley
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