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Holstering question better suited for here?

2K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  roaniecowpony 
#1 ·
Have fallen into the habit (with new holster) of placing my thumb between the cocked hammer and the firing pin while holstering my gun. Can we safely say this is a safer way to holster my gun, or is there something I should/could be concerned about.

 
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#6 ·
I always place my thumb on the hammer when reholstering any pistol with an exposed hammer. I see it has just one more safety feature. Which is also why I will not own a striker fired pistol, they are NDs waiting to happen.

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#8 ·
When holstering I usually grip the same as when drawing. My grip is full, and my trigger finger extended alongside the frame, but my thumb is pressing UP on the thumb safety.

I also have the tendency to lean my upper body away from the holster side so the firearm can slip straight down into the holster without covering any parts of my tender body.

I have watched people cover their liver, hip joint, leg and butt with their muzzle while feeling about for the top of the holster.
 
#9 · (Edited)
When holstering I usually grip the same as when drawing. My grip is full, and my trigger finger extended alongside the frame, but my thumb is pressing UP on the thumb safety.
As mentioned here, thumb under the thumb safety would be the other alternative, which would probably be my preferred technique.

Getting to the thumb safety is often a problem with very tall sweat shields like High Noon uses on their sweat shield equipped holsters.

Thumb on the back of the hammer of a DA/SA gun would let you know the hammer was down, and nothing is pulling the trigger, pulling the hammer back. If you feel the hammer coming back, you would instantly notice and could stop reholstering.

Conversely, holding the hammer back won't let you know anything is happening until you let go of the hammer. I suppose it is possible, when you let go of the hammer, since you are holding it back, you wouldn't know anything was pulling the trigger, and the hammer to drop without you knowing it was going to happen.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Sticking thumb between hammer and slide when holstering...

Over many years of shooting in competition, and constantly holstering the weapon, I have never placed my thumb between the hammer and slide.

I have trained myself that if the gun is empty and the hammer is back, I point the gun in a safe direction and press the trigger to lower the hammer, then holster the gun with the hammer down.

If the gun is loaded with the hammer back, I ALWAYS MAKE CERTAIN THE THUMB SAFETY IS PROPERLY ENGAGED, then holster the gun. My trigger finger is us usually on the side of the frame or not touching the frame at all when the gun is holstered.

In my early years of action shooting, I would constantly practice drawing from the holster and making "one shot draws." I would check my speed using my shot timer, and work on making a fast, smooth, and accurate first shot. Even though I was only taking one shot per draw, I always engaged the thumb safety before holstering the weapon for the next draw.....it became a reflex action, so now I instinctively engage the thumb safety when I holster any loaded 1911 or 2011 gun.......and I instinctively disengage the thumb safety after the gun clears the holster when I draw and fire the gun.....
 
#12 ·
In my worthless opinion, I think that they key to doing things right every time (especially under pressure) is doing them consistently the same way every time. Therefore, I always try to use the same strong hand grip every time I grab my pistol, whether I am drawing, holstering or just picking it up off a table. It becomes automatic and requires no wasted focus in critical situations.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Have fallen into the habit (with new holster) of placing my thumb between the cocked hammer and the firing pin while holstering my gun. Can we safely say this is a safer way to holster my gun, or is there something I should/could be concerned about.
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Ca. 2006, after a club member shot himself in the leg during a match, I started putting my thumb under the hammer and palm away from grip-safety in order to re-holster. Still do so routinely. After the muzzle enters the mouth of the [Kydex*] holster, there's a slight change in grip required; but by that point, in the event of a missed grip, the pistol can fall only the rest of the way into the holster. When my training counselor reviewed the method, he said it was safe. A few squad-mates were initially dismayed by it .... I had to show some ROs, with a few intently observing spectators, that no, I'm not pushing on the hammer ... etc. Some already seemed to think me excentric for cocking my hip such that I wasn't muzzling my leg during holstering: in rule #1, "ALWAYS" means ALWAYS. Actually glad to have multiple reviewers. After the reviews, and nobody came up with a real objection, ROs would at most warn me that dropping the pistol was a DQ and tell me to carry on.

-Very- very rare to need to re-holster other than at a deliberate, leisurely tempo. Taking time and focusing attention on re-holstering is either fine or you probably shouldn't be re-holstering yet. Only one competitor I've ever seen tell other people to hurry during a match: I won't squad with that person again.

* until my "Criterion" I may not have had a leather holster into which a pistol would fall; but a leather holster would still serve as a 3rd hand.
 
#15 ·
Either way both methods are safe. I prefer holding the hammer back with my thumb WHEN HOLSTERING A COCK & LOCKED 1911. By holding the hammer no way is the firing pin going to hit the firing pin plus it also activates the grip safety preventing the trigger from moving.

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#17 ·
I would not object to the procedure. But I would not let it replace the procedure to check your thumb safety function periodically. Like before a match.
 
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