Question of the Day: Do You Practice Re-Holstering?

1. There’s no point in trying to Monday-morning this one, there’s not enough detail. So I’ll just answer the question. Yes, I do practice reholstering. I can easily reholster my P238 in my Crossbreed IWB without looking, and often one-handed. Depending on what shirt I’m wearing, I do occasionally have to engage my weak hand to move the shirt out of the way.

2. If I dont practice I have to pay closer attention when I reholster. I wear a DeSantis Speed Scabbard (OWB) and when I reholster sometimes my shirt gets caught on the outside of the trigger guard. So yea, inside the trigger guard of a Glock would be bad. One thing Im pretty consistant with is slightly canting the muzzle away from my leg. It may stretch the leather a bit but its better if I ever ND.

3. In most of my training I have been taught to “reholster reluctantly” after scanning for additional threats. That being said, once you make the decision to reholster, your gear and your skill level should make it effortless and efficient. I love the positive click of my Bladetech Nano IWB, but when I wear my Galco leather I need to use my thumb to find the opening and carefully reholster.

   • Exactly, reluctant reholstering is what i was taught too.
     Aside from that, practice, A LOT.

   • “Reluctant reholstering”. I’ve never heard that before. I like it.

   • An excellent idea. Way too many people ‘speed reholster’ – and some of those guys shoot themselves when they jam the gun in the holster before their finger gets out of the way, or a bit of shirttail gets in the trigger guard.

4. Does shooting IDPA weekly matches qualify?

5. I live in northern California. As a general rule, we don’t get to use holsters at the range. If there are Bay Area ranges which permit non-LE to use holsters, I’m not aware of them. Pretty sure even Reed’s removed the provision that permitted private citizens with certain training certs to shoot from the holster.

   That said, I do practice various draws and reholstering techniques at least weekly when I’m getting in some LaserLyte training time. That will go up to several times per week for the first several months after my new Raven Concealment holster is delivered.

6. Honestly it depends on the gun and carry system I’m using. Some I can reholster blind and one handed, others not so much (I’m thinking of the mole skins I like to use IWB and being the hip with my XDS-9. To reholster it in that rig would require both hands and possibly removing the holster and reseating it with the gun inside. On the other hand its a small light pistol that can be dropped into my back pocked which is basically reholstered (my right rear pocket never contains anything).

   I think if the weapon is secured back on your person, out of hand and without grave retention concern you’re covered. As for the implied tactical element, yes, I do practice getting the gun out of my hands and out of site once I’m convinced the threat has passed. If you’re anything short of LEO in full uniform standing around after a shooting with a gun in hands is asking to be shot by the next responder.

7. Good to see the news repeating the advice not to chase an attacker (good advice I think) rather than the MSM usual “do not resist an attacker whatsoever”.

8. Did anyone watch the video? The store owner KEPT shooting, then got popped by the po po. So…. not very safe move there, unless the perps were still active. At which point reholstering may have been a bad move(if he even had one)

   And the answer is yes. Hope everyone else does too

9. Yes. I practice re-holstering my guns. Not in front of a mirror though, and only before I start drinking.

10. Yep, often and consistently. My crown holster for my M&P9 is the same concept as your RKBA and reholstering with it is second nature. With my CBST for my M&P9c I have to pay a bit more attention but itinerary is almost as easy.

11. question: when using a glock/m&p type gun with a trigger safety, does anyone ever move finger from the grip and down behind the trigger when reholstering? Because of the relatively light trigger pull to a DA or the safety of a 1911, I am always nervous that my shirt or something will snag as I push into holster causing gun to discharge. Any thoughts?

    • I understand your concern. My carry is usually an XDS which has the same short light trigger pull and no thumb safety but it does have a grip safety ala the 1911. What I do is press the pistol into the holster primarily with my thumb pressing the back of the slide and my hand off the grip safety. Obviously on pistols lacking the grip safety that’s not an option. I’m a 1911 guy for the most part but don’t always want to carry a pistol that big. Thumb safeties are a way of life for me until this XDS. I’m not even sure I’d want to carry a light triggered piece without either type of external safety (such as a Glock). Though I have carried a glock it was always in a duty style OWB holster that avoided many of the problems.

    • Easy solution. Get rid of your Glock and get a safe gun. And if you are too much of a fan boy to do that, make sure that the mouth of your holster will not collapse, e.g., kydex or reinforced leather.

12. My range has a big gravel pit that is specifically for holster practice with a big, close backstop. When I train with my EDC I will practice draws, mag changes, and reholstering far more than actually pulling the trigger. Typically I’ll load 1-4 rounds per mag so I can focus on the drills.

    Since I carry IWB in an Incog or OWB in a Raven depending on clothing, I will typically practice with both in a day but stick with one given EDC weapon for that session.

13. Pretty much everyday. If you are not doing it you are not checking your firearm before you strap it on – bad move. It goes this way: Firearm out of holster – check firearm for safety on if it has one, check for obstructions, loose magazine, etc. – strap holster on – check firearm again – holster firearm.

    Change magazines every week. Chambered round goes in at the bottom of the magazine.

14. I carry my CZ-75 Compact cocked and locked in a Tommy Theis holster, and yes, I do practice reholstering. Whenever I practice my draw from concealment, I also practice reholstering it properly.

    I also put my thumb on top of the cocked hammer, so that in the off-chance that I didn’t remember to put the safety back on AND the trigger snagged on some part of the holster, my thumb would stop the hammer from engaging the firing pin. I’ve got that down to muscle memory now.

15. I absolutely practice re-holstering. My choice of holster requires a bit extra. G-20 in a Glock-Tech MIC – the only way to CC a big pistol in AZ.

16. A reholstering drill should be the end of you draw drill.

17. Kydex is not only louder when reholstering, it’s also typically louder when drawing. That’s a downside when you’re trying to draw without drawing attention to yourself. Somebody needs to mention in this post that when a cop asks you to drop a gun, you simply DROP the drop-safe gun from whatever position you’re in. Do not reholster, do not move your arm, just open your hand. You should be holding a modern drop-safe firearms so that you can do so safely. If the cop sees you raising or lowering or turning or doing anything with your gun other than dropping it, you might just get shot.

    • Thank you- good point.
      Brings to mind the Las Vegas Costco CCW’er shot by cops incident.

      Col Dave Grossman (“Bulletproof Mind”) makes same point in seminars.
      He also recommends keeping hand on holster, vs drawing to low ready, while moving to safety in a mall shooting, where a blue-on-blue’s have in past and might again occur between first-responders and off-duty LEO in plainclothes/CCW sheepdogs.

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