I haven’t tried the Versa holster, but calling it a “holster” strikes me as a vast exaggeration. Our man over at gunmartblog.com understands the obvious objections: “The biggest issue that many people have with this holster is the fact that these holsters do not cover the trigger of the handgun.” Yup, that’s an issue. Or is it? “After having spent some considerable time over the weekend working with this holster, I believe that if the gun is handled in a safe manor and typical care is taken, then there should never be a problem.” Unless there is. [Versa’s website promises an “optional trigger guard” in the future.] “The other major contention others are having is the holstering/re-holstering of the firearm.” OK, now you’ve got my attention . . .

Secondly, I am of the belief that in 99% of situations where a civilian concealed carry holder draws their gun, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to re-holster…. and certainly there is no need to hurry to do so. If you had to fire your weapon and the cops are on their way, then just set your gun on the ground when they show up. If you didn’t shoot anybody and the situation diffused itself, then you should probably take as long as possible to calm yourself down and then re-holster as carefully as you possibly can. If you are a civilian CWP holder, just dont do it. If you have to, then take the holster off and then re-holster. There is absolutely no need to do a speed re-holster of any kind.

I’m not 100% sure about that 99% stat. In fact, I would LOVE to see some actual hard data on how the average Defensive Gun Use (DGU) de-escalates after a shooting. Using the same wet-finger-in-the-air calculations, I reckon at least 10 percent of civilian shooters re-holster their firearms after a DGU.

As well they might.

IF you’ve well and truly stopped the immediate threat (i.e. the perp or perps are immobile or they’ve run away), you really don’t want to be holding your firearm when the cops show up. Nor do you want to put it down; you won’t have access to it if hostilities resume. What’s more, someone may take the gun, which is an absolutely vital piece of evidence in your defense.

I reckon you should re-holster, assume a non-threatening posture and keep your hands up and away from your body.

Also, it’s entirely possible that you may have to leave the scene of a DGU. If so, you REALLY don’t want to be seen running down the street holding onto a gun. Nor do you want to abandon your weapon. You want to re-holster. So how easy is it to reholster the Versa carry [assault] clip?

Re-holstering must be done by removing the holster from the carry position first. Many have deemed this a major problem as well, but I personally dont feel that it is a deal breaker. For one, if you do need to re-holster, it can be very quickly and easily done. I was able to do so completely and go back to concealment in approximately five seconds.

Five seconds is an awful long time for re-holstering. And that’s five seconds without all the fun and excitement of a full adrenalin dump coursing through your blood stream. Without needing to maintain situational awareness (i.e. not look at your holster). In fact, I can’t see the Versa clip working at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWwBmNWENK0&NR=1

The company’s website and video doesn’t address this issue. In the safety warnings section of their site, there’s this: “DO NOT use this product to carry any handgun with a live round in the chamber.”

Case closed? TTAG will contact the company for their response and get a clip for a full demo. Meanwhile, while all holsters (and guns) require some sort of compromise, there are some compromises that aren’t worth making.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. I looked at these a week or two ago. Neat Idea, but the product itself looks more like a prototype than a production model. Too many issues to address before they should sell it. Cover that effin trigger guard pronto.

  2. No live rounds in the chamber? So it takes two hands to get your gun into action AND two hands to put it away?

    No thanks. Particularly if the barrel plug snaps off and obstructs the bore…

  3. It’s clumsy and doesn’t protect against ADs. Yeah, I gotsta have one of these.

    If this holster is the answer, what was the question?

  4. I don’t understand what the problem is. This isn’t the first of this kind of carry. What about the grip with the external hook that is used for the 38 revolvers? What about the metal clip that is screwed on to semi-autos/revolvers? At least some one should give the kid credit for listening to consumers. Go to the site and tell him what you think, maybe with all of our advice, he can come up with a perfect product.

    • Not covering the trigger is generally a bad idea. It could snag when you put the gun in your pants and you’ll end up with the Plaxico special.

  5. I have been using one of these for about two weeks now on my Glock 19 (with a NY1 trigger spring). Works just as advertised, easy on and off, very comfortable. It is a simple device but is well made for what it is. I have no problem with the trigger not being covered, once in place there is no way something could activate a Glock trigger, I tried everything I could think of including actually pushing my shirt into the trigger guard( unloaded of course) and was unable to make the it pull the trigger. There is no more danger putting the gun with the device on in place than just holstering a Glock in a normal holster, if you pay attention to what you are doing and make sure nothing gets in the trigger guard. I still use my regular holsters but the Versa Carry works great for me as I have to take my gun and holster off a couple times a day because I can’t carry in my office. I found, for me at least. It was more safe and easier than the IWB I was using.

  9. The perfect “minimalist” holster for my Ruger LC9! I’m able to cofortably carry chambered with the safety on. It now comes with a trigger guard so I can use my Glock as well. It’s inexpensive and works perfectly.

  10. Revolvers have a “long” trigger pull..no safety issues there most say..so why would a DAO semi auto be any different? I carry the LC9 “Mexican” sometimes..sometimes not. It is a comfort issue with me not safety. Mexican style carry depends on body type and clothing style. I carried my 2 inch this way for years working vice detail when running for short distances was not uncommon. A pistol with nothing in the chamber???…..get another pistol. The advice given by Versacarry was lawyer driven and if you want a lawyers advice…they will tell you not to carry in the first place…just saying’.

  11. I have daily carried Glock 36 for three months. I also bought one for my CZ pcr compact. Works perfectly. I would never carry without a round in the chamber. Use you head and f the lawyers.

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