Drop Leg Holsters

[ScottE]

Just wondering if anyone has done any open carry using a drop leg holster, such as a Blackhawk SERPA Level 2 Tactical Holster - http://gunholsters.com/blackhawk-serpa-level-2-tactical-holster

If so, what was your experience with it?

 

[JohnMoses]

I'm interested to hear about peoples experiences with a drop leg.

 

[Phoenix David]

Umm, they suck unless your driving a lot. People make fun of you for wearing it. Makes you look like a mall ninja.

 

[ScottE]

Umm, they suck unless your driving a lot. People make fun of you for wearing it. Makes you look like a mall ninja.

Haha! They look comfortable as **** for just general use, but I've never use one, so I don't know. Just checked out some youtube reviews where they've said they are sweet to wear. And yeah, they look comfortable during driving. Although through research I have found a driving solution I think might work better than having a gun at 3 o'clock all wrapped up tight next to the seat belt.

It's definitely an attention getting OC I'm sure - lol. Just would like to hear experiences from people who have done it. I don't expect to hear from too many people on this. Seen youtubes of people OC'ing rifles, so perhaps people have gone out OC'ing like their part of a swat team as well.

If I don't get a response, then I'll feel obligated to be the first to report my experience.

 

[Merlin]

I like them in theory, but I try to avoid the "Mall Ninja" look, as I think it harms the image of OC, or at least doesn't help normalize it, which is my goal.

To each his own, but I stick with a well presented waist-level Serpa. I like my elbow having contact at all times.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

 

[Glock9mmOldStyle]

I have used them. If a quality holster is used they are very comfortable and one heck of a faster draw than anything worn on the hip. Would I wear one all the time...probably not, but as with most things in life - better to have it and not need it vs need it and not have it. Carry on ladies and gents.

Giving up civil rights for security is a certain way to lose both!

 

[carsontech]

I used the Blackhawk drop leg hrig for when I had to carry around my infant son a lot. For me, it made carrying my son around much easier and comfortable than when I wore my hip holsters.

Now that he's over 1 year old, I don't have to carry him as much so I'm back to a hip holster.

I do miss how great it was to carry in the car with a drop leg rig. It was much easier draw while sitting down with a seat belt on. I try to carry cross-draw in the car now, but I end up taking my holster off, with the gun in it, and placing it somewhere accessible and secure.

Now that my wife is pregnant again, she'll probably be switching from a hip holster to a shoulder or drop leg rig. She told me that Hip holsters aren't that comfy when you have an extra person inside you.

 

[ScottE]

So those that have used them love them, and those that haven't won't due in part to the imagery and political correctness.

I like the Blackhawk Serpa systems, how you can detach your holster from your hip and attach it to the drop leg unit. Or in a car, you can attach it to one of their mounts under your steering wheel. Been doing a lot of research and this is the direction I think I'm leaning for a holster purchase.

 

[Gumby71]

I use the Blackhawk thigh rig while riding my motorcycle. I have it attached to a seperate duty belt with one spare mag and flashlight and G21. Makes life easy. I have found that I need to wear spandex/under armour shorts under my Levi's if I am wearing the rig for extended time while walking. The leg straps start to chaff after a bit of walking. Driving cars is doable but not very confortable to me. I haven't recieved any negative comments about the thigh rig and I have been carrying it this way for 18 months.

 

[ScottE]

I use the Blackhawk thigh rig while riding my motorcycle. I have it attached to a seperate duty belt with one spare mag and flashlight and G21. Makes life easy. I have found that I need to wear spandex/under armour shorts under my Levi's if I am wearing the rig for extended time while walking. The leg straps start to chaff after a bit of walking. Driving cars is doable but not very confortable to me. I haven't recieved any negative comments about the thigh rig and I have been carrying it this way for 18 months.

Ah good point regarding the under armour shorts.

I would think carrying with this rig would constantly draw attention to you, and you'd have the police constantly being called. Not the case though?

 

[Gumby71]

Clackamus County Sheriff responded to MWAG while I was in Portland, OR. Other than that, no problems with LEO.

 

[Phoenix David]

Ah good point regarding the under armour shorts.

I would think carrying with this rig would constantly draw attention to you, and you'd have the police constantly being called. Not the case though?

Naw, generally the only people that get worked up about it are people that are from somewhere else. Open carry is legal is Arizona and has been for a long time if not forever and most of the police are well versed in Arizona laws about guns.

That being said you need to know the laws about open carry, specifically where you can't.

 

[gunslinger493]

I have one and I wear it around the house. It's a Serpa tactical rig and it is very comfortable! I was wearing it at Starbucks in Chandler back in July when some anti called the cops. Since then I have been a bit shy about wearing it but probably should not be, I figure if an anti-gun person is going to call the cops, they are going regardless of what type of holster you are wearing.

 

[ScottE]

Naw, generally the only people that get worked up about it are people that are from somewhere else. Open carry is legal is Arizona and has been for a long time if not forever and most of the police are well versed in Arizona laws about guns.

That being said you need to know the laws about open carry, specifically where you can't.

Yeah, AZ is a very red state, and I suppose carrying is more common. My state of MN is a rather liberal state. If I walked around in stores wearing a drop leg I could see families frantically running out of the stores and back into their minivans.

I never see anyone open carrying here, but I know there are a some out there that do.

 

[Aknazer]

I've been wearing a thigh rig every day for almost two months now and it is comfortable, especially when sitting down. When I would wear my paddle holster around the house I would regularly take it off when sitting for extended periods of time simply because it would be uncomfortable with it would dig into me; but I don't even notice that I'm wearing my thigh rig when sitting unless it catches on something like an arm rest. You will want a good belt though as it seems to pull on my belt more than a regular belt/paddle holster does. Also I can attest to the chaffing, though it doesn't seem to happen every day (it's kind of random when I have chaffing issues). There is the issue of it being socially "acceptable" but that is a call you have to make on your own.

Another thing that I like about it (and really just the serpa system in general) is that I can use the same attachment with different guns by simply switching out the primary holster (use the thigh rig for a 9mm right now, and can throw my .40 in it later). If you find yourself doing this a bunch they even make a "quick detach" connector.

 

[ScottE]

I've been wearing a thigh rig every day for almost two months now and it is comfortable, especially when sitting down. When I would wear my paddle holster around the house I would regularly take it off when sitting for extended periods of time simply because it would be uncomfortable with it would dig into me; but I don't even notice that I'm wearing my thigh rig when sitting unless it catches on something like an arm rest. You will want a good belt though as it seems to pull on my belt more than a regular belt/paddle holster does. Also I can attest to the chaffing, though it doesn't seem to happen every day (it's kind of random when I have chaffing issues). There is the issue of it being socially "acceptable" but that is a call you have to make on your own.

Another thing that I like about it (and really just the serpa system in general) is that I can use the same attachment with different guns by simply switching out the primary holster (use the thigh rig for a 9mm right now, and can throw my .40 in it later). If you find yourself doing this a bunch they even make a "quick detach" connector.

Cool info. I just bought a Serpa CQC Level 2 matte black holster, along with 1 male and 2 female quick disconnect adapters. For now I plan to use one of them on the holster and one mounted on my lower dash in my truck. Should work slick for drawing and for comfort rather than a holstered gun tied up in my seat belt.

 

[Freedom1Man]

I use a drop leg. I plan to buy this higher quality one when I the money to do so.

I like the ease of draw of a drop leg and it's not bad to bicycle with. Running with it on is a little awkward because it makes you unbalanced. So I guess the solution would be to buy a another gun and holster.

It's comfortable except when wearing shorts.
I may have to find my hip holster again if I am going to OC while wearing shorts.

 

[Tactical9mm]

From about 2007 to 2010 while I was living in Las Vegas, I exclusively used a Safariland 6304 as my daily carry rig for my Glock-34.

http://www.safariland.com/DutyGear/product.aspx?pid=6304

Several things factored into my decision to go this route during that time.

1) I Did not have (nor wanted) a Nevada CCW (No chance of accidental concealment even while wearing a winter coat. Good for wearing year round)
2) Super comfort (Ideal for driving, and all-day wear)
3) The safety of the redundant retention system on the holster, and Safariland's reputation for a quality product.

I never had a "negative" encounter while using the rig in that three year period of time. I usually wore black pants, so the holster did not "stand out", along with a polo shirt and work boots. I would not agree with the "mall ninja" analogy.

 

[JohnMoses]

I'm thinking about picking up a drop leg holster for winter carry. Just depends on how cold the Vegas winters get. I'm used to weeks of single digits in Illinois.

 

[cabledawg]

I've used droplegs for work, but havent OC'ed with one in civvies. Mine is a Blackhawk, but just a regular one, not the SERPA. Never had any chafing issues, but it has always been worn with BDU's. Running is awkward, but if the rig is high on your thigh (try to keep it as high as possible) you wont have too many issues with it flopping around. I wear mine slightly forward of the center line on my leg and that really helps when sitting/kneeling.