pattywak

I got my HCP last year very shortly after I turned 21, and when the decision came to drink at a restaurant or at some other places, I usually chose to carry for the reason that I'd rather feel safe knowing I was armed than buzzed on some alcohol. Being the kind of guy that doesn't even drive after having one beer, it soon became a non-issue to not drink when I went out to eat or to a friend's party since I would have to drive and did not want to drink and drive. To this day, 99 times out of 100 I will choose carrying over cocktails. It may be hard being an age where drinking is a very common social activity, and I have gotten my fair share of, "Why aren't you drinking?" questions, but I'd much rather be exercising my right and saving money and safe the drinks for another time.

I have the 9mm shield. I was also worried about how recoil would be because I had never shot a small frame pistol before, but it wasn't as bad as I had made it out to be. And as far as squeezing the trigger smoothly - I thought I have done a pretty good job of that in the past, I can shoot my FNX and my friend's Glock just fine, but maybe it's because this trigger is a little heavier / different design that I am now showing problems. From what I can gather, the two most probably things that I am messing up are: 1. The trigger manipulation 2. Something with my grip ( strong hand or off hand ) I am going to shoot on Saturday and I'll report back how it goes. Thanks to everyone for the help!

That gun owner was ready to "rip'' that guy a new one...

In the third picture you can see the back of it. It's a little hard to see, please excuse the cell phone pics, but it is a jhook. $40 seems a little high, but all the "one size fits all" kydex holders were either vertical ones or they covered up nearly the entire magazine so drawing from them was difficult. I feel like for this it was money well spent. That is one model I ran into while searching, I liked it except for the velcro flap you have to open to get to the mag. I understand it's for max concealment though. But I agree with you, horizontal is the way to go! Once again, thank you all for checking out my review.

For me and many of you, it will be easy to find another search engine to use. But as far as finding a replacement Youtube....I don't think there's any out there. There is Vimeo, but that has a much smaller audience and is more focused on higher end films.... Gut instinct says (hopes) that this doesn't mean no more gun or shooting videos on Youtube, but you know how life goes, always remember that it will surprise you. I would hate to lose my shooting videos on Youtube...they make up the majority of the channels I subscribe to.

I carry an M&P Shield, and when I was looking for a mag pouch I decided against one in a vertical position because I have a "little more to love" around my midsection. Looking online for some horizontal mag pouches, I only found some full concealment velcro types - I really wanted a kydex one. Enter Dale Fricke and his Joab Mag Pouches. After having a question about how much of the magazine would be uncovered to aid in easy mag extraction answered quickly via e-mail, I placed my order and 4 days later it arrived. First Impressions When the package arrived, this is everything that was in the box: I was a little surprised to see another big thing in the box, and it turned out it was a Bible. Now, you have to understand that Dale Fricke names all his products after names in the Bible, so this was pretty fitting, although highly surprising. Fit and finish were great, and it held my 8 round mag well, although there is a retention screw that you can adjust to your liking. I snugged it down a little bit as I want to have to give a thoughtful tug on it to get the mag out. I went with the Left Hand Carry, Right Hand Operator and Bullets Up options, and bullets up gave me the Final Impressions After wearing the Joab mag pouch for a few days, I have come to a few conclusions: 1. Carrying another magazine doesn't have to be something you fight with, like I thought it was going to be. 2. A horizontal mag pouch really is comfortable, and in the position I carry it's surprising that it's so comfortable and unnoticeable. 3. Having never carried a spare mag before, it took some time trying different positions and draws to see what I liked, and I settled on the position shown in the picture below. The way I carry it now, the motion I make is as if I was reaching for my belt buckle to adjust my pants, so it's a very natural motion. In conclusion, I have to recommend this mag pouch to anyone looking for a comfortable and discreet way to carry another magazine. For $40 dollars plus shipping, I think it was a pretty good value. Mr. Fricke can also custom make a holster to your needs, for example, if you want a mag pouch and a flashlight holster, he can do that, or a mag pouch / knife combo he can do that as well. Bought from http://dalefrickeholsters.com/ Thanks for reading!

This is also somewhat my worry once I get a long arm of my own, but for different reasons. I shoot left-handed, but I am right eye dominant. It's like the worst of both options, "wrong" handedness AND opposite dominant eye.

Odd, I just tried looking up some weapons on Google and it returned some Shopping results still. Maybe it hasn't hit everyone yet.

Thank you both for the input!

Thanks, it was my first review. And I wanted to write one to help get the Theis name out! Can't go wrong with having more options!

As stated in the title, this will be my review of my Theis IWB Holster courtesy of http://www.theisholsters.com. There will also be some sort-of comparison to the well-known Crossbreed Supertuck, since I also own one of those and it is the same style of holster (hybrid leather/kydex IWB.) - Initial Impressions Before getting to the actual unboxing of the holster, I have to touch on the subject of customer service. Do some searching on the Internet about Tommy Theis and his holsters and you will undoubtedly hear about his fantastic customer service. I sent him an e-mail with some questions I had an the first reply came 15 minutes later from his cell phone. Amazing speed. The longest he ever took to get back to me was a few hours. He runs a one-man operation making these holsters for customers and it's amazing that he can address customer e-mails that quickly. Rest assured: the rumors you've heard about Mr. Theis' customer service are true. Mr. Theis will also custom make any holsters, so if you have extra needs like a holster for a gun with a mounted light (or even a IWB holster for a Desert Eagle...I've seen the picture of one he made) then feel free to shoot him an e-mail. Upon first opening the package, I can see that this was a quality piece. It's not some hack job holster thrown together, it's a quality piece. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Included in the package were some business cards that you can distribute. All of his holsters come with a "combat cut," and I chose to go with horsehide and the Kydex clips. I opted for the Kydex clips because they lay flat at the bottom instead of having a metal tab that moves outward away from the belt. When I put my Shield in the holster, the first thing I noticed was the retention. Out of the box, this thing has MAJOR retention. Loads more than the Crossbreed did at first. This caused some problems with drawing the first few days, but eventually it's worn into a good, snug fit that draws easy. I included the above profile shot to show how thin the gun and holster are. This is the reason I like the two-clip designs. Since I am prioritizing thin-ness by going with the Shield, I thought it would be a bad idea to get a single-clip holster that puts the clip right at the thickest part of the whole setup. That being said, I've used single-clip setups with the shield and it wasn't bad, just not what I prefer. When I first put on the holster, it was very comfortable and held the gun well. I could not tell a different between this and my Crossbreed Supertuck as far as initial feel on my hip. With this setup in place, I began my testing and daily carry. - Final Impressions I've worn the Thies holster for about a month of daily carry use, and I'm happy to report it's been absolutely fantastic. It took a while to set the cant and height just right for me, but once I got it dialed in it's all gravy from there. The clips have held up to my daily use well. I say "my daily use" because I don't kick doors down, do tactical room clearing, or roll around on the ground shooting from the supine position. I've carried it around the house, to the mall, while driving up to an hour at a time, and the combination of this holster and the M&P Shield is great. I'm going to use very cliche phrases by saying, "You forget it's there" and "It carries so well it just disappears" because they apply here. Here's a picture of where I carry and how the holster has formed to my hip. I carry at about the 8oclock position, with the maximum forward cant. This is because I ran into some problems with getting my fat fingers around the grip without bumping into my belt with anything less than the max forward cant. It still draws well from this position. I tucked my shirt in for the picture so you could see how I carried it. Trust me when I say that you can't see it at all when the shirt is over it. - Conclusion I love this holster. I was looking to an alternative to the Crossbreed Supertuck that didn't take a month or more to get made and delivered. I realize that the reason it may take a while is because I'm left handed, and they probably don't have many extras of those laying around. The point of the comparisons to the Crossbreed are that this holster has done everything my Crossbreed has, but at a much cheaper price. I will break it down here: Theis Holster: Horsehide Combat Cut Kydex clips Two and a half week wait. Two week trial with lifetime warranty $65 shipped Crossbreed Supertuck Horsehide +$15 Combat Cut +$7.50 No kydex clips 4 Weeks or more wait Two week trial with lifetime warranty $92.25 (Note: above prices are based off ordering directly from the website, something I have to do because no local stores stock left hand holsters. I also recognize that wait times will vary depending on supply of holsters and demand for them. These are just from my personal experience.) As you can see from the breakdown and the review, for me, the Theis holster has done everything the Crossbreed has done at a MUCH cheaper cost with the added bonus of kydex clips and a shorter wait time. It is for this reason that I now recommend Theis Holsters over Crossbreed Holsters. Thank you for reading my review, it was my first gear review. I am also working on a review for the Dale Fricke horizontal mag pouch - coming soon. Any questions please feel free to ask.

As stated in the title, this will be my review of my Theis IWB Holster courtesy of http://www.theisholsters.com. There will also be some sort-of comparison to the well-known Crossbreed Supertuck, since I also own one of those and it is the same style of holster (hybrid leather/kydex IWB.) - Initial Impressions Before getting to the actual unboxing of the holster, I have to touch on the subject of customer service. Do some searching on the Internet about Tommy Theis and his holsters and you will undoubtedly hear about his fantastic customer service. I sent him an e-mail with some questions I had an the first reply came 15 minutes later from his cell phone. Amazing speed. The longest he ever took to get back to me was a few hours. He runs a one-man operation making these holsters for customers and it's amazing that he can address customer e-mails that quickly. Rest assured: the rumors you've heard about Mr. Theis' customer service are true. Upon first opening the package, I can see that this was a quality piece. It's not some hack job holster thrown together, it's a quality piece. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Included in the package were some business cards that you can distribute. All of his holsters come with a "combat cut," and I chose to go with horsehide and the Kydex clips. I opted for the Kydex clips because they lay flat at the bottom instead of having a metal tab that moves outward away from the belt. When I put my Shield in the holster, the first thing I noticed was the retention. Out of the box, this thing has MAJOR retention. Loads more than the Crossbreed did at first. This caused some problems with drawing the first few days, but eventually it's worn into a good, snug fit that draws easy. I included the above profile shot to show how thin the gun and holster are. This is the reason I like the two-clip designs. Since I am prioritizing thin-ness by going with the Shield, I thought it would be a bad idea to get a single-clip holster that puts the clip right at the thickest part of the whole setup. That being said, I've used single-clip setups with the shield and it wasn't bad, just not what I prefer. When I first put on the holster, it was very comfortable and held the gun well. I could not tell a different between this and my Crossbreed Supertuck as far as initial feel on my hip. With this setup in place, I began my testing and daily carry. Final Impressions I've worn the Thies holster for about a month of daily carry use, and I'm happy to report it's been absolutely fantastic. It took a while to set the cant and height just right for me, but once I got it dialed in it's all gravy from there. The clips have held up to my daily use well. I say "my daily use" because I don't kick doors down, do tactical room clearing, or roll around on the ground shooting from the supine position. I've carried it around the house, to the mall, while driving up to an hour at a time, and the combination of this holster and the M&P Shield is great. I'm going to use very cliche phrases by saying, "You forget it's there" and "It carries so well it just disappears" because they apply here. Here's a picture of where I carry and how the holster has formed to my hip. I carry at about the 8oclock position, with the maximum forward cant. This is because I ran into some problems with getting my fat fingers around the grip without bumping into my belt with anything less than the max forward cant. It still draws well from this position. Conclusion I love this holster. I was looking to an alternative to the Crossbreed Supertuck that didn't take a month or more to get made and delivered. I realize that the reason it may take a while is because I'm left handed, and they probably don't have many extras of those laying around. The point of the comparisons to the Crossbreed are that this holster has done everything my Crossbreed has, but at a much cheaper price. I will break it down here: Theis Holster: Horsehide Combat Cut Kydex clips Two and a half week wait. Two week trial with lifetime warranty $65 shipped Crossbreed Supertuck Horsehide +$15 Combat Cut +$7.50 No kydex clips 4 Weeks or more wait Two week trial with lifetime warranty $92.25 (Note: above prices are based off ordering directly from the website, something I have to do because no local stores stock left hand holsters As you can see from the breakdown and the review, for me, the Theis holster has done everything the Crossbreed has done at a MUCH cheaper cost with the added bonus of kydex clips and a shorter wait time. It is for this reason that I now recommend Theis Holsters over Crossbreed Holsters. Thank you for reading my review, it was my first gear review. I am also working on a review for the Dale Fricke horizontal mag pouch - coming soon. Any questions please feel free to ask.

Wow, I'm glad no one (that mattered) got hurt and that all the good guys got to go home safe. These are the kinds of stories that the media and news need to circulate. May help with the stigma attached to guns.

Also worth mentioning, the "assailant" always went for the teacher, then the concealed weapon carrier right away because they knew who had the weapon. In real world, you wouldn't know who had the gun. If you ask me, the video is proof that anti-gun nuts live in a dream world.

I'll try that bulls-eye shooting next time I'm at the range. So shooting one handed improved your groupings? Were you able to work out your two-handed grip?

I didn't think of that. I might be unconsciously doing that when I shoot because I'm trying to "hold onto" the gun more since it's smaller. Will add that to the list of things to check out. Thanks for that!

1. FN 2. Smith and Wesson. A very small collection compared to what some of you all have here, but considering I just began shooting pistols a little more than a year ago and I am on a college student budget I think I've done pretty well. Way I look at it, I need to get as proficient as possible with my time and resources before buying up guns faster than I can train with them.

That video and sound quality is surprisingly good for a camera that small! Thanks for posting the video, and that finish on your CZ looks fantastic.

I've shot both Ruger 22/45s and a friend's Walther P22, and personally I liked the P22 a little better. For me, it was more fun to shoot, and it fit pretty well in my hand.

I don't know much anything about revolvers, but that piece looks like a beast! Sounds like you enjoy it much also!

Thank you for the review! Having completed my HCP course and doing regular visits to the range, I've been looking for that "next step" and this sounds like it could be it.

I figured that it wouldn't apply for all people, especially those with bigger hands or longer fingers because trying to get the pad on the trigger would be near impossible for them. Would this be making sure it's just the pad of the finger? I could tell during some shots that my finger was slipping more towards the knuckle on the trigger. Next time I'm at the range I will make a serious effort to isolate my finger and make sure it's not the knuckle pulling the trigger.

Big K - according to that link, and by mirroring it since I am left handed, I am either tightening my fingers, jerking or slapping the trigger, breaking the wrist down or pushing forward. I'm pretty sure I'm not breaking my wrist down or flinching in anticipation of recoil, so I'm going to guess it's either me tightening my fingers or jerking or slapping the trigger. What does jerking or slapping mean? Do either have to do with too much of the finger on the trigger instead of the pad? Garufa - the pull is heavier than I expected, and I did think about the apex kit, but I would rather work on my fundamentals first since I'm a relatively new shooter and then look to gear modification. And also, it could be I use TOO LITTLE trigger finger? The last time I was at the range I tried to consciously use the pad of my finger - or is a different technique used because it's a much smaller frame width wise?

A little background: I am left handed. Before I bought the Shield, I had and daily carried a full size FNX-9, which I shot well with no issues. Now, with this M&P Shield, I have been able to go to the Guns and Leather range a number of times and noticed a pattern emerging. Check the picture of my target: A few notes about the target: 1. The six targets on the periphery were all shot with deliberate slow fire with the Shield, except the bottom left one which I shot with my friends Glock 22 - the first time I shot a .40 cal pistol. As you can see, the general pattern is low and left, but with the Glock the shots were going where I put the sights during the semi-rapid fire. 2. The bullseye and head areas of the target I used for some failure drill-type exercises, two or three to the body and one to the head from the draw. You can see the general low and right pattern on the bullseye target. My first guess was that since this Shield is so much thinner than the FNX and the Glock, I am not used to holding it and thus more of my trigger finger is slipping onto the trigger, causing the low and right pattern. For some of the slow shooting on the peripheral targets, I purposefully concentrated on just using the pad of my finger, but it still seemed to be going low and right. I also thought that possibly I am gripping the gun too tightly, since it is only a 2 finger grip as opposed to the full 3 finger grip that I am used to. Any ideas how I can remedy this? I do some dryfiring practice at home and it never appears that the front sight moves down and to the right when the trigger breaks, but this might be because I'm actually doing something differently when I'm at the range vs just dryfiring at home.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I really was looking for something horizontal because I wanted a little more discreet way to carry, and to me horizontal carry seemed more comfortable for my body type (portly...to say the least.) As far as my search, I just placed my order of a Joab horizontal mag pouch. Will post a review of all my gear once it gets in and I get some time with it. I went with the single mag holder because the double mag holder loses the discreet and comfort appeal of a horizontal holder and makes it just as tall as a vertical holder. Even though I already found one I wanted to try, I still want to hear others chime in about how they carry their mags. For those who carry in the pocket, do you have a holster or just throw it in there? This wasn't a real option for me since I have full pockets usually already. Anyone carry in the back pocket? If so, how has that worked for you?