Team SNAFU

It was a hot day in the Mississippi woods, and I was running on a patrol during a team practice. While looking around, I noticed my pistol on the ground behind me. I went and picked it up, putting it back in my cheap Chinese holster, thinking nothing of it. Later on that day, while the other team was practicing ambush (and doing a damn fine job of it), they got us pinned in a dry, sandy trench. While trying to climb out, my holster got rubbed all in the sand, and as a result, my craptastic holster allowed large amounts of dirt into my sidearm's barrel, ejection port, and over the grip. My current gun was nothing special, but knowing that I had a nice new 1911 on the way, I started my search for a new holster. It eventually came down to a choice between the Safariland 6004 and the HSGI Drop Leg Holster. After talking with some people and reading some reviews, it appeared that the 6004 would be a dirt-shovel in a woodland environment. So the choice was an easy one - I went with the HSGI.

I bought the HSGI Drop Leg Holster from OpTactical for $95 USD with a $5 shipping charge. I got the M9/1911 version - other sizes are available, for most popular handguns. The delivery was quite speedy, and I was very pleased with the service, as well as the prices. It arrived in a nice USPS postage box, completely loose in the box, in no wrapper. In said box were the holster, two standard HSGI single magazine pouches, and the flap.

My first impression was very pleasing. The holster was made out of a very rugged material and the buckles were just as tough. Of course, the first thing I did was slide my 1911 in my new piece of gear, and adjust all the straps to fit me, and to fit my gun. The actual part that wraps around your leg is made of a very breathable mesh, so your leg rarely gets any hotter than the rest of you. This mesh is very flexable as well. This holster has never prohibited my movement or hindered my performance. It's quite comfy, and feels very natural. The holster looks quite nice too, with a large leather patch with the HSGI logo and information on it.

One thing I love about this holster, is that the gun's barrel and slide do not stick out of the bottom like on my previous holster. The thumb safety can be a bit of a bitch, but if you use the flap instead of the thumb safety, then you shouldn't have a problem. The problem stems from it being too 'floppy' - something others have had similar issuses with. You have to cram your thumb down into the join between the sections to unsnap the strap, and this is an issue with gloves on, or if you are in a hurry. Note that if you decide not to get the flap, then the retention strap should hold your pistol in well enough. Don't expect fast draws, though - this is a woodland holster through-and-through, where draw times are not such an issue.

Right next to the buckle that fastens it around your leg is a loop of bungee cord, designed so that the holster will stretch some for the snuggest fit possible-and it really does achive just that. Just tighten the holster snug, and then the bungee will stretch as you move.

Like I was saying, the buckles are very heavy duty. Just by these buckles you can tell that this piece of gear was built to take some major crap, and to last through it all. The buckle that goes around your leg is about 1/2 the size of a 1911 magazine. All buckles are ITW Nexus branded.

The holster, while being made for a M9 or 1911, is very adjustable. The retention strap can be adjusted to any length, and will need to be lengthened if you have the flap. The part that wraps around your leg is very adjustable as well, and can even fit my small leg. You can also adjust the holster height wise. There is a strap on the back that connects to your belt, that attaches to velcro on the back of the holster, much like any other drop-leg holster.

I am very impressed with the magazine pouches that came with the holster as well. They too, like the holster, feel very strong, and as if they will last. The buckles on these are strong as well, and very easy to open for fast reloads. When you get the holster, they come seperately. You can configure these any way you want, on the holster, or off. There is a good bit of MOLLE/MALICE webbing on the holster for you to mount them, along with one small MALICE clip for each. I prefer to have one mounted on the holster, and one on my belt, but how you mount them is purely up to you.

They are very adjustable just like their holster counterpart. I prefer to keep them quite snug on the magazines, so that when I need to reload, I only need to lightly press on the buckle, and it will come undone, for quick and easy access to my magazine. They feature both velcro and side-release buckle closure, and the velcro comes with an attached silencing strip, so you can choose to roll with either retention method (or both).

To remedy the dirt problem I had on that day in practice, I decided to buy the flap for the holster as well. This was one of the selling points for me. I thought it would be great to have a flap to go over the grip of my pistol, and I was correct.

The flap, just like the rest of this holster, is made out of some great material, and is very strong. I highly doubt anything debris-wise would be able to penetrate this (sticks, rocks, things that you would incounter in a skirmish). It has always kept my gun nice and clean, as well as protected it, when I had to get down and dirty in the middle of a game. Many times I will have to lie down and roll from side to side in order to avoid incoming fire. This helped to protect my sidearm while I was working on getting to proper cover, and prevents dirt from getting into the hammer area of the gun whilst crawling - something the Safariland 6004, for reference, is notorious in aiding...

Now the only thing bad about this entire holster is getting the flap on and off. Luckly, hopefully, you'll only have to do this once. Getting all the buckles and straps through a two inch long, 1/8 inch wide hole is quite a challenge. Just stay with it, and work each buckle and piece though, piece by piece. Just be sure to get the retention strap through first, or you'll have to undo it all later. Overall, however, the flap is still well worth the money and effort, for the protection it offers for your sidearm.

All in all, this is a great holster. While this is only my second holster, I love it. It may seem like the flap would prohibit your speed with drawing, but I can effectively draw my 1911 in 1.5 seconds with practice (the key to everything anyway). Everything included with this holster is very durable as well as very comfortable. It has been a great holster that has not let me down so far, and I hope won't let me down for a very long time.

<<< Back to Articles	Written by 101matt1, 2nd October 2007
PRODUCT REVIEW: HSGI DROP HOLSTER W/ FLAP
CLICK TO ENLARGE	It was a hot day in the Mississippi woods, and I was running on a patrol during a team practice. While looking around, I noticed my pistol on the ground behind me. I went and picked it up, putting it back in my cheap Chinese holster, thinking nothing of it. Later on that day, while the other team was practicing ambush (and doing a damn fine job of it), they got us pinned in a dry, sandy trench. While trying to climb out, my holster got rubbed all in the sand, and as a result, my craptastic holster allowed large amounts of dirt into my sidearm's barrel, ejection port, and over the grip. My current gun was nothing special, but knowing that I had a nice new 1911 on the way, I started my search for a new holster. It eventually came down to a choice between the Safariland 6004 and the HSGI Drop Leg Holster. After talking with some people and reading some reviews, it appeared that the 6004 would be a dirt-shovel in a woodland environment. So the choice was an easy one - I went with the HSGI. I bought the HSGI Drop Leg Holster from OpTactical for $95 USD with a $5 shipping charge. I got the M9/1911 version - other sizes are available, for most popular handguns. The delivery was quite speedy, and I was very pleased with the service, as well as the prices. It arrived in a nice USPS postage box, completely loose in the box, in no wrapper. In said box were the holster, two standard HSGI single magazine pouches, and the flap. My first impression was very pleasing. The holster was made out of a very rugged material and the buckles were just as tough. Of course, the first thing I did was slide my 1911 in my new piece of gear, and adjust all the straps to fit me, and to fit my gun. The actual part that wraps around your leg is made of a very breathable mesh, so your leg rarely gets any hotter than the rest of you. This mesh is very flexable as well. This holster has never prohibited my movement or hindered my performance. It's quite comfy, and feels very natural. The holster looks quite nice too, with a large leather patch with the HSGI logo and information on it. One thing I love about this holster, is that the gun's barrel and slide do not stick out of the bottom like on my previous holster. The thumb safety can be a bit of a bitch, but if you use the flap instead of the thumb safety, then you shouldn't have a problem. The problem stems from it being too 'floppy' - something others have had similar issuses with. You have to cram your thumb down into the join between the sections to unsnap the strap, and this is an issue with gloves on, or if you are in a hurry. Note that if you decide not to get the flap, then the retention strap should hold your pistol in well enough. Don't expect fast draws, though - this is a woodland holster through-and-through, where draw times are not such an issue. Right next to the buckle that fastens it around your leg is a loop of bungee cord, designed so that the holster will stretch some for the snuggest fit possible-and it really does achive just that. Just tighten the holster snug, and then the bungee will stretch as you move. Like I was saying, the buckles are very heavy duty. Just by these buckles you can tell that this piece of gear was built to take some major crap, and to last through it all. The buckle that goes around your leg is about 1/2 the size of a 1911 magazine. All buckles are ITW Nexus branded. The holster, while being made for a M9 or 1911, is very adjustable. The retention strap can be adjusted to any length, and will need to be lengthened if you have the flap. The part that wraps around your leg is very adjustable as well, and can even fit my small leg. You can also adjust the holster height wise. There is a strap on the back that connects to your belt, that attaches to velcro on the back of the holster, much like any other drop-leg holster. I am very impressed with the magazine pouches that came with the holster as well. They too, like the holster, feel very strong, and as if they will last. The buckles on these are strong as well, and very easy to open for fast reloads. When you get the holster, they come seperately. You can configure these any way you want, on the holster, or off. There is a good bit of MOLLE/MALICE webbing on the holster for you to mount them, along with one small MALICE clip for each. I prefer to have one mounted on the holster, and one on my belt, but how you mount them is purely up to you. They are very adjustable just like their holster counterpart. I prefer to keep them quite snug on the magazines, so that when I need to reload, I only need to lightly press on the buckle, and it will come undone, for quick and easy access to my magazine. They feature both velcro and side-release buckle closure, and the velcro comes with an attached silencing strip, so you can choose to roll with either retention method (or both). To remedy the dirt problem I had on that day in practice, I decided to buy the flap for the holster as well. This was one of the selling points for me. I thought it would be great to have a flap to go over the grip of my pistol, and I was correct. The flap, just like the rest of this holster, is made out of some great material, and is very strong. I highly doubt anything debris-wise would be able to penetrate this (sticks, rocks, things that you would incounter in a skirmish). It has always kept my gun nice and clean, as well as protected it, when I had to get down and dirty in the middle of a game. Many times I will have to lie down and roll from side to side in order to avoid incoming fire. This helped to protect my sidearm while I was working on getting to proper cover, and prevents dirt from getting into the hammer area of the gun whilst crawling - something the Safariland 6004, for reference, is notorious in aiding... Now the only thing bad about this entire holster is getting the flap on and off. Luckly, hopefully, you'll only have to do this once. Getting all the buckles and straps through a two inch long, 1/8 inch wide hole is quite a challenge. Just stay with it, and work each buckle and piece though, piece by piece. Just be sure to get the retention strap through first, or you'll have to undo it all later. Overall, however, the flap is still well worth the money and effort, for the protection it offers for your sidearm. All in all, this is a great holster. While this is only my second holster, I love it. It may seem like the flap would prohibit your speed with drawing, but I can effectively draw my 1911 in 1.5 seconds with practice (the key to everything anyway). Everything included with this holster is very durable as well as very comfortable. It has been a great holster that has not let me down so far, and I hope won't let me down for a very long time.