safariland sls holster draw halp

[trinydex]

i'm trying to get used to the sls light bearing holster draw. i've essentially loosened the screw all the way but the draw is still inconsistent.

this is the g17 x300 combo sls holster with the mid drop belt loop

my problem is that sometimes when i draw, the draw is perfect, fast release everything's great.

other times the gun will grab the suede inside of the holster and then this creates a torque on the mid drop belt loop which exacerbates the angle at which the gun is coming out and makes the gun grab even more.

i realize i should be trying to pull straight up but... that's just not always feasible by feel.

is there something i need to know or do?

[sytfu_RR]

Just practice a lot. I have the Safariland SLS light bearing holster with the front shield. Mines gets caught every once in a while, I try to practice a lot with it. Seems to help if you can use your weak hand and hold the front of your duty belt, ( if possible ) if not, just got to practice one handed draws over and over. Also might want to reposition your belt keepers to be closer to the holster to help prevent it from moving as you draw. FYI: I'm using the low ride plate on the holster & that screw doesn't seem to do a whole lot as far as tightening or loosening.

[leelaw]

Keep practicing. Pull straight up from the holster, then rotate once you break free.

Do you have it on a sturdy, wide belt? If the belt is too small, it will allow the holster to move too much during the draw, causing the excess binding you're mentioning.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

When you practice, keep the speed down. Technique is more important than speed until you build the correct muscle memory patterns. Once you are drawing perfectly each time at slow speed, you can begin to work on a faster draw.

[trinydex]

thanks for all the suggestions.

i'm using a web belt with a nylon insert inside, i don't know how much stiffer it could get than that.

i tried something last night and i don't know why it works but i'll keep doing it.

if i repeated this one series of movements, it worked 100% of the time. i had to release the hood with a just the right amount of thumb flip and with just the right amount of light touch, draw and it'd be very smooth.

[9mmepiphany]

a few things that have worked for me when switching to a new holster

1. spray the inside with silicone until it drips out...this lubes the suede
2. leave the gun and light in overnight with the adjustments tightened down...this forms the holster properly to your combo
3. learn to draw straight up from the holster...it takes about 150-200 draws to start ingraining the correct motion when changing holsters
4. remember slow is smooth, smooth is fast

[jeffb502]

Some good suggestions so far. I use Safariland model 6280 holsters for my Glock 19 and S&W M&P 45 (neither with lights) and they work great. The tension is adjusted properly where the holster will release smoothly with a proper draw but grabs if the pistol is twisted or moved in the wrong direction. They both wound up with the tension screw somewhere in the middle range.

One of my coworkers had a Safariland 6280 light bearing holster with an XD 45 and a light (I forget which model of light, but it was one of the lights listed as compatible with the holster) and could never get it to work right, even with taking the adjustment screw all the way out. He let me try it and I had the same problem; just couldn't get it to draw smoothly. I didn't know about the silicone trick back then but I probably would have mentioned it to him if I had known about it. He wound up switching to a different holster and not using the pistol mounted light most of the time.

I'd suggest trying what 9mmepiphany suggested. If that doesn't work it's probably time to start looking at different holsters, or maybe take it back to the store where you bought it and find out if it's defective.

[trinydex]

good to know about the silicon trick.

[lawaia]

I have the same problem with mine. My solution is to get a new holster. If I have to work that hard just to learn how to unholster my weapon, that just doesn't work. If it's a high stress situation and your pistol gets stuck in the holster, your *** is grass!

Not that we all run around kicking in doors every day, but why risk it if the day comes where you really need that thing to work right.