Instructor Zero’s Field Expedient Sock Holster

sock holster
January 7, 2015  
|  7 Comments
Categories: Op-Eds

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Sock carry.

By now you’ve probably seen the famous, nameless and oh-so-mysterious Instructor Zero online. With his unorthodox method of shooting, this Italian trigger-puller has found unlikely fame with American shooters by dint of his YouTube demonstration videos. In fact, it’s surprising just how many people he has won over to his camp via his often-extreme drills and perception of “combat shooting”. The recent video that has been circulating the interwebz is one where Instructor Zero explains how to use a common sock as a holster. That’s right. He’s teaching the best way to use a common sock, to hold a basic Glock, to block the pistol, from brushing your cock.

A fucking sock.

Silly Italian. Socks are for wanking.

Grunts: “by dint of”.

Instructor Zero Sock Carry 2

RE Factor

The thing about YouTube videos, there is almost always that one group of viewers (the 10% who will always screw something up) who perceive them as actual guidance and training. They disregard safety and “don’t try this at home” warnings that occasionally accompany those videos. That proverbial 10% is almost all of the window licking and neck-beard variety, and bad shit does happen as a result.

We really don’t care how you carry a gun, as long as its safe. The 10% isn’t safe.

Listen, we’ll try to be as neutral about as much as we can, including some stuff where most of our peers are shaking their fists and raging at the heavens – if for no more than to start a discussion, but…wtf?

Holsters exist for a reason, namely to safely carry a loaded handgun and protect the trigger. Its 2015, so you have plenty of minimalist, low-vis holster options. We shouldn’t have to say this, but…wcan see a multitude of issues stemming from carrying a gun in a sock. In fact we will go as far to say you are likely better off just stuffing it in your waist band in what they used to call “Mexican carry.” Front sights love to catch on things, material can work its way around or onto the trigger, etc. A “sock holster” is a completely terrible idea that not only has “limited application” (as our intrepid Italian explains), but no legitimate application.

Instructor Zero Sock Carry

 

Don’t get us wrong, we have rolled dirty without a holster before. A heavy double action trigger takes the place of a manual safety on some guns, by design. Some of us have packed loaded handguns in our waistband as a last resort, to prevent going completely without armament. But it was a personal decision (and arguably a bad one), certainly one we don’t like to make a habit of. If forced to do so with a Glock, many of us would say you’d be best suited going with an empty chamber (or, you know, not at all). With a trigger safety-only equipped gun, or a cocked and locked 3 lbs trigger 1911, you have bigger balls (like the ankle-tangling ones) than any of us if packing holsterless. Stretching your old “happy”,“recon”, or deployment DNA collection sock around the blaster does not suddenly make it safe; it actually makes it even worse, and less safe.

Freedom Rifle 1

We challenge you, the reader, to find a SINGLE American shooter from USSOCOM ( you know, the guys that have done all the heavy lifting these last 14 years of fighting GWOT), OGA, SOF unit, whatever, that would ever advise this carriage. For that matter, find us anyone anywhere who is a legitimate and serious pipe-hitter that would do so. We have already begun the same trivial pursuit without success. We acknowledge Zero as a dude that has a lot of cool guy gear and can shoot better than most of our minions. The dude can shoot, no question. This can be entertaining to watch, if nothing else.  But, much like shooting a pistol and rifle at the same time in a spinning circle, the sock holster is a terrible idea which did not need to be pushed out to the masses.

 We’re not lambasting everything about Instructor Zero, but this… Well, anyway, you can watch what you want, believe in what you want to believe in, and shoot however you want to shoot as long as you follow the law. But please do so with a sense of reason, logic and an objective mindset. Keep your socks on your feet (or busy with field expedient DNA collection) and not around your pistol.

Mad Duo Over

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About the Author

The Mad Duo are the most renowned, scholarly, door-kickingest action figures since...well, ever. They, their wretched minions and other abject flunkies are an improbable (and awesome) tale unto themselves. Read more about them here.

7 Comments

  1. Doc Hewett

    Circus tricks.

    Pretty much all he’s got.

    If anyone thinks what he is doing is applicable in any but the most unusual 1 in a bazillion circumstances is smoking crack. He has a skill that is, IMHO, a blend of natural ability and hard work that is not really transferable (read that teachable or learnable in knuckledragger speech), therefore it’s a circus trick. Fun to watch but pretty much useless.

    “Doc” up!

  2. John

    I thought BBC was trolling the interwebs with this post. Where all the butthurt zero fans? Seriously, this sock thing HAS to be a joke.

  3. Lobo

    And 75% of the comments MISS him stating that it isn’t real. And the fact the Mad Duo says it more than once……

  4. Matt

    I’ve been saying this guy has to be a joke since the first video I saw of him. But this sock thing takes it to a whole new level. Even if it’s a joke, some mall ninja will think it’s the next tacticool thing and blow his balls off at Applebee’s. Jorge said it perfectly, zero experience, zero common sense, just ZERO!

  5. Jorge Tierno Rey

    You know, it’s Zero: zero combat experience, zero knowledge, zero common sense, zero shame, …, just zero. (like me)Yeah, he looks to be an outstanding shooter (I am not).This kind of people is what makes you think Internet is a bad resource. But we are skillful enough to get away from useless stuff.If I recall correctly this guy has a background as a trattoria manager, and it’s more a wannabe than an operator. But he believes he is an operator.

  6. Alex

    That fuckhead is wearing an American flag. Next time if he does this better wear a fucking Italian flag.

    Greets from Austrian

  7. Evan

    I’m so glad that I’m not the only one who thinks this guys more than off his rocker with this idea, especially considering the amount of holsters specifically meant to do the job of this guys wank sock….

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