Recently we ran a piece about the drop leg and it caused a bit of commotion. Today is for the guys who run them and have no choice. Mad Duo
Just The Tip: Optimizing the Drop Leg Holster System
Fifty Shades of FDE
[Images Courtesy of Muzzle Flash Media | Facebook]
You should do what works for you, no matter what I say. But we can all agree (or at least most of us) that drop leg holsters aren’t the best platform for a pistol due to the lack of stability when compared to a belt or hip mounted system. They are, however, the only solution for certain circumstances, hence their existence.
The low-ride belt mounted holster is what I prefer for a duty holster system. That is, if I was running a pistol without a weapon mounted light (WML). For work, I run a drop leg holster out of necessity for the following reasons:
First, I have a WML on my pistol, which increases the overall length of my weapon and requires more room to clear the holster. Second, I need my holster to clear if I have to throw on a plate carrier. Last, I’m a small guy (who can probably fit in children’s clothing) with a 30″ waistband and not a lot of real estate on my duty belt, and I use the extra space on my drop leg rig to attach a CAT-T Tourniquet.
So if you have to run a drop leg holster, here are some helpful things I’ve learned over the years to help optimize this setup:
The best way to stabilize your drop leg rig is to move it a close as possible to your belt. If you have a Safariland 6004 style drop leg with two straps like I do, you’ll have to remove the top strap. A good way to find the perfect placement is to have it in a position where it’s possible for you to wrap your fingers around the bottom end of the holster. Remember it’s called a Drop “Leg” holster, not a Knee holster.
The strap should be tight enough to keep the motion down to a minimum, but not too tight that it’ll cut circulation to your blood vessels.
In these photos you can see the difference in height from my old setup versus my current. Please note that my multicam kit is not my duty gear, it’s my training gear that closely resembles my duty. This helps me practice my muscle memory at home and range without having to bring my duty gear home.
After I modified my drop leg system with these tips it was more comfortable, I wasn’t bumping into things as much (I still do occasionally), and I wasn’t tilting my shoulders to reach for my pistol grip when drawing.
This setup works well for me, and I wear one everyday. Give it a try; if it helps, great, and if it doesn’t, like I said before, do what works well for you.
-Fifty Shades of FDE
Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!
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Good Article.I am a pretty skinny dude as well. I like mine a touch higher than yours, but when I tested the Safariland DFA and single strap leg shroud at the Hard as Hell Multigun Match, I wasn’t using a WML.I try to position the top of my holstered pistol at or near the top of my belt line.For reference:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qdIGEDJk60oB6P9J-QHN-lnyFz2e2uKABZnMxgcdPmhtP0HLcZ0tnau6absAzFXSkFMunGSJ0w=w413-h461-no