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the Gould & Goodrich B720A could be flipped on and off surreptitiously. Our findings suggested that agency policies should allow officers to select their duty holsters based on parameters, rather than being held to a specific prod- uct. Theoretically, this could increase officer safety just because it would be harder to predict which holster an indi- vidual officer might be using. Testing the Safariland 7TS was a little different. We have been using this holster for various tests since it was available ear- lier in the year. Of the side-by-side shoot- ing tests we did with various holsters, this result is the only one we will share with our readers, simply because I had enough time with it to establish a degree of mus- cle memory. The Safariland 7TS uses a thumb release, similar to the 5.11 Tactical Thumb Drive and both pop into the hand when released. The Safariland 7TS was especially suited for drawing from a seated position. Like the Thumb Drive, both holsters can be quickly popped onto the concealed carry belt for off duty/con- cealed carry use. How fast is the Safariland 7TS? I drew and fired two center mass shots with it in 0.86 seconds using my Glock 22 with a Lone Wolf .357 barrel. The 5.11 Tactical Thumb Drive came originally from Kyle Lamb's idea of a holster without complicated levers that offered a degree of retention. He took the idea to Blade-Tech, who collabo- rated with 5.11 Tactical in this design. Blade-Tech uses proprietary polymers well known in holster manufacture. Most readers will recognize Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb(Ret.), a trainer with 21 years active military, 15 of which were in U.S. Army Special Operations. Sergeant Major Lamb is the Founder and President of Viking Tactics Inc., an engaging writer and respected trainer. It looks like he designs a pretty good holster, too. The 5.11 Tactical Thumb Drive has a removable switch guard called a Chop- Block, which adds a little safety to the Level 2 security of the product. This hol- ster adjusts to three different cants and is cut out in the front for aftermarket optics. In tests, Uncle Mike's Pro-3 Duty Holster is a lightweight synthetic holster with a traditional look and feel, using a 3-point locking system. It looks and operates like a traditional thumb break, straight draw holster, with which anyone who has been on duty during the last sev- eral decades would be familiar. However, the gun does not release without a sepa- rate manipulation. This manipulation is natural for the person wearing the gun, but unnatural for the person trying to take it away. Our tests, which included trying to take a holstered Red Gun away, confirmed that it works well, even if the holster is unsnapped. I personally have never used the Uncle Mike's Pro-3 Duty Holster, but one of our testers has for many years. It is great for retention while the user is on his feet, simply because using a bladed stance and turning the gun side away from the sus- pect keeps the gun secured. Their holster is made from a light- weight synthetic product. The part that cradles the gun is a rigid frame. The rest of the holster—the part that wraps around the front of the gun—is a lami- nate that can be made to mimic any fin- ish, including basket and nylon weave. I completely understand why many of my friends are loyal Uncle Mike's users. This holster is suitable for officers who need a light, durable product for an active assignment like marine, park or bike patrol. Finally, Officer Macchia, an experi- enced SRO, found he liked the Safariland 7TS so much, he stuck mine into his range bag and texted me about it later. ■ Lindsey Bertomen is a retired police officer and retired military small arms trainer. He teaches criminal justice at Hartnell College in Salinas, California. He has a BS in Criminal Justice and an MS in Online Teaching and Learning. Lindsey has taught shooting techniques for over a decade. Circle 57 on Reader Service Card COMPANY READER SERVICE NO. 5.11 Tactical 64 BLACKHAWK! 60 Gould & Goodrich 61 Safariland 62 Uncle Mike's 63 For more information on these companies, circle the corresponding number on the Reader Service Card M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N LET_26-30_FirearmsTactics0214.indd 30 1/24/14 12:31 PM