Benefits of Wearing an OWB Holster for Training

Whenever you’re out on the range training with your defensive carry gun, it’s important that you use the same mechanics and the same body motions as you would if you were actually defending yourself.

Mechanics

It has a lot to do with the gun you’re using but also with the holster you’re using, especially when talking about concealed carry and presentation from the holster, whether it’s concealed or carried openly when on the range. The mechanics — the way you move your hand to the gun, the way you establish a good firing grip on the gun, and the motion of the gun from the holster through the ready position or into a retention-type shooting position — all these things are specifically dependent on exactly where you carry the gun and the type of holster you use.

Rob Pincus recommends that, especially at the fundamental handgun training level, shooters/students wear an outside-the-waistband (OWB) holster when they are first learning presentation techniques and definitely when doing high-volume repetition of presentation from the holster directly to a shot, reassessing the environment, and then reholstering.

Why OWB?

The main reason to wear an OWB holster in this type of training is safety. Rob believes the holster type and position on the body matter much more than whether the holster is worn OWB or IWB (inside the waistband) when it comes to practice sessions.

Crossbreed OWB SnapSlide Holster

Rob is wearing a Crossbreed OWB SnapSlide Holster for this demonstration. It’s a great carry holster if you wear a cover garment such as a jacket or vest, or wear a baggy shirt.

Dealing with a simulated threat in training or practice, Rob reaches back behind his hip for the gun and has to move his shirt out of the way to access the gun. He then establishes a good firing grip. There is no difference in anything he has done between an OWB and IWB holster.

He draws the gun, drives out and takes the shot or shots as needed. He then assesses the environment to see if he needs to shoot anymore, and if not, he reholsters. This is where the differences come between OWB and IWB holsters, and Rob believes that for training and practice, an OWB holster provides a higher level of safety and more time for the shooter to get more reps rather than digging around in the waistband of the pants in order to reholster.

Using the Crossbreed OWB SnapSlide holster makes perfect sense, especially if you use one of Crossbreed’s fine IWB holsters for everyday carry.

2 Responses to “Benefits of Wearing an OWB Holster for Training”

1. Will April 15th, 2019

   Very little actual difference between IWB and OWB other than re-holstering. This has been my experience as well. I much prefer IWB, as the hot climate allows little outter covering to conceal my handgun.

   Reply

2. Chris Garvin January 9th, 2019

   Looks like you indexed your support hand at 2:54.

   Reply