Carrying a Pistol with Armor and Load-Bearing Vest
Oleg Volk 02.15.16
Fury Carry Solutions Range Series holster was designed to enable effective carry of a sidearm when wearing a load-bearing vest or armor. For a lone defender unsupported other riflemen, a sidearm provides a stop-gap measure should the rifle malfunction or run dry in really close quarters.
The past field-expedient solution was to use one of the magazine pouches for the pistol. That works, but it presents an increased likelihood of accidental discharge with soft pouches and a rather difficult time re-holstering one-handed.
It remains a viable solution, but better options exist. For example, the thigh rig provides easier access and doesn’t take up room normally occupied by a rifle magazine. It’s easier to access when prone.
The problem with the thigh rigs is comfort; it has to be tight enough to stay in place but loose enough to permit blood circulation. Some brands use substantial plastic bases that half-circle the thigh to help with comfort. Unfortunately, the weight of the gun and the rig becomes an issue when on the march; it has to be lifted up with every step, increasing fatigue.
The Fury Carry holster uses a rigid Kydex belt loop with integral drop to put the weight on the hips while keeping the pistol itself clear of the armor or the magazine pouches.
The idea is to keep it accessible to the strong hand and, in an emergency, to the weak hand as well. Wearing it doesn’t impede running or going prone for cover. There’s just enough standoff from the body to get a reliable grip but not so much as to snag on things.
For a 5’3″ shooter, it also allows easy drawing of the longslide Glock 41 without having to bring her elbow uncomfortably high. While Fury Carry Solutions also make a low-profile convertible Kydex mag pouch for OWB/IWB, a basic soft pistol mag holder on the vest is used to hold the spare in this case.
Typical use, in this case without taking the time to swing the empty rifle behind the back. While 30 more rounds of rifle ammunition would have been better, 14 rounds of 45ACP is a close second best and can be brought into play just a little bit quicker, an important consideration in hand-to-hand encounters.
This view illustrates how closely the holster sits to the hip. It’s still accessible to either hand.
This holster is compatible with other mounting options as well. If you prefer to have a vest-mounted pistol for in-vehicle use, it can be placed right on the molle up front. In this case, rifle magazine pouches could be pushed to the side for better access prone.
The adapter supports multiple orientations for the gun. Tilting it towards the strong hand speeds up the draw, though at the cost of making it much harder to access weak-handed.
The holster is adjustable for tension. It seems to be a pretty strong design; my efforts to break or twist it out of shape had no effect. Swapping from belt to RTI mount takes about two minutes. One of the attachment nuts is placed in a way that makes loosening its screw a bit fiddly, but that’s pretty much my entire list of complaints with this design. Overall, it’s a competent holster that’s helpfully compatible with slide-mounted red dot sights.
