Safariland holsters are a must-have for your handgun.
Selected by most of the special forces in the world and by a great number of shooters, Safariland holsters are designed for pistols without accessories, with light, with optics or both.
Today we are going to focus on THE question that is the subject of many discussions.
How do I know if my gun is compatible with a Safariland holster ?
Before, or after having our publication, we recommend you to use the “Holster Finder” of the Safariland website.
This very useful tool allows you to check in a few clicks if your gun is compatible with the holster you want to order.
1) Your pistol:
The model of your pistol is very important.
Indeed, a SIG M17 will not be compatible with a holster designed for Glock 19.
This makes sense, because Safariland holsters are thermo-molded to the shape of the weapon.
In addition, the locking is done on the ejection slot.
However, the real complication comes from the generation or caliber of the weapon.
To name one example, Glock’s G19 is a compact 9x19mm with a 102 mm (4.02 inch) barrel.
But, the brand does not stop there, there are 5 generations of G19 and 2 similar models.
The G19X
The G45
These 2 guns are identical, except for the color.
Since the breech and barrel are the same as the G19, we can say that the G19X and the G45 are also compatible with safariland holsters designed for G19.
Attention, any contrary mention on the product sheet or by the manufacturer, will prevail above all.
2) Your flashlight:
There are countless flashlight and brands.
Safariland bases its molding around brands known to be reliable or very appreciated by professionals.
We find SureFire, Insight, Inforce, Streamlight ect. To name a few.
If you have the opportunity, choose a light from these great brands.
If your light is not listed on the product sheet or not mentioned by the manufacturer, we suggest you test it with a friend’s holster.
When your holster is designed to accommodate the weapon and its flashlight, it is important to take into account that without its flashlight, the weapon will remain compatible with the holster, but it may move and bother you during insertion.
3) Your optics:
As with flashlights, Safariland bases its selection of optics on the biggest brands.
It is strongly advised to have a weapon designed for optics.
For example the MOS range of Glock.
If you are using adapters (mountings, etc.) to mount an optic in place of the rear sight, we recommend that you check with the manufacturer before purchase to see if it is compatible with the Safariland holsters.
Concerning the holster, there are 2 very popular models.
The “DO” model (originally designed for Doctor Optic) and the “RDS” model (Red Dot Sight).
The DO holsters accept, as their name indicates, the Doctoc Sight, but also optics close to the same dimensions such as the RMR from Trijicon or the Vortex Venom / Viper, Burris FastFire and JP Enterprises JPoint.
The RDS holsters accept the DO optics but also the Holosun 407, 507, 508, the DeltaPoint from Leupold, the SIG Romeo1 or the Aimpoint ACRO.
Unlike the flashlight, if you use your weapon without its optics, the lock will remain effective and will not interfere with its use.
3)Bonus (Threaded barrel):
Please note, these manipulations no longer include a warranty from the manufacturer or AG-Tactical.
Safariland does not yet offer a threaded barrel option.
However, users have found several ways to use their holster with their threaded barrel gun.
The first is to remove the barrel plug.
This black plastic part is located at the bottom of your holster and is held in place by an allen screw.
Its purpose is to guide your weapon when inserting it into the holster, and to protect the barrel from any external impurities (dirt, sand, etc.)
To remove it, you must slightly separate the hulls of the holster to eject it.
Once removed, replace the screw.
The second method (the best), is to replace the barrel plug by a 3D printed version adapted to your barrel.
Indeed, without a barrel plug, your gun will move and will not be perfectly adjusted.