So I have been off tanks for a while, and my branch of service no longer uses them . What kind of holster do armor crewmen use today?
My first shoulder holster looked like this. It was for the M1911A1. It had no pizzas to it but it was good for tank crewmen because it did not get caught up on things in the tank or getting in or out of the vehicle.
I found that it would hang up sometimes getting into or out of the tank hatch. However I found that it would attach to the front left side of the older style flack vests. Things no longer got hung up on entry or exit. .
The current service pistol is the Sig M17. The issue holster system is a hard holster with different pieces to wear it attached to MOLLE loops, on the hip, a leg holster, or a shoulder holster setup.
What I have most recently seen is the Blackhawk Serpa holster. Thigh rigs are so 2000’s, although dudes still wear them - way too low at that.
The Serpa can be worn on the hip or on the body armor or vest, which is what I’ve seen tankers at Cervezas wearing. You don’t want the rig getting caught getting in and out of hatches. There’s also I setup (which I used) where you can detach the holster from its mount with a quick release and alternate between hip or chest rig. Hip rigs are best for door kickers because you can transition more easily. But they suck in a vehicle of any type. If anyone has ever try retrieving their sidearm while wearing a seatbelt and being next to a door you know what I mean. I like the retention system on the Serpa as opposed to that on the above photos as well.
My chest rig - why the dude next to me is still rocking a thigh rig is a mystery:
. What kind of holster do armor crewmen use today?
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