Shooting from the Hip

Due to unforeseen circumstances, The Back-Up bedside gun rack didn’t make our list of “10 Gifts for that Gun Nut in Your Life.” To make up for that oversight, we’re talking about it today.

But why buy a bedside holster? Good question.

Although it’s probably not the best idea for someone with sleepwalking issues (or an alcohol/Ambien problem), bedside holsters are touted as essential for home safety. While not on the same level as simply locking the front door, it’s up there. These almost-under-the-pillow holsters give your shotgun a secure resting place until there’s a code red alert.

The Back-Up ($39.95) guarantees you direct access to your gun without having to turn your back on any intruder. Plus, that’d be rude, right? Heck, you can even draw your weapon while lying down — though that’s also probably not recommended. Additionally, the holster can be placed on either side of the bed (perhaps for a partner?) or collapsed for travel purposes.

While The Back-Up provides one form of bedside holsters, this market is teeming with competition.

The Bedside Holster ($19.95) – Its website recommends you use this holster for a regular ol’ pistol … or pepper spray, stun guns, mace, shocking devices, cell phones, pagers, flashlights… Well, basically anything that fits in a holster. A banana perhaps? That would make midnight snack consumption a snap!

HolsterMate ($18.95) – This no-frills, universal bedside holster comes with Velcro backing that ensures a no-slip placement. Slip off your belt holster and place it on a flat device that hangs off the mattress side. It works with all clip-style holsters on either side of the bed.

Midnite Bed Holster ($49.95) – We’ll overlook the misspelling of midnight, but we can’t look past the fact that this bed holster claims to be “the original.” The Midnite Bed Holster creators warn to “NOT be fooled by imitations.” Meanwhile, we haven’t seen a single imitation of this specific holster, so we’re not really sure to what they are referring.

Ultimate Bed Holster ($22.67) – Oh my, you can really pimp this holster. Available in 17 different colors (even camo!), this bedside companion inserts between the mattress and box springs and uses Velcro to adapt to any gun type. While its design appears simple, we’re not really sure how secure it is to leave your weapon encased in Velcro only inches away from where you sleep. Maybe that’s just us.

The Pillow Pal ($14.95) – With a cursory glance at its promotional picture, The Pillow Pal appears to have been all the rage in the 1980s. What beautiful woman in full makeup with a perfectly styled coif didn’t carry a pistol next to her magnificent floral comforter during this decade? Oh, and the makers suggest you use the holster for a TV remote or even a baby monitor. Again, as mentioned previously, we’re sticking with the banana. And if you don’t eat it within a week, you’ll get some nice bedside fruit flies, which could potentially keep unwanted bedroom guests out anyway.

Appropriate response to a snowball fight?

If you’re thinking about busting out a concealed gun during a Twitter-organized event and not have the world talking about it moments later, think again. That is, unless you’re going to a NRA Tweetup.

At a Saturday snowball fight in Washington D.C., a handful of adults met via Twitter for some midday fun. They pelt an undercover cop’s Hummer with a few powdery white spheres … and bam! He whips out a concealed weapon right out of the holster.

The high-tech crowd immediately snapped photos, shot videos and tweeted all about the subsequent seconds. And because of the excellent footage and social media connection, the story was picked up by The Washington Post, Mashable and many other news outlets.

“This dude has a gun in his hand, he’s driving a Hummer, and people are throwing snowballs at him,” one stunned bystander reports in a video that was picked up by the Associated Press. “That does not seem like a good idea in any way, dude. They are still doing it … we’re about to get shot.”

The cop’s actions have now been publicly criticized by the D.C. police chief, and he has been placed on desk duty until further notice.

(Image via CityPaper)

Blackhawk Basketweave Molded Duty Belt

Just in time for the upcoming Shot Show, Blackhawk has added two new pieces to its nylon duty gear lineup.

Made out of Nytek composite fabric, the recently launched gear can be picked up in either a plain or basketweave finish. The Nytek fabric helps to give the belt a fancy leather shine, but the material itself weighs less than traditional leather and is much more breathable. Blackhawk even contends that Nytek is so similar to its leather counterpart that when you get deep down to the belt’s fibers, you can barely tell.

“We have seen rapid adoption of our SERPA holster technology in the law enforcement community, and with the extension of both plain and basketweave finishes to our nylon duty gear lines, officers will now be able to have a complete duty belt system available … regardless of their choice of finish,” said Terry Naughton, Blackhawk’s vice president of marketing, in a prepared statement.

Perhaps the most attractive aspect of Blackhawk’s nylon line is that you can polish it just like leather, yet you can use a 5 percent bleach-water solution to on it to eliminate blood-borne pathogens. This material is also weather resistant, which means it repels water and does not dry out or crack.

Along with the duty belts ($49.99), a range of tactical pouches ($27.99 to $49.99) are also available.

Wondering what is typically included on a duty belt? One man shows the world “all the crap” he carries on his duty belt in the video below.

Apparently history just isn’t enough for The History Channel anymore. It’s venturing into the reality show world with a bang. Albeit a bit delayed (didn’t this whole “reality” trend start back in early ’00?), Top Shot promises to give gun enthusiasts a 10-episode fill of competition-fueled fun.

So, what will shooters compete for? Well, money, of course. Like every reality show ever, there will be a cash prize — $100,000 to be exact — as well as a chance to break a world record.

From the producers of Dirty Jobs and The Ultimate Fighter, the new show will challenge opponents by having them recreate famous shots like William Tell’s apple-on-head assault or Annie Oakley’s playing card trick.

Due out in 2010, Top Shot has already begun its search for someone with “mind-blowing shooting skills and a big personality.”

If you actually are interested (and have unmatched mad shooting skillz), e-mail TopShotCasting@gmail.com with your name, city/state, phone number, a recent photo of yourself, and a brief explanation of why you should be on the show by is Jan. 18. Or, check out the official casting call page here.

In the meantime, you’d better brush up on legendary marksmen, starting with William Tell.

It’s OK to be the gun nut in the family. What’s not OK is letting your loved ones sit around and guess what type of gun accessory they should pick up as your just-right holiday prize. To avoid further seasonal shopping stress, forward along this post to your gift-buying committee.

Dirty Bird™ Multi-Color Splattering Targets Animal Pack
Targets can be a great (and cheap!) gift. And since it’s not really humane to provide a moving/living one, these “real beast” targets ($12.99) made of NRA animal shapes like chickens, boars and turkeys will certainly make a splash at the shooting range — literally. When a target is hit, the color associated with each animal shape will explode creating a ring around each bullet hole. Animal shapes not exciting enough? Try these zombie targets ($5) then.

Flashlight Filter
Cheery colored filters in red and green are the choice tools when deceiving animals who are unable to see colored lights. That way, when you’re out in the forest at night, you won’t scare away any easy targets by spilling white light all about. For Blackhawk’s Legacy X6 flashlight ($69.99), you can pick up a filter for about $10 in red, green or blue.

Bullet Pen
With a catchphrase “make words not war,” it’s easy to love this seemingly dangerous writing utensil. The brass pen ($5-$25), said to allow you the ability to even write upside down if need be, fits inside of a .375 H&H Magnum shell for easy storage.

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