Shooting from the Hip

There’s nothing really breakthrough about a do-it-yourself holster. You just need some cardboard, leather, a knife, free time, a smidge of artistic talent and … ta dah.

But what if you only have one of the ingredients listed above?

Then meet Qasarean. He bought a Glock 27 and couldn’t find a holster to fit his gun. At least locally. So, he decided to make a poor man’s holster or a “bum holster.”

First he suggests taking a single piece of cardboard and sliding it in front of the pistol to conceal the front pocket weapon outline. Why? Because the pistol outline is easily seen in jeans and can be even more apparent in khakis.

And that’s not even the bum holster!

For that, you’ll need to acquire a more substantial block of cardboard. It should be about the size of the gun but not too big because it still has to fit into your pocket. Fold it so almost boxes in the gun and completely conceals its outline. Make it tight so the gun doesn’t jiggle around too much.

This might work for some folks, but we think it looks like he’s toting a steamy romance novel in his pocket, you know those bodice-ripping types with Fabio on the cover. “It looks like a book or a really big wallet, but you really can’t tell what’s in here,” Qasarean observes.

So, how does one draw a weapon from that bum holster cardboard cutout mess?

Obviously it’s not ideal for a fast-draw situation. Now that we think about it, there are plenty of situations where a cardboard holster is just straight-up absurd and a little on the unsafe side.

Now if you own a Glock 27 and are looking for a *real* holster, GunHolsters.com hosts a bevy of gun holsters including a ridiculously affordable inside-pocket holster from Blackhawk ($8.99).

What do you think about the poor man’s holster? Is it something you’d even attempt to wear? Do you think it’s dangerous? Fashionable? An insult to gun holsters everywhere? Do tell.

Every time we mention the words “gun” “holsters” and “fail,” the name Lee Paige instantaneously comes to mind.

Is that so wrong?

What’s worse is that this month’s two holster FAILS appear to be pretty similar to the ones we posted last November.

The first one involved a Salt Lake City off-duty police officer. He was getting ready for work when his weapon discharged as he tried to put it in its holster, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. The 14-year veteran suffered minor injuries when the bullet entered his hip.

The next one is borderline ridiculous: A Wyoming woman is outside shoveling snow with a revolver in a shoulder holster. The gun slips out of the holster. The woman is then shot in the ankle. But why pack heat while shoveling a driveway?

The woman told police she armed herself because she “was concerned about crime in her neighborhood.” Sounds like a good enough reason to us. Perhaps she just needs a more secure shoulder holster?

Whatever the case might be, both are great reminders to be careful out there!

(Image via Wikimedia Commons)

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)

Lee Paige, FAIL Expert

After writing about Lee Paige and his ultimate gun holster FAIL, we were surprised to see such a spike in holster-related accidents in the news this week.

The first one comes from Geneva, N.Y., where a man accidentally shot himself in the leg when he was adjusting his shoulder holster. According to the 13-WHAM TV in Rochester, the 66-year-old man was at home when the shooting happened, drove himself to a fire department, pulled the fire alarm there and waited for help.

Talk about showing bravery and clarity at a critical time! Needless to say, the man survived the accident.

The next story comes out of Sydney and follows Lee Paige’s footsteps even more so. ABC News reports that a police officer accidentally shot himself while trying to holster his gun. He was in the process of arresting a man suspected for a store break-in. Despite the injury, the 31-year-old officer is in good condition, according to reports.

And even though this story has nothing to do with gun holsters, it’s still worth mentioning for its jaw-dropping ridiculousness. Apparently a man in Appleton, Wis., was attempting a drive-by shooting but failed miserably when he forgot to roll down his window. That’s right: He shot into his car window, shattering it.

Maybe next time he’ll put a post-it on the window as a reminder. Or maybe he’s learned his lesson and won’t go around driving and shooting at things?

While visiting your favorite haunted house this season, what’s the best way to make yourself look über-cool when a terrifying monster is coming at you with a fake (but equally terrifying) chainsaw?

The answer is definitely not what Sgt. Eric Michael Janik, 37, of Baltimore did.

A man who helps run “The House of Screams” said that the officer, who apparently also had alcohol on his breath, pulled a loaded .40 caliber Glock out of its holster and pointed it at him.

“He pulled a gun out on me and aimed it at my chest,” Michael Brian, the haunted house worker, told WJZ Channel 13. “It was about three feet away from me.”

According to the Associated Press, Mr. Janik has since been charged with assault and reckless endangerment. He has also been suspended from the Baltimore city police.

Now Mr. Janik’s unbelievably poor judgment is bringing on comparisons of that other infamous gun fail.

“So we’re to assume a fellow officer knew he was armed and had been drinking, yet did nothing about it,” asks David Codrea for Examiner.com. “And we’re to further assume that not collecting actual evidence of intoxication by investigating officers is standard department procedure?”

Perhaps there is something scarier than bogus chainsaw-wielding monsters.

This oldie-but-goody video of a DEA agent shooting himself in the foot while lecturing about gun safety is a painful reminder of the importance of a good, secure gun holster.

In the video, you will see that he accidentally pulls the trigger while trying to put his gun back in its holster. From the video: “I’m the only one in the room professional enough that I know of to carry this Glock .40. I’m the only … (shoots himself and pauses) … Is everybody all right?”

Although we’re constantly amazed by his ability to not freak out after being shot, we’re equally amazed by his utter stupidity. Granted accidents do happen, things like this probably shouldn’t in a classroom filled with students learning about gun safety.

In 2006, two years after that nearly fatal mistake, the injured agent in the video, Lee Paige, became internationally infamous and filed a suit against the government over his humiliation. According to The Smoking Gun, Mr. Paige claimed that the DEA was responsible for the video’s distribution that was widely circulated online and on TV, which ultimately led to public shame and kept him from taking part in future undercover operations and motivational lectures.

“And I actually had an accident where I almost hit my femoral artery, and I could have died,” Mr. Paige said in a 2006 CNN interview. “The physician indicated I would have died in 22 seconds had that happened. So, and also, my — my safety and my ability to do my job is compromised.”

Below is an excerpt of Mr. Paige discussing the incident on ABC.