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Spring-Loaded vs. Manual Retention Hoods: Why the D3 Uses Both When comparing Level 3 duty holsters, most people look at retention levels, draw speed and how the release controls feel. But there's another detail worth looking at: what happens when the retention hood doesn't open the way it's supposed to? A spring-loaded hood and a manually operated hood handle that problem differently. Both have …

Red dot sights are now common on concealed carry pistols, range guns and duty weapons. But adding an optic changes the overall shape of your handgun, which leads to an important question: Do you need an optic-ready holster for a pistol with a red dot? In most cases, yes. An optic-ready holster has extra clearance around the rear of the slide so the red dot does not hit the holster. The pistol shou …

One of the most common questions we receive about 1911 holsters is also based on one of the biggest misconceptions about the platform: "It's a 1911. Shouldn't it fit any 1911 holster?" No. The 1911 has been around for more than a century, but the modern 1911 market looks very different from the original pistol. Today, dozens of manufacturers produce pistols based on the 1911 design in different ba …

Why the Shield, Shield Plus, Shield EZ and Shield X Need Different Holsters Smith & Wesson has used the Shield name on several pistols that are not the same firearm and should not automatically be treated as holster-compatible. The original M&P Shield, Shield M2.0, Shield .45, Shield Plus, Shield EZ and Shield X are all part of the larger Smith & Wesson concealed-carry family, but the …