It finally happened. I dropped my gun.

[cbr600]

deleted

[randomoutburst]

I'm sorry to hear about the damage and I hope they will repair it at little or no cost.

Have you considered a different holster? All of my IWB holsters will hold the handgun securely without tension from a belt. They even retain the handgun upside down. Granted, some holsters will release the pistol if I hold it upside down and shake it vigorously enough, but gravity alone won't make the handgun come out.

The holster I have does not keep the gun in it when flipped upside down. It holds for a second or two, then slowly slides out. The tension from my belt keeps it from sliding out while wearing it. I've tried somersaults and cartwheels with the gun holstered and it won't fall out...but if I drop my pants and keep the gun holstered, it tends to flip upside down and then drop out without the tension. I found this out long before I started carrying in public, so it's never been an issue until now when I just didn't have a good place to put my gun while I did my business.

I love the holster and, honestly, since it's not a problem while on the belt I probably won't replace it. If it fails to retain the gun while being worn...well, that's a different story. But right now I can't really justify buying a new holster when this one works fine for carry. Too many other expenses to consider with tuition and loans and car payments. Rough times. I haven't even been able to afford the two extra mags I want for my carry; I'm still stuck with just the one it came with. :-(

[Photoman]

Why not just hold the gun while you do your business? I pity the fool that peeks through the cracks and sees you sitting on the pot holding a .45 pistol.

But seriously, I've always been too paranoid to set my gun down in public. I've heard/read too many stories of them getting left behind. Another thing that comes to mind is, the holsters that "flop" like you're describing usually "flop" over and point the gun right at you.

[Divided Attention]

Random, I don't know what kind of holster you have, but my kydex/leather combo holds mine pretty well. It takes some shaking to get it out (I test it occasionally over the bed UNLOADED MAG OUT!!) As I wore it more and the leather softened a bit, it got looser in the kydex. We heated up the kydex with a blow dryer and pushed in around the trigger guard a smide... back to snug. I also have a bit of adjustment on the screws that hold the kydex to the leather. I check these regularly.

My Tucker Heritage fits snug to my 9mm... it is all leather, and even though it is a feavier gun I don't have as much issue with that holster flipping on the waist band. Maybe because I am more paranoid about that one hitting the floor... the 380 makes enough noise!

Hoping to hear a good report on the repairs real soon!

[randomoutburst]

Divided - Mine's a leather holster, no kydex. I really really really don't like kydex. My gun has a steel frame and the grip is far above the center of the holster, so when the belt tension is removed it likes to fall over. Once it's upside down (or close to it) it will start to slip out of the holster. I've attempted keeping my belt buckled on the last hole to keep some tension, but that doesn't really do much good because I risk flipping the gun while unbuckling the belt to pull my pants up and down. I always buckle my belt without the gun in the holster, position my holster, and then reholster my gun. If I try to buckle my belt with my gun already in the holster, it never rides quite right and I can't quite get it where I want it.

Photoman - Obviously you are not female. ;) There are certain things and times that require the use of both hands while doing one's business (and I won't go into detail) so holding the gun isn't very practical if one wants to accomplish anything. Plus I always have a shirt tucked in, and that's not too easy to do with a gun in one hand, either.

And those stories of people leaving their guns behind haunt me. I'm so scared of doing it myself that I will do things like put my phone or wallet next to it just to make sure I pick it back up. I guess I have an advantage in that I carry it on my body, not in a purse, so I'm more likely to notice if I don't have it. Plus, I've gotten so used to wearing it that when I don't have it on me, I immediately panic. It's sure fun to be sitting in class (where I can hopefully carry soon if some legislation passes!) and have a panic attack because I reach into my pocket and don't bump some metal while I'm down there. Of course, it passes quickly as I remember that it's in my car because I can't carry into school, but still...it's a good thing that I feel odd without it!

[Fangs]

I've used the top of the toilet when the situation didn't allow for me to just leave it in my holster leaned up against my leg. That usually only happens when there are multiple stalls and I'm worried about someone noticing it through the holes at the bottom of the dividers. I've always kept it holstered when doing so, figuring that it's much less likely to slide while in a leather holster than by itself.

[randomoutburst]

Fangs - I prefer the top of the tank as well. I hate finding a public bathroom that has those automatic ones that don't have the tank. Unfortunately, this bathroom was one of those. :-(

[OldCurlyWolf]

Try a holster that can easily be removed, use the HC stall when it doesn't cause problems and you can fit it between the wall and the handrail without worry of it falling. It is also easier to come to hand than on a tank.

[SZINK]

Broke from that short of a fall?? NO good! I have dropped my G26 from chest level on the concrete floor (sounded like it went off ) and only had a small scratch...glock FTW side note- have never dropped my 1911....

[03Lightningrocks]

Broke from that short of a fall?? NO good! I have dropped my G26 from chest level on the concrete floor (sounded like it went off ) and only had a small scratch...glock FTW side note- have never dropped my 1911....

That is what makes Glock the best self defense pistol one can purchase.

[johnson0317]

Yikes,

Don't have a Glock, fine gun, but own a Kahr PM9, an XDm 4.5" .45, and an XDm 3.8" 9mm compact. I would not expect any of them to fracture the way yours did. I have to admit, I did drop my Kahr, while trying to get it into a junkie Uncle Mike's IWB holster (waiting for my Crossbreed product to arrive). I dropped it from about four feet right onto the concrete in my garage. If it had gone off, my wife would have shut down my gun carrying forever. Praise God the thing just made a loud "clunk". I can not even see any damage on it.

Some of the best advice I have heard on "rest room" tactics comes from either Chris Bird or Masaad Ayoob (don't want to have to look it up right now). Plan ahead. It seems as though you have because you have a plan for getting to the last stall. Since this is not possible, a back up plan sounds like a great idea.

RJ

[NTexas_V-Star]

I laughed when I saw everyone posting, "Must not have been a Glock!" Yeah, I'm partial to 1911s. I don't like polymer frames AT ALL; I've got to have a heavy weapon. Also, I do not carry a purse, ever. I hate them. I carry a wallet in my back pocket and my phone in the other pocket. I also have a ScottEVest that I love, but I tore a pocket and am having it fixed, so I didn't have a pocket to put the gun in like I normally do. If I ever don't have a surface to place my gun upon, that jacket has a pocket big enough to fit an iPad, and I use it as a temporary "shelf" to store my gun while I do my business.

STI has given me great customer service in the past (and I've posted about it!) so I've already contacted them about getting it repaired. David with STI said that abuse and accidents are not covered BUT because I was honest and told him it broke when I dropped it, that he would try to see what they could do to help me out. I'm going to give him a call on Monday to see what can be done.

Accidents or abuse does not fall into the category of something that would be covered under warranty but because of your honesty I do feel compelled to help you in some way with the repair.
With that being said if you call I will give you shipping instructions and issue a RA # and we can talk about to what extent STI will help you with the repair of your pistol.

Although, now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just order a non-MIM part to replace it and have my local gunsmith do it himself. I don't know. Hmmm.

I agree; I would not expect the safety to just break off like that. I've dropped it once before onto carpet while at home practicing drawing (and it was empty, I promise!) so obviously that didn't do much damage. Tile is a horrible surface on which to have a drop, but I was surprised that it broke from a 2 foot drop.

Interesting thing - when I inspected it after the drop onto the tile, I can't find another spot on the gun where ANY mark was made due to impact. There's a small spot on the rear sight that was made when I hit the gun on my nightstand table, and that was that only blemish I could find. I'm thinking when it fell, it fell at just the right angle to put all the pressure onto the safety which is why it snapped.

And don't worry, if I have to put the gun on the floor in the future I WILL make a TP bed for it. ;)

If you decide to go the route of buying a non MIM part, give the guys at Red River Firearms a shot, they do good work.

[gregthehand]

I'd be very upset if I spent the money an STI costs and it broke from such a short fall. I have an STI and now I'm worried about it. In another thread I posted I had dropped my Para Warthog from chest level. It shifted the rear sight but did not break the anything on the pistol.

What kind brand of holster are you using? I read the post rather quickly and didn't see the brand mentioned. I have Tucker IWB holster for a 1911 right hand I'm thinking about selling. It's a good holster but unlike yourself I prefer kydex.

[randomoutburst]

Johnson - Indeed, most of the time it's not a problem because I have a few different options depending on the situation. I often wait until the last stall is unoccupied if it's taken when I enter the room. Still, it's far and few between the times I don't have a place to put it! New plan: make a bed of TP and hide it on the floor if there's not another option.

V-Star - I do like Red River quite a bit, but haven't ever ordered anything or had work done with them. I may have them order the new part and put it in, and also order a couple of mags too. My job change is bringing in a little more money so I might be able to afford those mags, finally!!

Greg - I can't use an IWB holster, but thanks for the offer. I do like Tucker Gunleather -- beautiful work! I'm quite a small girl and IWB holsters tend to be very obvious and uncomfortable for me. I prefer OWB with a cover garment; it's much more concealable and comfortable!

It's interesting because I've dropped it before and nicked the sights...but the sights are still dead on and there are no other "idiot marks" on the gun, even from this last (fatal) drop. The only evidence is the broken safety. Sad, because I wouldn't expect it to break either. I never did call STI back - got really busy last week and forgot - and will probably just order a non MIM part to replace it.

My holster is a Galco brand, I think simply called "Concealable Belt Holster" on their site. Bought it from a forum member and really do like it. The forward cant makes it MUCH easier to draw, and even more concealable since it reduces the amount of barrel sticking out below my shirt.

[The Annoyed Man]

“Get yourself a Glock and lose that nickel-plated sissy pistol.” – Sam Gerard, US Marshals


Sorry, I had to. On a serious note, it's nice knowing your friends understand the importance of keeping things personal.

That must not be why Tommy Lee Jones used his personally owned 1911 in "Man of the House."

I see everything...