1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to handgun holsters to be worn on the hip, and more particularly to an improved front opening, front draw holster whose sides are adjustable to firmly grip the holstered gun and thereby retain the gun in the holster when neccessary and to release the gun for rapid front draw. The invention also relates to a holster which is adjustable to various angular positions relative to the wearer's body.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Holsters for active duty use by law enforcement officers, security personnel, and the like and competition holsters which are worn on the hip present three important requirements with which the present invention is concerned. These requirements are (1) effective securement of the holstered gun against falling from the holster, particularly during periods of strenuous physical activity of the wearer, and against grabbing of the gun from the holster by another person, (2) capability of rapidly drawing and firing the holstered gun when necessary, and (3) capability of being worn high on the wearer's hip.
The existing hip holsters of which I am aware satisfy one or two but not all three of these requirements. These existing holsters are of two basic types, namely top opening, top draw holsters and front opening, front draw holsters. Top draw holsters have a top opening only and require complete upward withdrawal of the gun from the holster through this top opening for firing. Many of these top draw holsters have means for securing the holstered gun against accidental movement from the holster and removal of the gun by another person and thus satisfy requirement (1) above. For example, one type of existing top draw holster has means extending between the inner and outer side portions of the holster for adjusting these side portions toward and away from one another in such a way as to grip the holstered gun with an adjustable force and release the gun. Many holsters of this kind are also designed to facilitate fast draw of a gun from the holster for firing and thereby satisfy requirement (2) above.
Top draw holsters have one disadvantage, however, in that they cannot be worn high on the hip and thus fail to satisfy requirement (3) above. Thus, fast and safe withdrawal of a holstered gun from a top draw holster requires the holster to be worn quite low on the wearer's hip in order to provide the wearer with sufficient freedom of arm movement to quickly and safely withdraw the gun upwardly from the holster, particularly when sitting. Wearing a holster in such a low position, however, is quite uncomfortable. It is much more comfortable to wear a holster relatively high on the hip in accordance with requirement (3) above.
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,185 discloses a front opening, front draw holster. This type of holster is designed to be comfortably worn high on the hip and yet permit rapid and safe firing of a holstered gun even when the wearer is in a sitting position. To these ends, a front draw holster has a front opening in addition to the usual top opening. Such a front opening, front draw holster permits firing of a holstered gun, without actually removing it from the holster, by simply grasping the upper gun handle and rotating the handle rearwardly and downwardly in such a way as to rotate the gun barrel forwardly and upwardly through the front holster opening to a firing position wherein the barrel projects forwardly through the front opening. The existing front opening, front draw holsters, however, lack means for adjustably gripping the holstered gun between the holster side portions when necessary to secure the gun in the holster and resort, instead, to a strap or the like, such as that shown in my prior patent, to secure the gun in the holster.
From this discussion, it will be appreciated that top draw holsters are known which secure a holstered gun worn on the wearer's hip against accidental separation from its holster and against grabbing of the gun from the holster by another person and which have at least some degree of fast draw capability. These holsters, however, must be worn relatively low on the wearer's hip and are thus uncomfortable. On the other hand, front draw holsters are known which have quick draw capability and can be comfortably worn high on the hip but do not provide means for adjustably gripping and releasing the holstered gun in such a way as to securely resist accidental separation and grabbing of the gun from the holster. Accordingly, there is a definite need for an improved front opening, front draw holster of the character described.