With almost 50 different OC products on the market, officers have a wide option of chemical agents to choose from. Product formulations run from 1 percent all the way up to 10 percent. They can either be 100 percent OC formulas or combinations of OC, CS and some even contain marking dyes. Strengths can range from under 500,000 SHU’s to the top-of-the-line 2 million. The delivery systems also run the gamut from fogs, streams, splatters and even a foam-type emission system. There’s something for every law enforcement officer, regardless of his duties.

    The only area that doesn’t offer a lot of choice is holster design. Holster designs have been pretty much relegated to one or two choices. The officer could either take the unit out of the holster and fire it, or take the holster off the belt and fire the unit from inside the holster. Neither design answered the ever-present question: "What do I do with it if I have to shoot?" The usual answer went something like, "Well, in reality it doesn’t cease to exist, you have to drop it."

    Now, there’s a more practical option. A new Full Safety OC Holster has emerged from a collaborative effort between Fox Labs, Inc., a Michigan-based manufacturer, and Jim Hodges, a 17-year law enforcement veteran.

Description

    The Full Safety OC Holster is designed so the canister doesn’t have to "cease to exist" in the event you need to use both hands to control a resistive subject, or escalate to a higher level of force. It was developed to allow an officer to retain control and possession of his OC product before, during and after its application. It was found to be a high-quality, uniquely designed tactical holster.

    Made of top-quality leather, it consists of three interchangeable parts, which allow an officer to buy replacement parts for damaged or worn out portions rather than a whole new unit. It is fully adjustable for height and right or left-handed carry.

    Perhaps the most unique features of the holster are the two integrated "safeties" that have been built in. The "pull the dot" snap on the flap is a decoy to the would-be attacker, making the holster flap very hard, if not impossible, to draw from. Even if it was dropped on the ground, it would take the average civilian several minutes (or longer) to unsnap the "pull the dot" flap. Even if the flap is compromised, it is extremely difficult to remove the canister from the holster because of the form-fitting feature of the holster.

    It allows for quick release and replacement of the canister to and from the duty belt. The use of heavy-duty Velcro allows the officer the versatility to go from open hand situations to deadly force with ease. It is horizontally and vertical streamlined to conserve valuable space on the duty belt. An officer needing to fire it, needs only to reach down to his OC unit, hit the horizontal strap release and pull the canister/holster assembly from his belt.  He then inserts his finger from the side of the flap to spray the OC. To replace it, he slaps the holster unit onto his belt in the vicinity of the Velcro belt loop.

Testing and Evaluation

    Upon receipt, I closely examined the holster for flaws in the manufacturing or assembly, and found none. Everything, including stitching, snaps and leather is top quality. The holster itself attaches to the slide-through molded fiberglass belt loop which is permanently attached to the belt. Affixed to this belt loop is the "hook" portion of the Velcro (hook and loop) system. On the back of the holster is the "loop" side of the Velcro closure. The horizontal safety strap is reversible for either right or left-handed draw and allows for instantaneous draw without ever taking your eyes off your assailant. The horizontal strap also has a Velcro portion on it to keep it from sliding off or around the carrier. Drawing was a breeze.

    Replacing was just as easy. Both can be performed without ever taking your eyes off target. Replacing the holster onto the Velcro carrier is instantaneous, and it makes no difference how you attach it back to your belt. The Velcro that Fox Labs uses is very heavy-duty and completely covers the front of the belt-loop carrier and back of the holster. It is assembled by using eight heavy-duty rivets. This won’t come apart under the toughest "street type" conditions. If you hit the belt-loop carrier a little low, off to the side or even upside down, it makes no difference, it will stick.

    Should any of the three separate components (belt loop carrier, horizontal strap or holster itself) become damaged or worn, all are removable and can be replaced individually.

    The unit sent to me was the black basketweave with nickel snaps; however, the Full Safety OC holster is available in ballistic nylon, black, dark brown or tan patent leather, plain black or basketweave design. Snaps come in non-reflective tactical black, nickel or brass.

    From a training perspective, this holster was long overdue. From an officer safety perspective, you can’t afford to be without it.