May 3, 2012

DESANTIS ANNOUNCES NEW HOLSTER FITS FOR THE POCKET-TUK STYLE 111!

AMITYVILLE, New York – DeSantis Gunhide®, a division of HELGEN Industries Inc., introduces 3 new fit availabilities for the Pocket-Tuk:

The Pocket-Tuk™ leads a double life. This versatile concealer functions as both a pocket and tuck-able IWB holster. The positioning clip rotates 360 degrees to accommodate your favorite carry preference.  Quickly and easily remove the clip with our supplied hex key and you’ve got a minimal holster that slips seamlessly into your pocket. Not only is it comfortable, but the Pocket Tuk’s suede construction actually helps keep your weapon firmly in place. The mouth is additionally reinforced for easy, consistent re-holstering. The style #111 retails for $19.99.  Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

1.    111/MK fits the following guns:

DeSantis GunHide is a holster manufacturer that has been in business for over 30 years.  Throughout that time the company has offered conventional holsters of many types in leather and kydex.  At the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada the company unveiled some new designs that are completely out of the box with regard to concealed carry.  However, always staying ahead of the curve and willing to try new ideas, the company has raised the bar on unconventional carry designs.

The Clip Grip is an updated version of the Barami Grip; it is made of polymer and replaces the grip panels on a Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolver.  The right side panel has an extension which allows the revolver to be tucked in the waistband for carry while securing it in place.  Although it does not offer great retention on its own, it is one of the most comfortable ways to carry a revolver of this size.

The Clip Grip allows the user to grab the gun, tuck it in the waistband and go on your way.  If a CCW holder finds themselves entering an area where firearms are not allowed, the revolver is easily removed without having to remove a gun belt or holster.

The revolver wearing a Clip Grip can still be placed in a conventional holster for that extra level of security and retention.

Rail Ryder

The Rail Ryder is new for 2012 and works in a manner similar to the Clip Grip; with the exception that rather than replacing grip panels, the Rail Ryder attaches to the accessory rail, commonly found on many semiautomatic pistols.

The Rail Ryder does not interfere with safe operation of the handgun in question and adds no real additional weight.  In hindsight it makes sense to fit the larger guns, because a larger gun typically requires a larger and usually more bulky holster.

It has the same drawbacks as the Clip Grip with regard to retention and an open trigger guard, but like the Clip Grip, the Rail Ryder is not intended to replace a good holster, it just makes for more convenient carry when such a holster is not available or practical.  The Rail Ryder can be installed or removed in a matter of seconds and must be removed to place the gun in a conventional holster.

Pocket Shot

The Pocket Shot is a leather holster holds a small 380 ACP semiautomatic pistol.  There are two holes in the holster, one for the trigger and a smaller one slightly below for a support finger.  Leather covers the sides of gun without touching the slide and the whole unit is around the size of a large wallet or a Smartphone.  The gun can be carried inside the pocket.

When needed, the gun and the holster are drawn together from the pocket as one unit and ready to fire.  The holster was tested with a Ruger LCP.  Care must be taken when carrying in this manner as the trigger is exposed from both sides.  That means that nothing else should be carried in the pocket such as pens, lighters, knives, etc. as these items could potentially engage the trigger and cause the gun to fire unintentionally.

Although the Pocket Shot can be carried in any suitable sized pocket, it was determined through testing that the best pocket to keep it in would be the outside side pocket of a jacket. The Pocket Shot will accommodate the Sig P238, KelTec P380; Taurus 738; Kahr P380; Colt’s Mustang, Pony and Pocketlite; and the Ruger LCP.  Other firearms of this size may fit, for example, a Seecamp 32 LWS dropped in and functioned, but the smaller Seecamp was a few inches shorter to make for a perfect fit and made that diminutive pocket gun more bulky to carry.  Rumor has it that DeSantis will be bringing a slightly larger version of this holster to market to accommodate compact 9mm pistols.

Holsters of this design in the past were declared an AOW (Any Other Weapon) by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE).  AOW means that the item is not considered a typical firearm, such as pen guns, cane guns, flashlight guns, or any other design which makes the gun look like another object.  AOW’s are subject to a tax ($200 to manufacture, $5 to transfer) and registry in the NFA (National Firearms Agency) which translates into 3-7 months of waiting for a tax stamp.  DeSantis’ design was not declared an AOW as the slide is not completely covered by the holster’s leather and is open at the top.  The Pocket Shot is, however, illegal in the State of California.

For more information visit: DeSantisHolster.com

Reprinted from Gunspec.com

It's hard NOT to like Gene DeSantis. He is outspoken and opinionated; charming and funny. Gene  single-handedly built  DeSantis Holsters from his kitchen table into a leading worldwide holster manufacturer. He has been on the front lines of major law enforcement operations, so he always has a good story to tell.  Yet in spite of all his accomplishments, Gene has a way of putting you at ease when you are in his presence...unless the conversation turns to safety.

On the subject of firearm safety, you can hear the intensity rise in Gene's voice; his eyes brighten. Gene DeSantis is dead serious when it comes to handling a weapon responsibly.

With a background in part-time law enforcement, Gene is intimately aware of both the skill and danger inherent in the daily use of a firearm. Not only is Gene a gun enthusiast, but he has been a been a primary holster designer for elite law enforcement  agencies, like the  FBI and Secret Service,  for over 30 years. If you're good at what you do (and Gene is), you're going to get a pretty intimate understanding of your client.  So Gene knows that LEOs are real people too. Federal agents can't chase bad guys 24/7 like they do in the movies. In real life, law enforcement professionals have a life with family, wives and kids. And while there's no place like home; home is no place for a loaded gun.

The problem is that LEO's are on call around the clock and must have quick access to their firearm at all times. But a loaded weapon poses potential danger in a household with children or anyone not trained in the proper use of firearms. Unloading one's weapon on a daily basis is a cumbersome, but preferable alternative to having a fully laden weapon laying around the house. But as any LEO will tell you, the time when a gun is most dangerous is when it is being loaded and unloaded. This is the time, according to Gene, with the highest incidence of "unintentionally discharge" - i.e. a  gun "accidentally goes off". Compound that with a lack of sleep or some other real life distraction (e.g. crying baby; barking dog) and you have a potentially fatal incident waiting to happen.

Gene has always sought ways to keep his fellow LEOs safe, but his cause was given an extra boost by the Clinton Administration.  In 1999, Bill Clinton signed a law making it mandatory for all Federal Law officers to install trigger locks on their weapons when not in use. But the typical trigger lock still required the user to remove the firearm from the holster and slip the lock behind the trigger - a potentially dangerous maneuver that would again require the user to unload the gun first, creating yet another hazard.

Leave it to Gene to find a way around both of these pressing problems. For the now famous F.F.D.O. (style 31L) holster, Gene collaborated with colleagues in federal law enforcement to comply with the new mandate. Some implemented their own do-it-yourself solutions. One agent  literally drilled a round hole through his leather holster to accommodate a trigger lock. "Right idea", mused Gene all these years later, "but the hole needed to be oblong. That way, a LEO, instead of digging for a detached pad lock buried in a kitchen drawer could, at the end of a long day, lock the trigger by inserting his handcuffs."  It was a simple modification of a good idea, but just the sort of thing Gene brings to the table from his years in law enforcement.

Best of all, to protect against unintentional discharge, Gene created a design in the F.F.D.O. that made it possible to insert a lock and safely store a weapon without ever having to actually remove it from the holster. Now the gun didn't need to be loaded and unloaded every time it was locked or unlocked.  Simple solution; but if it was so simple, why didn't someone else figure it out. Answer? Because they're not Gene DeSantis.

Thus, from necessity (or Federal mandate) sprung invention. It is that attention to detail; that respect for firearms and a culture of safety that is behind every DeSantis IWB holster made today. Each model is carefully  designed, tested and engineered for safety as well as quality.

From the mind of a LEO to your hip pocket; that is DeSantis Gunhide.

April 18, 2012

AMITYVILLE, New York – DeSantis Gunhide®, a division of HELGEN Industries Inc., introduces 9 new holster products and availabilities for the S&W M&P SHIELD:

-Thumb Break Scabbard

-Mini Scabbard®

-Die Hard Ankle Rig

-Apache® Ankle Rig

-Cozy Partner®

-The Insider

-Sof-Tuck™

-Nemesis®

-Super-Fly®

The Thumb Break Scabbard allows the firearm to ride high and is presented at an optimum draw angle. Its thumb break and exact molding, together with a tension device, allows for a secure and highly concealable carry. This picture illustrates the three-slot model.  Belt slots are 1 3/4" wide. Some models with two belt slots and without tension device. Available in black or tan unlined leather with 1 3/4" wide belt slots, style #001 retails for $68.99. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Reduced to the barest essentials, the Mini Scabbard® is a minimal holster that offers maximum grip on your weapon. We reduced this holster’s footprint without compromising handgun security by combining an extremely precise molding with an adjustable tension device. The Mini Scabbard® will accommodate belts up to 1 1/2" wide and is available in black or tan unlined leather. Style #019 retails for $56.99. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

The Die Hard Ankle Rig was originally designed for Federal Law Enforcement with maximum durability and performance in mind. Top grain saddle leather construction and tough polyurethane hand-finish ensure this holster will live up to its name for years to come. Inside, a smooth leather lining protects your gun's finish and makes for a quick, silky draw. The neoprene leg band (outfitted with a conventional thumb break) is foam-padded and lined with sheepskin for long hours of wearable comfort. The Die Hard is available for most concealable handguns in both the right and left hand versions.  A calf strap (C14) and boot extender (C15) are optional. Retail price for #014 is $76.99.  Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Specially designed for all frame size semi-autos and small frame revolvers, the Apache® Ankle Rig’s wide, elasticized leg band largely eliminates the unwanted rocking motion typical of ankle holsters. All semi-auto models offer an adjustable Velcro® thumb break; while revolver and .32cal models offer an adjustable thumb strap (without snap, Velcro® closure). The Apache® is constructed from sheepskin-lined elastic with a snap thumb break. Optional C14 strap accommodates semi-auto and revolver holster models only. The #062 is available for most concealable handguns and is available in right and left hand. Designs may vary. Available in black only. Retail price for #062 is $51.99.  Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Thanks to precision molding and a custom tension device, the Cozy Partner offers superb weapon retention.  A specially crafted memory band retains the holster's shape allowing for easy re-holstering; even one-handed re-holstering. 1 3/4" split belt loop is standard (Note: this holster must be worn with a belt.) Tension device, memory band or split belt loop not included in some models.  Available in tan or black unlined leather.  Optional black or tan leather belt loop (#Y20) available separately.

The Insider is specially designed with concealment and comfort in mind. This IWB holster is meticulously crafted with soft, un-molded leather to minimize bulk and weight. The durable, heavy-duty steel spring clip is positioned high for deep cover. The Insider is available in black finish for the right or left hand.

The Sof-Tuck™ Style #106 is a new IWB/Tuck-able holster. The adjustable cant allows versatile wear-ability: strong side, cross draw or on the small of the back are all concealable options. The Sof-Tuck’s body is constructed from soft no-slip suede for maximum comfort while the top adds premium saddle leather reinforcement for easy re-holstering. The #106 is available in right and left hand versions.

The Nemesis revolutionized pocket holsters with its incredibly viscous exterior material. As a result, this premium holster will absolutely not move out of position inside your pocket. The interior is crafted using an especially slick pack cloth for low friction draws and the core is lined with just the right amount of foam to break up any tell-take gun lines.

When the original Nemesis® was designed, we thought it would reign forever as the world’s best pocket holster! But then came Super Fly®. The exclusive, sticky rubberized fabric coating the outside of this pocket holster is even more viscous than the Nemesis®! And just like it’s predecessor, Super Fly® will never move out of position in your pocket. This superbly engineered pocket holster also offers a removable, reversible outer flap to further disguise the firearm. The slick pack cloth inner lining ensures low friction draws and is reinforced with added polymer in just the right places.

DeSantis Gunhide® is a leading holster manufacturer for city, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the U.S. armed forces, as well as hunting/sport shooting organizations around the world. DeSantis delivers a full range of holster products and accessories designed to meet or exceed the needs of its customers.

For more information, please visit www.desantisholster.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/DeSantisHolster. You may also email us at sales@desantisholster.com or speak with one of our Customer Service Representatives directly 800-GUNHIDE.

AMITYVILLE, New York – DeSantis Gunhide®, a division of HELGEN Industries Inc., introduces 6 new holster fits for the SIG P224 DAK:

-The Thumb Break Scabbard

-The Mini Scabbard®

-The Die Hard Ankle Rig

-The Apache® Ankle Rig

-The Tuck-This® II

-The Pro Stealth™

The Thumb Break Scabbard positions the firearm at a high angle for optimum draws. The thumb break, exact molding, and precision tension device ensure both weapon security and outstanding concealability. This model is available in two and three slot (pictured) versions. Two-slot versions do not offer tension device. Available in black or tan unlined leather finishes with 1 3/4" wide belt slots, style #001 retails for $68.99. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Reduced to the barest essentials, the Mini Scabbard® is a minimal holster that offers maximum grip on your weapon. By combining extremely precise molding with an adjustable tension device, we were able to shrink this holster’s footprint without compromising handgun security. The Mini Scabbard® will accommodate belts up to 1 1/2" wide and is available in black or tan unlined leather. Style #019 retails for $56.99. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

The Die Hard Ankle Rig was originally designed for Federal Law Enforcement with maximum durability and performance in mind. Top grain saddle leather construction and tough polyurethane hand-finish ensure this holster will live up to its name for years to come. Inside, a smooth leather lining protects your gun's finish and makes for a quick, silky draw. The neoprene leg band (outfitted with a conventional thumb break) is foam-padded and lined with sheepskin for long hours of wearable comfort. The Die Hard is available for most concealable handguns in both the right and left hand versions.  A calf strap (C14) and boot extender (C15) are optional. Retail price for #014 is $76.99.  Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Specially designed for all frame size semi-autos and small frame revolvers, the Apache® Ankle Rig’s wide, elasticized leg band largely eliminates the unwanted rocking motion typical of ankle holsters. All semi-auto models offer an adjustable Velcro® thumb break; while revolver and .32cal models offer an adjustable thumb strap (without snap, Velcro® closure). The Apache® is constructed from sheepskin-lined elastic with a snap thumb break. Optional C14 strap accommodates semi-auto and revolver holster models only. The #062 is available for most concealable handguns and is available in right and left hand. Designs may vary. Available in black only. Retail price for #062 is $51.99.  Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

The Tuck-This® II is custom honed from from heavily padded 1050D black Ballistic nylon and is carefully lined with a slick pack cloth. The highly versatile belt tab can swing to accommodate almost any wearable position, from cross draw to FBI-strong side carry.  A custom tab allows the shirt to be tucked in between the gun and trousers for near total concealment.  Auto-loader versions of the Tuck-This® II feature a magazine pouch cleverly built into the front holster spine. Style  #M24 is available for most concealable hand guns in both right and left hand versions and retails for $37.99. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Crafted from premium padded ballistic nylon, the Pro Stealth™ offers superb durability and versatility.  The rugged 1 3/4" powder coated black spring clip keeps this beauty securely anchored to your belt. An ambidextrous spare magazine pouch is standard for auto loader models. The clip may be removed and inserted on the opposite side for left hand carry. Style #N87 comes in a black finish retails for $38.99. Optional thumb break style also available (style N99; sold separately). Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Full disclosure: I love war movies. I even love anti-war movies. In fact, it was films like PATHS OF GLORY and APOCALYPSE NOW that drew me into the film business for many years.  One of my proudest achievements while working in Hollywood was the small role I played in getting TEARS OF THE SUN made into a movie. Originally titled RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, I sold the script to a studio for seven figures back when studios were still buying original material and not just sucking up remake or sequel rights. RULES was an extraction/action movie with substance and an underlying humanity that strongly appealed to me.  ACT OF VALOR is similar in tone and theme to that film, but in many ways, superior.

To back up a step, it is quite frankly an ACT OF VALOR that this movie got made at all. It's important to understand that ACT OF VALOR was not made within the traditional Hollywood "system".  And in Hollywood terms, it has everything going against it: no big stars, converted stuntmen as directors and the use of live ammunition on set - which itself would make the major studio's insurance brokers literally run for cover.  ACT OF VALOR was essentially a  "negative pickup" in trade parlance. That means a corsortium of investors outside the major studios took on all the financial risk of actually making the film with no promise of distribution once it was completed. Then a distributer outside the majors - Relatively Media - paid $13 million for the finished film and committed another $30 million to advertise and distribute it worldwide.  A pittance by today's standards, but absolutely unheard of for a film without an international star. In spite of selling the script for TEARS OF THE SUN to a studio for over $1 million, we got nowhere near production until Bruce Willis agreed to star in the movie. So kudos to the ACT OF VALOR filmmakers for getting it done.

In fact, unconventional choices permeate the creative elements of  ACT OF VALOR and serve as a source of strength for the film. Some have criticized the "acting" of active duty Navy SEALS on display in the movie. From what I saw, these guys  -who have probably never been in front of anything more than an iPhone camera before ACT OF VALOR -  came off a lot better than say, Vin Diesel in the horrendously embarrassing XXX. I remember squirming in my seat  watching this professional actor "work" in what one friend called, "a wall of stupid".  But I believe  there was a more compelling reason to use real Navy SEALS in ACT OF VALOR: truth.  Or at least movie truth. Bruce Willis can probably imagine the feeling of exhaustion that comes from being downrange and having to get right back into the fight.; but these Navy SEALS?!  Been there done that.  The combination of  weariness and worry these soldiers emote after an extraction where their buddy takes a bullet to the eye is palpable.  These are men who have actually been their teammate's pallbearer. They have actually written condolence letters to the fallen soldier's family.  No disrespect to Bruce Willis - I think he is  a fine actor - but the  emotions associated with these life and death events are very difficult to replicate on film.  The use of active duty Navy SEALS - men who have actually lived this harrowing life - was probably the best choice made by the filmmakers, bar none.

And there were other points of realism in the film that I found interesting. Before extracting a horribly beaten CIA agent, Navy SEALS have to confirm her identity. Much like our beloved credit card companies, the chief officer asks the tortured agent for her mother's maiden name and street she grew up on. My question is: what happens if you screw up the answer?! Do the Navy Seals just leave you there, bleeding and tied to a filthy bed?! Yikes! The other, more thematically relevant aspect of the film I found interesting was the Chief's clearing of the personal decks before the mission. He basically tells his crew that if they are having problems at home they'd better fess up now because out in field that sort of distraction could lead to mistakes and unnecessary deaths. I'd never seen that in a war film before, but it made a lot of sense to me. It was that kind of detail that lent a lot of credibility to the major themes explored in ACT OF VALOR.

The film walks a fine line between Hollywood shoot 'em up, glossy SEALS recruiting tool and boots-on-the-ground documentary. But in my mind, it is ACT OF VALOR's approach to service and sacrifice that steers it clear of tired genre conventions and transforms it into a successful film.  Let me just get this out now: dying for your country is not "rational". Taking a bullet to stop it from hitting your child or wife - that makes sense to me. But some guy who's never met me jumping on a grenade so I can speed in my MINI while blasting Fatboy Slim?!  I have a hard time understanding it; but that is what these guys do. Everyday.

Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was similarly perplexed and intrigued by this idea of service and sacrifice. It is no accident that soldiers play a major role in several of his films (PATHS OF GLORY, BARRY LYNDON, FULL METAL JACKET). Just like me, Kubrick was most intrigued by ideas he could not wrap his head around. But this is exactly where the realism of using active duty Navy SEALS really pays off in ACT OF VALOR. The message in the film rings true. And the way the filmmakers go about it (I'm being intentionally vague here) would be blasphemy in a major studio movie these days. As a screenwriter and Writer's Guild member, I can tell you without hesitation that the folks at Warner Bros. or Universal would NEVER let you get away with what these guys did in this film. Kudos again, guys!

There are certainly flaws I could address. The hi-tech fighting hardware becomes excessive. The visual cuts and video game shooter POV is too CALL TO GLORY for me. The story meanders a bit. But none of these flaws outweighs the central truth of the movie: sacrifice is both sacred and painful. ACT OF VALOR is not an indictment of fighting men; but it is no ode to military glory either. It isn't bathed in some Hollywood filmmaker's patriotic pandering or hagiographic love letter to our men in uniform. I doubt if the real life Navy SEALS involved would allow the filmmakers to get away with that.  Just like life, service to your country is bittersweet. And when you're doing it under intense cover of secrecy in some South American slum, it's hardly glorious in the traditional sense. Getting that across on film in a way that feels fresh and involving? That accomplishment, in my mind, is the greatest ACT OF VALOR here.

Float like a dragonfly, sting like a bee. No one knows you’re packin’, cuz their eyes can’t see…

DeSantis enters the concealment holster ring in a big way with the introduction of the V84 Dragonfly shoulder rig. This vest style, vertical shoulder holster is the heavyweight champ of build quality and durability, but a stealthy flyweight when it comes to conceal-ability.

Originally designed for Investigators of a large Federal Bureau, this clever gun holster/magazine pouch packs a knockout of technical features. The materials used are championship caliber and will go the distance anytime, anywhere. Military spec webbing and fasteners attach the foam padded Senior Ballistic Nylon sections for an almost infinitely customizable, comfortable fit.

And like a good fighter, the V84 Dragonfly hangs in there - literally. DeSantis knows you don’t want any slips during a fight, so they’ve suspended the holster and magazine pouch from a wide, y-type harness that won’t shift.  And even as you lure your opponent into a rope-a-dope sucker punch, the Dragonfly will be totally invisible - until you decide to draw.

Laaaaadddies and Gentleman! In a u-nan-imous decisionnnn: the new world’s champeeeon of vertical shoulder holsters: the DeSantis Dragonfly!

Don’t be counted out.  Come out swinging with the ultimate counterpunch: DeSantis Dragonfly.

You know how it is in the aftermath of the apocalypse. Law and order has left the building. Heavily-armed, leather-clad biker bullies rule the roads. You’re constantly having to repel attacks by blue-mohawked road warriors trying to tap your stash of petrol. Every baddie with an attitude and their floozy wants to fill up their dead dino-fueled muscle car over your dead body – literally. What’s a good guy supposed to do?

Just because chaos rules doesn’t mean you have sit back and tolerate it. Show those post-apocalyptic hooligans you mean business.  Show them you’re mad. Then show them your Mad Max.

Before all hell broke loose, the Mad Max was a popular holster only available from custom holster makers. Now DeSantis has updated the end-of-this-world gun skin for those of us left to appreciate it. The Mad Max is a tuck-able, inside the waistband holster specially designed to fit Glock, S&W, Springfield and many other surviving gun manufacturers.

The versatile design comes complete with 1¾” belt loops AND injected molded “j” hooks for total tuck-ability. Even brainchow-craving zombies won’t know what hit them when you draw from your consummately concealed Mad Max.

So the next time you’re scorching down a deserted roadway scouring abandoned vehicles for diesel fuel, be prepared. Have your Mad Max ride shotgun. Made from premium saddle leather, the hand-crafted Mad Max will easily survive your next nitro-boosted escape run or until the next apocalypse – whichever comes first.