TDL Holster

[badge17]

Hello Folks,

I'm looking for information on the company Tactical Design Lab and their TDL Holster. We recently switched to them and not a single officer likes the holster. I am currently documenting everything that we are having issues with to take to the union. I have also been searching the web for the last few weeks and can not find much info on the company that doesn't come directly from the company web site.

Do you use this holster? Have you had any problems with it? What are your thoughts on it?

I'm just looking for anything else that may help our case.

Thanks

[jswwjw]

Gulfport, MS PD has a lot of officers that carry them. Perhaps go to the MS section and post there as well. I have zero 1st hand knowledge of the holster. Good luck.

[badge17]

Gulfport, MS PD has a lot of officers that carry them. Perhaps go to the MS section and post there as well. I have zero 1st hand knowledge of the holster. Good luck.

Thanks will do.

Here's their website if anyone else has anything.

http://tacticaldesi239.corecommerce.com/index1.html

[Nawkternal]

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?158846-Tactical-Design-Labs-Duty-Holster&highlight=tactical+design+labs

Here's a thread offering some little info about the holster, PM sirlancealot I believe he owns one.

[5031OKC]

Why do they not like the holster? It obviously has a different draw style to it. If there is a legitimate issure with the holster please share so others can have the info, i.e. it's uncomfortable, they are having retention issues, breakage issues, etc. However, if they don't like it because they don't like having to modify their draw style then I would consider that a non-issue.
Give us the heads up on the dislikes.

[badge17]

Dislikes: 1. The Finger Well that you have to use to disengage the retention device. I have had various objects (a rock, a stick, a tube of chap stick) get in the well and completely block it, which will not allow me to release the retention device and draw my weapon.
2. The Retention Device Release. This holster is a lot like a Blackhawk serpa (push a tab to release the weapon) but the location of TDL's tab is over the trigger guard, so when you depress the tab and draw, your finger comes off the holster and will land on the trigger guard or on the trigger it’s self. It makes you have to think to move your trigger finger onto the slide, where as on our old holsters; as soon as you draw your finger is already indexed on the slide.
3. It is bulky; it is wide and long and gets in the way of the seatbelt.
4. The Belt slide, the holster slides onto the belt and that is it. There are no retention screws or tabs to tighten it to the belt and keep it in place. If you do not wear keepers in front and behind the holster it makes it easy for someone to yank on the weapon and move it behind you.
5. Another Finger Well problem. While reholstering a few guys have jammed their finger on the edge of the Well and had their finger forced into the trigger guard onto the trigger. Luckily there have been no accidental discharges from this yet.
6. The possibility of a broken finger. This one will be in the like column as well because it works both ways. If in a fight and the need to draw the weapon arises, if the bad guy can get a hold of your hand while your finger is in the Finger Well it will be very likely that he can put enough force on your hand to break your finger.

Likes: 1. The retention. Once the weapon is in the holster it will not go anywhere until you draw it. You have to push down slightly and depress the retention release to draw. Not many bad guys will think to push the weapon into the holster to get it out.
2. The Finger Well if a bad guy gets their finger in there it will not take much effort for me to push or twist and break his finger. (but the dislikes of the Well outweigh the likes)

[5031OKC]

Dislikes 2 and 5 are probably enough to steer me away from this holster. I'll just stick with what I've got (Safariland 6280). It has worked fine so far.

[vincelli]

I have NO experience with this holster, however, reasons 1, 2, and 4, would be overwhelming Officer Safety issues.

Your Department should pull this holster for those alone, and if they're not very concerned with an Officer getting killed (sad to even consider this possibility) they better be concerned about the lawsuits which will follow any injury or death, as once your Union makes these reasons officially known to the PD they have received "legal notice" of the problems and are completely liable. The manufacturer would also be liable for a number of reasons.

I'm only going off of what has been stated in the thread and have never even seen one of these holsters, but it blows my mind that any PD would issue this crap without testing it and finding these problems.

-V

[badge17]

They were tested........ but I guess the salesman's sales pitch carried more weight than the Officers who used this thing for the two monthes prior to them being implemented.

[reils49]

They were tested........ but I guess the salesman's sales pitch carried more weight than the Officers who used this thing for the two monthes prior to them being implemented.

typical. can you carry your own rig or only a departmental issue?

[careerchange#2]

I'm still trying to get my mind around holsters that utilize your trigger finger. This one and the Slerpa specifically.

I'm just a dumb street cop but when my gun comes out it is a serious situation, and the only thing I want my trigger finger doing is either indexing or squeezing. That's it.

[reils49]

I'm still trying to get my mind around holsters that utilize your trigger finger. This one and the Slerpa specifically.

I'm just a dumb street cop but when my gun comes out it is a serious situation, and the only thing I want my trigger finger doing is either indexing or squeezing. That's it.

Yeah, same here.

[JK4629]

I've been using this holster since December 2010. I couldn't be more happy with it. I can get the weapon in and out of the holster extremely fast without any issues, and I couldn't imagine a safer more secure holster when it comes to someone trying to take your weapon away from you. A couple other guys from my department also use this holster and feel the exact same way.

TDL Holster

[Resq14]

I'll stick with my Safariland 6360.