Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. CARRYOPTIONS Sammy Reese FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS Lawman Leather hen I was growing up there was nothing cooler than a shoulder holster. Every cop show had the detectives wearing them, and the ultimate tough cop, Dirty Harry, carried a really big gun in his. My brother and I would make our own for our cap guns out of old belts and we would ride around on our bikes thinking we were the coolest guys in town. We may not have been the coolest, but we were packing heat — sort of. Fast forward a few years and I found myself wearing one under my flack jacket to hide a real gun I wasn’t technically supposed to have, but I did anyway. A few years later I used one while rolling around in a “cool car” watching dopers ply their trade. When I told his Editorial Eminence I was doing my column on the Original Dirty Harry holster and the newer STU shoulder holster, he told me he carried a 6" Model 29 in one during the early days of his police career. He said he did other silly things too. I believe him. The Real Deal W The STU is a tough-guy rig, built to be used in the harsh environments cops and soldiers populate — so it’s just the ticket for anything the rest of us civilian pukes could ever throw at it! A The Original hile talking with Jerry Ardolino, Founder of Lawman Leather Goods, I told him about my life-long obsession with holsters, and specifically the mystique the shoulder holster held for me. I was preaching to the choir since Jerry feels the same way. His passion was evident during our conversation about the pain staking attention to detail going into every holster made in the Lawman factory. I was focused on the Original, but Jerry suggested I check out the newer STU (Severe Tactical Use) shoulder holster as well. I can’t describe how cool I felt when I put the Original on. The holster has so many adjustment points, it only took a few minutes to adjust it to fit. When I added my 4" Model 29, it took some minor adjusting to get the large revolver to ride just right, and I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was to wear. With the appropriate cover shirt or jacket I was able to hide the fact I was packing a really large roscoe. Funny, I didn’t feel the slightest bit outgunned with only six .44 magnum 240-gr. JHPs. The tight-on-the body design of the Original also lends it to being a great holster for a handgun hunter, or for carrying a backup gun when on the home turf of critters who are bigger and meaner than you are. No matter what handgun you choose to carry, Lawmen can make a holster to fit it. Their proprietary Vex system allows them to make a mold of any handgun. W The Original is just that: THE one Dirty Harry wore. It’s comfortable, virtually infinitely adjustable, and the workmanship is excellence. s the name implies, the Severe Tactical Use Shoulder Holster is designed for the extremist conditions you and your gun may find yourselves in. The concept was born during Jerry’s days as a street cop. The “stuff” cops get on themselves during the course of some shifts would win any gross-out contest you could imagine. To combat the elements and hazardous materials cops and military guys come into contact with, the leather is treated to resist the elements by bleeding out slightly. This keeps whatever you come in contact with from impregnating the holster. According to Jerry, with the STU beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not as eye-catching as the Original, but it will hold up to the harshest environments and not let you down. Keeping in mind the intended use for the STU, I quickly adjusted it and spent some time wearing it over my old Tac vest with my Les Baer TRS securely strapped inside. The secondary retention strap left me with no doubts the gun would not come out unless I wanted it too. If your profession or passion puts you in extreme conditions, the STU is the holster for you. Currently only available for semiautos, I foresee the potential production of STUs for large frame revolvers if we keep pestering Jerry to make them. STU * For more info: www.lawmanleather goods.com 34 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009