Field Tests By Dave Grossi



​

Most professional law enforcement firearms trainers have heard of Tactical Design Labs by now. Most street cops probably haven’t. Within 

the next few months that will probably change, based on a revolutionary new duty holster called “The Professional.” I first heard about this

new holster about six months ago, and was offered one for T&E by Mike Lowe, a retired ID street cop and trainer who is the CTO and Founder of TDL. As a long-time firearms and weapon retention instructor, I was skeptical at first. I usually am when approached about an “equipment solution to a training problem” especially when discussing disarming threats. But this holster has changed my mind. This holster will save lives.



What makes this new security holster different? It is the first real security holster that has been designed to work solely on the universally accepted principal that gross motor skills will deteriorate during moments of high stress. Developed by a street cop for street cops, “The Professional” was designed and built from the ground up to meet virtually every need for uniform duty wear.  It allows the user to securely grip the weapon for the proper draw and at the same time activating the security release with the trigger finger (automatically placing the trigger finger in the proper uniform cover mode position at the same time) permitting the wearer to get on target fast. Now most trainers might say, “Well, a lot of holsters do that.” That’s true. But how many security-type holsters also permit safe, one-handed, no-sight holstering in under one second? None that I’ve run across in over 25 years of combined uniform street duty, training positions and consulting work.  While many have come close, “The Professional” by TDL is, by far, the best duty holster I’ve ever seen.  



I put this beauty through two weeks of range work (drawing, holstering, simulated disarmings, and ground-fighting situations) and to make sure I wasn’t just becoming starry-eyed over the appearance and functionality of this rig, I gave it to buddy street cop to carry for an additional two weeks of outdoor wear and tear. He was as impressed as I was with “The Professional.” While no actual disarmings were attempted during that month, TDL’s brochure is replete with testimonials from street cops who have been faced with attempted disarmings, and all attest to the fact that “Joe Badguy” isn’t going to get your gun out, or rip this baby off your Sam Browne, any time soon.



What makes the draw so quick and smooth, the holstering so safe and simple, and the retention so positive and perfect is that the patent-pending locking tab is married to the ejection port when the gun is in place. The only way your gun can be drawn is to insert your trigger finger down into the finger tray, push down (or bury) the gun into the holster, and then pull up. With only 15-20 “dry” runs, the drawing technique is mastered because it works on those simple gross motor skills that have been honed into your muscle memory from Day One on the job.



The actual elapsed time from grip, to muzzle out, and on target is well under a second. Because there’s no “widow” strap, or thumb break, or shrouds or hoods to worry about (or clear out of the way), holstering is also a breeze, in fact, under one second using only one hand, without having to look down. An audible snap tells you you’re gun is seated properly. Since there’s nothing to secure or snap in place after you’ve holstered, should you opt to go to your Taser, baton or OC spray, that transition is accomplished just as quickly.     



This beauty is an injection-molded rig made for 2-¼” duty belts, and is constructed using a blend of polymers, stainless steel parts and laminate components. And it is weapon specific. The make and model numbers are clearly stamped on the holster. My T&E model was a basket weave, mid-ride version for a Glock 22, .40 caliber which also happens to fit the Model 17, 9mm.   As of this writing, they are only being manufactured for duty Glocks, Model 19/23’s, 20/21’s and the aforementioned 17/22’s, in Jacket Slot and Mid-Ride versions. TDL has promised that versions for other makes will be available later this year. They come in plain black, basket weave, Hi-Gloss and nylon versions, for both right-and left-handed shooters. Sent with a professionally produced instructional DVD and a tri-fold training handout, TDL also offers a Refresh and Refurbish Program for a nominal fee; so when you decide to take a vacation you can send your holster in to TDL where their professional staff will inspect the rig, clean it up, and send it back to you looking good as new.



“The Professional” has been recently approved for wear by the San Diego (CA) PD and is already in use by many West Coast and mid-west police agencies. I anticipate the movement will work its way east when the word spreads about this unique “Real Performance Duty Holster.”

​

This rig is going to get a lot of comments and odd looks from your fellow officers, but you won’t see “The Professional” being worn by just anyone. TDL sells only to individual law enforcement officers and/or departments, professional security agencies and the US military. Made in the US, it comes with a full one-year guarantee.​