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All the discussion of open carry got me thinking about a comment that was made to me twenty years ago. My first CHL instructor stated that holsters are what differentiate the good guys from the bad guys.

Have those of you in LEO found this to be true?

How often does a bad guy with a gun get taken into custody and have an appropriate holster?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Interesting question.

I know what answer I'm expecting to hear, but interested to hear what responses will reveal.

I am not a LEO but in my opinion, this may have some truth to it. A street gang member will probably not spend the money or time in looking for the proper holster. They will more than likely "mexican carry" or use some cheap $10 airsoft holster. I bet they will not be looking to spend $100 for a crossbreed supertuk or any similar holster. I figure carrying with no holster strapped to them will make it easier for them to ditch a weapon.

Definitely an interesting question...and one that I think I know the answer to as well...but alas, I am not LEO and do not have day-to-day up-close-and-personal contact with those of the criminal mindset. In conversation with a friend who was a narc in Detroit years ago, according to him, *not* wearing a holster took some getting used to, he said that none of the criminals wore holsters, it was one of the easiest ways to tell "good guy" vs "bad guy."

My rationale on bad guys not holstering (in addition to reason posted above me) - how many stick with the same gun? Meaning this - crime gets committed (murder, etc.) with weapon A...not wise to keep A...better to move on to B....once that one is dirty, time for C...just thoughts I have.

Nor am I a LEO and my answer is based on what was told to me by LEO in my previous state where we had CHP and constitutional OC. I had the opportunity to ask this exact question multiple times as part of ride alongs that I was assigned to and without exception was told by the LEO I asked that while an officer doesn't necessarily assume away anything, that the presumption was that an OC'er is not likely to be a bad guy, assuming properly holstered. And I asked the same question of two senior Sgt. when I went through the citizen's academy and they both immediately said that it would be highly unlikely that they would encounter a bad guy OC in any holster. So it didn't seem to matter what kind of holster or whatever, just that they would think from proper OC that it was not likely a bad guy.

I had a 30 year Houston area LEO tell me that he had never inventoried a holster as evidence.

All the guns I've pulled off my arrestees were just shoved in their waist band or in their pocket. I've yet to pull one that was in a holster. I'm still a rookie though.

I retired from Police work in '89. I never arrested a bad guy with a gun that ever had a holster. I had to think about that some. But back then I was in very good shape and I carried a S&W mod 36 (5 shoot snub nose) inside the back of my jeans while off duty, no holster.

I'm having trouble finding it, but there was an FBI study once that said that criminals mostly did not carry their handguns in holsters.

Found it.

http://leb.fbi.gov/2006-pdfs/leb-march-2006" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Conversely, the offenders in the
authors’ three studies did not
use holsters.

You should also see the condition these guns were in. Some looked like they were buried for a decade.

So if I wear 2 or 3, I must be a REALLY good guy!

I crack myself up sometimes.

It's easier for a BG to ditch a gun in a hurry and not to have to worry about getting rid of a holster too.