Fobus in the Media

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Fobus Evolution RU-3 Fobus in the media

Fobus Evolution Ruger Mark III Holster Review
To say I am a fan of the infamous .22LR Ruger Mark III would be an understatement. I hunt with it, target shoot with it, plink with it, and tactically train with it. I own three of these fine reliable pistols and have even remedied speed reloading issue with a McFadden reloader... however holsters have been a challenge until I discovered the Fobus holster and magazine pouch options.

The inherent challenge with the Ruger Mark III holsters have been that they are all pretty much centered on hunting and not the more dynamic task of drawing, charging and shooting. The Fobus Evolution Holsters are nothing new, in my case I finally decided enough was enough and picked up the Fobus Holster and magazine pouch to finally turn my Ruger Mark III into tactical training tools.
The Fobus Evolution Paddle Holster with NRA gel Tab makes it easy to comfortably carry the Mark III in a similar position and similar retention as your duty or an exposed concealed carry holsters. During that shopping adventure I also picked up the Fobus Double Magazine Pouch for .22LR single stack magazines, which provides an opportunity to practice reloads.

FIT, FEEL, & FEATURES
The Mark III Fobus Evolution Paddle Holster with NRA gel Tab fits both the Ruger Mark II and Mark III models and provides tunable retention via an adjustment screw. The holster body is one piece polymer construction and is riveted securely to the rubberized paddle insert. The Paddle itself is covered on the outer facing side with a gel which provides retention to the body curve molded paddle. The use is extraordinarily simple, just slide it into your pants or shorts and it provides a solid weapon carry platform. Many government and undercover law enforcement utilize this style of holster because they may be required to consistently remove thier weapon and holster for security... plus it is very convenient.

To improve and speed the draw and protect sights, the Fobus holster body has a protective sight channel built in so that the front sight never comes in contact with the holster. The Gel tab is grippy enough to hold the gun securely in your pants, but not so much that attachment or removal is a pain.

The Fobus Double Magazine Pouch for .22LR single stack magazines is designed similarly to the Mark III holster with the same gel tab insert. In reality you do not need it due to the weight of the magazines.

FUNCTIONS
The Fobus Double Magazine pouch is a “universal” single stack .22 magazine pouch and did require a bit of heat applied tuning to tension up the magazine retention fingers. The Fobus Double Magazine pouch fits two Single Stack .22,.380, and .32 Caliber - Sig 239, Barretta U22, Bobcat, Ruger MK I, II & III, Walther P22, Browning Buck Mark, S&W 22, 41, 622, 422, and all similar models. Initially out of the box they seemed to hold the magazines loosely but without an issue even during rigorous running drills, however once you hit the deck, the mags fell out. Heating and bending the retention fingers slightly solved the issue and delivered a nice tight fit.

The holster was pretty much perfect out of the box and paddle slide into the pants and held securely and comfortably throughout my initial testing, however the tension was loosened just a bit to a point of compromise between retention and draw speed. After months of use and what has to be thousands of rounds and hundreds of draws, the Fobus Evolution holster has performed perfectly without any further tuning. Of note the holster will sadly not fit the 22/45 Ruger or the Mark II or III versions with the scope rail attached. I believe both problems could be overcome with a little creative Dremel tool tuning, however at this point this is your only option as Fobus does not currently make a 22/45 or optic compatible holster option.

FINAL THOUGHTS
If I have said it once I have said it... well at least three times in other articles, .22LR training analogs will pay for themselves financially from a training perspective in a very short period of time. A Ruger Mark III with a couple extra magazines, and Fobus gun and magazine holsters all combined can be paid for in only around 4000 rounds comparing to shooting a 9mm. Along with the shoot more and spend less benefit, this training will help you develop invaluable muscle memory that will transition to your defensive or sporting firearm.

Sure my Ruger Mark III may not be the perfect training analog for a Glock 19, however the funny thing is that Draw, Charge, Fire, and Reload drills sure feel the same when you are doing them especially when the Holsters come close to your real rig. This is where the Fobus Holster and Magazine pouches are critical training tools and I believe one of the best accessories you can purchase for your Ruger Mark III even if you just plan on carrying your Mark III occassionally on a hunt. Simply put the Fobus Evolution Ruger Mark III holster works and helps you get out, shoot more and train more all for a lot less money.

SPECS
Fobus Evolution Paddle Holster with NRA gelTab for Ruger Mark II & Mark III
Model - RU3
MSRP - $24.99

Fobus Double Magazine Pouch for .22LR single stack magazines
Model - 6922P
Price - $21.99

FOBUS DB fobus in the media

Anyone who knows me know that I’m a gun enthusiast. While in the past I only enjoyed collecting and shooting, I’m beginning to get into the custom realm of making a good gun better. As such, I’ve reviewed a few guns on this blog along with parts for them.

Today, I’m going to simplify things a bit. I came across a company called Fobus Holsters. These great holsters are made in Israel primarily for their military and special security forces there. As you can imagine, I had high expectations of the brand even before receiving the review products.

Fobus sent me two holsters to test –an active retention, rotating holster for a Springfield Armory XD40 (Model SPDB) with Thumb release and a passive retention holster for the Taurus Judge compact. This review will only consist of the active retention since I loaned out my Judge to a family member and didn’t get it back until Friday. I still need to play with the passive retention holster to write a good enough review, though I’m equally impressed with it as I am this one.

Right off the bat, I could tell these were high quality holsters. I’ll start with the active retention holster for the XD40. For those that are contemplating getting a pistol of any caliber, you CANNOT go wrong with a Springfield Armory XD-series pistol. My every day choice that I keep on me is the XD40. I have shot hundreds of rounds through this pistol and don’t have a single complaint. The customer service is top-notch too! Being a left-handed shooter, the company even sent me a free left hand paddle holster when I bought the pistol and got home to find the holster that came with it was designed for right-handed shooters.

However, the Fobus paddle holster is different from the stock Springfield paddle holster in several ways. Both provide a perfect fit for the pistol. The Fobus includes a thumb release that the XD model does not have. This is important to any legal gun owner and provides a sense of assurance that the gun won’t fall into the wrong hands.

The paddle comes with a beveled lip that clings to the waistband or belt, preventing it from accidentally being pulled during the draw.

When I’m carrying, I like to have my pistol at a slight angle to the front. This helps me get a smooth and consistent draw in a pinch. The XD holsters don’t allow for that. The Fobus holsters feature the Fobus Rotation Mechanism that allows the user to rotate the way the pistol is holstered. Users can position their sidearm for a straight up and down draw, a forward-assisted draw like I use, or even a cross draw if that is your style by simply using an allen wrench to loosen and reposition the holster.

Another great aspect of this holster is that the guard that covers the trigger housing is deep enough so as to prevent accidental trigger pull. While this isn’t a problem with the XD due to its own inherent safety features, some gun owners will appreciate the added safety.

The location of the thumb release if positioned to allow for a natural draw. The user won’t have to worry about learning new muscle memory just to unholster their sidearm. I tested the holster with both a regular magazine and extended magazine and didn’t have a single misdraw. The motion of the thumb release is natural and fluid as you can see in these two photos.

The Fobus active retention holster is a level 2 retention holster. A Level 2 holster example is one where a thumb-break is released then the pistol must be moved (rocked forward or rearwards) in the holster to clear some form of internal locking device before it can be drawn. A level 1 holster would have something like a leather or plastic snap as the only thing holding the pistol in place. A level 3 holster is one where three separate retaining devices, both internal and external must be undone or bypassed. Most police officers and military personnel use a level 2, as this provides a good balance between quick draw and security of the weapon.

I could only identify two areas where I could see improvement: the paddle thickness and concealability. To be fair, the Fobus active retention holster isn’t designed to be used as a concealed carry holster. Because of the retention system, the weapon sticks out from the waist 2.5 to 3 inches, whereas the XD holster hugs the pistol close to the body with a little less than two inches of distance. Again, Fobus didn’t design this holster to be used for concealed carry, so I can’t really hold that against them.

While I never had any issues putting the holster on or taking it off, I do worry that the thickness of the bridge between the paddle and the holster itself is too thin. The XD bridge is very thick and rigid giving me the impression of being more durable.

A friend of mine also has a Fobus holster, so I asked him about his experiences with it. His went through a catastrophic motorcycle accident at 65mph and nothing happened to the pistol or the holster. He called it an “ass over elbows” type crash and neither the pistol nor the holster ever left his side (though I bet it left a nice bruise!).

All in all, the Fobus holster is much more comfortable than the XD holster as well. It forms to the hip which prevents it from digging into your side. Because the paddle is so lightweight, it can also be used in the small of the back without hurting too much. They seem to have thought of it all.

I now have a new range and farm holster in the Fobus active retention holster. I like the durability, comfort and ease of use. I like that I don’t have to worry about someone trying to disarm me from behind or in a skirmish. The design is sleek, elegant, and lightweight. Since Texas is still not an open carry state (WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?!), I’ll have to continue using my XD holster for concealed carry in the meantime. But, I can’t recommend Fobus highly enough. The Israelis have a good thing going here!

Throw in a suggested retail of $39.99 each and you can’t go wrong.

GL-2 ND Fobus in the media

To say that I'm a fan of the Glock 17 pistol would be an understatement. I carry mine every day. Yup. In my IDF uniform. In my civies. To synagogue on the sabbath, and during the week. To work. Around the house. You name it, if you see me around, you'll see my Glock 17. I open carry on my belt or in a drop leg / thigh rig. I tactically train with it too.

I've had this particular Glock pistol for over 10 years and fire thousands of rounds through it every year.

In back when I was looking for a holster for my new Glock 17 and found the Fobus line of holsters.

I bought a Fobus holster for my Glock 17 and a double magazine pouch for my 2 double stack 33 round Glock spare mags. Over the years as my training progressed and my carry styles changed, I've added a few more to my kit. I now own 3 different Fobus holsters for my Glock 17, and Mrs. DoubleTapper owns 2 for her Glock 26.

FIT, FEEL, & FEATURES

The Glock 17 Fobus Evolution Paddle Holster fits my Glock 17 perfectly and provides tunable retention via an adjustment screw. The holster body is one piece polymer construction and is riveted securely to the rubberized paddle insert. The Paddle itself is covered on the outer facing side with a red gel tab which provides retention to the body curve . Using it is extraordinarily simple, just slide it into your pants or shorts, adjust the retention screw to your draw, and it provides a solid weapon carry platform. Many government and undercover law enforcement utilize the paddle style of holster because they may be required to constantly remove their weapon and holster for security... plus it is very convenient.

To improve and speed up the draw and protect sights, the Fobus holster body has a protective sight channel built in so that the front sight never comes in contact with the holster. The Gel tab is grippy enough to hold the gun securely in your pants, but not so much that attachment or removal is a pain.

The Fobus Double Magazine Pouch for 9mm double stack magazines is designed similarly to Fobus's Glock 17 holster with the same gel tab insert.

FUNCTIONS

The Fobus Double Magazine pouch is a fit for my Glock 17 9mm mags. Initially out of the box firmly without an issue even during rigorous running and tumbling drills.

The holster was perfect out of the box and paddle slide into the pants and held securely and comfortably. After years of use and thousands of rounds and hundreds of draws, the Fobus Evolution holster has performed perfectly without any further tuning.

I ride a motorcycle daily and was hit from behind doing about 65 mph (100 km/hr) and my mags (and pistol) stayed firmly in place as I was thrown 10 yards, tumbled, and rolled down the highway. I was shocked when I could stand up. I was even more shocked when I realized that my mags and pistol were still right where they belonged!

FINAL THOUGHTS

If I've said it once, I've said it... well at least 100 times in other posts, Fobus holsters and pouches are a bargain at any price. They are comfortable, durable and are perfectly designed to fit my Glock 17 (and lots of other pistols). AND they are modular. So you can use them with an optional carry accessories. They have a belt slide, drop leg / thigh rig, adjustable belt slide and more. I have them all, so I can use my Fobus Holsters in any situation.