First Look: Safariland’s 5197/5198 Range Series Holster

At SHOT 2013, I got a look at Safariland’s latest “Range Series” holsters. These are designed to compete with the myriad of open top style Kydex range holsters popular with competitive shooters, and it is by no accident that these holsters are IDPA approved. It’s relieving to see these are not cheap injection molded holsters, but rather, thermo-formed Kydex. Like most holsters in this class, a tensioning screw adjusts the level of retention. The pistol seats into the holster with a distinct click thanks to the detent in the trigger guard. The belt attachment is secured to the holster via the familiar three hole pattern compatible with Safariland’s modular belt attachments. The Range Series holsters can be purchased with a paddle or belt loop attachment. Continue reading