Holstering properly is seemingly easy exercise but it can be troublesome for people if they are new to using guns or haven’t been trained properly about placing the gun back into their holsters. Most of the gun training institutes do not emphasize over this exercise, but it’s an important aspect of using guns that all the owners should be told to practice.

Holstering can be highly risky for many reasons. Here we’ll discuss some of the safety precautions and ways to holster without causing any accidental pain or disability.

1- Never Let Go Of the Firing Grip While You Holster

The firing grip is what the position of your fingers over the gun is called when you’re shooting. It means the V of your thumb and your forefinger is as high as possible on the back strap of your gun. Also, the three fingers that you don’t use during shooting are placed firmly around the grip, and make sure your trigger finger is placed straight on the frame of your gun. This is an essential practice that one shouldn’t loosen the firing grip when placing the gun back into its holster. This is not only a safety measure, but also a useful technique in the situation of self defense.

2- Clear All Obstructions Around the Holster

One of the most common mistakes that people do while placing their guns into their holsters is that they try to clear a retention flap that sometimes dangles over the opening with the muzzle of the gun. This is actually very dangerous and should never be tried. You should make sure that the opening of your holster is clear before you insert the gun back into it. Also, there shouldn’t be anything inside your holster that might prevent a smooth placing of your gun.

3- Make Sure Your Shirt Does Not Cover the Holster

It is essential that you tuck your shirt in when you’re wearing a holster on your waist. The reason for doing so is that if you’re wearing a baggy or flannel shirt it might get over your holster when you’re trying to put your gun back. As a reflex you might try to remove the fold of your shirt with the gun and it might result in an unintentional discharge. It’s always best to clear the baggy shirt by your support hand before you holster.

4- Properly Use Your Collapsible Holster

Some holsters are made up of “Sticky” brand. It’s for casual use and it’s actually good for every day purposes. However, the only limitation to it is that it collapses together when you draw your gun. When it’s time to holster sometimes people try to open the holster with the muzzle of their gun. This is dangerous. You should take off your waist band holster and then use your support hand to lower it on the muzzle of the gun from above. This is to make sure that the muzzle of your gun does not face your hand or any other body part in order to avoid accidental discharge.

5- Always Stand Up When You Holster

You can shoot in whatever position you like once you’ve gained control over your gun. However, it’s never a wise idea to holster in any other position but standing position. It’s not advisable that you holster when you’re in kneeling or sitting.

6- Stay Calm While You Holster

One of the things that gun training academies teach is to “draw quickly, fire slowly and holster reluctantly”. Placing your gun back into its holster is a delicate and sensitive task which requires the presence of your senses. You need to clear your mind, stay calm and be sure that there’s nothing around that can cause disruption in the process. After all, there are no merit points or credits for holstering quickly. It’s wiser to spend few extra seconds on it rather than causing accidental damage.

Keeping a loaded gun near your body is a pretty huge risk itself, let alone sliding it against your body back into its holster. It’s good to practice caution while you own and use a gun, but holstering is tricky. Your mind might wander off once you’re done with aiming and shooting and it may appear to you that it’s just keeping the gun back in. It’s a mistake people do, avoid it and practice caution to stay safe and keep everyone around you safe.