Safariland SLS Vs. ALS

[FishingFool]

Deleted

[MAP]

Trying to decide on a new holster but can't decide on how which one. The SLS seems more intuitive but the als appears to be faster. Has anyone used both extensively?

I use a 6360 daily for 3+ years. Very fast with training and practice. I prefer it over holsters with the hood only.

Mike

[NCPatrolAR]

I've been using the SLS for about 8 years and the ALS for about 2.5 years. I greatly prefer the ALS and find it to be a more natural motion that rolling the sls hood. The ALS is faster for me

[FishingFool]

Deleted

[Oscar 319]

I've used both. I prefer the ALS system. It is wicked fast, very secure and easy to learn. Best of all, it automatically locks the gun upon reholstering.

Modifications to the SLS (sentry hood) have helped defeat the front gun grab threat. BG's used to train to slap/pull the hood to disengage the retention hood.

Officers routinely neglect to secure the hoods, and under high risk/threat situations, subconsciously unsecure the holster and forget it's open. I am guilty of that.

The ALS eliminates this.

Both are great holsters.

[Sproggy]

My duty holster has both the SLS and ALS. I find both to be very fast with practice. They also issue an off duty holster with just the ALS which is pretty close to drawing from a holster without retention at all because its so well thought out. I woulnt hesitate to use a holster with either, or both

[ToddG]

The ALS is definitely the faster system. It is easier to learn and easier to teach. It also has the major benefit (IMO) of locking the gun every time it's holstered rather than relying on the operator to snap or close anything.

The SLS has an edge from a weapons retention standpoint. This follows the basic concept of "the harder it is for you to do on purpose, the harder it is for someone else to do for you." The SLS can definitely be fast if you train with it, but the movement is more fumble prone when you're rushing and a little bit slower when you're not.

[David Thomas]

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=17789&highlight=safariland

[CBTech]

In my experience the SLS did not do it for me in Close Quarters training. I have had one since '03 and it always worked well in convoys and as a way to carry the pistol but the gate gets dirt and junk in it and slows the draw down. It needs an occasional cleaning.

Where it really failed was in tight quarters and transitioning from rifle. The extra second it took to draw was very frustrating. I've since switched to a Serpa attached to my plate carrier.

Stay on top of the gate or the time you really nee a good draw might be the first time the dirt and gunk finally start inhibiting it's performance.

[JSantoro]

Same can be said of the one time that a piece of grit/gravel/junk gets caught under the release lever of a SERPA. Better a slow draw or inhibited performance from gunk than futilely trying to claw out a pistol that might as well be locked in a safe while some amped-up livestock-diddling durka is shooting at you. It's NOT a good feeling. I personally know of three others from my former battalion that had the same sort of thing happen, though under less stressful circumstances. That aspect of the SERPA is among the reasons none too many are fond of it.

I swapped to a 6004 immediately after, and never had any problem getting the gun out of the holster. Facts being facts, some draws were distinctly slower than others, and I didn't like that aspect, though it was better than knowing that the gun'd likely get jammed in the holster again after wading ashore from the muck on the banks of the Euphrates.

I've since gone to using the 6387 series, ALS only. Oooohhhhh, sweet mystery of life, at last I've fouuuuuuuund youuuuuuuuuuuu.

[rjacobs]

I have an ALS(dont remember the model number) for my MP9 and its great. I dont have any experience with the SLS so I cant comment on it. The draw with the ALS is very natural and retention is excellent.

[John Hearne]

I think the the ALS is a superior system to the SLS. The ALS is more secure as the button is not easily activated from the front. Unless you put the hood guard on the SLS system, it is very easy to defeat. I consider it less secure than a thumbsnap. The only issue with the ALS is the ease or lack of it when it comes to accessing it with the support hand only. I find a BUG on the support side easier than trying to get a pistol out of the ALS.

[SWATcop556]

What are the experiences of those running the ALS/SLS combo?

[NCPatrolAR]

What are the experiences of those running the ALS/SLS combo?

I don't care for it. I find myself sometimes missing the ALS switch and not being able to draw the gun for a moment. And this is after several years of using it

[mdain]

I used an SLS for several years in patrol and on my tactical rig for search warants. Once I started teaching recruits, I switched to the same holster they are now issued, which is SLS/ALS. At first, I hated it. However, it grew on me. With practice, the speed of the draw with either the SLS or SLS/ALS holster is about the same. What did screw me up was going back to my old SLS holster last week. I kept looking for the ALS button.

If I went back to patrol next week, I'd carry the SLS/ALS holster. The added retention, and auto lock upon reholstering are worth their weight in gold.

If you are going from an SLS only holster to SLS/ALS be prepared for some frustration until you put in your time learning the new system.

[mdain]

One other thing to consider would be what gun are you intending to carry? For instance, a 1911 in an SLS/ALS is no bueno. Thumb rocks hood forward, thumb presses ALS to rear, thumb is now under thumb safety on 1911, raise thumb above thumb safety, thumb depresses thumb safety, thumb is now very tired and confused from changing directions so many times.

[S-1]

I use the 6360 which is the "SLS/ALS combo." IMO, it's the best duty holster invented yet. I've used the SSIII, Raptor Lvl3, SLS and now this one. It's the duty holster to have now. Everyone that I know that uses it, loves it.

[FishingFool]

Deleted

[condoor]

I use the 6360 which is the "SLS/ALS combo." IMO, it's the best duty holster invented yet. I've used the SSIII, Raptor Lvl3, SLS and now this one. It's the duty holster to have now. Everyone that I know that uses it, loves it.

I just went through a LE academy with a SLS/ALS combo. It's the only retention holster I've used, but I like it a lot. I didn't see anything else I would rather have, and I was just as fast or faster than anyone else from the draw to the first shot.

[militarymoron]

What are the experiences of those running the ALS/SLS combo?

i don't mind it (i'm just a civvie and i use this holster at the range, where we run drills that involve running around, etc). the SLS hood can just be left rotated forward as if it weren't there, and the holster used as an ALS model only, if you feel that there's a need to draw in the very near future. then, the SLS hood can be rotated back if you feel the need for extra security (crawling, running etc).

[FishingFool]

Deleted

[halfcocked]

I've been using the 6360 (SLS+ALS) for 2 years on patrol duty and I like it. It is very quick on the draw (but not as quick as an ALS only). The retention is outstanding. I've been through several force-on-force DT sessions and even two-on-one I have yet to have someone get it out of the holster. I've been told by the DT staff that when our department was using the 070 that the instructors were routinely getting guns from cadets in DT sessions but that they rarely are able to disarm them now since switching to the 6360.

Still, if I were allowed to pick (which I'm not), I would probably opt for the ALS only. The draw is definitely faster with the ALS only and I found the ALS is what really kept the gun in the holster during retention drills--not the hood. I would trade the slight gain in speed for the slight loss in retention with the ALS.

[John_Wayne777]

I'm a high drag, low speed type...but the first time I used an ALS holster I wondered why in the hell it took them so long to think of it. Push....>CLICK< and she's not going anywhere. Admittedly I've not had a 250 pound steroid gobbling ex-con trying to wrest my weapon from the holster, but I have tried to yank the weapon out of the holster without using the lock and I haven't been able to do it.

I'm particularly fond of the ALS because the holster for the light mounted guns will still work even if there's no light on the gun since the lock engages around the ejection port.

[ToddG]

i don't mind it (i'm just a civvie and i use this holster at the range, where we run drills that involve running around, etc). the SLS hood can just be left rotated forward as if it weren't there, and the holster used as an ALS model only, if you feel that there's a need to draw in the very near future. then, the SLS hood can be rotated back if you feel the need for extra security (crawling, running etc).

The problem with this approach is that if you spend most of your time practicing to draw with the hood down, it's going to cause you substantial problems if something happens and you need to draw the gun while the hood is up. It's no different than departments that used to allow officers to start qual strings with their hands on their pistols, retention disengaged... and then learned that their guys, under stress, couldn't draw from a properly engaged retention device.

[tpd223]

What Todd just said. Seriously, leaving the hood down sometimes but not others is a bad idea.

I've been using the ALS off-duty style for a couple of years now (forget the model #) and the 6360 on duty as well.

IMHO the 6360 is the finest duty holster ever, made by any company, ever.
It pains me to say so since I've been pissed off at BAE/Safariland/ABA for a couple of years now, but I calls em likes I sees em.

It is fast to draw, fast to reholster, very secure in defending the pistol against gun grabs, tough, well designed, and comfortable.

[condoor]

I'm eyeballing the 6320 right now. I noticed it has a sheild to protect the als. Is that shield necessary to protect the als from accidental bumps or is it more of a little retention shield?

I have a similar holster with the SLS+ALS, plus the hood you described above. I removed the hood. I don't think it's necessary to protect the SLS or ALS, but YMMV.

[militarymoron]

The problem with this approach is that if you spend most of your time practicing to draw with the hood down, it's going to cause you substantial problems if something happens and you need to draw the gun while the hood is up. It's no different than departments that used to allow officers to start qual strings with their hands on their pistols, retention disengaged... and then learned that their guys, under stress, couldn't draw from a properly engaged retention device.

todd, i totally agree with you that it can cause problems in the real world vs. hobby/range use, and it's better to always be consistent. when i'm using the 6305 at the range, the hood is always down and i use it as an ALS-only holster. i'd liken it to aimpoint or scope flip-up caps where you keep them open if you think you're going to need them, and down if you don't.
for newer holsters that i bought, i went with the 6378 ALS only, as i also felt that the hood plus ALS was unnecessary for my particular use.

[ra2bach]

for those that have the SLS, do you find the hood protects the pistol from wear?

I've seen pics of holsters/hoods that had serious gouges on that I would not have been happy if that was on my pistol...