Holster for facilitating the master grip

Abstract

A polymer holster has a covered index finger slot on a distal wall portion of the holster for allowing a user to grip a handgun therein with a master grip before withdrawing the handgun therefrom and that inhibits the forefinger from entering the trigger region. Finger actuated releases may be positioned on the holster.

1 . A holster for a semiautomatic handgun, the holster having a rigid polymer holster body conformingly shaped to the semiautomatic handgun, the holster body having a slide receiving portion that engages the handgun slide, covers a forward end of the slide and extends rearwardly to cover most of the length of the slide, the holster body having a trigger guard receiving portion that substantially covers the trigger guard and a trigger region in the trigger guard such that a finger cannot be received in the trigger region when the handgun is holstered, the holster body further defining a forefinger receiving slot positioned between the trigger guard receiving portion and the slide receiving portion, the slot sized to permit a fully extended forefinger of a user to engage a side of a holstered handgun above the trigger region of the handgun and such that a distal phalange of the forefinger may engage the handgun body wherein the holster body has a cover portion extending over the slot entirely covering at least the distal phalange of the user when the handgun is holstered and the user is gripping the handgun. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein the holster further comprises a first securement latch connected to the holster body, the first securement latch for latching the handgun into the holster, the securement latch having a first handgun engagement portion and a first user actuated portion. 
     
     
         4 . The holster of  claim 3 , wherein the first handgun engagement portion is positioned to engage one of the trigger guard and the slide at an ejection port. 
     
     
         5 . The holster of  claim 3 , wherein the user actuated portion is actuated by pushing the user actuated portion downwardly toward a forward end of the handgun and/or outwardly in a direction away from the handgun. 
     
     
         6 . The holster of  claim 3 , wherein the first user actuated portion is contained within a holster cavity defined by the holster body. 
     
     
         7 . The holster of  claim 3 , wherein the holster further comprises a second securement latch connected to the holster body, the second securement latch with a second handgun engagement portion and a second user actuation portion, and wherein the first user actuation portion is positioned for actuation by the user's forefinger when inserted in the forefinger slot of the holster body and wherein the second user actuation portion is positioned for actuation by the user's thumb when the user's thumb is positioned at the handgun body opposite from the user's forefinger. 
     
     
         8 . The holster of  claim 1 , wherein the holster body extends entirely around the handgun slide, the handgun body, the trigger guard, at a cross section taken at a plane extending through the handgun slide at an ejection port and through the trigger guard, when the handgun is holstered. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The holster of  claim 3 , wherein the first securement latch comprises a first latch member pivotally attached to the handgun body, the first latch member including the first actuation portion and the first handgun engagement portion, and wherein the first securement latch is biased to a handgun removal blocking position and is pivotal to a handgun removal position. 
     
     
         12 . The holster of  claim 11 , wherein the handgun actuation portion has a cam portion that when the handgun is inserted into the holster, the cam portion deflects the actuation portion from the handgun removal blocking position toward the handgun removal position thereby allowing holstering of the handgun. 
     
     
         13 . The holster of  claim 4 , wherein when the handgun is holstered, gripping the handgun in the master grip by the user simultaneously releases the first securement latch allowing withdrawal of the handgun. 
     
     
         14 . The holster of  claim 13 , wherein when the user grips the handgun with the master grip, no portion of the holster is sandwiched between fingers of the user and the handgun. 
     
     
         15 . The holster of  claim 7 , wherein when the handgun is holstered, gripping the handgun in the master grip by the user simultaneously releases the first securement latch and the second securement latch allowing withdrawal of the handgun. 
     
     
         16 . A holster system with an active retention system for retaining a handgun in the holster, the holster system comprising a holster and a holster mounting system, the holster comprising:
 a holster body formed of a rigid polymer and defining a holster cavity, the holster body form fit to a handgun and substantially covering and enclosing a slide of the handgun, enclosing and covering a trigger guard of the handgun such that an interior trigger region defined by the trigger guard is not accessible by a user's finger when the handgun is holstered, the holster body further covering but being spaced from a handgun body at a side of the handgun above the trigger guard, the spacing sufficient to permit positioning of a fully extended user's forefinger on the handgun body forward of the trigger region when the handgun is holstered and pointing downward; and   a first handgun securement latch connecting to the holster body, the first handgun securement latch having a first finger receiving actuation portion and first handgun retaining portion.   
     
     
         17 . The holster system of  claim 16 , wherein the first handgun securement latch comprises a latch member pivotally connected to the housing and biased toward a latching position, and wherein the latch member includes the first finger actuation portion positioned to be actuated when the user grasps the holstered handgun in a master grip with a forefinger of the user on the handgun body forward of and above the trigger region. 
     
     
         18 . The holster system of  claim 16 , wherein the holster body has a channel shaped portion sized for the user's forefinger, wherein when the user grasps the handgun with a fully extended user's forefinger on the handgun body, at least a portion of the user's forefinger is covered. 
     
     
         19 . The holster of  claim 16 , wherein the rigid polymer body providing a covered forefinger slot positioned such that when the user reaches to grasp the handgun and the handgun is fully holstered, the forefinger is constrained by the slot to a region forward of the trigger region and the forefinger cannot reach into the trigger, and as the handgun is unholstered at least 1 inch from the fully seated position the forefinger maintains the position on the handgun body and a rearward margin of the slot inhibits the forefinger from reaching the trigger region. 
     
     
         20 . A rigid polymer holster with a trigger guard walled region that closely conforms to the shape of the handgun along the trigger guard precluding entry of a finger into the trigger region when holstered, the holster bulging outwardly above the trigger guard region allowing the forefinger to be positioned along the handgun body above the trigger region and between a portion of the holster bulging outward and the handgun body when the handgun is holstered. 
     
     
         21 . The holster of  claim 20 , wherein a tip of the forefinger actuates the handgun release and wherein when the handgun is first withdrawn, the tip of the finger slides off of the finger pad to engage the body of the handgun and wherein the lower margin of the slot precludes entry into the trigger region when the finger engages the body of the handgun. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The holster of  claim 20 , wherein the holster further comprising a side cover that is movable between a forefinger access inhibiting position to a forefinger non-inhibiting position with respect to the forefinger receiving region in accord with the master grip. 
     
     
         24 . The holster of  claim 23 , wherein when the side cover is in the forefinger access inhibiting position, a user is precluded from grasping the holstered handgun in the master grip with the forefinger extending along and contacting the holstered handgun distal side above the trigger region. 
     
     
         25 - 69 . (canceled)