If you own a Safariland holster with built-in retention like those used by military and police, you may have heard the “click” sound they make when holstered. This sound is a result of moving parts snapping in place from the tension caused by a spring.
While this sound is the result of moving parts, the auditory “click” can be extremely helpful to hear. It also boosts confidence that your gun is safe when you need to holster it quickly.
A lot of people rely on this sound without even realizing it. Over the years, it’s a sound I’ve learned to rely on when holstering my gun.
Working in law enforcement, one would think being able to draw your handgun quickly was the most important thing, right? While it is important, keeping your gun in the holster during an incident is just as important. I’m not sure I can recall how many times I needed to re-holster my firearm quickly because of the circumstances.
Why the “click” matters
In a high-stakes environment, that sound isn’t just a mechanical byproduct—it’s the sensory confirmation that allows you to shift your focus back to the threat. I learned exactly how much that certainty mattered during a warrant service.
We entered the home slowly, announcing who we were (Sheriff’s Office) as we moved from one room to another. The wanted subject was hiding somewhere in the home; we just didn’t know where. When we did find him, things did not go as planned, and we all ended up on the ground.
During these types of incidents, making sure your firearm is secure in your holster could be a matter of life and death.
You see, the wanted man ended up hiding inside the wall, in a small area made for a heater vent to run in the utility room. We could see his feet, but nothing else.
As we commanded him to come out and show us his hands, he was somewhat stuck and couldn’t move. Eventually, he lowered himself enough to get his feet on top of a washing machine. He was then able to stick his hands down from the small square chimney-like area to show us he didn’t have any weapons.
The room was small, and as he slid all the way out, my partner holstered his handgun so he could get closer. The man was now standing on the washing machine and did not appear to have any weapons. You always assume they are hiding one however, so I still had my firearm drawn.
Locked when holstered: why it matters
After several commands for him to get off the washing machine so we could handcuff him, my partner grabbed one of his wrists to pull him off.
The suspect was in the middle of saying we had the wrong person when he suddenly jumped off the washer, directly onto my parter. As they hit the ground, the man began fighting my partner, who was still commanding him to comply.
I holstered my handgun so I could help get control of the man. As we were attempting to put handcuffs on him, he grabbed the handle of my gun and tried to pull it from the holster. Of course, it didn’t come out because it was locked in place. A few seconds later, we had him in cuffs and were on our way to the jail.
In a case like this, it’s hard not to think, “What if he had been able to remove my gun from the holster?” Having a hand-to-hand confrontation is never a good scenario when you have a firearm on you. It’s just too easy for them to reach. The only thing that gave me confidence that my gun was safe was the “click” as I re-holstered it.
Why the auditory feedback matters
During any type of incident, having confidence is important—confidence in your decisions, ability to react, and of course, handling your firearm. When you holster your firearm, you aren’t just putting it away; you are securing a life-saving instrument.
Auditory feedback serves as a neurological confirmation that a task is complete. Human brains are wired to prioritize multi-sensory inputs. When you hear the distinct “click” as you feel your handgun seat into the holster, your brain registers a successful mechanical connection. It’s like a sensory handshake between you and your equipment.
Psychologically, this is known as positive reinforcement. In high-stress environments, your fine motor skills can degrade. You might not always feel the subtle shift of the locking block engaging, but an audible sound is noticeable.
When you hear that click, you can immediately shift focus back to the task at hand. This isn’t to say that all retention holsters make this sound or that they need to in order to be a good holster. But I have always used Safariland holsters during my law enforcement career, and all of them had retention mechanisms that made this sound.
I’ll admit, I’ve had a gun fall from my holster many years ago. I’ve also had someone try to pull my gun from my holster more than once. When you experience something like this, it’s easy to become overly conscientious. A loaded gun needs to stay in the holster until you draw it.
When I hear the click sound, I feel confident that it is locked in place.
Does your holster click?
Most of our focus is on the threat and use of our firearm when it needs to be drawn. Paying attention to the sound of your holster as your handgun locks in place isn’t something we necessarily think about. But there is a safety aspect to making sure your gun is secure when you holster it. If your holster does make a specific sound as you holster your firearm, you probably already rely on that sensory confirmation, even if you don’t realize it.
