Has anyone made a sharkgun yet? What better to protect yourself after a sharknado? Saying that, loading could be a bit tricky. Disappointingly, SharkGunleather’s products at amazon.com aren’t made of shark skin. And they ain’t cheap. The Bed Mattress Gun Holster with Flashlight Loop ran me $24.97 plus S&H. Which is a lot of money for something made of industrial grade nylon, a section of sewn-in cardboard and a strip of molded leather that’s stiffer than Bruce Venture. Still, what price home defense, eh? And it IS a damn good idea, if more than slightly controversial . . .
I’ve said it here many times: a gun belongs on your hip or in a safe. If you ascribe to that philosophy, a small bedside safe is the way to go. You get a modicum of storage security, easy access and fairly easy extraction. By the same token, a mattress holster is an inherently bad idea. Even if the holster’s covered by bed clothes, even if you maintain operational security, a bad guy, child or other unauthorized person could get a hold of your gun with tragic consequences.
So why is TTAG reviewing SharkGunleather’s Bed Mattress Gun Holster? Because there are legions of gun owners who want immediate, unfettered access to their firearm at night. They stash their gat on the night table or in a nightstand drawer – regardless of what a gunblogger has to say on the subject. For these people, it’s important not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. For them, the mattress holster makes perfect – I mean, good sense.
If you put your home defense handgun on a tabletop, you’d be amazed how easy it is to lose purchase on your gun. Especially when adrenalin has turned your hands into flippers, your eyes are adjusting to light, your significant other is freaking out and your brain is emerging from the sleep state. The gun can slip right off the table. That’s not good when speed of firearm acquisition and trigger and muzzle discipline are a matter of life and death.
Digging into a drawer can create similar problems. The Bed Mattress Gun Holster eliminates these issues. Your gun and flashlight sit alone and apart by the side of your mattress. There’s no book, clock, knife, drink, flashlight, watch, wallet, etc. to interfere with your draw. Sure, you might fumble around in the sheets a bit (pre-ballistically speaking) trying to get your gun. But a well-positioned Mattress Holster falls immediately to hand. Done.
That said, I’ve got the same beef with the Mattress Holster that I have with Inside-the-Waistband holsters: I can’t get a good grip when I draw my GLOCK 19 or Wilson Combat 1911. My thumb doesn’t fit between the holster and the bed. I have to readjust my grip after I extract my firearm. As the rabbi says, your first grip should be your best grip; the chances of successfully changing your grip (to maximize accuracy) in the heat of battle are low.
There is an answer, though: a big revolver. Nestled in the Mattress Holster, my Smith & Wesson 686’s Hogue-happy handle stands proud of the bedside, allowing a full grip from the get-go. Thank you Master Cylinder. [See: pic below] Of course SharkGunleather could make a holster where a semi stands proud of the mattress’ edge. But it would involve more labor and cost and how many buyers would care about [what they no doubt perceive to be] a meaningless niggle?
Besides, that kind of semi-friendly holster would make the gun “print” when the bed was made. Yes, well, why would that be a problem if you’re only using the Mattress Holster at night? If you’re using it during the day, when you’re not in your bedroom, you’re leaving a firearm unsecured. That’s illegal in several states and inadvisable in all of them. Just sayin’.
In terms of utility, the SharkGunleather Mattress Holster has horizontal strips to prevent it slipping off the bed. They work, even securing the not-what-I’d-call-sylph-like Wilson or Smith during vigorous bedmaking and other bed-related activities. There are eyelets at the top of the holster for, I presume, tying it down. The elasticated tactical flashlight holder is a welcome addition. It’s best to store the light lense-side down, as in the picture above, and give it a good yank when removing.
Taken as a whole, the Bed Mattress Holster is a damn fine idea. The materials may seem cheap but they’re tough enough and the stitching is plenty durable. The Bed Mattress Holster comes with a lifetime warranty. So if you’re not going to do the right thing and store your bedside gun in a finger safe, then at least do the wrong thing right and buy one of these. And for me, please, only use it at night. Now, where are you going to store your ear protection?
Product: SharkGunleather Bed Mattress Gun Holster with Flashlight Loop
Price: $24.97 [via amazon.com]
Ratings (out of five):
Style * * *
A good design without any panache. Do you want panache? I like panache.
Ergonomics * * * *
Extracting the handgun and light is easy enough, but it’s impossible to get a perfect grip if you’re holstering a semi-automatic pistol.
Reliability * * * * *
Hasn’t failed yet.
Overall Rating * * * * *
A great idea, well executed, for people who don’t agree that a gun belongs either on your hip or in your safe.