DSG Alpha HolsterDSG (Defense Solutions Group) out of Ft. Worth Texas exemplifies the American business spirit. In 1996 they saw a need for an easily searchable database of government contract and part numbers that would allow businesses to bid on and support government contracts. Their two systems APLS and Defense Data provide something almost no one else does, their own proprietary databases of DoD national stock number (NSN) information which allows U.S. Department of Defense national stock numbers, their related descriptions, part and mil-spec numbers to be researched via a simple web based interface. DSG Arms was a natural off-shoot of DSG Inc.’s work with DoD part number data. In addition to being shooters and wanting easier access to the gear they used, DSG knew they could provide excellent service to government and civilian consumers. Originally awarded a GSA Contract in 2005 for an initial five year term and renewed in 2010 for an additional five year term, DSGI's Multiple Award Schedule contract allows streamlined access to essential products through pre-negotiated pricing and sales terms for all U.S. Military branches, National Security Personnel, Government Agencies and State, Local and Federal Law Enforcement agencies. Now that you know who is behind the products, lets dig into some of DSG’s unique offerings. The Alpha Series holsters and belts are a great combination for the armed professional or civilian shooter. Their material and workmanship are top-notch and best of all made in the USA. The Alpha Series Holsters are designed for a close to the body, comfortable fit. Materials are what we have become accustomed to in the way of tightly molded .08” Kydex with multiple rivets for adjusting ride height and cant. There are however a few notable details that set DSG's holsters apart from the competition. First, the availability of the product is better than any semi-custom holster I know of. With most holster makers of similar quality and design you have to wait weeks if not months to get your order. DSG has thousands of holsters in stock and they are immediately available for a large number of pistols. The Alpha holsters are available for 1911’s, Glock , HK, Beretta, Walter, FN, Sig, Springfield Armory and Smith and Wesson. Most models are available in 3 styles: with out light attached, with Surefire X200/300 attached or with TLR1 attached. Second, although similar in design to what you have seen from other manufacturers, DSG has made a notable improvement to weapon accessibility. If you look just below the trigger guard you will notice a large cut out. This cut allow the user to more easily acquire a proper grip before drawing the pistol; additionally it cuts down on the wear and tear of my middle finger during dry fire practice. I initially ordered the Alpha holster because it is one of the few made that will fit my Sig GSR. Available in two colors Dark Earth and Black, I ordered mine in black. When ordering I included specific instructions that the package needed to include a drawing of a “Tactical Monkey,” as you can see I got a tactical Baboon, luckily this was my only disappointment. Shipping was speedy as I ordered the holster at 9:40pm on the 17th and had it in my hand on the 20th! Included in the box were 2 DSG stickers, the holster in a DSG bag and directions on how to convert it to an IWB with the standard belt loops. The holster itself if very well made with attentions to detail clearly shown. In a phone interview Zack Jones from DSG I discovered that to keep up with demand they have some automated molding and assembly, however all of the final finishing and fitting is done by hand. There are no sharp edges or burrs that I can see in the kydex. The fit is as good as I have seen from any of the big names in semi-custom kydex holsters. Retention is right where it should be to offer a smooth draw while ensuring the pistol doesn’t fall out when running or doing ninja barrel rolls. Conversion to an IWB holster with the standard belt loops was easy enough, although getting the Chicago Screws out the first time was a challenge. With the belt loops upside down and on the front of the holster you have a decent IWB rig. For long-term IWB use I would get some rubber IWB loops from www.Knifekits.com. The only thing I would like to see added to the holster at this time is another rivet centered at the bottom of the holster. This should prevent any separation of the kydex that I have seen in this and other holsters. DSG Competition BeltThe DSG Comp belt is 1.75” wide and consists of two belts, an inner and an outer. The inner is a Velcro belt is made to be worn in the belt loops of your pants. The outer belt consists of heavy mil-spec nylon webbing with a layer of plastic stiffening material. The outer belt has a quick release Cobra buckle that can be removed to thread on holsters, mag carriers, etc. The belt itself is an equipment belt, is not load rated. The belt is clearly well constructed and its design features make it easy to use. While it is designed as a competition belt, I wouldn’t use it for Limited or Open division as the buckle makes centerline mounting of mag pouches difficult. For Production and Limited 10 or in IDPA I think it is a great belt that allows you to keep your gear in the same place and have easy on/off when you get to the range. DSG could make one easy change that would allow dual use as a EDC belt and competition best. The “hook” part of the “hook and loop” is on the main belt and that makes it very noisy and uncomfortable when not using the inner belt. Swapping the hook side to the inner belt would solve this and give the belt more versatility. What will the future bring from DSG? While I don’t have any inside information, I do know they are working on a Competition line that is designed for 3-Gun and from what I hear they are working with some big hitters in the Texas 3 Gun world to make the design right…. Maybe I can get my hands on some of it and see what I think for myself. ;-) I met Tyler, the owner of 1791apparel.com at Bills's Gun Shop's annual "Shooters Show." Tyler is a really cool guy and doesn't look at all like what you would expect. He was a slim, hip, younger guy, who clearly has a passion for firearms and the 2nd Amendment. At the show I signed up for their email list to get updates on new products. Little did I know, Tyler was also having a drawing for $50 worth of shirts. A few days after the show I was getting my oil changed and while checking my email I noticed one from Tyler. He was writing to inform me that I had won the drawing and I could use my code to get $50 in free shirts! (I never win anything) After browsing his site for a 20 minutes undecided about what shirts to choose, I randomly chose three, you can see them below. The shirts are "4.5oz Anvil 980's. Composed of 100% combed ring-spun cotton, they are preshrunk to minimize shrinkage and double hemmed to ensure longevity." They seem light and soft with a feel and cut you would expect in shirts from J. Crew or Banana Republic. I would say they run a little small, I am 5'7" and the large fits just right.
I will be placing another order soon based on the quality and cool factor of these shirts! I hope you will join me in supporting a home grown small business that has some really cool Pro-2A gear. I am sad to say that my long term review of the DB9 has been cut short. Yesterday evening I had the chance to get the DB9 back to the range. I added a Houge Handall Jr. to the DB9 increase my grip on the small pistol, and it worked great! I was able to shoot 1 and 2 handed with no issues. However, about 75 rounds into my range session it started having failures to feed and then the gun just stopped feeding completely; I couldn't even hand cycle a round into the chamber. At this point I field stripped the DB9 and my problem became apparent. The recoil assembly had failed and the frame of the gun was eating itself apart, small chunks of plastic fell out of the frame when the slide was removed. All I had was my cell phone, so you will have to excuse the poor quality of the pictures. You can click on the pictures for an enlarged view. I am very disappointed that this little pistol didn't work out! A 9mm in that size is the perfect BUG (Back Up Gun). Sadly, the 9mm may just be too much for that small of a package.
On the bright side Bill's Gun Shop & Range, where I purchased the DB9, went above and beyond to take care of me. Bills's has a very clear policy that new firearms are warrantied by the manufacturer, not Bill's. They will be happy to help with shipping the gun back to the manufacturer, but there are no returns on new firearms. I emailed Joe at Bill's, he is either the Owner or Manager, and explained what had happened with the pistol. Joe was very understanding and assured me that he would take care of the situation, he asked that I let him know when I would be in and he or his sales team lead would see what they could do for me. I made it clear that I respected their policy and was not demanding a refund or exchange. I emailed Joe to ask if he would be in during a break I had between meetings; he responded that he would be gone but the sales team lead John would be fully briefed and handle the situation. I fully expected to walk in, have John tell me about their return policy and have the gun shipped back to Diamondback. (Upon its return I would have sold it.) John asked me to show him what had happened, and I pointed out the recoil spring and frame damage. John shook his head and asked me what firearm I would rather have, I was shocked and told him I would have to look around for a few minutes. After wandering the store I finally decided to get a Ruger LCR. John handled my paperwork, figured up the difference in price and shook my hand. Now that is customer service! I made sure to tell John to remove the extra magazine I had just paid $30 for and sell it, I no longer had a need for it. Keep an eye on the blog for a range report on the LCR. Let me start by stating that I am not a lawyer and you should seek legal advice for any questions you have on these matters. What you will read below are excerpts from my Permit To Carry curriculum that has been approved by the Minnesota BCA.
When carrying a pistol for self defense knowing the laws governing use of force is critical. Laws vary by state and this article will deal mainly with the law in Minnesota. Minnesota has some of the most restrictive use of lethal force laws in the nation, outside of Washington DC. With the exception of our Duty to Retreat, I fully support the rest of the law; more on that later. Before talking about the law, we must first talk about mindset. Knowing all the laws governing the use of force do you no good if you are not willing to use force. If you are going to use a firearm for self defense, you have to be willing to take another person’s life and live with the repercussions; this is the hardest thing for most people to come to terms with. Don't delude yourself into thinking you are going to fire a “warning shot” or "shoot him in the knee"; that will get you killed quicker than not having a gun at all. If you use a firearm in self defense, you shoot to stop the threat. In many cases this will cause death. Make the decision right now, are you willing to take a life to save your own? The Law In Minnesota you must meet four criteria to be legally justified in using Lethal Force: 1. You must reasonably be in immediate fear of great bodily harm or death to yourself or another. 2. You must be a reluctant participant. 3. You must have no reasonable means of retreat. 4. No lesser force would suffice, lethal force was a last resort 1. Reasonably be in immediate fear of great bodily harm or death (GBHD for short) - The threat must be immediate. The attacker must have the immediate means and opportunity to carry out his threat. A verbal threat to injure or kill you is not enough. In addition, great bodily harm is a legal measurement that implies injuries so great that death is likely or possible, or that you’ll be disfigured or crippled permanently or for a significant period of time. How do you know if you are in immediate fear of great bodily harm or death? I look at three things: means, proximity and intent. Means - Does your attacker have the means to inflict great bodily harm or death? This will vary for each person, because the judge, prosecutor and jury are going to look what disparity of force existed. A small woman or man may be able to express reasonable fear of GBHD simply based on the size and strength of an attacker; whereas a 6’4” 250lb. man would have difficulty showing fear of GBHD if attacked by an unarmed small woman. However, that same woman with a knife or gun would change the situation substantially. Just remember, when the time comes, you must be able to convince a jury that your attacker had the means to cause you fear of GBHD. Proximity - Your attacker must have the proximity to use whatever “means” he/she has. Shooting someone armed with a knife at 25 yards away, is going to be pretty difficult to explain in court, however that same person with a gun and the story may be different. Intent - Someone having the means and proximity to cause you GBHD is not enough. That person must also show intent to immediately do you GBHD. A man holding a gun in a parking lot who has shown no intent to do anyone harm can not be legally shot because you were afraid. 2. You must be a reluctant participant - I believe this should be a key component of any use of lethal force law and I am happy it is part of Minnesota’s. This stipulation in the law ensures that someone can’t start a fight then shoot the other person because they were “losing.” What it means: in a deadly force situation, you cannot be seen as the aggressor. That is, you must not be the person who started or escalated the conflict. 3. You must have no reasonable means of retreat - In Minnesota this only applies outside of your home (home is your actual physical place of abode and does not apply to your yard, garage or outbuildings). It means that if you can do so safely, you are expected to retreat from a potential confrontation, rather than stand your ground and defend yourself. It does not mean that you have to retreat from a bad situation into a worse one, but it does mean that you need to leave a confrontation if you can. It should also be noted that the obligation to retreat never ends. For example, if you are able to wound an attacker such that it opens up an opportunity to retreat safely, you MUST retreat. 4. No lesser force would suffice; lethal force was a last resort - Beyond the legal standard that lethal force should only be a last resort, you should hold yourself to the same moral standard. There is no valor in having to take the life of another person. The law requires that if you can stop the threat with something less than lethal force you must, although it doesn't require that you try something other than lethal force first. As was hinted at earlier, relative size and strength of the attacker(s) and/or victim matter. For example, a large man being attacked by an unarmed, much smaller woman, may have lesser-force alternatives rather than resorting to deadly force. In the reverse scenario, the disparity of force may mean that the smaller woman might have no alternative other than immediately resorting to deadly force. At the end of the day you have to remember that people have followed all of these guidelines and still had legal troubles, while others have disregarded some of these guidelines and faced no prosecution. It is up to the prosecutor, judge and jury as to whether they believe you are legally justified in using lethal force. Remember, even if you are not charged criminally, you can still be sued in civil court. IF IT IS NOT WORTH DYING OVER IT IS NOT WORTH KILLING OVER. With summer coming, I thought it would be a good chance to check out a new pocket gun. I have owned the Kahr PM9 and Kel-Tec P3AT in the past and both were fine weapons. A new addition to the pocket gun market is DiamondBack Firearms DB9 pistol. The DB9 is the smallest 9mm pistol I have ever fired. There is only one smaller that I know of, the Rohrbaugh R9; however it costs upwards of $1000 dollars. Let's be clear what a pocket gun is and is not. A pocket gun is something you should be able to carry almost anywhere (where legal) and is a serious compromise when it comes to self defense shooting. Pocket guns are not optimal self defense weapons; their small size, short barrel length and harsh recoil are all drawbacks. Their appeal lies in the fact that it allows you to be armed when clothing or circumstance would otherwise not allow it. On to the DB9: "The DB9, a micro-compact 9mm automatic pistol made entirely in the USA. Designed with safety in mind, the DB9 features a "ZERO-Energy" striker firing system with a mechanical firing pin block, a steel magazine catch to secure a sheet metal magazine and real windage-adjustable sights, all in a lightweight pistol. A steel trigger with dual connecting bars allows for a crisp, smooth, five-pound DAO trigger pull. The DB9 features a FEA (Finite Element Analysis) designed slide and barrel that is stronger than any comparable firearm, resulting in durability with less felt recoil, and the absence of removable pins or tools makes field stripping easier than ever. The slide, barrel, and internal parts are coated to resist corrosion, making this pistol a lifetime investment." Early models of the DB9 were plagued with problems, a search of any internet gun forum will reveal reams of dissatisfied customers. Luckily, Diamondback is a small American owned company that listens to its customers. They worked to resolve the issues, mainly related to pins falling out and a magazine follower that needed redesign. I am happy to say, from my initial experience, they have fixed the issues. I picked up the DB9 at Bill's Gun Shop & Range in Robbinsdale, MN. They were having their annual shooters show and I was able to get the DB9 for $344 before tax. Included with the DB9 was one magazine, a trigger lock, manual, ticket for free online safety etc. I tried to buy another magazine for testing, however the shop didn't have any and they seem to be out of stock everywhere online. First Impressions: The DB9 is THIN, measuring only 0.80" and is almost as small as the Kel-Tec P3AT. For a 9mm pistol I was truly impressed. The slide is well made (some small machine marks visible) and has sharp cocking serrations front and back. The trigger is rated at 5lbs and has a long smooth revolver like pull. Sights are high visibility 3 Dot, much better than on any pocket gun other than the Kahr PM9. Magazine capacity is 6+1 and magazines are made by Act-Mag a very well respected Italian company that specializes in high quality OEM magazines. The DB9 field strips exactly like a Glock. 1. Remove the Magazine 2. Pull the slide to the rear and make sure chamber is clear 3. Release slide and press trigger with pistol pointed in a safe direction 4. Pull slide just slightly to rear (1/4") with right hand 5. With slide back pull takedown lever down and slide will release With the gun apart you can see there is a dual spring recoil assembly much like in the Sub-Compact Glocks. One thing to note is the highly polished feed ramp. Diamondback is clearly paying attention to detail. At the range: I took the DB9 to the Burnsville Pistol Range today for an initial break in and to get an impression of how it shot. After hearing some of the reports on the internet I was worried it would be plagued with malfunctions, it was not. The DB9 is a snappy little pistol that requires a FIRM grip. Shooting two handed at 21 feet I had no problem keeping all the shots in a tight group and head shots were, um, dare I say, easy? The recoil wasn't unmanageable but it was stout. The most uncomfortable thing about shooting it was the trigger bite in my index finger. If I used the pad of my index finger I got a nasty "bite" under recoil; using more of my finger on the trigger made it considerably better, but made accuracy more difficult. After about 100 rounds of various hollow point ammunition, I decided to see how this little rocket handled shooting one handed...not well was the resounding answer I got! By no fault of the pistol mind you, I just couldn't hold on to it well enough not to make it fail to extract or fail to feed. I know it wasn't the DB9's fault because as soon as I took a firm two handed grip, it stopped having issues. I put another 50 rounds through it and called it a day. My trigger finger is sore and my grip is weak. Overall, I am happy with my purchase. I just need to work on a shooting technique that will allow me to shoot this pistol one handed. If I can't it is no good to me as a defensive firearm. I can't risk that it won't work if I am holding my daughter and can't get a solid two handed grip. I will write part two on my next range session, and keep you updated. DB9 Specs:
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