Lately since SHOT show has been going on I have been watching various media to check out all the new toys. One particular piece of gear that caught my eye was the new Raven Concealment Vanguard 2 holster. If you're not familiar with the first vanguard here is a pic:



I never bothered to try this "holster" because I want something more holding my gun to my body than just slipping it into my belt. Raven Concealment just announced the Vanguard 2 which is a very intriguing design.



There is a video here which shows the Vanguard 2:http://militarytimes.com/blogs/gearscout/2012/01/18/raven-concealment-intros-the-vanguard2/comment-page-1/#comment-19047

The moment the Vanguard 2 becomes available I am going to get one and see how my glock19 carries with it. I love my Raven Concealment Phantom but I'm always looking for something better. The Vanguard 2 looks like it could be the ticket. It appears very versatile in regards to carry position which I really like. Plus at $30-$40 retail I won't be out much if I end up not liking it. What do my fellow arfcommers think about this new holster from Raven Concealment?

I've got a Vanguard 1 that I use to secure a loaded weapon that I've unholstered without having to unload the gun before reholstering it or putting it in another holster. It's good for when I'm jockeying around a lot of different gear in the trunk. I have never carried with the Vanguard 1 on my person.

The Vanguard 2 takes another step in the direction of carry on-person with it. I like that it has a belt loop and it appears tuckable. Here's the problem that I see with it. Once these are out people are going to start carrying with them. With the old Vanguard 1, if you drew the weapon, the trigger-protector would come out of your pants as well and be retained by the cordage. So reholstering would just require putting the trigger-protector back on the trigger guard and then sticking it back in your pants. With the Vanguard 2, drawing the weapon will leave the trigger-protector in your pants and still attached to the belt by the belt loop. But it's not a traditional holster with a wide open mouth for reholstering, so I see the possibility of someone (perhaps careless, perhaps a lapse of judgment, perhaps under the stress of just shooting someone in self defense) trying to reholster the weapon back into the trigger guard that is all the way in their pants, and possibly blowing off a nut or half of their ass.

The ability to quickly and safely reholster is very important to me, and I don't see the Vanguard 2 as having that. Innovative product, though.

Looks like exactly what I want for concealed carry. I cant wait to get one for my M&P's. The J-Frame with one in appendix sounds like a great summer carry as well.

Hero makes some valid points, but this wouldn't work for me because I need the holster to protect me from the gun.  Say what you like, but I need some leather in there to protect me from the butt or the muzzle of the gun.  Probably within an hour or 2 with that rig, I wouldn't be able to think about anything else but whichever corner was digging into me.

Raven said the new design has already been copied