Abstract:
A firearm holster and a method of making the firearm holster is disclosed. The firearm is wholly or partially molded of ballistic material in such a way that a bullet that is discharged into the holster is retained within the holster or deflected so that it doesn&#39;t cause damage to the user of the firearm or other persons or property.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application 62/390,787 filed on Apr. 11, 2016 and titled FIREARM HOLSTER OF SOLID BALLISTIC MATERIAL THAT RETAINS BULLETS FROM UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGES. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to firearm holsters and more specifically it relates to a firearm holster of solid (i.e. without breaks or gaps) ballistic material that retains or deflects bullets when a firearm is discharged into the holster. 
         [0003]    Currently, firearm users who carry a firearm on their person in a concealed or non-concealed manner have a number of choices for holstering and carrying their weapon. These options can be made of hard or soft materials. The holster can be designed to be worn outside or inside of the pants. The holster can also be attached to many locations on a user&#39;s body using a carrying device, including, for example, a belt, waistband, a vest, chest rig, ankle holster or a shoulder harness. In addition, holsters are often attached to surfaces in locations other than on a user&#39;s body, such as in a vehicle or on furniture like a desk, shelf, bed, counter or table using a mount or other carrying device. 
         [0004]    In the course of inserting or withdrawing the firearm from the holster, it is possible to unintentionally actuate the firearm trigger either by the user or by a foreign object. This actuation of the trigger creates an unintentional discharge of the weapon. In addition, there are situations where someone other than the user may attempt to discharge the firearm through the holster during a struggle. Since the holster is attached to the user&#39;s body, this event may cause injury or death to the firearm user or create collateral damage to other people or objects. To minimize this type of occurrence, many firearms are designed with safety mechanisms that prohibit the weapon from being discharged, even if the trigger is pulled. However, the use of a safety mechanism may impair the user&#39;s ability to operate the firearm so the user may choose not to engage the mechanism or disengage it during use. Other firearms in regular use do not even contain such safety mechanisms or have a safety that can be easily actuated by a foreign object. For these reasons and others, firearm discharge inside a holster is a serious problem for users. 
         [0005]    One solution to this problem is to purchase a soft firearm holster with a ballistic material insert at the bottom. One problem with this solution is that the ballistic material is limited to the bottom of the holster and is not present in the entire holster. Thus, the discharged bullet will only be stopped if the firearm is pointed directly at the insert at time of unintentional discharge. This may not be effective, however, since most unintentional discharges occur during the insertion or withdrawal of the firearm from the holster during which time the firearm moves through a range of positions relative to the holster and won&#39;t always be aimed directly at the bottom of the holster. Another problem with this solution is that soft ballistic material is constructed using seams which do not have the same ballistic properties as the non-seamed surfaces. It is possible for the discharged bullet to penetrate the holster if it is struck in one of these seams. In addition, soft ballistic material is prone to wear over time that can degrade its ballistic properties, it is bulky and unpractical for serious use because it may impede or come out of the holster when the firearm is drawn, particularly during quick fast and multiple draws and re-holstering such as occur when a firearm user is in training. 
         [0006]    Thus, a need exists for a firearm holster that incorporates ballistic material, is constructed in a seamless manner, and is constructed of molded ballistic materials to form a solid holster, i.e. without breaks or gaps. There is a further need for a firearm holster that is lightweight and comfortable to carry on a user&#39;s body while being sturdy and able to withstand harsh conditions. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present disclosure relates to a firearm holster which is constructed of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material in such a way that a bullet that is discharged into the holster doesn&#39;t cause injury or death to the user of the firearm or to other persons or property. In particular, a firearm holster retains the discharged bullet, or deflects the bullet in a way that minimizes injury, death or damage to property. 
         [0008]    In an embodiment, the invention encompasses a molded firearm holster including one or more sheets of material molded into a cavity for enclosing at least a barrel and trigger area of a firearm, said cavity further comprising an opening for receiving the firearm and otherwise having no other gaps or openings. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, the invention encompasses a firearm holster having a cavity molded from one or more sheets of material, the cavity including a first sidewall; a trigger sidewall adjacent to said first sidewall; a second sidewall adjacent to said trigger-side sidewall; a barrel sidewall adjacent to both the first and second sidewalls; a muzzle end wall adjacent to the first sidewall, the trigger sidewall, the second sidewall and the barrel sidewall so as to form the molded cavity having no gaps or openings between the muzzle end wall and any of the sidewalls; and one or more support wraps wrapped around the cavity; wherein said cavity retains a bullet when the firearm is discharged inside the holster. 
         [0010]    In either of the above embodiments, at least one of said sheets of material further comprise a ballistic material. In further embodiments, the ballistic material is ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) impregnated with a thermoset composition. 
         [0011]    In any of the above embodiments, the one or more sheets further comprises one or more sheets of an aramid material or a carbon fiber material. 
         [0012]    In any of the above embodiments, including mounting hardware for attaching the molded firearm holster to a carrying device or further including one or more retention mechanisms for retaining the firearm in the holster. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment, the invention encompasses a method of making a molded firearm holster including the steps of selecting the one or more sheets of material, at least one of said sheets of material being a ballistic material; stacking the one or more sheets in a mold; heating and molding the one or more sheets to form first half of the molded firearm holster with a main sidewall and partial sides on three edges of the main sidewall; repeating the selecting, stacking and heating and molding steps to form a second half of the molded firearm holster with a main sidewall and partial sides on three edges of the main sidewall; nesting the first and second halves of the firearm holster to form the cavity so that the partial sides on the three edges of the first and second halves overlap; and heating and molding them together to form the molded firearm holster. 
         [0014]    In a further embodiment the method includes a step of using one or more screws or rivets for securing the first and second halves. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment, the invention encompasses a method of making a firearm holster including the steps of selecting the one or more sheets of material, at least one of said sheets of material being a ballistic material; cutting the one or more sheets of material to form a pattern so that barrel sidewall is between and attached to the first sidewall and second sidewalls, the muzzle end wall is attached to another edge of the barrel sidewall and the trigger sidewall is attached to the opposite side of the muzzle end wall from the barrel sidewall; heating the one or more sheets of material to form a plate; folding the plate around a form to create the cavity; cutting one or more support wraps to wrap around the cavity; and fusing the one or more support wraps around the cavity to form the firearm holster. 
         [0016]    In a further embodiment the method includes a step of using one or more screws or rivets for securing the support wraps, wherein the support wraps further comprise one or more sheets of ballistic material 
         [0017]    In either of the above methods, the ballistic material is ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) impregnated with a thermoset composition. 
         [0018]    In either of the above methods, wherein the ballistic material further comprises two or more sheets of material, each comprising a plurality of fibers aligned and bonded into a sheet, and an alignment of fibers in a first sheet is at an angle to an alignment of fibers in an adjacent sheet. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    Features of example implementations of the invention will become apparent from the description, the claims, and the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a holster according to the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is another side view of a holster according to the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a view illustrating a manufacturing process of the holster of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0023]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are a view illustrating an alternative manufacturing process of the holster of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0024]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are exploded views of an alternative embodiment of the holster of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  depicts a cross-section of alternative embodiment of a holster according to the present invention 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  depicts a cross-section of a further embodiment of a holster according to the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a cross-section top view of a further embodiment of a holster according to the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a cross-section of a further embodiment of a holster according to the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 10  depicts a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0030]      FIGS. 11A-11J  are a view illustrating a manufacturing process according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]    Reference will now be made in detail to one or more embodiments of the invention. While the invention will be described with respect to these embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment. On the contrary, the invention includes alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. The invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and principles of operation have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the invention. 
         [0032]    A firearm holster  10  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . Firearm  30  is inserted into cavity  18  of holster  10 . Holster  10  is constructed of solid ballistic material, i.e. without breaks or gaps, of sufficient strength and durability to capture a bullet fired from the firearm device  30  for which holster  10  is designed. In an embodiment, holster  10  is made from ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), for example, Dyneema® or Spectra®. Holster  10  could also be made from other ballistic materials such as an aramid fiber, for example, Kevlar®, or from a combination of all of these materials, as will be explained further below. In addition to ballistic materials, a holster according the present invention may also incorporate metal, carbon fiber, fiberglass, plastic, leather, fabric and other materials. 
         [0033]    Holster  10  includes a body sidewall  12 , an away sidewall  14 , a barrel sidewall  26 , a trigger sidewall  24  and a muzzle end wall  16  which together form cavity  18 . Cavity  18  encloses firearm  30  when it is inserted into cavity  18 . Although sidewalls  12  and  14  have been identified as “body side” and “away side,” one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that these roles could be reversed depending, for example, on where the holster is located. Firearm  30  includes a trigger  32 , muzzle  34 , grip  36  and barrel  38  as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Although a specific firearm is shown, this is merely representative. A holster according to the present invention could be used with any type of handheld firearm, for example, revolvers and pistols. In addition, principles of the invention may be used to fabricate a holster or sheath for a long gun, for example, a rifle or a shotgun. 
         [0034]    Body sidewall  12  of holster  10  of  FIG. 1  is positioned closest to a user of the holster. Away sidewall  14  is positioned facing away from the user. The muzzle end wall  16  is positioned between the body sidewall  12  and the away sidewall  14 . The body side  12 , away side  14 , barrel side  26 , trigger side  24  and muzzle end  16  walls are all fixedly attached to each other as one seamlessly constructed unit to form cavity  18 . 
         [0035]    Firearm  30  is inserted into the holster  10  such that the muzzle  22  faces muzzle end wall  16  and grip  36  protrudes from cavity  18 . Holster  10  is designed so that the firearm trigger  20  is fully contained inside cavity  18  when firearm  30  is fully inserted as shown. Holster  10  also includes flanges  20  which are fixedly or removably attached to holster  10 . Flanges  20  hold mounting hardware  22  for securing holster  10  to a carrying device (not shown) such as a belt, waistband, vest, chest rig or harness, for example. As pictured, holster  10  and mounting hardware  22  are oriented for attaching holster  10  at a waist of a user. Other locations may require different orientations and mounting hardware. Also, holster  10  may be secured to many other surfaces, such as in a vehicle or to furniture using the appropriate carrying device. 
         [0036]    Although a specific design is shown in  FIG. 1 , one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that holster  10  could be formed in a variety of ways to accommodate different firearm models or firearms with a variety of accessories such as flashlights, electronic sights, threaded barrels, muzzle devices, etc. 
         [0037]    Another view of holster  10  of  FIG. 1  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Firearm  30  is inserted into cavity  18  muzzle end first, similarly to  FIG. 1  so that grip  36  protrudes from cavity  18 .  FIG. 2  also shows an alternative mounting hardware  28  attached to sidewall  14 . Mounting hardware  28  is attached by means of screws  40 , although other mechanisms for attaching mounting hardware  28  to holster  10  could be used. Single or multiple (as in  FIG. 1 ) mounting hardware  28  are fixedly or removably attached to holster  10  on either side so that sidewall  14  may correspond to either the away sidewall or the body sidewall  12  of  FIG. 1 . In an alternative embodiment of the invention, right and left belt mounting hardware  22  of  FIG. 1  are removably attached to the right and left of the body side ballistic wall  12  of  FIG. 1 . Mounting hardware  28  is designed to interface with a belt or with the waistband of the clothing worn by the user of the invention and is designed to allow the invention to be carried on the external or internal surface of the clothing to which it is attached. In other embodiments of the invention, mounting hardware  28  may be designed to interface with a vest or other device worn by the operator, as well as other surfaces as explained above. 
         [0038]    To operate the invention in the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the firearm user positions holster  10  such that one or more pieces of mounting hardware  28  are removably attached to the belt or waistband of the user. Firearm  30  is fully inserted into holster  10 . The user may later choose to remove the firearm  30  from holster  10 . If at any time during insertion or withdrawal of firearm  30 , the firearm is discharged, the ballistic material of holster  10  captures the bullet and prevents it from leaving the interior of the holster  10 . 
         [0039]    As explained above, a holster  10  according to the present invention is fabricated from ballistic material such as ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), for example, Dyneema® or Spectra®. UHMWPE is typically manufactured as fiber. For personal armor applications, such as bullet-proof vests, the fibers are generally aligned and bonded into single ply sheets and pre-impregnated with a matrix such as a thermoset polymer, for example, a resin, epoxy, plastic, rubber or silicon material. These sheets are then layered in varying angles so as to provide similar strength in all directions. The number of plies used determines the degree of bullet resistance. To control performance and appearance characteristics of the inventive holster, some of the sheets used in the bonding process may be made of other material, such as an aramid like Kevlar or other materials such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, or cloth, or a combination of any of these, for example. In an embodiment, one or more sheets of UHMWPE are used, depending on the thickness of each sheet and the caliber of firearm for which the holster is intended. 
         [0040]    Diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the inventive holster is shown in  FIGS. 11A-11I . The general shape of a holster including sidewalls  12  and  14 , trigger sidewall  24 , barrel sidewall  26  and muzzle end wall  16  as in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is depicted in  FIG. 11A . One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the inventive holster may be customized to fit the contours and accessories of a particular firearm. 
         [0041]      FIG. 11B  depicts a first step in the manufacturing process, where a flat pattern  150  is cut from a plurality of sheets of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material selected as explain above. In an embodiment,  11  sheets of UHMWPE are used. The sheets are heated and fused to form a plate. In a next step, pattern  150  is folded along lines  152  into the holster of  FIG. 11A  to form the holster of  FIG. 11A . A form of aluminum or another metal is used to create the holster shape and during the subsequent fusing steps describe below. 
         [0042]    Next, one or more support wraps are added to the basic holster as shown in  FIGS. 11C-11G .  FIG. 11C  shows a barrel side support wrap cut from, for example, three sheets of UHMWPE. It is folded along lines  156  and fused along barrel side  26  as shown in  FIG. 11G . In a similar way, support wrap  158  is cut and folded along lines  160  to form a support for a trigger guard area and fused in place as shown in  FIG. 11G . 
         [0043]    Additional support for the holster is provided by horizontal support wraps  162  of  FIG. 11E and 166  of  FIG. 11F . These wraps are cut, folded along lines  164  and  168  respectively, and fused in place as shown in  FIG. 11G . 
         [0044]    As an optional step, additional resistance to bullets discharges into the holster is provided as described in connection with  FIGS. 11H-11J .  FIG. 11H  depicts a top view of the holster of  FIGS. 11A or 11G .  FIG. 11I  depicts detail view B of a corner of the holster, between muzzle end wall  16 , barrel sidewall  26  and sidewall  14 . It is possible that the manufacturing process of  FIGS. 11A-11G  may result in a very small hole in one or more corners of the holster adjacent to the muzzle end wall  16 . In this situation, one or more patches  170 , shown in  FIG. 11J , may be added to the inside or outside of the holster. Although a specific shape is shown, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that any number of sizes and shapes could be used. 
         [0045]    A diagram illustrating another manufacturing process of the inventive holster is shown in  FIG. 3 . Two half shells  50  and  52  made from a plurality of sheets of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material as described above. Half shell  50  includes, for example, body sidewall  12  and a portion of the adjacent walls  24 ,  26  and  16  of  FIG. 1 . Complementary half shell  52  includes, for example, away sidewall  14  and another portion of the adjacent ballistic walls  24 ,  26  and  16  of  FIG. 1 . Each of half shells  50  and  52  include a portion of trigger guard  54 , as well. 
         [0046]    A method a making a holster according to the present invention includes a first step of selecting a plurality of sheets of material to meet performance objectives as explained above. These sheets are pre-impregnated with resins, polymers or epoxies, for example. Next, the selected sheets are inserted into a heated platen press, for example, and formed into half shells  50  and  52  of  FIG. 3 . Finally, half shells are again inserted into a heated platen press, for example, and fused into a solid piece. As an alternative, the selected sheets of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material are fused into a plate, then formed into half shells  50  and  52  as a separate step. 
         [0047]    As depicted, complementary half shell  52  is designed to be slightly smaller than half shell  50  so that it can be nested into half shell  50 . Although  FIG. 3  shows complementary half shell  52  as nesting inside half shell  50 , either of them may be smaller than the other. In addition, the portion of barrel sidewall  26  and trigger sidewall  24  in each of half shells  50  and  52  is designed to have enough width to allow it to be overlapped when half shells  50  and  52  are nested. After complementary half shell  52  is positioned at the appropriate location inside half shell  50  to form cavity  18 , a subsequent step of the method is a second heat press operation to fuse the halves together into the solid ballistic material holster  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Although a general size and shape has been depicted in  FIG. 3  so as to illustrate a manufacturing technique, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the appearance and contours, for example, of holster of  FIG. 3  could be adjusted to suit a wide varieties of firearms and accessories. In addition, a holster manufactured according to  FIG. 3  may also incorporate securing bands as shown in  FIG. 11G . Screw, rivets or other reinforcing devices may also be used with holster  10 . 
         [0048]    An alternative method of manufacturing a holster according to the present invention includes the same first step of selection sheets of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic materials. These sheets are heat pressed into shapes corresponding to walls  12 ,  14 , 16   24  and  26 . Each wall is then epoxied to form holster  10 . Reinforcing bands are wrapped around holster  10  and fused into place as described in more detail below. 
         [0049]    Alternative methods of manufacturing a holster according to the present invention are represented in  FIG. 4A and 4B .  FIG. 4A  depicts a grip side cylinder  60  in which a plurality of sheets of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material are overlapped and heat pressed into a cylinder as described above for  FIG. 3 . At the same time, a generally cup-shaped muzzle end wall  64  is formed and fused using a heat press operation Finally, muzzle end wall  64  is heat pressed onto cylinder  60 . In a variation, cylinder  60  can be formed from complementary halves  66  and  68  as shown in  FIG. 4B  before muzzle end wall  64  is heat pressed onto cylinder  60 . This embodiment is similar to that of  FIG. 3  and may also be used with or without securing bands as shown in  FIG. 11G . Screw, rivets or other reinforcing devices may also be used with the holster. As above,  FIG. 4  illustrates a manufacturing technique, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the appearance and contours, for example, of holster of  FIG. 4  could be adjusted to suit a wide varieties of firearms and accessories. 
         [0050]    Additional features of the invention are shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . In this embodiment, trigger guard  54  of  FIG. 3  is not integrally formed with trigger sidewall  24 . Instead complementary half shells  50  and  52  have an open area in trigger sidewall  24  as shown. Trigger guard  70  is made from, for example, plastic, metal or another material and incorporates flange  72 . Trigger guard  70  may also be made from ballistic ane/or non-ballistic material as described above. Flange  72  extends down into cavity  18  along trigger sidewall  24  and is mounted using, for example, screws  74  as shown, or epoxy, or other attachment methods. 
         [0051]    In a further embodiment, a band  76  of additional ballistic material may be fused in place around any of the disclosed holsters to provide additional strength. This option is depicted in  FIG. 5B . Although a horizontal band encircling the holster is shown, a similar band could also be used to reinforce the holster vertically by extending along away sidewall  12 , across muzzle end wall  16  then back up the other side. Bands similar to band  76  may also or alternatively be secured around trigger guard  54  or other locations around the holster. 
         [0052]    Additionally, any of the disclosed holsters may be covered with protective materials including Kevlar, leather, carbon fiber, a mix of Kevlar and carbon fiber. They may also be spray coated with a plastic or epoxy spray, dipped in protective material or enclosed in a plastic material for example, a shell. 
         [0053]    Further embodiments of the invention are depicted in  FIGS. 6 and 7 .  FIG. 6  depicts a cross-section of a holster according to the present invention. In this embodiment, sides  88  and  82  are located closest to a user of a firearm. Sides  84  and  88  enclose the muzzle end of a firearm while sides  88  and  90  are facing away from a user. In this embodiment, sides  80 ,  82 ,  84  and  88  are made from a combination of materials including ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material as describe above. Sides  90  and  88 , however, can either be made from the same combination of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic materials, or from solely non-ballistic materials such as plastic or metal. In this embodiment, a user is protected from a firearm discharge inside the holster by the bullet being captured or deflected by sides  84  and  88  away from the user. 
         [0054]      FIG. 7  depicts a cross-section of a further alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, sides  92  and  94  are made from ballistic material or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material and are located adjacent to a user of a firearm. Sides  102  and  100  are similar to sides  90  and  88  of  FIG. 6 . Cup  96  is made from a separate piece of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material and attached to sides  94  and  100  along line  98  by means of screws, rivets, epoxy, etc. In operation, if a firearm is discharged inside the holster, the bullet is captured in cup  96  which may or may not detach from the holster depending on the caliber of the bullet and the strength of the ballistic material. In the embodiment, the bullet is converted into a less lethal projectile. 
         [0055]    Top and side views of a further embodiment of the invention are shown in  FIG. 8 . In the top view, side  110  is made of a combination of ballistic or a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic materials as described above. Side  112  may also be made of the same or similar combination of materials, or of metal or plastic. Line  114  in the side view indicates an area of overlap of lines  110  and  112 . Sides  110  and  112  may be attached with rivets, screws, epoxy, etc. 
         [0056]      FIG. 9  depicts a cross-sectional top view of an alternative method of assembling the holster of  FIG. 3 . In this view, curved side  120  and straight sides  124  have a matching recessed flange area  126 . The flanges are butted against each other, then additional strips of ballistic material  128  and  130  are fused in the recessed area  126  on either side of the flanges. A side view of strips  128  and  130  is shown at  134 . In a further embodiment, material  128  and  130  is made from a single long strip  132  that is folded over into recessed area  126 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 10  depicts a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of the invention. Sides  136  and  138  are overlapped in area  140  as shown. In the area of overlap, sides  136  and  138  may be attached by, for example, fusing, screws, rivets or epoxy. All of the walls depicted in  FIGS. 9-10  are made from ballistic material, a combination of ballistic and non-ballistic material, or non-ballistic material as explained above. 
         [0058]    An advantage of any of the embodiments of  FIGS. 6-10  is that, if a holster has been damaged by a firearm discharge, the damaged portion can be replaced without having to replace the entire holster. 
         [0059]    If used and unless otherwise stated, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “over,” “under,” and similar such terms are not to be construed as limiting the invention to a particular orientation. Instead, these terms are used only on a relative basis. 
         [0060]    Numerous alternative implementations of the present invention exist. For example, any of the above holsters may also include retention mechanisms such as straps, inserts, narrow areas for retaining a trigger guard, etc. In addition, a holster according to the present invention may use inserts made of plastic or another material to adapt the holster for different types of firearms. Other materials used for personal armor, such as graphene sheets, may also be used to manufacture a holster according to the present invention. Also, the holster described above could be made using additive manufacturing techniques. 
         [0061]    The apparatus in one example comprises any (e.g., horizontal, oblique, or vertical) orientation, with the description and figures herein illustrating one example orientation of the apparatus, for explanatory purposes. 
         [0062]    The steps or operations described herein are just for example. There may be many variations to these steps or operations without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified. 
         [0063]    Although example implementations of the invention have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.