I would spend the money on training and a good holster. You can get a good sturdy belt for cheap from walmart and don't specifically need a gun belt. Try Galco or Don Hume for some good inexpensive leather holsters. In my opinion night sights are worthless. In a night time defensive scenario I would bet it will be a point and shoot situation which is where practice and repetition come in.
Forget the walmart belt, Not enough support and will stretch I used to do the same thing and switched to an actual gun belt it's a world of difference. You can get a 1.5" 5.11 belt that provides the stiffness you need and not need another belt. I don't know if the TDU has the inner liner stiffener or not. I use the operator belt with the metal buckle. I use a comp tac minotaur MTAC for my XD-9, I have a crossbreed super tuck for my 1911 as well don't like it nearly as much as my minotaur. OWB I have a top break leather holster for the XD and an open top Gould and Goodrich for the 1911.
I was referring specifically to fancy laser aiming optics, don't depend on gimmicks, shooting irons and learning good shooting habits and kinesthetic alignment are much more valuable than a piece of technology which can fail you when you need it the most. Tritium filled night sites aren't a bad idea but use a 2 color system that aids in centering when you have 3 dots the same color you run into lining up the front sight to one side or the other under stress when all you can see is the dots and not the notch and post.
Take a look at a hiddenhybridholster.com they make great holsters
I too have the operator belt. 99% of the time I wear my $10 walmart dickies leather belt. It hasn't stretched at all from IWB. It all depends on the thickness of the leather as this one has plenty of support.
Practice point and shoot from the hip. I can hit a 1 gal. jug at 20' just pointing from the hip. No doubt I could hit a man the same way.
Don't overlook other site systems like warren tactical. XS isn't the only game in town.
When asked whether he preferrd night sights or a laser on his personal self defense weapon. Jerry Miculek replied, "Night sights are good but a laser is way better. CT are great lasers I use them." That from probably the best handgun shooter in the world.
That would be the same handgun shooter that can shoot circles around any one of us without a technological gimmick. Wouldn't it? The fact that Jerry Miculek endorses them does not mean it's OK to depend on a technological gimmick. Technology tends to fail when you need it the most. Learn the basics, practice the basics, become highly proficient in the basics and then if a piece of technology can improve upon our ability to fight with a weapon great, but never become dependent upon it.
Technological Gimmick, hardly. Special ops guys going into deadly situations armed with lasers & night vision wouldn't call the technology a gimick. As I've heard several of the pros say in interviews, in a self defense situation you will probably never have a chance to look down those fancy night sights..as the situation will most likely happen so fast and so close that you will be firing from the hip or moving as you shoot and are being shot at... or are being rushed at by someone with a knife. That is where the laser technology beats out night sights hands-down. Moving and looking where you are going, while looking down those night sights and trying to focus your target all at the same time... versus just watching the target with a bright red dot on it while your weapon is still at the hip or chest level.
Jerry didn't just endorse lasers, he uses one on his own personal self defense weapon to protect his life and his family. Jerry wears glasses with bi-focals like the original OP and myself so there are eye sight issues with focusing on distance objects like the target [which is what the larger upper eyeglass lens does] vs. focusing on near objects like the night sights [which is what the lower smaller Bi-focal lens does.. and some people wear tri-focals with 3 lenses]... the switching back & forth between the lenses is distracting, especially if you are in a hurry defending your life. If the best shooter in the world feels that a laser on his self defense weapon is much better than night sights and trusts the technology... then it has got to give a advantage to less proficient shooters in low light situations.
Todd Jarrett who ranks up near Jerry as one of the best shooters in the world recommends laser sights in low light situations and uses a laser on his own personal self defense weapon. Julie Golob also uses a laser on her personal self defense weapon. They can afford any kind of weapon & sights they want.. and for their personal weapons they choose & trust laser technology because even as good as they are... it gives them an advantage. So I'll continue to trust the Pro's opinions and my own experience from practicing with lasers.
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