Editor’s Note: The author is associated with Safariland through the company’s Cadre program. His “behind the scenes” look at the company is based on his experiences and opinions.
As a Safariland Cadre member and Safariland Cadre Dispatch writer, I was given a unique opportunity to get a tour of the Safariland factories in Jacksonville, Florida. One factory is specific to holsters, and one is for body armor. These are two different facilities that support the company’s one core value — Together, We Save Lives.
At War HOGG Tactical we conduct a lot of law enforcement firearms training to agencies and through our Project Officer Survival program where we offer free law enforcement red dot pistol training to individual officers. By providing the pistols, optics and Safariland holsters, we can remove that learning barrier for those agencies that have not transitioned to red dot pistols and expose officers to different platforms and optics other than their issued duty pistol.
When most people think about Safariland, they think holsters. They forget about the armor under a uniform shirt, ballistic helmets, and ballistic shields trusted by professionals who need it to work every single time. People usually do not think about how the products are manufactured, but that is really where the story starts.
More Than a Mold
It’s important for firearms manufacturers to understand the Safariland holster development process. Not every pistol is eligible for a Safariland holster, and this is tied to the firearm’s ejection port design — specifically how it would interact with the Safariland Automatic Locking System (ALS) for proper retention of the pistol. Some pistols’ ejection ports are too small and do not support proper lock-up into an ALS.
A Safariland holster body must do several jobs at once. It must protect the pistol, it has to hold shape over time, and it must support the retention system. The holster must work around iron sights, red dot optics and sometimes pistol-mounted lights, and it must do all of that without becoming so bulky or awkward that it loses its usefulness. The research and development process and manufacturing work behind that is not glamorous, but it is where a lot of the product’s value lies.
Safariland holsters are manufactured in one of two ways — either thermoforming or injection molding. Thermoformed holsters, such as the 6000 series, are made from SafariLaminate, a Boltaron thermoplastic. Safariland also offers holsters with a Cordura nylon cover in a variety of camouflage colors to include Multicam, Woodland and more. Another benefit of the Cordura cover is that it also offers a lower infrared (IR) signature.
The injection molding process uses SafariSeven polymer material, allowing for more complex shapes and features as seen in the Safariland 7000 series of holsters. The polymer material is heated until the material is turned into a liquid, which is then injected into a steel mold under high pressure. Once cooled, the result is a rigid shell that holds its shape and matches the firearm with high precision.
Understanding Retention
When it comes to holster retention levels, there is a lot of confusion. However, Safariland has made it very simple and I believe has set the industry standard on retention.
Be sure to read Richard Johnson’s article on What Is Holster Retention? for additional information on security holsters and retention levels.
The Pull Test
The Safariland Pull Test is a series of tests designed to replicate a suspect trying to ferociously grab an officer’s firearm. During the test, the holster and firearm are moved violently in different directions. After each test, the pistol must be able to be drawn from the holster. I am not an easily impressed person, but after watching a full pull test I was very impressed with Safariland’s process and how well the retention performed.
A little-known fact is Safariland will replace an officer’s holster if they are ever involved in a violent gun grab situation. This is not because they doubt their products, but rather to give some peace of mind to the officer that their holster has not been compromised. Safariland also has an Individual Officer Purchase (IOP) program for law enforcement officers to get holsters at a discounted price.
This tells you a lot about what the Safariland holster factory work is really doing. It is not just shaping material around a handgun — it is building a repeatable product where the retention must secure the firearm, release, and interface with the shooter the way it was designed to. That means the manufacturing side must support not just the body of the holster, but also the geometry, fit, and tolerances that make the retention system work consistently.
The Safariland Saves Club
On a cold February night in 1976, the life of Richard (Dick) Sheehan, a patrolman for the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was saved by his Safariland vest. He was shot in the back twice by a .22-cal. rifle. Richard was Save #1 of the Safariland Saves Club.
The Saves Club is not just limited to body armor but also the holsters, where a suspect was not able to remove an officer’s firearm during an intense struggle for that gun. A tradition at Safariland is, when a Save happens, a bell is rung to symbolize the save. On the armor side, when Safariland receives the vest back they can find out exactly the individuals who built that vest via the employee markings. Those individuals are recognized and, in some cases, meet the officer whose life they saved. This action of Safariland gives those employees “ownership” behind the products they are producing and the importance to make sure it is done correctly.
Soft Body Armor Manufacturing
Safariland builds armor with “state of the art materials and fabrics” and defines success as the integration of ballistic performance and human performance. That is one of the better ways to explain what body armor manufacturing is really trying to solve. Armor cannot just stop threats, it also must fit the body, move with the user, and remain practical enough to wear for long periods under real conditions.
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When we look at body armor materials, many people think of aramid fibers like Kevlar. Kevlar is the best-known brand of aramid, a synthetic fiber that is woven into a tight fabric. When a bullet strikes, multiple layers of that fabric catch it, and the fibers stretch to absorb its energy and spread it across a wider area. Modern soft armor often pairs aramid with other materials, most commonly ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is sold under brand names such as Dyneema and Spectra. UHMWPE offers excellent ballistic resistance at a lower weight, which helps keep armor light and flexible.
Levels of Protection of Body Armor
Body armor falls into two general categories: soft armor, typically rated for handgun threats, and hard armor, typically rated for rifle threats. Most law enforcement officers wear soft armor, either under their shirt or in an outer carrier. Ratings for both are standardized by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
In 2023, the NIJ replaced its previous standard, NIJ 0101.06, with NIJ 0101.07. The old Roman-numeral levels were replaced with handgun (HG) and rifle (RF) levels.
Soft armor now has two levels. HG1 replaces Level II and is rated for 9mm and .357 Magnum. HG2 replaces Level IIIA and is rated for higher-velocity 9mm and .44 Magnum. The old Level IIA was eliminated.
Hard armor now has three levels. RF1 replaces Level III and is rated for 7.62x51mm M80 ball, 7.62x39mm mild steel core and 5.56mm M193. RF2 is a new level that adds 5.56mm M855, known as “green tip.” RF3 replaces Level IV and remains the highest level, rated for .30-06 armor-piercing rounds.
Armor certified under the old standard is still valid, so you will see the old level names for years to come.
Labels like “Level III+” or “special threat” are not NIJ ratings. They describe plates tested against threats chosen by the manufacturer, and each one is different. The new RF2 level now covers the most common of these threats, M855. Whatever armor you are considering, check exactly which threats it is rated against and whether that rating comes from the NIJ.
Building Ballistic Helmets
The process of building hard armor is a little more intensive. Ballistic helmets start as multi pieces of aramid fiber layered on top of each other to form the shell. From there, the material is compressed at high pressure to form the helmet. Once the helmet is formed, it is then cut to the shape of the helmet. The helmets get painted and accessories are added such as night vision mounts.
Shields and Hard Plates
Safariland also produces ballistic shields and rifle rated hard plates. This process involves selecting the correct materials, typically ceramic tile and a multi-layer of high-performing materials. These items are either placed in an autoclave or a high-pressure heated press. Once the items are complete, a protective cover is placed on the outside.
Why This Matters
For the person wearing Safariland gear, none of these manufacturing processes might be thought about. A law enforcement officer is not thinking about thermoforming, materials selection or ballistic backing clay when gearing up for a shift. Instead, they are thinking about whether the holster secures the pistol and whether the armor protects them without getting in the way. That is exactly why the manufacturing side matters so much. When it is done right, the end user does not have to think about it. They just get a product that works every time.
Final Thoughts
The better way to look at Safariland’s factory story is through the lens of function. On the holster side, the factories are building durable thermoformed and injection molded bodies, integrating retention systems, and producing fit-specific options for modern handguns with optics and lights.
On the armor side, they are working with advanced materials and fabrics, building systems around both ballistic and human performance, and supporting products that are ultimately judged by testing, consistency, and how well they work in the field.
The real story is not simply the factories, but what Safariland is doing, and why their work still matters to the people who rely on the finished product for reliability and safety.
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