One of the things that comes up from time to time is the usefulness of lanyards for pistols. Some of the 1911’s offered today by custom makers are offering the lanyard loop again on the mainspring housing. This leads us to ask, “Is this practical or simply tacticool?”
This is a tricky one, because there is no hard and fast rule to help you decide. If you want a lanyard loop on your gun, so you can say you have one, it is probably not a good idea. If you want a lanyard loop to hang your lucky charm on it, again, not a good idea. If you want people to think you were part of the MEUSOC, not cool.
However, there are several people who can benefit from them. Obviously active duty military and Law Enforcement could benefit from the weapon retention. Hunters who are carrying a sidearm for backup. We recently completed a lanyard loop install for a Glock Pistol that didn’t have one. The customer is a kayaker who wants to make sure the fish don’t get to enjoy his pistol.
In certain situations lanyards can be a lifesaver or a matter of protecting your investment. Other times, they simply make you a wannabe. You have to decide.