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Joshua DelMonaco

@close_quarters_carry

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Good morning ☕️

Stayed up way too late last night doing some website updates, and looking at the queue this morning… it’s getting a little buck wild around here. 😂

I’ll be working through it today, so check back throughout the day for more updates.

NEWLY ADDED TO THE WEBSITE:

• Ranger Green Kydex
• Desert Tan Kydex
• Killer Coyote FDE Kydex
• Zombie Green Cordura
• And, by request — PenCott GreenZone Cordura

For anyone unfamiliar with GreenZone, it’s part of the PenCott family of camouflage patterns developed by Hyde Definition in the UK.

GreenZone was designed specifically for lush, temperate environments, using multiple scales of shapes and colors to break up the human silhouette at different distances. It hit the market in the early 2010s and built a pretty serious following among camouflage nerds, gear guys and people who appreciate some of the more obscure patterns.

So naturally… somebody asked me to put it on a holster.

Now I do. 😂

PenCott GreenZone is officially live on the website.

And judging by this queue, apparently y’all have decided I don’t need sleep anyway.

CloseQuartersCarry.com taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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14 days ago

Huge shoutout to Mr. Tactical Orange for sending over an awesome care package! 📦🍊 This thing had a little bit of everything in it!

I think the thing I’m most excited about is these glow-in-the-dark snap caps from Pro-Shot. 😂 As most of you know, I’m a certified GLOMO (Glow-in-the-Dark Homosexual), and these might genuinely be the coolest things I’ve seen all week. My EDC pictures are about to go INSANELY hard. ✨

Also got a pretty sweet cleaning kit I’m excited to try out. Opened it up and realized there’s like FOUR different types of cleaners and lubricants in there. Apparently I’ve been living in the Stone Age, because now I need to get on YouTube and figure out what all this stuff does. 😂

And then there’s probably the most unexpected thing in the package… JAPANESE POKÉMON CARDS! 🇯🇵

Now, I don’t know anything about Pokémon cards, and I definitely can’t read Japanese. So naturally, I started opening packs and giving these little guys my own names based entirely on what they look like.

I have absolutely no idea what I pulled, what they’re worth, or what any of them actually do, but I had a fantastic time making up names for them. 😂

Seriously, thank you again, Mr. Tactical Orange! It’s always wild to me that people take time out of their day to send me cool stuff just because they enjoy what I’m doing over here. I appreciate you, brother! 🤝 taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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5 hours ago

Even being hemmed up @close_quarters_carry holsters don't fail. by @close_quarters_carry

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a day ago

This is how we identify the Jerrys of the internet. 😂

Thousands of posts showcasing my actual work. Holsters, custom builds, new products, hours of craftsmanship. Not a word from this guy.

Make ONE AI flyer to notify customers about what’s happening with my business, and suddenly Jerry has something to say. 🤢

Meanwhile, look at literally everyone else in the comments. Nothing but positivity, encouragement, and support. Then there’s Jerry, who apparently felt so strongly about a flyer that after I deleted his first comment, he had to come BACK and make sure his opinion was heard. 😂

Here’s the funniest part, Jerry. Every time you interact with content you don’t like, you’re telling the algorithm you want MORE of it. You’re literally punching yourself in the nuts and wondering why it hurts. 👍

And can we acknowledge something? This is my storefront. This is where I showcase my work, communicate with customers, and operate my small business.

Do you walk into random small businesses, ignore everything they’re selling, and start talking trash in the lobby because you don’t like a sign on the wall?

What do you people do for a living? 😂

I’m over here making holsters seven days a week, trying to communicate with over 1,000 holsters worth of customers waiting in line, and Jerry’s biggest contribution to the conversation is complaining about the graphic I used to keep everyone informed.

To everyone else showing support, especially other business owners offering advice and customers being incredibly understanding, THANK YOU. That’s the community I appreciate.

Jerry, I’ll see you under the next AI flyer. We both know you won’t be able to resist. 😂

CloseQuartersCarry.com taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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a day ago

This is a pretty accurate visual representation of the current order queue at Close Quarters Carry. 😂

First off, I genuinely apologize for letting things get this out of control. In four years of doing this, I’ve never experienced anything like it.

A few months ago, I started putting more effort into social media, and apparently you guys decided to make that everybody’s problem. 😂 Sales have been nearly 6 TIMES normal for the past couple of months straight.

My biggest mistake? Counting orders instead of holsters.

For four years, 100 orders generally meant 100 holsters. Well, lately it’s become common for people to order 10–15 holsters at once. Which is AWESOME, but what my brain registered as two orders was sometimes actually 30 holsters.

Multiply that by a few months of record sales, and suddenly I’ve got 1,112 CUSTOM HOLSTERS waiting to be made in my little 14x30 workshop.

By one guy. One at a time.

I’ll admit, this week I got a little extra autistic about the situation. I was genuinely anxious about opening emails or even posting because I knew people were frustrated.

And this is the type of yelling that doesn’t make me cum. 😂

But seriously, I understand the frustration, and I take full responsibility for the delays.

The books are now TEMPORARILY CLOSED for new custom orders.

Moving forward, I’ll be setting a hard limit on how many holsters can be in the queue. Once that threshold is reached, the books close until I catch up. I should’ve done this sooner, but I’ve never experienced growth like this.

To everyone who has ordered, shared my work, or recommended my business, THANK YOU. You’ve genuinely changed my family’s life.

I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just be spending a lot more time in that little wooden shed.

1,112 holsters. One guy. One at a time.

CloseQuartersCarry.com taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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2 days ago

Well, this story took an unexpected turn. 😂

A few weeks ago, I made the pilgrimage to Shark Coast Tactical looking for one of their Shark Puppies. Unfortunately, they were hosting an event, and getting to talk to anyone was nearly impossible. No fault of theirs. That’s what I get for showing up somewhere crowded knowing my autistic ass doesn’t do crowds.

Ended up going another direction, picking up an Agency Arms Glock 43X MOS and a SilencerCo Spectre suppressor.

Fast forward to today, I stopped by a tiny local gun show. And when I say tiny, your neighborhood Chili’s probably has more square footage. Figured I’d walk around and throw some disrespectful lowball offers at the local fudds for entertainment.

Then I spotted it. A Shark Coast Tactical Shark Puppy with their Hobgoblin suppressor.

I’ve spent weeks researching these things, so I knew the asking price was reasonable. Naturally, I threw out a semi-disrespectful offer anyway.

He immediately said yes. 😂

Pretty sure we were both surprised. Paid the man before he could reconsider, and now I’m the proud owner of TWO suppressed Glock 43X setups. Even have a matching FDE Vortex optic on the way. Huge thanks to Vortex for hooking that up!

Now for the funny part.

Apparently, somewhere along the way, Shark Coast Tactical blocked me. 😂

I genuinely have no idea why. I made a post about Florida gun stores recently, and the comments had some pretty strong opinions about them, both positive and negative. Maybe that had something to do with it? Who knows.

I’ve never taken an official stance on them, never had a negative interaction, and haven’t even met anyone from their team.

I just thought they made a cool gun and wanted one. The whole reason I was hunting one down was to eventually start offering custom holsters for these setups.

So apparently, I managed to become a customer and get blocked without ever actually meeting anybody. That’s a new achievement unlocked. 😂

Either way, I got a cool gun at a great price, and I’ve got some holster experimenting to do.

The internet is a strange place. 😂 taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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2 days ago

🚨 LAST CALL! THE WEBSITE IS CLOSING TODAY! 🚨

Today is officially your last chance to get your custom holster orders in before I shut down ordering on the website. If you’ve been thinking about ordering something, now is the time.

With over 1,000 holsters currently in the queue, I’ve officially reached the point where I need to stop taking new orders and focus on getting caught up. I’m a one-man operation, and while the support has been absolutely life-changing, there are only so many hours in a day. The website will remain up, but custom holster ordering will be disabled. Swag and some boneyard holsters will still be available.

Now, onto today’s little science experiment.

Finally got an IWB suppressor-friendly setup figured out!

This project was an absolute pain in the ass. I think I burned through about six different pressings trying to get everything exactly how I wanted it. Lots of trial, error, wasted material, and questioning why I insist on making my own life more difficult.

But now that I’ve got it dialed in, I think the finished product looks phenomenal.

This is exactly the kind of stuff I love doing. Taking something that isn’t exactly conventional and figuring out how to make it work. Pretty excited to start experimenting with different suppressors and configurations.

Just another day of making unnecessarily complicated plastic taco holders.

CloseQuartersCarry.com

Seriously, thank you all for the overwhelming support. You guys have made this year absolutely insane for my little business and my family. Now I’ve got a mountain of holsters to make. 😂 taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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2 days ago

Today’s post is bought to you in part by my own money 💴 lol!!
Stay in the fight!! by @close_quarters_carry

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2 days ago

About 10 more of you are getting shipping notifications tonight! 📦

Huge thanks to the ole lady and her phenomenal baking skills. She’s pretty much mastered the art of sourdough. She’s the lady all the other old ladies in the neighborhood come to for bread advice. 😂 The way I am with holsters, she is with bread. Tonight she handed me an entire homemade loaf because she knew I’d be skipping dinner to keep working.

And nights like tonight are exactly why the website is shutting down tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th.

We’re now sitting at OVER 1,000 HOLSTERS IN THE QUEUE, and somehow today was ANOTHER absolutely insane day for orders. You guys saw me announcing that I was closing the books and apparently decided to make sure I had enough work to last through the next presidential administration. 😂

I’m incredibly grateful, but I’m also one guy working seven days a week. I’ve reached the point where I physically cannot keep accepting orders while trying to fulfill the ones already placed.

Tomorrow, October 17th, custom holster ordering will be disabled on CloseQuartersCarry.com. Swag and some boneyard/demo holsters will still be available.

I don’t have a reopening date, and honestly, I can’t even give an accurate lead time anymore. I’m just going to keep working through the queue until I can see daylight again.

If you’ve already ordered, you’re in line. Some orders may run past their original estimates, and I genuinely appreciate your patience. I’ll be throwing extra swag into packages to make up for the wait.

And finally, shoutout to Stroup Knives. Turns out this knife’s primary function right now is spreading butter on sourdough, and it’s ergonomically PERFECT for the job. 😂 Tactical butter application at its finest.

Back to making holsters. Love you guys. Thank you for everything you’ve done for my family.

CloseQuartersCarry.com taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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3 days ago

Another little addition to the Glow 43X project. 😎

Just got in a new slide backplate from Apex Firearms, deep engraved with the Close Quarters Carry emblem. Naturally, I couldn’t leave it alone, so I added some glow-in-the-dark to tie it in with the rest of the gun.

Now that I’ve finally cleaned all the glow powder off this thing, I’m really starting to appreciate how cool it’s turning out. Black is boring. I get it. But sometimes black is just COOL. 😂

🚨 WEBSITE UPDATE — TOMORROW, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, CUSTOM ORDERS CLOSE!

If you’ve been wanting something made, now is the time to get your order in.

I’m going to be completely transparent with everybody. The current lead time is INSANE. At this point, I can’t even accurately measure it. I’m working seven days a week, doing everything I possibly can to get orders out, but there’s only so much one person can physically accomplish.

I’m also going to ask everyone to please stop messaging me asking, “What order number are you on?” or “How much longer until mine ships?”

The answer is probably further away than either of us would like. 😂 I promise I’m getting to every single order, and I’m working through them as quickly as I can. Every minute spent answering the same questions is a minute I’m not making holsters.

Some orders may run a week or two beyond their originally quoted lead times, and I genuinely apologize for that.

I’ll also be throwing extra swag into everyone’s packages as a thank-you for your patience and understanding.

This business has grown beyond anything I ever imagined, and I’m incredibly grateful. I just need some time to catch up and get things back under control.

CloseQuartersCarry.com

Thank you guys for keeping this one-man operation busier than I ever thought possible. 🤙 taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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3 days ago

First things first, tomorrow (Saturday, October 17), the website will officially stop accepting custom holster orders.

There are currently over 1,000 holsters in the queue, and for those of you who don’t know, CQC is literally a one-man shop, on one leg, in a shed in my backyard. 😂

I’ve talked a pretty big game over the last couple of years about seeing just how far I could push myself, and congratulations, you guys finally won. Turns out when I’m staring down the barrel of 1,000 holsters, I blink first. 😂

This is just a temporary shutdown so I can get caught up. The website will still have swag available, along with some Boneyard holsters I’ll be adding. Mostly demo units, website photo builds, and other random creations.

NOW, BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED GUN NONSENSE.

I’m kind of falling in love with this Canik MC9 Prime.

Naturally, like any responsible adult who purchases a new firearm, I immediately went home and started watching YouTube videos to justify my purchase.

One thing I learned is that these are actually made right here in Florida, only a couple hours from me, which is pretty cool.

And here’s something I didn’t expect to say. The MC9 Prime actually has a slightly better trigger than my Agency Arms Glock 43X. Not by much, but enough that I noticed. Which is absolutely ridiculous considering one of these guns cost nearly 2.5 times what the other did.

Just goes to show, more expensive doesn’t always mean more gooder.

Now, do I still trust the Glock more? Absolutely. Say what you want about Glocks, love them or hate them, but they’ve got decades of history proving they work.

That being said, everything I’m seeing about the MC9 Prime suggests it’s a pretty solid little gun too. I’m looking forward to putting some time behind both of them and seeing how they compare.

And seriously, thank you guys for putting me in a position where my biggest business problem is having too much business. That’s a pretty incredible problem to have.

CloseQuartersCarry.com taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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3 days ago

I wanted to give Guns For Less in Cape Coral another shoutout because there’s something about my experience there that I think deserves a little more attention.

When I was purchasing my suppressor and trying to make sure I had all the correct parts, the guys actually took the time to pull out one of their own firearms that was configured similarly to what I was building. They went through everything with me to make sure the parts were compatible and everything would function properly.

That might not sound like a big deal, but compared to some of my previous experiences, that was going above and beyond.

Of course, eventually I ended up showing them some of my holster work. 😂 Even though they already have a partnership with another awesome holster company locally, they were genuinely interested in what I was doing. I’m not looking to sell holsters through stores anyway. Custom work is my thing. But it was nice having an actual conversation with people who appreciate the craft.

Nothing about the entire interaction felt forced.

I noticed customers coming in who the staff knew by first name. Everyone was friendly, conversations were natural, and the whole place had this small-town atmosphere that I really appreciated.

The store itself felt like exactly the right size for what they’re doing. Not some massive showroom, but definitely not lacking inventory either.

They had everything from Hi-Points and Caniks to Maxim Defense and Taran Tactical. Pretty much every price point was represented, and I swear I saw just about every accessory or part I could possibly need.

But what really stood out was that this is the kind of store I’d feel comfortable sending a family member into, knowing they’d be treated respectfully, given good information, and not made to feel stupid for asking questions.

And that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give a gun store.

I’m glad someone recommended them, and I’m glad I made the trip into Cape Coral. 🤝 taken in Florida, USA by @close_quarters_carry

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4 days ago