Blackhawk's Belt Pouch Holster

See also: Locked Unloaded Concealed Carry (LUCC)
Article in progress; photography, structural analysis, and pants color blending comparisons pending

Back in November '08, the folks at Blackhawk sent me one of their belt pouch holsters to review. I've worn it almost every day for about three months now, so I now feel that I have enough experience with it to write a solid review.

Given that I reside in a rarely-issuing county of California, the typical use of these holsters (storing a loaded concealed carry gun) is not available to me. Instead, I'm reviewing it for comfort and attention level as a Locked Unloaded Concealed Carry (LUCC) container.

Dry Runs

I decided that before venturing into LUCC with a real gun, I would use the pistol-shaped forward grip of a Romanian AKM in place of a handgun. For two weeks, I wore this case at all times when I was outside the house. Even though it had the approximate weight and shape of a handgun, and a padlock dangling from the case, I was never once questioned about it.

I wore it under my jacket into theaters on multiple occasions, fully expecting to be stopped under suspicion of carrying a video camera. One of the theaters I frequent employs off-duty law enforcement as security, and I've made a point of walking past them with the pack on the side facing them. So far, I have yet to even get noticed.

I've also worn it on my hip around my workplace. I'm somewhat notorious around here as a gun guy, so I have to believe I'd be scrutinized more than the average individual. However, at no point when wearing this holster have I actually been asked about it.

Escalating to LUCC

After two weeks without incident, I chose to escalate from simulated LUCC to actual LUCC. My workplace's no-gun policy did mean I could no longer wear it all day long, but I started leaving it in my vehicle while in the office, then putting it on right after.

Test-fitting guns

As may be expected, this case is not friendly to large guns. The most critical dimension seems to be the 'height', not the length, of the gun. At issue is the secondary velcro compartment and its ability to remain closed.

• CZ-75 40S&W: The CZ-75 actually was the worst fit for this container. Its grip was long, and prevented the inner pocket from sealing. Thus, should you have to open this pouch, the gun will be noticed.
• CZ-40P: This ultimately became my favorite gun for use with this container, because the bottom quarter inch or so of its height comes from the magazine's baseplate. In most states this would not be a concern, but California's unloaded requirement makes this a noteworthy variable. Like the CZ-75B, the magwell is too long to allow the inner pocket to seal completely. However, it doesn't tear on the velcro as long before "settling in". More importantly, it's fairly slim and compact.
• Sig 229 w/CT Grips: The Sig's fatter-than-OEM grips made it more noticeable overall, and the weight was a bit more noticeable than the rest of the options. I suspect that with the original grips, the Sig may have been a fairly good choice for this pouch.

"Tells" with this holster

This holster does stand out to folks who know what they're looking for, particularly in California. The first tell, which is easy to correct, is that unless you've invested in a gun belt, your belt will sag noticeably from the weight. However, another point is that the padlock is a dead giveaway to anyone familiar with LUCC. There are very few reasons why someone would put a lock on a hip pouch. The only time I was "made" with this holster, that I'm aware of, was at a Calguns.net dinner while surrounded by folks who know California law inside and out.

Overall Analysis of Concealment

I've made a point of not telling family and friends about the gun on my hip when I'm out, just to see if individuals who know I'm a gun guy happen to notice it and ask questions. Before everyone breaks up for the day, I tend to bring the gun to their attention and inquire if anyone had noticed anything to make them think I had a gun. So far, the only notice the pouch holster drew was from my uncle. "I just wondered why you'd started wearing a man-purse", he observed. A perfectly valid point, but apparently no one had thought of a handgun being in the bag.

Law Enforcement Attention

It is worth noting that I have been subjected to numerous 12031(e) loaded weapon checks while open carrying and wearing this holster in addition to my Serpa holster. At no point have officers asked if I had a gun inside it during a 12031(e) check - then again, I wasn't being patted down either.

Overview of Construction

The holster itself is composed of Blackhawk's usual high-density fabric (nylon?). Two polymer belt loops secure it to your belt. There is no quick release or clamp locking system for this holster; that's not too big of a problem, because it'd be quite uncomfortable to have two straps digging into your side at all times.

Inside of the bag, there's a velcro'ed compartment. Were you to stick a small gun in the velcro side, it would allow you to open the bag to satisfy any inquisitive individuals. As long as they don't look too closely and you have something in the outer bag, it's unlikely that they'll ever notice the other side of the bag.

On the outside, there's another velcro-secured compartment, this one free of any locking areas. I chose to keep a spare set of keys to the padlock in that compartment, as CA law only says the bag must be locked - not that the keys must be difficult to obtain. For the record, I also keep a voice recorder in that compartment when I'm not keeping it on my bat-belt.

-- SeanNewton - 25 Jun 2009