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For obvious reasons I’ve always been reluctant to trust my weapon retention to open-topped Kydex or polymer holsters—unless they were going to be dedicated for deep concealment purposes. However, I’ve reconsidered this line of thinking since receiving one of the new IRT (Integrated Retention Technology) Uncle Mike’s Reflex Holsters.
I’m one of those cops who hates to read instructions while a hot new product sits on the table before me. So I shoved my Glock into the holster without the first clue as to how to get it out (feel free to laugh). I was holding the holster/gun combo in my hands while unproductively yanking at it—crap! Where are those instructions?!
With a fair amount of force, I was able to get the gun separated from the holster. Of course, it occurred to me that this couldn’t possibly be the draw stroke intended. I went ahead and buckled it into my duty belt and strapped it on tight. I laid the instructions out on the table and …
So here’s the rub: Most of the open-top holsters currently on the market make the release mechanism visually stand out. Take a holster and build the heck out of it, then put a flap, strap, snap or hickey-bob on its side and you might as well put a blinking sign that says “push here.” The IRT feature in the Uncle Mike’s Reflex Holster hides the mechanism internally.
The procedure for getting the gun out of the holster is a simple inward motion towards your body, then up and out. Weapon retention ultimately comes down to training and physical application of those skills mastered through repetition. Uncle Mike’s is dedicated to this training as evidenced by their employment of Dave Young as the spokesman for the IRT Holster. Dave is the founder and director of ARMA Training and is an accomplished instructor.
If you watch Dave draw from the IRT Holster, his draw stroke is so smooth and fast, you’d swear that the thing has zero retention. However, this holster holds onto your gun with a vengeance. You’ll find upon first use that your hand immediately indexes properly upon reaching for the weapon. The exterior of the holster perfectly mimics the contours of your duty weapon so that hand placement can be adjusted prior to the draw stroke.
Muscle memory of a proper draw stroke must be built from the holster instead of where you find your pistol pointing after the fact. The reverse is just as important. Holstering must be efficient and smooth. Fumbling with a holster’s locking mechanism or a collapsed holster after you’ve drawn from it is a bad place to be in.
The IRT Holster is made of very dense, startlingly stout plastic. This is one of those holsters that you can get into a brawl with and not worry about losing your gun after landing on the thing a few times. It offers low and high rides, as well as cant options. My only complaint is that this holster doesn’t allow for the use of a pistol-mounted light. But that’s a small complaint considering that the holster is well above average at retaining guns.
When I started writing this article, the Uncle Mike’s Reflex Holster was only offered in two versions: one that would fit Glocks 17, 19, 22 and 23 and one for the Sig Sauer P220 and P226. I mentioned to them that they should consider covering the Springfield Armory XD line, and now they do.
In Sum
My wife finally has gotten into shooting with me—finally! Upon taking her to my range, I gave her about three minutes of instruction on the IRT Holster, along with the basics of gun grabs. She immediately had the gun in and out of the holster with little effort. After a dozen draws, she was a pro. I think she just found her favorite holster.
Uncle Mike’s has been in the business of providing good kit to those of us in blue, and our loved ones, for many years. Made in the USA, the IRT Holster is available at various distributors or directly from Uncle Mike’s.
IRT REFLEX HOLSTER
Pros
• Release mechanism is internal
• Draw stroke is smooth, fast & intuitive
Cons
• Doesn’t accommodate pistol-mounted light
Approximate street price:
CONTACT
Uncle Mike’s Law Enforcement
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