CovertCarrier is the GOLD STANDARD for Total Weapons Concealment. This is the tag line for the company and after trying two of them out, we might just agree.

When visiting with Jim Wakefield about his products I was only kind of excited about trying out the CovertCarrier products. He had described how he had started the business and was having fun selling the attachments that help small and medium frame firearms be able to "disappear" on legal CCW Permit holders. Well being in the business I was getting more interested. We talked about how the CovertCarrier is a device that allows a metal clip to extend over the handle and allow the firearm to be worn inside the waistband. After hearing how excited he was about his products, I caught the bug and really wanted to try them out.

We tried the products on the Beretta Bobcat .22LR and the Kahr K9 9mm. I have carried both firearms for years and have had good luck with both. The Beretta Bobcat is very picky about the ammunition and performs flawlessly when used with the CCI Stinger .22 Long rifle rounds. If the low cost bulk ammunition is used, it does not function every time getting jams often. The Kahr K9 has night sights and is very light.

Kahr K9:

The installation on the Kahr K9 was about as easy as it gets. Even with out reading the directions, the sleeve fit on the to the handle nice and snug. It allowed for a very tight fit and the actual clip did not cause any problems with holding or even firing the handgun. After wearing the K9 in shorts, sweats, formal pants and even in a sports coat I was very impressed. I have a safe in my office that holds most of my conceal guns at the ready. This allows me to have the holsters in a pile next to the safe and the handguns locked up. During the testing of these products it was odd pulling the K9 out and not reaching for the holster to go with it. It started to become a time saver to just grab the K9 and run out the door.

My wife looked at it and even commented that it would help her keep the K9 at the top of her purse with out having to use a holster or a purse designed for CCW Permit Holders. Her other comment was that she was pleased that I was taking less time "Accessorising " when we would go out. When visiting with Jim Wakefield about this type of option, he recommended that people carry on their person and not in purses or bags. He stated that they can be left some where or even taken from you in a scuffle.

We went to the range to shoot the K9 and see if  the CovertCarrier would impede or cause a problem. After the tests we were very pleased. The CovertCarrier could be felt on the palm of the hand, but did not cause any problems when shooting. To validate this we even asked on of the members at the Oil Capitol Gun Club that we had not met before. Ron Lambeth was there shooting his four 1911 .45’s. He was interested in what we were doing, so we let him shoot the K9 with the CovertCarrier. He was very impressed and I almost did not get the handgun back. He was trying to buy it with the CovertCarrier. Ron said that it was light and he did not even notice the CovertCarrier when shooting. Watching him hit the center mass every time let me know that he knew what he was doing. He had been a member at the club for over 15 years.

So if a complete stranger, who appears to be an expert, wants to buy the handgun after shooting with the CovertCarrier; that  just about sums it up for us.

Beretta Bobcat:

This is very cool upgrade. The entire panel on the handle lifts off and is replaced with the new CovertCarrier panel. It was an easy install and we were able to accomplish this very easily. The only problem is that the new panel looks new. The Bobcat that we have has been used for many years. It is one of the handguns that is used by our family often when discretion matters. Even though our motto is to use the highest caliber handgun you can safely control; it is better to have a .22 than nothing at all.

Pictured below is the old panel taken off with the new CovertCarrier panel on the side. Two screws and it was re-mounted in about 5 min. The picture on the right shows the panel installed and ready for action.

During the shooting portion of our testing with the Bobcat, it did not cause any issues at all. We did not even really notice the extended clip when shooting. We even did several rapid fire drills to check to see if we it would make a difference. None of the testers noticed. It was like the CovertCarier "Holster" was not even there. This allowed the Bobcat to be carried with out the additional width of a holster.

When you are trying to be discrete, even the width of the holster may make a difference.

Models supported:

BERETTA Panel Replacements fit the following handguns:

1.) Tomcat

2,) Bobcat

3.) 21a 

NAA Panel Replacements fit the following handguns:

1.) NAA Guardian 25

2.) NAA ACP 32

3.) NAA Guardian 32

4.) NAA Guardian 380

A) Small Sleeve Applications:

• Accutec Colt 32, 380 Gov. & Mustang Davis Intratec Jennings Kel-Tec P32, P-3AT & PF-9 Raven Rohrbaugh R-9 Seecamp 25, 32 and 380 S&W model 61 Taurus tip ups Walther PP

B) Large Sleeve Applications:

• AMT: Back-up 9mm & 45 Bersa Thunder 32, 380 CC, Thunder 380 Cobra: Patriot Glock: 26, 27, 33, 36, 38, 39 (Baby Glocks and Slim Line Models) H&K: PSP, P7, P7M8, P7K3 Kahr: CW 9, PM 9, MK 9, CW 40, PM 40 & K-40 or 45 Kel-tec: P-11, P-39, P40, Makarov 9MM SIG: 232/380 S&W CS9/9mm Skyy 380, 9MM Taurus: Millenium PT 145, PT 140, PT 111 and Millenium Pro 45 Walther: P 22, PPK, or PPK S

While we only tried two of the CovertCarriers products we had to give these two a 5 out of 5 stars. This product is a great tool for anyone that truly carries every day. We are looking forward to trying the other larger frame products as well.

This type of product will change how you plan on carrying the firearm. As many people are casual in shorts and can not figure out a way to hide a handgun. This was the perfect answer. Please look at the directions and the suggestions for wear in the instructions and they will help you figure out where you can wear your firearm. Pictured on the left is before the "Bloused Effect". Pictured right below is the actual "Bloused Effect". It hides the CCW very nicely.

If you have any of the models listed, this is a product you need to try. They may be the GOLD STANDARD for Total Weapons Concealment, but I would call them the "Elimination of Accesorising for CCW" because you do not need to waist (Pun) time looking for the right holster.

Happy trails and keep the lead down range. Clark –Carryconcealed.net

Covert Carrier can be reached at: Covertcarrier.com

Corporate Information:

The BELTSTER was introduced in 1996 is called the "Ultimate Daily-Carry Concealment Rig". This is the only belt-integrated system. We were interested in giving this CCW system a try and called Scott Key at Bandera Gunleather and ordered one in for testing. Scott was very knowledgeable about the sizing and how to measure an exact fit. After receiving the system we went to the range and also tried it out durring normal daily wear and tear.

The holster is sown into the belt and the additional magazine holder slides on. For our test we had the 1 ¾ burgundy belt with the additional magazine pouch. We tested the holster with 4 or 5 1911 configurations. The picture is showing the Springfield Arms Micro Compact .45. One of the patrons at the gun club commented that it made the 1911 look like a Walker, Texas Ranger rig. They were very quick to comment that the belt looked like Walker would wear it, not that I looked like him.

Strengths: 1: The belt allowed for a quick smooth draw; 2: The wide belt held the 1911’s close to the hip and were easy to conceal even with a T-shirt; 3: Mag pouch was very comfortable and matched to give the rich appearance of a quality holster system; 4: The belt was sized so well that the fit kept the gun in position even during daily chores.

Weakness: The only real weakness that we found that it was so comfortable, that it is easy to forget that you have it on your hip. CCW Permit holders need to make sure that if they do wear the BELTSTER at home or around the office that you do not forget to cover the gun when going out in public. For Detectives or for those authorized to wear in the open they would not need to worry about this issue.

Bandera Gunleather has other products and based upon this evaluation, we will be buying the other products. Top quality hand crafted products are something to be proud. Bandera has a real winner with this product and we will be recommending it to all of our CCW Permit students. For our reviewers they gave it a 5 out of 5 stars.

Bandera Gunleather

PO Box 1689

Bandera, Texas 78003

830 612 3909

http://www.banderagunleather.com/

BELTSER: $75

Additional Mag Pouch $45

Other products include: Egg Panckake, Speed Scabbard, Blackhawk Field, IWB –Colt & Rugers SAs

The FAST Holster utilizes three permanent magnets over-molded in poly-urethane plastic, resulting in a secure, non-marring holster that allows you to locate your firearm almost anywhere. Drawing your firearm could not be any faster.... Just pull away from the FAST Holster. We have mounted the FAST Holster in several different places round the house. With the rise of home invasions, it is important to protect your loved ones and keep your gun close. This allows you to hide the handgun almost anywhere in your home. Depending on how the FAST Holster is mounted, a combination trigger lock can be used. Remember it is your responsibility to keep your firearm away from kids and unauthorized individuals. The combination trigger lock is sold separately.

During the test we used it around the house and I personally liked mounting two of them. One is in my office and the other is next to my bed on the overnight stand. This allows me to take the handgun that I am wearing and place it in an out of sight location. The Fast Holster was mounted under the desk and the 1911 will hang down from the top of the slide. This allows for a trigger lock to be placed on the handgun. I only use combination trigger locks so that I can grab the gun and not hunt for keys. I also have a combination safe that I can place the gun into when I am going to be out of the room for any length of time. The Gun Mount allows me to get into a habit of placing the handgun in only “authorized” locations. Keeping your handguns from un-authorized people and children is a gun owner’s responsibility. The parents that let kids get guns end up on the 10:00 news.

We will be updating this article with comments and pictures from our Carryconcealed.net Contributors and Forum Moderators. Tony at Fastholster.com was very helpful and has stated that when they go to the gun shows they are selling every one they can make. I can see why. If you only use this as a place to park your Concealed Carry Gun it is worth the money.

This is only one part of an entire plan for home defense. Having a tool handy to defend your home and family is only one portion of the entire home defense plan.

For a new and innovative product we give this a 5 out of 5 stars. This is a great product at a very reasonable price. Let me reinforce the point that this product is only for responsible gun owners. This is not a product for irresponsible gun owners that allow un-authorized access to their firearms.

Happy trails and keep the lead down range. Clark – Carryconcealed.net