Drawing from four o’clock naturally clears the shirt away. (Photo: Team HB)
Out of Abilene, Texas comes something we don’t see every day: a truly new concealment holster design. Ever in search of the perfect holster for every occasion, I tried one out.
On this trial which has been about a month long, I’ve worn the holster almost daily while working on the range, walking dogs, teaching in classrooms, and going about daily activities. It’s earned its way into second place in my large collection of concealment holsters, and will surely make a first choice for many users.
Basics
QCC IWB holster by JM4 Tactical. (Photo: Team HB)
The Quick Click & Carry (QCC) is made of leather, and there are several options available, from plain unfinished blond leather to dyed smooth leather, to elephant hide finishes. My test model has the smooth finish, dyed black. JM4 Tactical CEO and product developer Chad Myers warned that it might bleed dye onto my skin or clothing at first. That hasn’t happened, but the weather’s been cool and I’m not the sweating type unless it’s really hot outside.
Three sizes are available to fit micro-, midsize, and compact/full size pistols. I requested a holster to fit a Glock 42, 43, and a S&W Shield. A medium fits all three. JM4 Tactical recommends a break-in period during which the holster molds to the gun. I opted to only carry the 42 for this reason. From day one, retention was excellent despite there being no strap or other level 2 retention device. I have developed complete confidence in this holster’s retention qualities thus far. It seems caution is warranted, though, if it were to be worn with a larger-framed gun and then later on a smaller one. Trigger guard coverage is secure, too—a non-negotiable factor in my estimation, for safety.
Field use
Looking into the holster from above. (Photo: Team HB)
I’m fond of the Streamlight TLR-6 laser/light device on my little gun, but I had to remove it for the gun to fit in the QCC. I reported this to Mr. Myers in hopes he’ll create a light-friendly design for his product lineup.
What’s new here is the way this holster secures to pants—and other objects. Who’d have thought that magnets could take the place of a clip or other belt attachment? They do on the QCC, making this one of the easiest holsters to don and to manage throughout the day.
Body side and waist attachment. (Photo: Team HB)
One magnet, one inch in diameter, is sewn into the holster about where the trigger guard is, and is next to clothing when the gun is tucked inside a waistband (IWB). A flap of double-ply leather extends from the rear of the holster. Near the end of this flap is another one-inch magnet. Both magnets are encased in leather, so they can’t snag or scratch. The flap sticks to the holster as the two magnets are attracted to one another, no matter that a heavy layer of pants material is between them.
Very comfortable in AIWB wear, usually. (Photo: Team HB)
The QCC was designed to be worn on any pants without a belt. To this end, it does alright but isn’t perfect. Pants have to be snug and not low-waist style, or have a drawstring worn tight. Otherwise, the waistband and eventually the pants and gun get pulled south. I tried running with the QCC on a pair of lycra tights, with the drawstring moderately tight (where it’s stuck in a permanent knot). This was one of two occasions during the trial when I ended up hand-carrying my Glock 42, as it quickly pulled the tights down. As I’m already in the habit of wearing a Nexbelt for daily carry, changing to the QCC from my customary setup actually expanded my options for gun location. I normally carry at 11:00 or 1:00 on the appendix clock. With the QCC, the gun can also comfortably ride at 4:00. Folks who want a backup gun on the non-dominant side will require a holster for support hand draw. QCCs are made for either right- or left-hand draw, not both.
On the outside. (Photo: Team HB)
Readers should know that I am a short-waisted sort, even among females, with not much real estate between ribs and waist. With natural waist-height jeans, range, or dress pants and a belt, this holster has ridden all day with great comfort, so long as I’m active and/or standing. Sitting for long periods has made it necessary to adjust the downward-pointing muzzle end, which goes there thanks to gravity, more toward my midline regardless of which side of my abdomen it’s on. That wasn’t a problem with small-of-back carry, though most people including myself don’t want to sit with one side of their back against a gun for very long.
… and in concealment. It is quite discreet. (Photo: Team HB)
Mid-rise jeans are okay to carry in so long as I raised the holster up a bit in concealment. There’s a fine line between just right, though, and having the whole works—holster and gun–break free on the draw. With the holster seated fully down on the waistband, the muzzle end impinges painfully on my thigh. It also didn’t work for me during weightlifting/aerobic workouts, only because the muzzle end rubs my thigh and refuses to lay at any angle other than straight down, thanks to gravity. That may be alleviated by switching to a smaller gun, but I like the advantages a slightly larger compact gives me.
4 o’clock carriage. (Photo: Team HB)
It’s not possible for me to carry in low-rise pants wearing this or any other EDC holster I’ve tried. But that’s alright; I don’t wear those at this stage of life anyway.
Drawing from this holster must be done as from any holster with good retention, which is to say the gun must be snatched out like you mean business. I have seen this necessity present a mental hurdle for some new shooters to overcome, even with traditional OWB holsters. There is no problem at all with drawing quickly when wearing a belt. Draw slowly, or with sweats on, and the pants follow along until the gun breaks free.
It took about a full day of wear for the leather to break in and allow me to get a good firing grip on the gun while it’s fully holstered. To my way of thinking, the ability to obtain a firing grip directly from concealment is important. The QCC allows me to do that with the test gun. Other grip configurations in the QCC may not be so easy to draw; that’s one thing I’ve not been able to test.
Other features
One strong magnet. (Photo: Team HB)
A cool feature of the QCC is it’ll also store your gun on a metal bedframe, the dashboard of your classic pickup, or motorcycle tank, and the gun will stay there. I slapped this one onto a Connex wall upside down, and it just stuck there, gun and all.
That cool feature can be funny at times. My kitchen stove has old-fashioned gas burners with metal grates. One evening I brought groceries in and was setting bags on the stove, when, THONK! Something made a noise and nudged me in the gut. I looked down to see a grate had jumped off the burner and attached itself to the holster. Funny! But also a bit risky for discreet concealment if someone notices stuff like keys sticking to you in a public setting. I suppose I need to make up a good story for such occasions. After all, my 42 is already referred to as my life-saving medical device.
Just a gun hanging upside down from a metal shed. No retention strap necessary. (Photo: Team HB)
Reholstering with the QCC still in concealment is possible, but difficult to do without muzzling one’s own hand. The QCC is so easy to remove and re-seat; there’s no reason to do a risky process when a safe one is easy and quick to accomplish by removing it, inserting the gun, and then re-installing it on the waistband.
Conclusion
Things I really like about the QCC include:
- Quick and no-fuss installation on clothes
- Good retention without any noisy or interfering straps
- Mostly comfortable to wear, with a high-enough waistband
- Discreet concealment with minimal effect on physical profile
- Even the plain black model is classy-looking
- Retail packaging is gift-worthy and includes clear directions for use
- With careful handling, it can stay put while in the restroom. Since that’s a place where guns are sometimes forgotten, with potentially serious consequences, this is a real plus.
Things I don’t care for on this holster are:
- The tendency for metal things in the environment to stick to it
- Chafing my thigh when seated and wearing lower-waist pants, or when exercising
- No room for my gun’s trigger guard-mounted light/laser device
The JM4 Tactical QCC concealment holster is reasonably priced, starting at $69.95. Exotic hide choices are $209.99. It could be the perfect choice for that special person on your buying list—including yourself.
The post Gear Review: QCC concealed carry holster by JM4 Tactical appeared first on Guns.com.