The Recluse OS for the Kel-Tec P3AT
We recently reviewed an innovative pocket holster design by Recluse Holsters, the One Sided holster. The crux of the design is the well executed trigger block that snaps into the trigger guard and holds the gun safe and secure.
My take on the holster when I wrote the review was that it was brilliant. And that continues to be my opinion.
I’ve carried the holster everyday for more than a month now and I like it even more than I did when I wrote the review, if that’s possible. So I was eager to try Recluse’s other products, if only to see how far their design innovations extend, and to provide an option for those of you who would never consider carrying anything as small as a .380 ACP.
The Recluse OS Cargo Pocket Holster
Recluse’s Cargo Pocket Holster was the logical next step. This one is built for the Springfield Armory XDS, a gun that is perfect for concealed carry. The XDS is designed for IWB carry. Even though it is small, it isn’t quite small enough for good front pocket carry. But IWB Holsters, especially in summer heat, may not be what you want.
So why not keep it in reach inside a cargo pocket? The Cargo Pocket Holster works in the same way as the One Sided Holster. Almost. It doesn’t have the trigger block. Instead, the gun snugs into a more traditional pocket. There’s nothing here to hold the trigger secure. It isn’t needed, though, as there is little chance that foreign obstructions will affect the safety.
The wide wing on the holster helps to keep the leather secure on the draw, and prevents the gun from turning in the pocket. These are 5.11 Stryke Pants, and the cargo pocket is just slightly larger than the holster. I’ve tried it in these, and in two different pairs of Propper pants, and the holster is more snug in the Proppers.
Is it practical?
Drawing is easy. I have long arms, and I have to lean just a bit to get to the gun. It isn’t subtle, or fast. But the gun is there. The gun is easy to draw. I found that the faster I pulled, the more likely I was to pull the gun and the holster. But the holster would always fall free. Always. And that’s what matters, I think. Drawing the gun may dump the holster on the ground, but that will be the least of your worries if you’re drawing your gun.
One of the design features that I found interesting about the Cargo Pocket design was the lack of an extra magazine slot. The other Recluse had it. Why not this one? The answer is logically sound. It has to do with weight. The XDS is light enough, but it gets heavy when loaded. An extra magazine, or two, when carried in the same pocket, begins to pull your pants down. The pocket begins to sway side to side when you walk, which draws attention to the fact that you are, as we used to say, packing iron.
The Cargo Pocket Holster sells for $75. It works well, and allows for much more firepower than you will get from anything that fits in a typical pocket holster. So keep your extra magazine close, but not together. And make cut off a pair of old worn out BDU pants. Instant summer carry.
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