Raven Concealment Roland Special Holster Review | VIDEO

by Patrick Roberts January 29, 2018

For those of you wondering what a Roland special is, check out this video where I go into detail about the parts required:

U.S.A. – (Ammoland.com) – The Raven Concealment Roland Special Holster isn’t something that every shooter is going to appreciate, but for those guys and gals that have elected to build a Roland Special or compensate a Glock 19 with a Surefire x300U, it is one of the best options that I have found for a concealment holster.

The holster shipped to me in a mylar bag with a ton of goodies in it beyond the holster itself.

Once you break open the space food bag you get a holster and three belt loop options as well as the accompanying screws.

While the belt clip options might not be the most interesting thing, I really appreciated the options available right out of the bag. The holster is equipped from the factory with the Raven drop & offset kit as well as the Quick Mount Straps.

The pancake wings are a personal favorite of mine for concealing a gun as large as the Roland Special. When on the holster it pulls the gun in super tight to the body allowing the Roland to be concealed in only a loose T-shirt.

The standard loops are also included, but I have never seen a need for them and have left them in the package.

Once you fit the gun into the holster, it is apparent why Raven Concealment can charge $179 for the rig. Overall construction is exceptional with a heavy emphasis on functionality and just a touch of aesthetic enhancements added.

Raven made sure to relieve the holster everywhere that an end user might make an enhancement like the undercut on a Glock trigger guard. Since the Roland Special is a highly modified pistol that has a very specific build sheet, giving the holster a custom feel while fitting the Roland like a glove.

The Roland Special holster is molded to accept a Surefire X300U-A and a compensator as called for in the build sheet. The edges are nicely rolled and finished to feel like the two halves on the holster are one piece that has been split open to accept a gun.

Since the Roland special calls for an RMR RM06, the Roland holster is cut in order to accept a slide equipped with a dot. Raven kept the leading edge low in order to accommodate the rear sight being placed to the rear of the dot as well as in front of the dot depending on the shooter's preference. — Since the Roland special calls for an RMR RM06, the Roland holster is cut in order to accept a slide equipped with a dot. Raven kept the leading edge low in order to accommodate the rear sight being placed to the rear of the dot as well as in front of the dot depending on the shooter’s preference.

On the back of the holster, you find Raven’s model number as well as a couple hashtags. The #fightclub is a tip of the hat to Presscheck solution’s Fight Club training sessions and you also have a #roland special tag that is mostly there to make fun of the fact that social media embraced the Roland with open arms. When the real Roland was told that #rolandspecial was a thing, he thought that is was ridiculous and felt that the majority of people that had Rolands probably didn’t know that the build was the result of a joke. (Watch the Primary & Secondary video about the birth of the Roland for more info about the joke.)

The #fightclub is a tip of the hat to Presscheck solution's Fight Club training sessions and you also have a #roland special tag that is mostly there to make fun of the fact that social media embraced the Roland with open arms. — The #fightclub is a tip of the hat to Presscheck solution’s Fight Club training sessions and you also have a #roland special tag that is mostly there to make fun of the fact that social media embraced the Roland with open arms.

My feeling about the holster after carrying a Roland Special in it for several months is that the holster is probably the best OWB option for builds that match the Roland. I found the holster to keep the pistol very secure and release the pistol easily with very predictable tension when it is drawn for concealment. Keeping the pistol out of the prying eyes of other people is reasonably easy with the right belt loops equipped on the holster.

So in conclusion, would I recommend buying the Raven Concealment Roland Special holster? Only if you have a need for a holster that accommodates a Surefire X300U and a compensated Glock 19. Since that is a really small group of folks, each one of the Roland holsters is darn near a custom piece and carries a price that reflects it. An MSRP of $179.99 might seem rather staggering for the average buyer, but for those looking to clone the Roland Special correctly, it is the only holster choice. In the end, is the holster worth $179.99? I am still not sure, but it does work really well.

Check out the Raven Concealment website or the Roland Special holster page for more information.

About Patrick R.

Patrick is a firearms enthusiast that values the quest for not only the best possible gear setup, but also pragmatic ways to improve his shooting skills across a wide range of disciplines. He values truthful, honest information above all else and had committed to cutting through marketing fluff to deliver the truth. You can find the rest of his work on FirearmRack.com as well as on the YouTube channel Firearm Rack or Instagram at @thepatrickroberts.