John puts the Urban Carry REVO Modular Holster System to the test.
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- It had been a long since I reviewed the Urban Carry Holster G2 holster, but their unique below the waistband designed was so innovative it left an impression on me. I love companies that are willing to take risks and push the boundaries to try to change the industry. So when I received an email asking if I would be able to go to Florida to check out a couple of new products I jumped at the chance.
That trip was a few weeks ago, and I have not been able to talk about these products in depth until now. Two of the new products that Urban Carry unveiled were sent back to Virginia with me to test out. The first was a new type of holster called the REVO and the second was a virtual reality training system.
I have not had time to test out the VR system, but I have been wearing the Urban Carry REVO Modular Holster System almost every day since I got back to Virginia. Like the Alien Gear Shapeshift, the Revo is more of a modular holster system than a single holster.
The REVO consists of a leather shell and a rig. The shell is gun specific that connects to the to the rig via industrial strength velcro. Once the shell is attached with the velcro, it is then held in place with two leather straps that snap down to the rig. The velcro lets the shooter carry the firearm with any cant that they choose. This ability to revolve the shell is where the name REVO comes from because the shell can rotate into any position that the wearer sees fit.
The number of rigs that Urban Carry will be selling for the REVO Modular Holster System is impressive. From two IWB rigs for the small of the user’s back, an appendix carry rig, OWB rig that attaches to the user’s belt, a shoulder harness rig, a drop leg rig, and an ankle rig Urban Carry has you covered no matter what style of weapon carry you prefer to use to carry your firearm. This modular system is a significant advantage of the REVO and where the cost savings will kick in when compared to most other holsters.
Each REVO rig and holster is made of leather that is stitched in Tennessee. I got a chance to watch the process of these being made at the Urban Carry headquarters in Florida. What is cool is the people that are making them are from generations of leather workers. They cut their teeth handcrafting saddles. This connection to high-end horse saddles is why Urban Carry went to Tennessee horse country to find people to do the leather work.
I can not express the quality of the leather work of each piece. These do not come from a factory mass producing holsters for Urban Carry. Every stitch that is done in these holsters is guided by the hands of a master leather worker. Talking to one of these workers you can tell that this isn’t a job for them, it is a way of life.
I tried to test every REVO rig, except for the one rig that is designed to be worn on the user’s ankle. The shell I was sent home with was made for the Glock 19. I think that the Glock 19 is a little too big to ankle carry the firearm.
All the rigs were comfortable to wear with the exception of the appendix carry. This problem isn’t saying anything is wrong with the REVO appendix carry setup. I just don’t like appendix carrying firearms. To me, appendix carrying is not a comfortable position to carry a gun. The only appendix carry holster that I found satisfactory is the Urban Carry G2, but that is a below the waistband holster, so it is not in a traditional appendix carry position.
The REVO rig I found myself using the most was the IWB Plus that I wore at a 5 o’clock position on my back. This rig was one of two IWB rigs that Urban Carry included allowing the wearer to wear a gun positioned at the small of the back. Both the IWB and IWB Plus are traditional duel clip inside the waistband holsters.
The REVO IWB Plus rig has the leather backing that comes higher up the back than the standard REVO IWB, and it prevents the firearm from rubbing against the wearer’s bare skin. When I saw how high the support went up, I thought it would be uncomfortable, but it turned out it was the most comfortable out of all the concealed carry holster rigs that Urban Carry included with the kit.
The thickness of the REVO holster system was another concern I had since the rigs and the shells added to the layers that traditional holsters have. If you look at a conventional IWB holster, there are three primary layers. The first layer is the padding, then the leather, and finally the outer firearm shell.
With Urban Carry’s REVO there are five primary layers. These include the padding, leather, velcro, inner shell, and finally an outer shell. With these extra layers, I figure that there would be a noticeable difference between a standard IWB and the REVO. To my surprise, this wasn’t a big deal at all.
Take for example the Fobus and Bianchi IWB holsters for Glock 19s. The thickness of the Fobus holster comes out to 1.9″. The Bianchi comes in at 1.6″. The Urban Carry REVO itself measures 1.8″. The REVO is a little thicker than the Bianchi offering but is a hair thinner than the Fobus holster. The thickness is very manageable.
Another concern I had about the REVO was how well the holster’s velcro and strap system would hold up to the abuse of trying to rip the holster off my hip when wearing it as an OWB holster. I tried to with all my might to rip it off and could not do it. I also had a friend grab my Glock 19 and try to pull the holster off my belt, and he couldn’t do it either. At this point, it would be a lot easier just to try to take the gun away by pulling it out of the holster than trying to remove the shell away from the rig.
The retention of the REVO’s shell was perfect for me. It held my Glock 19 with the correct pull weight that I like. I was able to draw the gun from the holster quickly, but at the same, it never felt as if the gun was going to fall out. I am not sure how easy it would be to adjust the retention strength of the leather like you can do using a heat gun with kydex, but I didn’t need to make any adjustments.
Right now Urban Carry doesn’t have an option for thumb breaks on the REVO. I don’t use thumb breaks on any of my holsters, to begin with, but if this is something you need or want the wait will not be too long. According to Urban Carry, this option will be done by late this year, or early next year.
If you are not a fan of leather, the wait for a kydex version of the REVO will be a little longer. When asked about this Urban Carry stated that there would be a kydex version, but it is very early in the planning phase. They don’t have a date, but it is going to be one to two years away.
The shell and the first rig of the REVO will run you a little more than a standard holster. Then as you buy more rigs and shells, it will become more cost-effective ending up saving the shooter money. This model works great for people like me that carry different guns. This target market is what Urban Carry is trying to cater to with their offering. If you only use one weapon and carry it in just one position, there are cheaper options.
Urban Carry also will be selling a single magazine and double magazine holders. These use the same rigs as the REVO shells. The magazine holders work well. They all have adjustable retention to be able to double or single stack magazines.
The projected release date for the Urban Carry REVO is October 19th, 2017. It will be shipping for a limited time with the Uban Carry VR (virtual reality) System that runs on Google Cardboard and is compatible with most smartphones. The prices of these new products are not set in stone by Urban Carry as of this writing.
It will be interesting to see how well the velcro holds up over time. My only concern is that it will start failing over time, but from what I have seen so far leads me to believe that shouldn’t be a big concern. For now I am very impressed with the Urban Carry REVO Modular Holster System.
The Urban Carry REVO will be available on October 19th at www.urbancarryholsters.com
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About John Crump
John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on the history of the patriot movement and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss or at www.crumpy.com.