United States Concealed Carry Association
Tip of the week: 7/2006
Gun &
Gear Review
By
Tim Schmidt
NAA .380 ACP w/ Covert Carrier
I got ahold of a North
American Arms(NAA) .380 Auto with this neat little gadget attached to the grip. It is called a "Covert Carrier".
This
little steel clip literally acts as a built-in holster!
I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first. But after
trying it out a few times, I was amazed at how the little gun practically disappeared in my waistband.
Here is a sequence
of pictures that show how this thing works...
Getting the draw down with
this type of a setup will take a little practice. Also, the idea of reaching
in your waistband to draw a pistol that does not have the trigger guard covered may make you a little nervous.
Nonetheless, I was really
impressed at how well the Covert Carrier worked.
Jim Wakefield is the guy
that makes these things. He makes them for a whole bunch of other small pistols. (web link reference ommited)
I’ve talked on the
phone with him a few times and he is a really nice guy.
Noted expert, Mr. Duane Daiker made the
following comments after his, Personal "Real World Evaluation of the CovertCarrier."
"The Covert Carrier is the best of the holsterless clip systems. The unique clip placement and design makes
small guns almost disappear. Few belt holster systems can provide the deep concealment of the Covert Carrier."
--Duane A. Daiker, is also a contributing Editor for Concealed Carry Magazine.
Covert Carrier, Part
1
USCCA Gear Review
This week,
we're going to take a look at a very cool product that you may have seen advertised inside our magazine. It's called the covert
carrier, and they can be found on their website, www.covertcarrier.com
The way the carrier
works varies from pistol to pistol; and, is usually attached either by totally replacing the grip panel of a pistol; or, by
simply stretching a band around the handle of the pistol. This week, we're looking at the model that replaces the grip panel
on the pistol, and in a couple weeks, we're going to be looking at the stretchy kind.
The whole idea of this product
is to totally do away with the need for a holster. With this product, you simply slide the hook over your waistband, and let
the pistol ride inside your waistband ('IWB' position of concealed carry). Any IWB position works with this product, but even
though when I do carry IWB it's at the 4:00 position, I found the one o'clock position to be the most comfortable here, with
this particular pistol- a Beretta Tomcat.
Now I gotta say- here's what I love
about the Covert Carrier:
· The little Tomcat pretty much disappears
when I put it on. I can be wearing tight jeans with a tucked in shirt, and concealing the Tomcat with this is not a problem.
Not only that, but as narrow as the pistol is, you almost forget it's there.
· For just a clip, this thing holds the
gun in place really well! It uses the natural tightness of your pants against your waist to hold it securely, so much that
I went for a jog with this thing on, and it never felt like it was about to pop out, or slide around my waist.
·
Drawing is easily done, as the Covert Carrier's clip doesn't actually pinch at all, it's just slid on. The only bad thing
I noticed about drawing with the Tomcat, is the magazine release button happened to be right where my thumb pinched the handle
inside my pants, so as I drew, the magazine popped out a couple times. This is more of a Tomcat issue though, and could be
easily adjusted to- I just am not used to carrying a Tomcat.
One thing that I was concerned about was that the clip
might change the ergonomics of the grip, but surprisingly, it doesn't. It's kind of positioned in a way that uses the arc
of your palm to avoid it contact much. However it works, it's very comfortable to shoot with!
Friends, I really can't
imagine a better way to carry a Tomcat, or any other little pistol of comparable size. It absolutely passes the Tim Schmidt
test!! For more information, check them out at their website, www.covertcarrier.com
Covert
Carrier + GLOCK
USCCA Gear Review
Do you all remember the review I did a couple weeks ago, of the cool little Covert Carrier device on that little Beretta Tomcat? When I did that review, I made a promise to all of the people who have been asking...
"Does the Covert Carrier actually work on a GLOCK?"
This week I am answering that question!
First of all, due to popular demand, Covert
Carrier does indeed make a model of their Covert Carrier for the GLOCK pistol. BUT- the design of the carrier is primarily
meant for smaller pistols, but more on that in a minute. Unlike the Beretta Tomcat, which utilizes a new grip panel that has
a Covert Carrier built in, the GLOCK model uses a rubber "glove" with the Covert Carrier clip attached. The glove is stretched
over the handle of the Glock, and positioned similarly to the Beretta.
Installation:
The actual stretching of the glove over the
handle is fairly difficult. It's certainly not difficult to the point of needing a gun smith to install, but I have a pretty
firm grip, and I did find it to be a job. It's not something that you can just slip on when you need to use it, and slip off
for range time, or when you want to use another holster. I found that the best way to put it on, is to work the rubber before
hand for a minute or so, by stretching it out to make it more pliable. I then slid the glove over the back of the handle as
far up as I could, and then used my index finger to stretch the front part of the Carrier over the finger grooves of the handle.
This will get it about 1/3 of the way on, and from there, you kind of "shimmy" it up millimeter by millimeter.
Removal:
Taking the Covert Carrier off is actually a piece of cake. You just pinch the bottom and tug, and it comes off with just a
little force.
Concealment / Wearing: Similar to the Beretta, carrying with the Covert Carrier is about as minimal
as you can get when carrying IWB, meaning it's incredibly concealed. The GLOCK is wider than the single-stack Beretta though,
so it does create more of a bulge, but I found it to stay firmly in place, and be reasonably comfortable. Though much thinner
than carrying with a holster, I did notice that when you take away the padding your average holster offers, the GLOCK is a
little more rigid than I ever noticed before.
Shooting: This is the part that
differs from the Beretta. When shooting the Beretta, you really don't notice the Covert Carrier at all. With the GLOCK though,
whether it's because of the increased recoil, or the short "two finger" handle, the place where the clip contacted the palm
of my hand became uncomfortably sore after just a few shots. To correct this, I tried these two things- both of which resolved
this problem: 1) I adjusted my gripping technique so that the majority of the recoil was transfered to the "webbing" of my
hand, up high between my thumb and fingers. I also rolled my fingers back off the front of the handle slightly, to allow more
space between the side of my handle and my palm. 2) I bought grip extensions for the GLOCK. Adding the extra area of grip
took a lot of the required pressure away from the Cover Carrier's clip area.
So there you have it! If you prefer Inside
the Waistband carry and carry a GLOCK, you might want to give this thing a try. Cool, refreshing new product idea! Find more
information on these things at Covert Carrier's website.
Click here for Chuck Hawks' evaluation of a Large Universal Sleeve
Click here to view ArmsVault's evaluation of the Small Sleeve
Click here for CarryConcealed's evaluation of the Beretta Panel and Large Sleeve
"Note also that there is a trend among progressive trainers to carry the concealed gun in front of the
hip in the appendix position." Ralph Mroz
Use the link below to read the complete Mroz article:
" I don't believe there is anything comparable
to the CovertCarrier on the market today...The Seecmap and the CovertCarrier seem to be made for each other." - D.H. from FL
"Installed it on my NAA Guardian (Grip
Panel Replacement) took about a minute...This is a marvelous invention...CovertCarrier is comfortable to wear either
standing or sitting and I may now draw quickly from either position. What a great product! Thanks" - S.F. from SC
"Best thing going for concealed Carry."
- J.D.S. from AZ
"Perfect for my KELTEC P32, easy to put
on and built to last. I am very satisfied." - S.W. from GA
"Amazing product. Much more comfy than
any other holster!" - K.C.S. from TN
"Went out of their way to accommodate
me--nice installation on my Seecamp." - M.S. from CA
"Great product. I put it on my Kahr MK9
and it works like a dream." - L.L. from PA
"Product so great that my wife wanted
one also. Thanks for inventing this!!!" - G.D. from CA
"I told you that I would give you a report on how well the seecamp
worked...The fit was perfect. The clip hides itself behind the belt loop and the pistol goes below the top of the pants. It
conceals my pistol 100%."
-R.S. from Fl
"Works like a charm, makes my 21a just
disappear! Anyone who CCWs needs one..." - B.W. from WA
"Got the CovertCarrier today. Very easy
to install on my Rohrbaugh R-9. I think I own just about every holster or device there is and your product is truly the best
I have seen yet." -R.J.R. from Ohio
"Wow, this is amazing!!! Never have to
buy another concealment device again!!!!" - E.W. from TX
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