In a world where AIWB is the cool-guy means to carry a gun, I still find myself clinging to my OWB rigs. Yeah, I know the issues with concealing OWB, but being 6’ 5’’ means I have some leeway compared to most. However, I don’t need that leeway when it comes to the Crucial Concealment Covert OWB. I’ve been toting my Glock 19 daily in the Covert OWB and I find it to live up to its name.
The key to the Covert OWB’s success is the curvature built into the holster. This bend allows the holster to cling tighter to the body and helps hide guns as chunky as the Glock 19 without any telltale printing or apparent signs you’re packing a mohaska. The Glock 19 is a compact gun, but it is still quite a bit to conceal in an OWB rig, yet the Covert OWB makes it look easy.
Adaptable and Versatile
The Covert OWB is versatile and allows you to carry an optics-enhanced Glock 19, to adjust the cant, and to adjust the holster’s passive retention. The cant can be changed to allow a 15-degree forward cant for more natural concealment. The retention adjustment is a single screw that allows you to tune it to what works and feels secure.
You can also switch the belt clip out to accommodate either 1.5 or 1.75-inch belts. The different sized loops are built into each other, and all you need to do is unscrew and swap which side of the loop you are using. It’s effortless, and I appreciate it because I lose holster hardware at a rate like I’m throwing it away.
Covert OWB – Wear and Tear
Daily carry for me typically means it stays on me in the home and out of the home. I’m too lazy to take it off as I come and go. This means I get a good read on holsters quickly due to 12 to 16 hours of daily wear. Comfort and accessibility are a big reason I carry OWB, and I’ve come to find that the Crucial Concealment Cover OWB offers me both.
The gun stays comfortable regardless of what I’m doing, from sitting to driving and even working in the yard. It doesn’t press, stick, or tick me in any way. The gun is held close enough to the body to remain concealed, but far enough from the body to keep the grip texture from rubbing into me. The holster features a 3/4s length sweat guard that protects the gun without poking me.
More importantly than my own whiny need for comfort is the ability to access my gun when I need it. A big problem with tight OWB holsters is the difficulty in assuming a good grip on the weapon. Sometimes the holster is too close to the body, and getting your thumb behind it can be painful or impossible, meaning you draw with a compromised grip.
The Covert OWB allows you to get your thumb behind the gun and draw correctly without a compromised grip. You can work on that perfect presentation from the moment you grip it to the point in which you fire it.
The Rest of the Stuff
Comfort and accessibility are essential, but there are other factors to consider. Most of these are way more crucial than comfort but are checked off quite quickly when I first get a holster. I barely consider them part of the test because if the holster doesn’t satisfy them it gets tossed.
- First, is the trigger adequately covered by the holster? This is a pass/fail issue—I had no issue with the Covert OWB.
- Second is a proper gun-to-holster fit. Since this is properly molded Kydex, the gun snaps in and out without issue.
- Stability and retention are issues I pay attention to that often tie into a proper fit. The Crucial Concealment OWB holster secures the weapon well, and the adjustable retention allows you to tailor that to your needs.
- How easy is reupholstering? Reupholstering can be unsafe with crap holsters. The OWB design and Kydex construction allow you to reupholster the gun easily and safely.
- Durability is an interesting factor in holster reviews. The Crucial Concealment Covert OWB is a modern polymer holster made from .080 inch thick KYDEX. Over the last month, nothing has budged or loosened with this holster, and the Kydex is nice and thick for long term use.
The Covert OWB ticks all my necessary boxes for a good, safe, and dependable holster. It’s an impressive OWB holster and is thoroughly modernized for maximum concealment and easy accessibility. I’m hoping for a light-bearing model to hit the market sooner or later to satisfy my need for lights.
Crucial Concealment also makes IWB holsters and even magazine pouches if that ticks your switch. Check them out and let us know what you think.
Check out the Springfield Hellcat holster.
Travis Pike: read more of his articles.
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I have a Crucial Concealment holster for my Hellcat RDP and while I like the holster, the bend is not “bend” enough.
I am 5’10”, 188 lbs, with a 32 inch waist.