bullseye Black Rhino Concealment feature
The wrapped pistol is compressed between foam to form a tight fi t.
Kydex® is available in numerous colors and fi nishes. Pink has given way to the popular purple for many female holster wearers. Kryptek™ camoufl age patterns are trendy and many of their various versions were on hand in rectangular sheets. Instead of basic black, I chose the three-dimensional look of woven carbon fi ber. Black Rhino uses only .08 thick, factory fi rst-run material directly from Kydex®. Rob took my order for their Concealed Carry System (CCS - $59.99) and I watched as John and James turned a sheet of fancy black plastic into a top-quality holster, backed by a lifetime war- ranty. T e fi rst step was to cut the Kydex® sheet to size for my Smith & Wesson. An M&P Pro with 5-inch barrel needs more material to start with than my Shield and a .380 Bodyguard needs much less. T e pistol (or a perfect replica of exact size) is then wrapped in non-marring blue tape that secures a section of wood in between the front and rear sights on top of the slide to aid in the formation of the holster’s sight channel. A square-shaped insert is also used to accommodate the attachment of the plastic belt clip. T e Kydex® is then placed in a heating press and brought to a temperature that gives it the consistency of a warm, wet noodle. It is then wrapped around the pistol and placed in between two pieces of conforming foam and clamped down…hard. T is molds the Kydex® perfectly to the pistol’s contours.
After molding and cooling, a hole is drilled and a plastic rivet in- stalled under the muzzle area to secure the folded Kydex®. T e artistry of trimming away extra material with a rotary tool gives the holster its proper shape. A belt sander and various buffi ng wheels provide the fi nishing touches that result in a high-quality, custom holster. In addition to the holster, smaller sections of leftover Kydex®
38 The Police Marksman Summer 2015
Final contours are hand cut.
are used to make a Trigger Guard Holster (TGH - $24.99) with a length of cord tied through a reinforced hole under the muzzle. T is smaller cover protects a striker-fi red pistol’s trigger from being pulled. Placing a pistol inside the waistband without a holster pro- vides the lowest profi le carry possible. However, it gives peace of mind that the trigger is still covered. T e length of cord can be tied off to your belt and it will yank the cover off the trigger guard when the pistol is drawn. T is also works well for female offi cers carrying a striker-fi red handgun in a purse. T e trigger is still covered so the purse’s contents cannot accidentally fi nd their way into the trigger guard and inadvertently pull the trigger. Black Rhino Concealment stocks commonly requested holsters, but they can make a holster to your specifi cations for virtually any handgun of modern manufacture that is commonly used for off - duty or undercover police carry. Outside waistband holsters, called the Tactical Carry System (TCS - $69.99), can be made to accom- modate all kinds of tactical weapon lights and lasers from various manufacturers (TCSL - $79.99). An IWB conversion kit consisting of additional clips is also available for the TCS. Seeing the hands-on process from start to fi nish gave a newfound
appreciation for the modern artistry of this kind of holster mak- ing. Turning a sheet of Kydex® into a custom made holster follows the same workmanship necessary with leather and even the tools used are not that much more modern. Everything is done by hand, checked by the human eye, and rechecked for fi t and fi nish as the makers run their fi ngers and palms over the holster’s edges and fi nal silhouette. T e Black Rhino IWB holster wears and carries comfortably and
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