U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- The market is flooded with all manner of concealment holsters. Things that can set them apart include special features, fun colors, and price. When I was offered the opportunity to check out the Warcat Tactical IWB holster, a few things stood out to me, namely the features available for the price. Despite some skepticism based on the low price tag, I wanted to give it a chance. How does the Warcat Tactical IWB holster measure up to expectations?
Construction and Design of the Warcat Tactical IWB Holster
The Warcat Tactical IWB holster is made from injection-molded polymer, oftentimes confused for kydex or boltaron. This process allows for a less expensive but durable holster, similar to what we see with the Raven Concealment Eidolon. The muzzle is left partially open, which should allow spent brass or other debris to fall through the holster, avoiding potential interference when holstering. Rounded edges help improve comfort, which is great after extensive wear.
Retention is adjustable thanks to a screw near the trigger guard. This screw is also used for mounting a concealment wing/claw. The proprietary claw features a fixed height and is long enough to support the belt at a variety of angles.
My example is Glock 19 length, which is the longest option they have currently. Interestingly, Warcat Tactical does not currently support the Glock 48, though they do support the similarly sized SIG Sauer P365XL. While the spread of pistols supported is fairly solid, growing to support guns from Ruger, Taurus, and other manufacturers would be an awesome pairing for this budget-priced holster.
The Wedge
Warcat Tactical includes an interesting wedge with their IWB holster. Large and almost pillow-like in texture and density, I was unsure of how effective this wedge would be. Additionally, Warcat provides a small Velcro dot for attaching this wedge to the holster, which also did not inspire confidence in its security. However, the wedge and its attachment have not presented any problems thus far.
Overall the relatively soft and smooth material has proven comfortable over long durations of wear, and the wedge has stayed firmly in place. I think a more deliberately shaped wedge could improve concealment a bit, but this hasn’t been an issue thus far. Additionally, making the wedge out of a less or non-porous material would be beneficial in fighting sweat and other moisture.
Optics Compatibility with the Warcat Tactical IWB Holster
I opted for the optics-ready version of the Warcat Tactical holster, as I typically carry with an optic with a semiautomatic pistol. Warcat takes an atypical design cue for optics-ready IWB holsters, opting for a massive hood built into the holster. This hood is roughly shaped like a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and is supposed to protect the optic from damage. Using my G19 MOS, I have found that the Warcat Tactical holster is compatible with the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, Trijicon SRO, and RMR, Holosun 507C, and 509T, and the Steiner MPS. It has also been compatible with aftermarket optic plates from C&H Precision and Forward Controls Design.
Off the top of my head, the only other IWB holster I know of to use this design is Alien Gear, which makes sense considering Warcat is owned by the same folks as Alien Gear. Unfortunately, this hood is a significant shortcoming. Take a look at other holsters from people like PHLster, Raven Concealment, etc., and you’ll see the normal answer is simply removing material just above the ejection port. This ensures that virtually any optic will be compatible with your holster while also saving material cost, complexity, and bulk. Warcat Tactical should look at omitting their hood in future designs, as doing so will improve comfort, concealment, and optic compatibility for the end-user. I plan on removing the hood on my example, as it is my one major complaint with this holster.
Mounting Options
The Warcat Tactical holster is affixed to the belt via a single plastic clip. This clip is adjustable for both ride height and cant, with two sets of holes for the mounting screws. The wider nature of the belt clip helps to improve stability compared to some other single clip designs. Rearward raking of the claws on the clip help keep the holster attached to the belt during aggressive movement. While the clip doesn’t seem durable, it hasn’t presented any problems as of the time of this writing.
Real World Use
I carried the Warcat Tactical IWB holster for several weeks, using it in live and dry practice as well. As of this writing, it has held up excellently, with no signs of excess wear or damage. The holster has stayed firmly attached to my belt, despite my initial reservations about the proprietary belt clip.
While the clip isn’t as sturdy as something from Discreet Carry Concepts or a Pull The Dot Loop, it far surpasses the typical FOMI clip found on budget holsters. Thanks to the adjustments available on the Warcat Tactical holster, users can wear this both AIWB and strong side IWB, though mine has been carried appendix for the duration of this review.
Final Thoughts on the Warcat Tactical IWB Holster
While the Warcat Tactical isn’t going to be my daily carry moving forward, I am definitely very impressed by it. Being packed full of features at such a low price, this holster is likely to change the meta in the budget holster world. I cannot think of anything close to this that begins to touch Warcat in terms of quality and features. Hopefully Warcat expands their list of supported pistols, as I can see this pairing well with a wide variety of both budget and quality firearms.
If you are looking to get into concealed carry and need a holster on a budget, I highly recommend you give Warcat a look. Currently, the MSRP on Warcat Tactical holsters is $17.76, you can find yours >>HERE<<
Author’s Note: Warcat Tactical sent me this holster for purposes of review. No expectations of a positive review were provided by either party.
About Dan Reedy
Dan is an Air Force veteran, avid shooter, and dog dad. With a passion for teaching, he holds instructor certifications from Rangemaster, Agile Training & Consulting, and the NRA. He has trained with Darryl Bolke, Mike Pannone, Craig Douglas, among several other instructors, amassing over 400 hours of professional instruction thus far. In his spare time you’ll find him teaching handgun, shotgun, and less lethal classes.
Dan’s work has been published by Primer Peak, and The Kommando Blog, and he has been featured as a guest on Primary & Secondary.
I ordered one several months ago for a Sig P365XL with optic. I find the retention strong, but not as tight as another commenter. Different models will use different molds. I have found the pillow to be effective in helping both with concealment and reducing pressure on my hip as I generally carry at 3 o’clock. Excellent value for the cost. Limited model support. Not my everyday, but I wear it fairly regularly.
I found this company in an Instagram ad. I thought, for the price, why not? I ordered their IWB & OWB. They are essentially the same holster minus the manner of wear. I use the IWB more often than the OWB as the “clip” on the OWB is, in my opinion, too large & does not afford a good place/way to attach it to your belt. For my purposes my belt loops are right where I would want to wear it. As for the IWB, I can wear it for longer periods of time during the day. The “pillow” I… Read more »
It should be fairly easy to replace the pillow. I would recommend looking at some of the pre-made wedges by people like Dark Star Gear, JM Custom Kydex, and others. PHLster is about to release a kit that has several wedges in different shapes and sizes to help tailor them to your specific situation. Or, a cheaper but slightly more involved process would be snagging something like a foam yoga block from walmart and shaping your own with a razor knife and sandpaper. I’ve done this, along with using some of the pre-made options mentioned above to great success. Slap… Read more »
I purchased one for a S A Hellcat,the design is a very clean one and I thought it would be perfect until I put the gun in it.
In order to extract the gun out of it I had to completely remove the tensioning screws to be able to remove the gun. What I could determine the trigger guard was so well fit that it had a death grip on it,I know they offer a money back, however it would cost me a 1/3 rd.of the cost of the holster to return it,so the holster box has a new occupant.
That’s unfortunate to hear. I’d reach out to them to at least give some feedback. Maybe they’ll have some advice on how to mitigate that, or give you a prepaid shipping label or something.
I wouldn’t be surprised if later they rolled out a “Gen2” once these get more extensive use from the general population considering these are fairly new.