Crucial Concealment Covert IWB Holster: Full Review

Although you may not be familiar with Crucial Concealment and its line of Kydex holsters, there is a good bet that the name of its sister company, BlackPoint Tactical (blackpointtactical.com), rings a bell. Whereas the latter has a holster model for almost any pursuit, offers a wide array of customization options and accommodates a seemingly endless list of firearms and accessories, the former offers a different shopping experience. Leveraging BlackPoint Tactical’s experience and tribal knowledge, Crucial Concealment uses the efficiency and repeatability of modern manufacturing to satisfy the needs of a more focused market. BlackPoint Tactical offers value through variety, performance and personalization. Those are custom-­grade holsters. Crucial Concealment focuses on a more streamlined catalog and manufacturing process to supply effective, discreet holsters for everyday concealed carry. That means that Crucial Concealment’s are also at a more accessible price point. Customers can expect sub-­$70 prices for products shipped within a week. By comparison, the wares of custom holster makers can easily exceed $100 and are typically backordered for weeks or months.

The Covert IWB holster is constructed from a single sheet of molded Kydex that utilizes two Chicago-­style screws to attach the high-­strength polymer belt clip, as well as a third screw and rubber spacer (beneath the firearm’s dustcover) to adjust retention. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Covert IWB, and a serious source of value, is that it was designed to be completely ambidextrous. Simply swapping which side the 11/2-­inch belt clip is on prepares the holster for right-­ or left-­hand carry. There is no loss of function for either configuration. Both sides of the holster have identical mounting ports for the clip, which allow for about 15 degrees of cant adjustability. Both sides also feature “trigger bumps,” which are molded spacers that press out against the wearer’s belt to help angle the pistol’s grip in toward the body to reduce printing. The Kydex shell’s body shield provides ample slide­ and skin ­protection, and, finally, the design offers a generous open channel to accommodate slide-­mounted optics.

60-Day Carry

For evaluation, I requested a Covert IWB for a Springfield Armory Hellcat RDP. It speaks to the modern popularity of sub-­ and micro-­compact semiautos that there were no full-­size models cataloged of the 20-­or-­so gun fits. Only five or six “larger” compact pistols were listed at the time of this review. In contrast, all three versions of the Hellcat — standard, RDP and PRO — were offered, along with compatriots such as the SIG Sauer P365 and P365 XL.

When the holster arrived, I was impressed by the quality of the mold, the accommodation for the RDP’s compensator and the thoughtful inclusion of a channel for the Hellcat’s optional thumb safety. My Hellcat RDP does have a safety and, even though I don’t engage it when carrying the gun for defense, I appreciate that the holster is ready and compatible for users who utilize the manual lever. Unlike some Kydex and polymer holsters, the detail of the Covert IWB’s molding makes it easy to determine what gun it fits. Even better, the backside is neatly labelled with all the pertinent information including the make and model of the holster and firearm. There is even a QR code imprinted by the triggerguard, but I suspect this is for internal inventory control as it was not detectable by my smartphone.

During 60 days of carry, I had no issues with firearm retention or the single clip’s ability to hold on to my belt. A satisfying click assured that the firearm was fully seated during holstering, and the draw was smooth and clean even with the Hellcat RDP’s compensator and the attached Hex Wasp micro red-dot. I freely transitioned between carrying in the appendix position and just behind the hip as the situation dictated. I can report excellent concealment in both locations. As a note, I did add some forward cant when I carried further back on the waistline; the adjustment was a simple matter of loosening one screw, tilting the belt clip and retightening.

Regarding comfort, the Crucial Concealment Covert IWB suffers from the same shortcoming as all polymer rigs — it’s not leather! That is obviously a tongue-­in-­cheek oversimplification, but in my experience certain movements and body positions are apt to produce a tinge of discomfort given the holster’s hard exterior and prominent angles and edges. Still, performance was worth the price of admission. Like the Hellcat RDP, the Covert IWB remains firmly in my EDC lineup, and is a perfect grab-­and-­go option. It’s quick to attach and utterly reliable.