The Carry Rig: Blackhawk Omnivore Holster Review

Introduced in 2016, Blackhawk designed the Omnivore to be that one holster capable of accepting an advertised “150 different styles of semiautomatic handguns.” If you’ve been shooting awhile, it’s likely that you have a collection of holsters for various firearms, so the prospect of having a single holster that will accept the majority of your pistols for around $60 is attractive. And it was a success.

Instead of a holster molded to securely fit one handgun, Blackhawk’s engineers approched the Omnivore with a different intent: Create a holster that retains various pistols by way of a common part. Given that many pistols have integral rails on the dustcover, Blackhawk first developed the Omnivore to secure to a Rail Attachment Device (RAD) that’s installed onto a host pistol’s accessory rail.

Soon after, Blackhawk followed with Omnivore models that locked to four popular pistol lights: Streamlight’s TLR-1 and TLR-2, and SureFire’s X300 and X300U-A.

Inserting a non-light-bearing pistol with a RAD attached to the rail, or one of these lights, automatically locks it in place. To draw the handgun, push the thumb release down as you lift the pistol from the holster. The thumb release can be setup at three different heights to accommodate the shooter’s hand size in relation to a particular pistol.

The Omnivore won’t wear the finish of your handguns because the holster’s polymer body was designed to free-float the pistol. There is no place for the gun to rub against the polymer shell when secured. The holster is also an open structure, so water cannot pool up inside.

180-DAY CARRY

Since 2017, the Blackhawk Omnivore has been a go-to holster for its ability to accommodate a variety of pistols reviewed on Guns & Ammo TV.

I personally ordered an Omnivore more than 6 months ago and used it for range sessions and training, most recently to evaluate Springfield Armory’s XD-M Elite optic-ready OSP model with 4 1/2-inch barrel and Hex Dragonfly. Affordable holsters that devour a light and red-dot optic can be hard to find, so the Omnivore was an easy decision. I mounted the included medium push-to-release button, and replaced the paddle with the slide-loop backer. I’ve never regretted it.

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Regardless of the pistol being tested, the Omnivore continues to serve me well. It isn’t the fastest or quietest to draw from, but it’s scores high in value.

BLACKHAWK OMNIVORE MULTIFIT HOLSTER

• MATERIALS: Polymer
• CARRY TYPE: Outside the waistband (OWB)
• RETENTION TYPE: Level 2; rail or light locking system (primary)
• ADJUSTABILITY: Yes; height and cant
• MSRP: $60
• HANDGUN FIT: Semiautomatics; 150 styles w/ rail; Streamlight TLR-1/2; SureFire X300
• ACCESSORY RAIL ACCOMMODATIONS: Yes; either Streamlight TLR-1/2 or SureFire X300 or X300U-A
• POSITIONS TO CARRY: OWB; 3 o’clock (right hand)
• AVERAGE TIME TO ATTACH: Slide: n/a (Dependent on belt system); Paddle: 15 seconds
• COMFORT RATING: 5/5
• CONCEALMENT CLOTHING: Long jacket
• AVERAGE DRAW-TO-FIRE TIME: 1.3 seconds
• MANUFACTURER: Blackhawk, blackhawk.com

Draw-to-fire time is the average of five clean draws producing an A-zone hit on a stationary target positioned at 21 feet.