For nearly 10 years, the High Threat Concealment Low Profile System has been issued to U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Special Agents working in the world's most dangerous locales. $600
August 17, 2017
By Guns & Ammo Staff
High Threat Concealment (HTC) is the creation of former U.S. State Department high-threat personal security detail members James Overton and Adam Garrison. To meet the demands of their jobs, they set out to produce a thin, lightweight and scalable belt system that was slimmer and tighter fitting than the traditional nylon battle belt. The gear had to be concealable beneath a sport coat or an untucked button-down shirt required for many low-profile operations. All components had to be tailored to the user's preference, which includes the orientation of magazines and where they are positioned along the belt.
In speaking with Overton and Garrison, they reiterated that HTC gear is not constructed of Kydex but rather a higher-strength thermoplastic called Boltaron, a substance that is impervious to heat, wear and cracking.
The Low Profile System (LPS) that I spec'd and ordered is designed to be worn beneath a sport coat. All components of the system tuck close to the wearer's body and, when worn with an appropriate cover garment, the rig disappears. The LPS proved its discreet
HTC utilizes a heavy-gauge thermoplastic called Boltaron that, unlike traditional Kydex, is impervious to cracking, abrasion and warping due to heat. capability on my 6-foot-4-inch frame, remaining concealed under an unzipped athletic-cut softshell jacket, a rain shell and a fuller-cut jacket on separate occasions. The rig was concealed even when the latter jackets were fully zipped.
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The heart of the LPS rig is the two-belt system. The 1¾-inch-tall nylon underbelt is woven through trouser belt loops as a standard belt is worn. The outside is covered in loop Velcro that mates to the outer belt, which is constructed of 1¾-inch Mil-Spec resin-coated Type 13 webbing, similar to what is used in scuba-diving belts. The inside of the outer belt is lined with hook Velcro. When the two belts are joined, the rig is secured without the need for belt keepers. The outer belt incorporates a quick-release AustriAlpin Cobra buckle, adding to the system's easyon, easy-off convenience.
Each pouch and component can be used individually or as a system, depending on the user's needs. All belt loops and pouches are secured using military-grade stainless steel Phillips-head screws and binding posts to join the individual pieces. Rubber washers sit between the pouch and the belt loop on individual components or between two adjoined items.
At 10 o'clock, I positioned a Universal Dual Pistol Mag Holder that is designed to accommodate a wide range of pistol magazines. The tension is adjustable, allowing for the use of both polymer- and aluminum-bodied magazines and the ability to adjust the tension to personal preference. I used the rig with double-stack magazines for both a Glock 17 and SIG Sauer P320.
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Behind the dual pistol pouch at 7 to 8 o'clock are a pair of AR-15 magazine pouches that accommodate mags positioned bullets forward or rearward and fit every magazine I tried as if it were customized to do so. These included all three generations of Pmags, Daniel Defense's new 32-round mags, USGI aluminum types, as well as those from Lancer and Troy Industries. Each pouch is dual-tension adjustable for a custom fit. Other magazine pouch options include fitment for AK47, SCAR 17, SR25 and SMG; there's even one for SureFire's 60-round MAG60 magazine.
At the small-of-back location is a quick-detach (QD) zippered nylon medical pouch that uses a unique fork system constructed of high-strength Boltaron, allowing the pouch to be easily withdrawn and accessed. This worked extremely well during officer-down drills, when a tourniquet or other medical equipment needed to be in-hand within seconds. I didn't observe another method that came close to this unit's speed, one-handed access and ease of use.
To the medical pouch's right at 4:30 is a general-purpose nylon pouch that resembles a double AR-15 magazine pouch. It would also fit a radio, additional magazines, medical supplies or other similar-sized content. This is a position where many individuals place a Motorola or radio pouch.
At 3 o'clock is a light-bearing, slide-mounted-optic-compatible holster sized to fit a Glock 17 with an attached SureFire X300U-B white light. I utilized the holster with a Glock 19 with a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro red dot sight milled into its ZEV Technologies Spartan slide assembly with a suppressor-height front iron sight. I chose a straight-drop configuration; however, you can order a forward or negative cant.
Abbreviated Carry I used HTC's LPS during a four-day Vehicle CQB instructor course for law enforcement personnel, where it was worn for 10 to 16 hours per day. Additionally, I used the rig for many hours of range practice before and after the instruction.
The shooting conditions during the Vehicle CQB course were terrible. The HTC rig was subjected to heavy abrasion from the dry gravel and dirt range. Torrential downpours saturated Georgia's clay and wreaked havoc on guns and gear. The HTC rig was invaluable. I attribute its success to its all-Boltaron construction, which did not retain water, dirt or mud, and it rinsed off quickly.
I like the HTC LPS so much that it will replace my trusted nylon belt training rig.
Fore more information, visit www.highthreatconcealment.com .
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