Hands On With Urban Carry’s New REVO Modular Holster System

Urban Carry has just released their new REVO Modular Holster System, which they’re hoping will revolutionize the holster market in more ways than one. TTAG got our hands on a near-complete kit ahead of the release so we could check it out, test it out, and otherwise put it through its paces to bring you more than a press release can offer.

That said, this is not a full review. Frankly, your humble TTAG scribes recognized some personal biases that would make it hard to give this setup a fair shake. It just isn’t our cup of tea. It may be yours, though, so we’ll outline the features, benefits, and perceived drawbacks here. And stay tuned, as this entire GLOCK 17/19 REVO System will be up for grabs in a contest or giveaway soon.

As the “REVO” name implies, the holster is revolutionary in a fairly literal fashion. Each “shell” (the actual holster into which your gun goes) is attached to each “rig” (the myriad gun-carrying backings) via a circular Velcro disk so it can be rotated 360 degrees.

Infinite possibilities exist for firearm orientation. Forget the 15° “FBI cant” or zero cant or a small range of cant adjustment. You clearly can’t count the copious cant choice capability here.

In the center of the photo above, those two leather “wings” secure the shell to the rig. Pivot them open on the rivets, attach the shell, then pivot the wings over the shell and snap them in place. Urban Carry says the REVO will surpass 100 lbs of pull force without the shell separating from the rig.

Current shells include holsters for over 100 firearms, plus single and double magazine holsters and other accessory carriers. They’re also planning on releasing a duty belt with REVO attachment points all over it for the carrying of a full law enforcement loadout — magazines, handcuffs, radio, mace, Taser, firearm, etc.).

At current, as seen laid out above, rig options include three sizes of IWB backings including an appendix carry rig, a shoulder holster system, an ankle rig, an OWB rig, and a drop thigh rig.

Holsters (shells and rigs) are stitched in the U.S. of A., as in this short video, from saddle grade leather and quality nylon thread. Shells are nicely and accurately molded to a given firearm model, offering positive retention and sufficient clearance for a full grip in most cases.

On the back of the IWB and ankle rigs is plush, ventilated padding.

Wider than the leather layer, it offers cushion across the entire back as well as protection from the leather’s edges. I found this padding to be extremely effective at increasing comfort and reducing trapped heat. It really does exactly what it’s supposed to, and seems to do it very well.

Though I migrated away from large-footprint, dual-clip holsters some years ago, the REVO reminded me that they can be quite comfortable. Especially with a heavy pistol, the large backing and twin belt clips does a bang-up job distributing the gun’s weight over a large surface area, greatly reducing pressure points and pull on the wearer’s belt. As these sorts of systems go, the REVO’s design is one of the more comfortable options available.

Unfortunately, my positive feedback more or less ends at this point. Some of that is personal and subjective, as I’m not usually much of a fan of leather holsters, particularly for IWB use, but some of it is more objective.

For instance, the REVO is thick. If I’m shopping for an IWB rig one of my dominant objectives is to add as little width to that of the firearm as possible. It’s going between my pants and my body, after all, with the ultimate goal being concealment.

With a padded plush layer under a leather layer plus a Velcro layer plus another Velcro layer plus another leather layer plus another leather layer plus another leather layer — thick leather, too — the REVO practically doubles the width of this GLOCK 19. A slimmer gun, for instance one of the various ~0.9″-wide single stack options, would still receive the same number of equally thick holster layers.

Again, surprisingly comfortable. But it’s a fat package that bulges my pants out more than an IWB holster has to (a fat package may be more attractive in the appendix location). My go-to GLOCK 19 IWB holster adds 0.16″ to the width of the gun, and I could even opt for thinner Kydex that would add only 0.12″. The REVO adds, what, 0.75″ at the belt line and more at the double layer-reinforced mouth?

Good thing these are stretchy jeans, and my Klik Belts 2-Ply belt is easy to let out a couple inches. Though I didn’t really wear the REVO enough to soften up the leather and get it broken in, it still conformed to my body nicely.

And, despite what might be assumed, it concealed perfectly well under a one-size-up shirt. Which, really, is par for the course for me if I’m going to carry a G19-sized gun.

Ultimately, I’d use the REVO OWB rig. I definitely see the utility in infinitely-adjustable shell rotation on the shoulder rig (which was quite comfortable, by the way). Plus, I’m more on-board with leather as the material of choice for those two applications.

But I find the IWB options too thick and the ankle rig too large and thick. Additionally, even sub-compact guns will end up using the same size shell Velcro and the same size rigs, which means the footprint is excessive for a small gun and the increase in the gun’s thickness is even more extreme.

Of course, the one shell and many rigs concept is a good way to carry a handgun multiple ways in multiple locations without breaking the bank. It isn’t really perfect or “best of breed” in any configuration, but the REVO comes with positive, utilitarian trade-offs that will make it the right choice for some consumers.

To find out more about the REVO Modular Holster System, visit Urban Carry’s website here: https://urbancarryholsters.com/revo