Officer Labs: Alien Gear Rapid Force Duty Holster Review

Most folks in the shooting world have heard of Alien Gear holsters. They became well known almost from the first announcement of their first holster. Before long, the name Alien Gear became synonymous with concealable, comfortable, adaptable holsters. But that was their “lane” so to speak. Their holsters were designed for concealed or plainclothes carry and offered an unparalleled easy modification process so that one holster could be carried in a variety of ways and locations on the body. Representatives of the company always expressed interest in the law enforcement market but they also as readily voiced the need for research and development. Those representatives made it clear that they wanted their “entry” holster into the law enforcement market to be exemplary.

This article appeared in the July/August issue of OFFICER Magazine. Click Here to subscribe to OFFICER Magazine.

Enter the Rapid Force Duty Holster. When Officer Media Group representatives discussed field testing the new holster with Alien Gear representatives, they weren’t only open to the idea… they were eager. They didn’t ask what type of testing. They didn’t ask under what conditions. All they asked was, “What kind of gun, with a light or not, with an optic or not?” They had already tested the holster in-house so much that they hadn’t the least concern that it would fail any type of testing.

Rapid Force Duty Holster on Quick Disconnect System and shown with belt-to-leg extension.

In short order we received a test unit for the Glock Model 17 we had specified; no light, unspecified optic. We felt it best to go with the most basic holster that would be most used coast to coast in the United States. Further, the Glock 17 (or same size variants in other calibers) is very popular with non law enforcement as well, and the Rapid Force Duty Holster would be ideal for a plethora of field situations. Our test team certainly had its work cut out for it and a plan to test the holster to its limits… and beyond if possible.

The first order of business was to review the published material about the holster. The published material states that the holster is available in Level 2 or Level 3 retention and that it was designed to function well when officers (or soldiers) are under high stress. They call the retention system the Gross Motor Response system. They made the claim that it was so intuitive that the user wouldn’t even have to think about how to draw the weapon. It was interesting to see that the company is so confident in the holster they deliver it with a 30-day “test drive” guarantee and a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty. It’s available with four different carry options: belt slide (duty belt), paddle (off-duty or plainclothes belt), MOLLE and Drop Leg. If you add in the Alien Gear Quick Detach System (QDS) then one holster body can be moved from Belt Slide to Drop Leg (as the example) quickly and easily

Our test team took the holster out both in uniform and out of uniform, using it under “normal” work conditions and then some conditions that weren’t so normal. Suffice to say that the holster performed well and held up to all of the torture we gave it “on the street,” but also on the beach, in the water, being dragged behind a vehicle and across the span of a week in open field conditions (literally woods and fields). We found absolutely no shortage of strength or performance in the design and performance of the holster and we’re proud to give it our Officer Labs seal of approval.

If you’re looking for a new option in duty holsters, check out the Alien Gear Rapid Force Duty Holster. Familiarize yourself with the various carry (mounting) options and select what works best for you/your agency. Visit them online at www.aliengearholsters.com.

This article appeared in the July/August issue of OFFICER Magazine.