I’ve recommend Bravo Concealment’s holsters for a long time on the basis of their solid quality, very competitive prices, and very short lead times. They represent an excellent value. It’s time we take a closer look at the two holsters from them that I use most often.
BCA Light Bearing OWB
Glock 17 TLR-1HL BCA Holster
The BCA outside the waistband holster is the first holster I ever owned from Bravo Concealment and it is likely the holster for which they are most well known. My original BCA, a 1911 holster, was given away to a friend years ago but now I use a BCA Light Bearing OWB for my Glock 17s and 19s.
The BCA is a pancake style holster made from two separate layers of .080″ thick kydex that are riveted together. This allows the injection molded belt loops to be spaced out to promote a very close to the body fit and stability on the belt. Currently, Bravo Concealment only offers the BCA with loops for 1.5″ belts but the standard hole spacing allows the end user to purchase aftermarket loops for larger belts.
The BCA conceals extremely well thanks to its slightly curved design, how close it rides to the body, and 10 degree forward cant. I also find that it is an excellent holster for use on a so-called “battle belt” if you do not need any drop.
DOS-Light Bearing IWB
Glock 17 TLR-1HL DOS-L Holster
I have less experience with the DOS-Light Bearing IWB holster than I do the BCA but I have come to use it quite a bit. My holster is for the Glock 17 but I mostly use it to carry a Glock 19 with TLR-1.
This holster is a tuckable, IWB design that can be used with 1 or 2 belt clips (2 clips are included). It is also a two-piece design with a slight curve molded into the overall shape of the holster. It is a straight drop design though some cant can be adjusted by the user via the belt clips.
A Glock 19 or 17 with a TLR-1 is not an easy handgun to conceal for everyone but the DOS-Light Bearing IWB makes it work for me. I prefer to wear it somewhere near my hip. I have tried it in the AIWB position but found that a holster like the Torsion is better suited to appendix carry.
Observations from Use
There a number of things that I look for immediately with kydex holsters like clean mold lines, finished edges that won’t cut into the wearer, straight site tracks, and mold blocking built in for gun parts that might otherwise drag during the drawstroke. Then there are things you have to feel more than you can see like how positive the retention is, whether the handgun drag due to poor molding practices, and to what extent the design of the sweat shield interferes with the grip. Bravo Concealment has all of these considerations ironed out and their holsters offer excellent fit and finish.
The molding is particularly good. It is well thought out with proper blocking, plenty of space for aftermarket sights, and very cleanly executed. The way they blend mold features like the sight track into the barrel relief is actually pretty slick. This is really only possible because they machine their own molds. They even go to the trouble of building in space for some of the most common aftermarket accessories like extended slide releases.
Those of you with handguns with red dot sights will be pleased to know that both holsters are cut to accomodate dot sights. They also mold in space with extended or threaded barrels in both holsters.
I have found Bravo Concealment’s belt hardware to be excellent. The early days when kydex benders would bend their own belt hardware are long gone (thankfully). Injection molded hardware is the way to go for long term durability and Bravo Concealment’s is very good. Their OWB loops tuck completely behind the holster itself and sort of rake back to match the curve of the holster. Their tuckable IWB clips offer a ton of adjustment and loop around to the back of the belt to ensure they don’t come off until you release them.
I prefer holsters that DO NOT have adjustable retention but this isn’t always possible with all types of holsters or gun/light combinations. Adjustable retention holsters can often loosen over time and use. I prefer to just have strong positive retention molded into the holster so I don’t have to worry about getting the adjustment just right and then thread locking the screw. These two holsters (and the others I have used) from Bravo Concealment have strong, positive retention without needing an adjustment.
The sweat guard design on both holsters is identical and it is quite good. Bravo Concealment calls it is “medium” sweat guard. It is an almost full coverage guard that tapers so that the user can establish a full firing grip with the handgun still in the holster.
As much as I like these holsters, there are some changes I would like to see. The BCA does so well on battle belt set ups that it would be nice to see it offered with a wider variety of belt loop sizes, especially 1.75″. The DOS-Light Bearing Holster does an admirable job of trying to turn in the grip of my handgun, but the TLR-1 light is wide enough that the double clip set up can’t turn it in on it’s own. It would be nice to see some sort of a claw/strut offered as an option to help turn in the grip for these handguns with larger lights.
Wrap Up
These are excellent holsters made in the USA by a completely modern holster maker. I highly recommend them especially considering what a good value they are. Bravo Concealment often has sales and they offer various combos that make their holsters an even better value than what they initially appear to be.
Bravo Concealment
