Concealable Is As Concealable Does

American Handgunner, May, 2000 by Dave Anderson

Holster practicality was a divisive issue in IPSC. It was, I believe, one of the factors that led some of the original IPSC founders such as Bill Wilson and Ken Hackathorn to found the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA). The founders were determined to keep "gamesman" holsters out of IDPA. Instead of trying to draft standards--and starting a thousand arguments--the founders chose to establish a list of holsters deemed to be acceptable.

I was interested to find that the Sparks 1AT, along with another of my favorite holsters, the Galco "Gunsite" model, were not on the approved list. Both are trim, comfortable holsters, but admittedly difficult to conceal under light jackets. The message was clear--IDPA intended to rigorously enforce its commitment to practical, concealable holsters.

Tony Kanaley responded with a new holster, dubbed the CC-AT (concealed carry adjustable tension). Kanaley added belt slots fore and aft and designed the holster to carry the gun a bit higher and with less rearward rake than the 1AT. The result is a holster that carries the gun high and tucked in to the body. Concealability is considerably improved, with little if any sacrifice in speed. Comfort is improved if anything since the wider back of the holster spreads the weight of the gun. Workmanship is impeccable. The CC - AT is a worthy successor to a proven classic.