utm fk

Carrying the antiqued look.
February 2020 G&A 25
THE CARRY RIG
The Blackhawk 3-Slot Leather
Pancake Holster is a proven beltworn
rig that’s now available in a
handsome Antique Brown. $74
B ACKHAWK 3-SLOT LEATHER PANCAKE
AS TEMPERATURES DROP, I begin to reevaluate my
concealed-carry options. If I can properly hide the gun
and holster, I prefer to fill my hand with a larger platform
and increased capacity that is quick to access. The fastest
concealed carry style for me to draw from is the appendixinside-the-waistband
(AIWB) position using a Level 1 holster
that features friction-fit retention. (For AIWB holsters, I
prefer a pistol featuring a manual safety.) Next, my fastest
draws are a tossup between using a crossdraw holster and
those worn over the hip and outside-the-waistband (OWB).
When considering an OWB holster worn over or behind
my hip, I can appreciate the security of a Level 2.
There are various ways to achieve Level 2, including push
buttons activated by the trigger finger and thumb breaks
unsnapped during the grip process. (I recommend thumbbreak
holsters over those with a button near the trigger.)
Level 2 holsters prevent a pistol from being launched up
and out of the holster should a person sit down and catch
the muzzle on the armrest of a chair, for example, but they
also add a level of difficulty for a potential threat that’s
intent on ambushing you and grabbing your gun.
Though I understand the virtues of an open-slide OWB
holster such as the Yaqui Slide, I prefer closed holsters
with an open muzzle that protect the full length of a pistol.
Blackhawk’s pancake holster fits the description.
Most of us familiar with Blackhawk’s leather holsters
know of the Italian-made 3-Slot Leather Pankcake Holster
in black. The holster isn’t new, but it’s now available in two
new brown colors: Antique Brown and Burnished Brown,
which was a good-enough excuse for me to revisit the classic
and comfortable pancake design for concealed carry.
The original pancake holster was developed decades
ago by Roy Baker as a flat, two-slot holster worn close
the the body. The style is popular and tested. Blackhawk’s
design is different in that it’s adaptable due to the threeslot
design that allows us to carry it with zero cant or a
45-degree forward rake. Thinking outside the box, the
3-slot design offers multiple carry angles and positions