April 7th, 2023
5:30 runtimeIn today’s article, Gunspot provides a full Comp-Tac International review. This OWB holster is a popular design for range, open carry and various shooting sports. Is it deserving of that popularity? GunSpot gives it a thorough workout with time on the range.
Competitive shooting sports seem to be growing in popularity. Since the introduction of the John Wick movies, shooting sports have gained much more attention as the titular character employs a style inspired by this type of shooting. And, the world of competition shooting has several stand-out pieces of gear that can translate perfectly to recreational shooting. One of those is the Comp-Tac International Holster.
The rig is manufactured by Comp-Tac, a company dedicated to making high-quality concealed carry, competition and tactical holsters for your favorite firearms. The company vowed to build holsters with the end-user in mind, using excellent quality and competitive pricing.
In 2018, Comp-Tac was bought by High-Speed Gear and is still proudly part of the High-Speed Gear Products Group. That said, their holsters work seamlessly with High-Speed Gear Products.
International Holster Details
The International Holster is one that GunSpot got the chance to use recently, along with the Springfield Armory 5″ 1911 DS Prodigy pistol. With a generous cut at the front of the holster, this holster is perfect for use with the optic I had mounted on my Prodigy. The International Holster comprises an all-Kydex body that provides a perfect fit. The Kydex body ensures the holster will hold its shape over time and will remain unaffected by everyday environmental factors such as sweat and solvents.
The outside-the-waistband holster has three total points to adjust the retention — a bolt by the muzzle and two different bolts near the triggerguard. This ensures that you can get the desired draw and retention that you want.
Also, located on the back of the holster body are eight drilled holes designed to allow for adjustment to nearly any angle of cant you want on your holster. Again, this allows you to set the Kydex holster up perfectly for your needs. The variety of cants allows the shooter to have a straight speed draw, an FBI cant or a cross draw.
Fitting Choices
The International Holster ships with three mounting options that can be interchanged and swapped. These are a paddle-style attachment, a belt slide and a drop offset attachment. This drop offset piece goes in between the holster and the mounting method.
For example, it would be mounted to the back of the holster, and then the belt slide could then mount to the offset piece. This allows you to have the attachment method of your choice, but in an offset configuration — meaning it’s out away from the body more, and it’s also dropped down lower, so the grip of the pistol is more in line with the beltline and not above it. The drop offset is a popular choice when you want a fast draw and comfortable draw — again making it popular in the competition shooting world.
We believe the belt mount for the holster is the most popular mounting option for competitive shooters. The mount provides a secure fit to almost any belt and is designed to fit comfortably to the shooter’s hip. The slide mount is adjustable to fit most belts. The owner can adjust the width to accommodate belts from 1.5″ to 2.25.” The belt width compatibility is adjusted by unscrewing the internal bar and moving it up or down. Removing it completely will allow for belts 2.25″ in width.
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The paddle mount is the perfect solution for anyone who wears multiple styles of pants. You will no longer have trouble feeding the holster through belt loops; the paddle mount slips inside the waistband. With the holster mold and the wings on the front of the holster, you are able to get a very secure fit, but it’s still a comfortable fit due to the paddle.
Hands-On with the Comp-Tac
I tested out all the mounting methods for the Comp-Tac International and got the chance to put in some reps outside as well as wear them around the office. The International is a fantastic holster, and I found it comfortable and useable in all configurations.
When testing it, I didn’t use what you might consider a gun belt. My belt has a width of 1.5″, which means I left the belt slide in its narrowest adjustment range, and my belt fit perfectly; I didn’t have any vertical sliding during my draw.
The paddle attachment was my favorite of the two. Due to the size of the retention pieces on the attachment, it can be a bit difficult to get on; however, once the holster is on, the paddle is very secure.
The Comp-Tac is a great holster. It’s durable, has a great fit, provides you with fantastic options, and all for a competitive price point of just $70 on the Springfield Armory Store. The only negative I could think of would be pertaining to the drop offset attachment. It works well and mounts up smoothly. The problem was that the holster didn’t stay fixed due to the weight of the gun. It tended to bounce in and out, swaying as I moved. I fully expect that if I were to use a wider belt, something like a competition shooter would use, then I would have no problem. If you want the drop offset option, I’d fully recommend you use a gun belt of sorts intended for range or competition shooting. Otherwise, I’d stick to flush mounting either the belt slide or the paddle attachment.
I’d like to thank True Shot Gun Club for helping us out with ammunition for this review. Because of their generosity, we are able to spend more time on the range with our gear to deliver real-world evaluations of the shooting equipment we test.
Comp-Tac International Review: Final Thoughts
The Comp-Tac International is an extremely capable holster built with quality materials and detailed craftsmanship. We recommend this holster.
There are a lot of holster options on the market, and many of them are great choices. Comp-Tac is paying attention to what customers want and how best to serve them. The company’s interest in serving the customer shows in the production of this viable outside-the-waistband holster and in how versatile it is for shooters. Keep in mind that this is not a duty holster with retention designed to defeat a gun grab. Rather this is a competition or range holster that offers a secure platform designed to be worn outside the waistband.
Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!
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