Safariland’s Solis, A Level One Holster that Flies Under the Radar

Duty holsters are, at best, accessories defined by necessity. Public servants are often exposed to the public, and this comes with risk. In the rare occurrence of a violent take-away attempt, a duty holster must protect the firearm, prevent access to that firearm, and still provide immediate, intuitive access when that firearm is needed most.

Safariland has built a 60-year legacy by offering just that—protective holsters that shield officers from attack, while still allowing access to the firearm to the officer wearing the holster. Patrol officers around the world rely on holsters like the 6360, 7360, SafariVault^® and Ballast^™.

Concealable Duty Holsters

But there’s another class of public servant, one who is more shielded from the front-line needs of patrol officers, who may prefer the same performance guarantees, but may not want to suit-up in a full duty rig every time they stand up from their desks.

With the 6,000 Series and 7,000 Series holsters, Safariland made simple adaptations to belt attachments in the attempt to satisfy this need. Simply swamping the UBL from a 6360 for a paddle, for example, provided an easy way for someone to leave the relative security of a station and arrive at a crime scene, prepared. Safariland classes these holsters, like the Level I 6378, as “Concealment.” The size of the holster body, though, doesn’t change. While a 6378 can be concealed, concealed carry isn’t as important as convenience.

Solis^® changes all of this. Holsters like the 6378 have always privileged full-size and compact duty pistols. With the popularity of the GLOCK 48 and the SIG P365 lines, even the micro compacts are seeing official duty use. While this means Safariland’s traditional duty holsters will need to accommodate these smaller guns, it also means new opportunity to truly conceal capable firearms that minimize their external footprints without sacrificing capacity.

Solis is an injection molded design available for common duty guns like the GLOCK 17 and 19. While some Solis models are built for guns without lights, the epitome of the design is realized in the efficient use of space that comes from the combination of a compact or micro-compact with a small light.

Retention Testing at Safariland

Retention standards at Safariland constantly evolve. As new threats emerge, the company develops holsters to meet those demands. This is no different than how NIJ armor standards respond to the introduction of new materials or load development in firearms. Change is a constant.

Solis holsters are tested to a high level of performance. Retention is provided by an Automatic Locking System (ALS), like that on Safariland’s more recognizable duty holsters. The key difference here comes in the available use of a belt loop.

This distinction deserves more explanation.

At the time of writing, testing for duty holsters is done with the holster on a UBL and that UBL attached to a duty belt. There are six stages to the abuse—each lasting five seconds. Test aggressors grab the firearm, or the firearm and the holster, and use all of their strength in an attempt to dislodge the gun or remove the entire holster from the test subject who is wearing the belt. Each of the five-second segments approaches the holster from a different angle, and, after each completion of each segment, the gun must be able to be drawn and rebolstered by the test subject.

We’ve never held paddle holsters to the same standard. We don’t hold in-waist-band holsters to the same testing standard. As the UBL and duty belt are part of the system we test, together, the paddle holsters won’t pass the testing. The gun stays in the holster, but the whole unit may be dislodged from the belt.

This is where concealment comes in. An effective holster designed for administrative staff still needs to retain the firearm, but a sportscoat may be an effective first line of defense in that it can conceal an OWB holster if that OWB design is small enough to be worn strong side without announcing its presence.

Solis is the Answer

Safariland has never suggested that concealment is a form of retention, but the idea has merit. Patrol officers need the immediacy of access and the strongest level of protection possible. Outside the waistband holsters are imperative. Keeping those firearms clear of any obstruction—even that provided by a simple cover garment—keeps the gun accessible. Solis is designed to retain the gun, but adds the genuine ability to conceal both the holster and the gun to those who may benefit from both.