Video Transcript
The Sidecar is our flagship appendix carry holster. Now while this is a holster that is optimized for appendix carry and there's a number of attachments that you can use with this holster, which we'll get into, this is a holster in its default configuration like this that can also be worn in the three, four, or five o'clock position. Now if you are looking for a holster because you're not convinced appendix carry is for you and you're looking for a holster that you want to be able to wear at three o'clock maybe a little bit more regularly, I would recommend you look into the Raptor Holster, which is a simplified version of the Sidecar essentially, which is optimized for three and five o'clock carry. But the Sidecar can be used for that and in some ways may give you a little bit more benefit than the Raptor in that the clips are further apart, which can sometimes make the handgun a little bit more stable once it's in the waistband. But typically when people are purchasing this product they are focusing on it being used in the appendix carry position and this is how you're going to get the holster by default.
What you have is two tuckable inside the waistband clips which are positioned in such a way that you can have a full firing grip on the handgun when you go to draw, which is something that is very important to us. But with that said, the clips can also be moved in a number of ways to adjust ride height based on the model of handgun you're using or based on how deep you want the pistol to ride, which will also help with concealment. By default though, you are going to get the holster typically where you have a full firing grip, since that's what we like. But you'll see on this clip right here there are a number of holes. All you have to do is unscrew the posts here on the backside, reposition the clip further up or further down to adjust height. Now what you'll see here on the front of the holster where the other clip is positioned are all these little teeth that are notched out of the sight channel of the holster. This is our Open Source Spine System, so it's a very particular measurement that is occurring, but what it allows you to do is to insert a number of different attachments into the actual spine, and there is a metal rod that runs down the center that holds everything together. So when you purchase a Sidecar by default, it's going to have one of these clips that it's installed, which also has a number of ways for you to modify your cant and your height and how the pistol's positioned, maybe in the three o'clock position. On the backside you have all these different holes that you can use the clip and adjusting the clip.
You can also adjust how far out the clip might be if you want to do some sort of cant, maybe at the three o'clock position. You just have a lot of different options to make this adjustment for the clip, but if you want to run it straight up and down, which is kind of by default just kind of how you do it, that's how you can run it like it's shown on this Sidecar. If you also want to run the clip further forward, you can always move the clip to these holes that are positioned closer to the spine, and that keeps the clips a little closer together and a little bit easier to put on when you're putting the pistol and the holster on. On the other side of the holster we have our claw. So, like most holsters on the market, this is a small device that is going to interact with your belt and it's going to draw the grip of the handgun tighter into the body. Now this is a newer design that we have, it's adjustable so you can actually slide the, you can actually slide the further out, the piece that is actually going to touch your belt, you can slide it upwards and downwards based on, again, how high or low the pistol is riding in your pants based on the height you set for the clips. So you have a little bit more control over how the claw is interacting with your actual belt and with your waistband.
If you want to adjust how aggressive, you'll see right here it's. I have this one set on here pretty aggressive, it's all the way outwards, it's positioned in the middle. If you don't want the claw to be that aggressive at driving the grip of the pistol, you know, maybe it's uncomfortable or something like that, you can always retract this piece further in or you can even take the entire claw and mount it to the back of the Sidecar itself. It looks a little funny, but it definitely works and it just makes that angle of hitting the belt just a little bit shallower so that maybe it's just going to change how things are working. So that's something that you can do if you want to play with that, but you've got adjustment on the claw, adjustment on your clips and that's how the Sidecar is going to be by default.
Now when you're ready to get into an attachment to add to the Sidecar that you already have, we have a number of different options. The most common of which is the Pistol Mag Carrier. So this is just going to be a standard adjustable retention with all the screws here on the front. You can tighten or loosen them to your heart's content. And you can also once again adjust the ride height with the clip here on the bottom of the actual Mag Carrier so that it can match your holster once you add it to the spine system. This will take a standard pistol magazine for whatever handgun you are carrying and you'll be good to go. The next most popular is our Tourniquet Attachment. Now this is super convenient because carrying a tourniquet is sometimes kind of annoying especially something like a CAT Tourniquet. You know, where do you actually put it on your body? Like it kind of is weird in a pocket because of all this velcro that can like snag things and what not. So this is actually typically what I'm carrying with is a tourniquet. And then I can throw a spare magazine in my pocket, which is easier to carry in a pocket compared to a tourniquet. But this has a BioThane material that we are using for the spine system. So you're just going to slot that in, drop the pin, and then you'll be good to go. This is also super comfortable and flexy so it's just a very comfortable attachment to have in the waistband. And then once again, just like on our other attachments, the clip can't be moved up and down to match the ride height with the other clip on your Sidecar holster.
Other attachments include a Rifle Mag Carrier. Probably not something most of you need, most people have, but we thought hey, it's something that people can use for maybe some very specific context or some very specific thing that they're doing. I have run these a little bit with 300 blackout magazines, specifically 20 rounders, and they do conceal very well. Most people aren't going to need that though. We also have a cuff carrier. This is something that there are guys out there that are using because carrying cuffs, especially in a low-vis format, can be kind of tricky and difficult. We actually have a magnet positioned here in the bottom to actually hold the chain, if you're using cuffs with a chain so that doesn't rattle and move around. So there's definitely a lot of thought put into this product, so if you want to add that to your Sidecar, you absolutely can do that and have all of this in one package.
And then the last attachment which is very unconventional is a Suppressor Carrier. So we have two different sizes for skinnier kind of pistol suppressors and then some of the larger fatter ones. There is adjustable retention on these with the rubber washers. You take a screwdriver, tighten them down, adjust it to how you want it, and then you can carry your suppressor and attach it to your pistol maybe slowly or fast depending on what attachment system you have. But again, that is an option later on if you buy a Sidecar and maybe in a year or so you get a suppressor and you want to be able to carry it for some reason, then you can take one of those, drop it on, and you'll be good to go. So let's actually put an attachment on this particular Sidecar and I'll walk you guys through the process. So first thing, we want the handgun to be out. I like to use a screwdriver or something that is similar in size to the rod and I am just going to go to the bottom and I'm going to push, or I'm going to go to the top sorry, and I'm going to push all the way through. The main thing is we want to get the rod past the rubber friction washer that we have. This washer is here to help prevent the pin from sliding around or moving around.
It's already a very tight fit to begin with, but the rubber washer just adds in security. But I want to get the rod past the friction washer and then the rod will come out very easily. So we're going to start from the top so that happens sooner. Doing it on the table is annoying. Once it's past the washer, there's the washer right there, we can just pull the pin right out. Clip comes out and we're set. We're good to go. Now I can add whatever attachment I want to this and I can examine the spine, but I can now do whatever I want. So in this case, I'm actually going to run a Tourniquet Carrier which I highly recommend. And it's also probably the one that's a little bit trickiest to put on because this is a rubber material. Some of the little they don't sit super circular so I'll have to finagle it a little bit but it shouldn't be too bad. The other thing with the spine system which is fun is once you have the pin removed, there's adjustable height depending on what holster you have and depending on how much spine you actually have. So if you were carrying a longer pistol magazine such as a PMAG 20 or maybe like a Glock 30 rounder or something like that, you can actually typically mount the Mag Carrier much lower. It might look kind of funny to some of you guys, but as far as function goes it does work very well and it just prevents that magazine from jabbing you quite as much in the stomach. But in this case, we're going to use the tourniquet and we're going to place it all the way at the top. So it's going to be at the same height as my pistol grip so that's going to be nice. We're going to add the rubber washer.
There's a gap on every attachment. You'll see this where the friction washer will go. So on the Tourniquet Carrier it's going to be up here at the top. Suppressor carrier, same thing. And the pistol carrier as well. So where that gap occurs when you're adding your attachment is where the friction washer is going to go. We're actually going to start the pen before we put the washer there because it's just easier. And one note on the rod before I get much further. This pen that we have does have two little on each end a little cut out. And what this is for is if you have a key chain, a penny, a coin or something, it just helps having something to jam an item into to then pull the pen out if you don't have a screwdriver handy. Typically you can get that out. Once you push it through a little bit, you take an item, you get in there, prize right out. So that is there to aid in this process but the easiest is having something like a screwdriver. You can just punch it all the way through. So now that I have this all the way through the friction washer gets dropped in, I continue pushing. Just get that last bit pushed in and we're set.
Now you may see that and go wow that looks like a really stiff pen. You gotta put some muscle into it to get it in there. And the answer is that is correct. And the reason for that is we don't want the pen to fall out. The harder it is to put in, the less likely it is to fall out. Obviously there's a balance there of if it's so difficult to put in or remove that you're never going to do that. But we believe we've hit a balance that is reasonable and that allows you to remove the pen easily but also prevent the pen from falling out or even potentially hitting your optic. One note to make though on your attachments when you are adding them. If you are struggling, especially with one of the Kydex attachments, you might want to try loosening the screw near the actual spine itself. Sometimes this top screw will start to apply pressure and more tension to these top two of the little spine tooths and that will actually cause the pen to have an even harder time going through those last two. So if you are having trouble with that, loosen this one, get the pen in. You can always tighten afterwards. But that's usually not a problem but it is something worth mentioning. So now we have the tourniquet installed. Good to go. And that's what it's going to look like. To put the holster on it's a pretty straightforward process.
I want to make sure my belt is loose to accommodate all the extra bulk I'm about to put in my pants. I have the two clips right here. What I like to do is get one clip started. Typically my attachment clip goes onto the belt. I then grab the other one while also prying my claw towards the body and allowing it to make way for the belt. You'll also see that the clips are far enough apart that typically belt buckles depending on how large or how complicated it is can fit in the middle. A lot of people do put them on the side because it just creates a lot of bulk having all that happening in the center. But there is enough space for most belt buckles to clear. And that is the setup right there with a full size Glock 17 and a CAT Tourniquet. If I want to carry an extra magazine I can throw it in the pocket I can load from a pocket fairly fast, I'll be just fine and this is the priority right here. To remove the easiest thing to do is just take both fingers, grab both clips at the same time, pull upwards, and the entire thing comes out relatively easily. But you do have to get past those teeth and you do want those engaged underneath your belt to help prevent the holster from coming off inadvertently.
Now if you are carrying a small handgun such as a P365, a Glock 43 or something, you will see that the spine is obviously much shorter than some of these other handguns like a full size Glock holster where the spine is very long. And what this means is you will have a little bit less adjustment as far as having a flush appearance of adjusting that magazine or that attachment on that spine system. It will still fit just fine but if you wanted to move this mag carrier around like on this P365 obviously you would be overhanging a little bit. And that's just the nature of things with how small this holster is that we are creating based on how small the handgun is itself. So the retention for the handgun is adjustable on every holster. This is typically done on the side of the trigger guard or the weapon light. So this is my carry gun setup right here for a Glock 19, the TLR7 HLX and my CAT Tourniquet. I've been carrying for forever.
And what I'm going to do is I'm just going to tighten these two screws, which is going to close down the holster on the side of the weapon light and give me more friction. Now one thing I do recommend is checking your holster over time. Even though all these screws that we offer have a vibrotite on them, which is sort of a lock tight, it's not a blue lock tight, but it does help with preventing screws from backing out. If you are seriously carrying a handgun for every day, seven days a week, you are going to be putting wear on your holster and on your pistol as well and you need to be checking your equipment The thing that I check on my particular setup the most is these two screws here, which is the retention. Sometimes they do get a little bit looser and then I'm like, wow, the handgun is pretty loose. Would it fall out if I sprint? No it won't, but it's looser than I would like. So then I tighten them down. You can also witness mark them if you're that serious. If you sweat a lot, it will probably come right off. But right now the retention is decent. I can turn the holster upside down and the gun doesn't fall out. And then this is a point that I want to make that a lot of people maybe don't understand is when you get a holster from T.REX ARMS or from another company, typically the first thing people do is they pull it upside down and the gun falls out.
While testing the retention of a holster outside of your pants if it's an inside the waistband holster is unrealistic because once you put it in your pants and you crank down on your belt and you tighten it down typically your body and your belt end up compressing the holster together adding retention to your pants. So make sure you're testing the retention of your holster actually in your pants and not just out here, tight and tight and you know, oh it feels pretty good. You put it in your pants and now oh wow the retention is even tighter. Now it's a little too tight. So make sure you're testing the retention on your Sidecar, Raptor or a holster from another company in your pants to actually see what's going on and that is going to change a little bit based on how tight you're wearing your belt maybe how tight the waistband is on your pants or how much stomach you have that's pushing into the handgun. There's just a lot of variables there and it's going to be different to every single person. But as you'll see with my setup, gun won't fall out I have adequate retention. If I want to loosen it, I'm just going to take these two screws loosen them to my heart's content see where I'm at and that's how you adjust the retention on one of our Sidecar holsters.
If you have a non-light compatible holster it's going to be the same thing. Two screws here on the side by the trigger guard this is what I'm going to play with most these two screws here that are holding the clip which is below the trigger guard these do, that can make a difference with retention I would not adjust these first I would do the side here by the trigger guard first before doing these because what you don't want to do is loosen these screws so much for retention's sake that now your clip can actually fall off and fail and now your holster isn't attached to your pants. If you're someone who likes to run compensators and a very large carry gun setup typically what you're going to do is you're going to order a holster for that particular handgun in the longest format so in this case I have a Glock 19 with a KKM compensator this is a Glock 17 holster so I have a little bit of comp protruding that's okay though, I actually don't have a problem with that but if you're someone who really wanted it to be covered you would just order the Glock 34 version and then that's going to get you covered and fine and then whatever pistol light that you have an X300, a TLR-1, whatever it is you will be fine but most compensators on the market will fit with our holsters if you want it covered you're just going to have to order or talk to the customer service team about ordering a longer version of the holster so that it's covered but most comps on the market are the same width of the slide and they will be accommodated by our holsters.
Every Sidecar holster is optic cut by default this is something that I believe that every holster company should be doing moving forward since optics are the future and everyone's got them even an optic such as the Trigicon SRO you'll see is pretty close here to the Kydex which is a very forward facing optic it sits very far forward typically of the optic cut itself will be accommodated by our holsters and another thing to note is our Sidecar Holsters and all of our holsters have mid sweat guard height by default some of you guys will know what I'm talking about maybe some of you all won't but back in the day people used to order and we used to allow as well different heights of sweat guard people could order cut at the bottom, mid and high ultimately a sweat guard doesn't actually protect your gun from sweat you're still going to sweat on the firearm and your sweat is going to get past that and it really didn't do anything which is why we did away with it but we found that the mid sweat guard height was the best at keeping your shirt out of the holster when you're reholstering and it also just provides more security to the handgun as well when it comes to reholstering but it's not going to jab you as well when you draw the handgun and start doing stuff which is what a high sweat guard would do so for those of you that might be wondering why you can't change the sweat guard height or what sweat guard height we use by default it's here roughly in the middle of where the handgun is going to be sitting.
Now something we're still doing with the Sidecar and this has existed since the very first versions we've had like 12 versions of the Sidecar so far with little changes here and there constantly happening um is having a canted Mag Carrier so um some holsters on the market are made with uh straight mag carriers the problem with this is when you're having to articulate your arm further to get to a magazine that is perfectly straight versus a magazine that is canted a little bit and there's even some that are canted even more um that has some advantages and some cons as well as far as concealment goes uh but we've canted ours just enough to make it a natural draw angle um but also allow for good concealment so we still have that nice angle that the Sidecar um is traditionally known for for having for this spare magazine and then when the holster actually you know flexes in the middle which is one of the benefits of our uh spine system and not so much that it flexes but it flexes in a way that doesn't compromise the magazine um this was an issue with flex uh holsters when they started arriving on the scene that I was seeing is they would flex on all axes X's, XI and what would happen is the magazine could actually tip outwards and create a concealment problem uh but because the Sidecar Spine System is rigid kydex with a metal rod through it um unless you're running the tourniquet uh carrier um you're not going to have the magazine tipping forward it physically cannot do that it is going to bend and it is going to be tucked um inwards of where the handgun is and it's not going to cause a concealment issue um so that has one of the advantages to the Sidecar holster compared to some of the other flex holster options on the market uh but you should also look at those as well and see if those maybe serve your needs uh better than our product right here.
If you have any other questions about the Sidecar series of holsters and products and their compatibility with other handguns or other products on the market go and email us at team@trex-arms.com.