The Double Alpha Race Master Holster
Over the 20 years I have been shooting IPSC, I have used a variety of holsters from different manufacturers in competitive events. I have used Hellweg, Rescomp and borrowed a Guga Ribas to try in a few matches. For the past number of years I have been using the Ghost competition holster in Production and Standard Divisions. This year a new holster hit the IPSC competition circuit – the Race Master, made by Double Alpha Academy ( DAA ).
The Race Master
Click the above images to get a great deal on Race Master - pistol, revolver or left hand holsters.
The Race Master Competition Holster was designed by Saul Kirsch with valuable input from Angus Hobdell, so a lot of top level competitive experience contributed to its design. Saul spent nearly two years in developing the Race Master with the following goals in mind:-
-
Produce an advanced release system.
-
To develop a wide range of position adjustments that do not work loose.
-
Develop both a fully locked safety feature and tension adjustment capabilities.
-
Allow the user to change gun types without having to buy a new holster
Saul Kirsch spent nearly two years developing the Race Master to provide what he though was required in a competition holster.
I decided to give one a test and see how it compared with what I had previously used. This review is based on using the holster over five months, when I have used it for personal practice, running training courses, taking part in local matches and International events, which have included the SVI in Philippsburg, Czech Extreme and Hungarian MFS Level 3 competitions.
The Race Master ( RM ) does not use a platform to locate the muzzle ( similar in form to the Ghost, Guga Ribas and Limcat ). It includes a positive holster lock and a tension adjustment knob, a feature not found on other holsters. The large stainless steel tension adjustment knob rotates several turns, increasing or decreasing the resistance of the draw. This gives you a wide range of possibilities, from totally resistant free to stages that have a more dynamic starting position when you will want a bit more resistance to the draw.
The RM has an adjustment and positioning system based on a ball joint and also has adjustments for angle and distance from the body. The belt hanger will be a stable fit on the popular
The Race Master uses a sliding block machined to be a precise fit around the front of the trigger guard in order to securely locate the pistol.
The Race Master is adjustable to suit the requirements of the user. Ralf Jensen on the left has the muzzle slightly forward, while Gregory Midgley has the pistol in a vertical position.
When the pistol is holstered you can engage the locking mechanism, by flicking it down with your finger or thumb. This is also a useful feature to have after you unload and show clear. You can go a look at the other stages, or have a coffee, knowing that your pistol will not unintentionally drop out of your holster. You can disengage it with your second finger as your hand wraps around the grip. The safety lever has serrations to catch your finger as you close your hand around the grip. I did not find these serrations to be an issue, but a safety lever without serrations is also available as an aftermarket part from DAA. You could also grind the serrations off yourself if you wanted to. To date I have not felt the need to engage the safety lever before making a draw.
With the Race Master Saul Kirsch has taken IPSC holster design to a new level.
Several makes of holster offer the ability to use the same holster with different types of firearms, which involves changing some of the parts. The RM uses an interchangeable insert block to secure different makes of pistol. You can buy one holster and then purchase an insert block for each additional make of pistol you want to use with it.
The locking mechanism lever is in the engaged ( horizontal ) position. You can see the serrations on the lever. A smooth version can be ordered from DAA.
With this design you do not need to remove the holster from one belt and add it to another, or own a complete second rig. If you use the DAA magazine pouches that can be adjusted to be used with different types of magazine, you can do it all with the one rig. This is a very useful feature. The holster is CNC machined from aircraft-grade aluminum and are hard anodized to offer a long lasting surface finish in black, blue, red, or titanium grey. The pistol specific inserts are machined form Delrin. The tension adjustment knob is made from stainless steel.
The stainless steel tension adjustment knob lets you alter the retention setting, which will increase or decrease the resistance to the draw.
These machining processes are expensive, but they result in a more precise and better quality product.
Juan Carlos Jamie Diaz has used the Race Master to good effect so far this year in winning Standard Division in Europe’s “big three” IPSC matches; the Med Cup, SVI Infinity and Czech Extreme.
An IPSC competitor always wants to know that their holster will securely retain the pistol when engaged in the various physical activities that will occur during a match. Obviously you want to achieve adequate retention without hindering the draw. It is in this area were you notice the difference between the different styles of holster that are used on the IPSC circuit.
Click the above images to get a great deal on Race Master - pistol, revolver or left hand holsters.
Emile Obriot, one of Europe’s top Open Division competitors draws from his race master holster and guns his way through a stage at the Czech Extreme.
I first checked how securely the RM retains the pistol. With the retention screw set at its lowest setting and a magazine of dummy rounds loaded into the pistol I went through all of the starting positions that are normally encountered in a match. I then tried the starting positions encountered when I started competing in IPSC. These involved more dynamic movements of running, turning, climbing onto and jumping off objects. During these retention tests I could not get the RM to unintentionally release the pistol. This holster has the best retention of any competition holster that I have used or tried out.
Yael Dagan demonstrates how the Race Master allows you to execute a clean, rapid draw and present the pistol neatly towards the target.
The second think I checked was how the RM’s draw feels when you have its position and tension configured in the way that it is actually going to be used in a match. As the feel of the draw is determined by the design, all of the holsters that I have used in the past each have a different feel to them. Usually the more resistance in the retention mechanism, the more drag you can feel as you have to pull the pistol out of the holster.
Yael has adjusted her RM so that her SVI sits vertically.
During the retention tests I could not get the RM to inadvertently dump the pistol, but when I performed the draw the RM simply ‘lets go’ of the pistol It feels almost as if the pistol is just sitting on ‘fresh air’ instead of being retained by the holster’s lock system. You will find that drawing the RM to be a very smooth unhindered draw. During these initial trials the RM has shown itself to have all the features that you would want in a competition holster.
Click the above images to get a great deal on Race Master - pistol, revolver or left hand holsters.
New Retention System
Other brands of holster use a combination of a muzzle support and trigger guard support to hold the gun steady, or just locate the pistol around the trigger guard holsters which allows the gun to move around a bit when holstered. The RM holds the pistol steady, with a seamless fit. When you want to the pistol will draw upwards smoothly with almost no resistance. This smooth draw is achieved by the use of a new locking system that offers a smooth clean release of the pistol when you draw and a solid grip on the pistol when it is holstered.
The safety lever is unlocked and the tension adjustment screw can be finger adjusted. The two small screws visible locate the pistol specific insert to the holster body.
This locking is achieved by means of a sliding block, formed precisely around the front end of the trigger guard. This fitting is the reason for the pistol’s stability in the holster. As the pistol is drawn, the block, which resides in an angled track, slides out to the side, releasing the trigger guard and allowing the gun to be drawn with only 6 to 8 mm ( 0.25 to 0.30 inches ) of upward movement required to clear the holster.
Gregory Midgley executes a draw for his Race Master at the Czech Extreme match
The holster and its component parts are very accurately manufactured and I had no issues in disassembling and reassembling the RM when swapping over the inserts between different makes of pistol. Now after five months of use I have not got any nicks or cuts on my hands, so there are no sharp edges to worry about.
Race Master holster bodies and belt hangers sit ready for assembly.
Belt Attachment
The belt hanger on this holster is quite interesting. The 1.5 belt fits into a slot on the hanger and two spring steel flat clasps are screw tightened on the inside of the hanger to hold the belt in place. Once the two retaining straps are tightened down, the holster will not budge on your belt. On the DAA belt I was using the hanger is a very neat fit. This means there is no movement of the holster during the draw. As the inside of hanger only consists of two spring steel clasps this also allows the outer belt to make contact with the inner belt, which allows the Velcro to grip in this crucial area. This means that you will not have to attach a strip of Velcro on the inside of the hanger to offer additional adhesion to the inner belt. This design allows you to assemble your holster on your belt at the designated position without struggling to slide a tight fitting belt hanger the length of your belt. The lack of any bulk on the inner side makes this hanger more comfortable to wear for extended periods. Could we also see this option being made available for magazine pouches?
The pistol retention part of the holster is secured to the belt hanger part of the holster by means of a ball and socket design, which means that the holster can be adjusted in a number of different angles and directions. The RM uses two Allen head screws to secure the ball in place. Take your time when adjusting and tightening these screws to ensure that the holster is correctly adjusted to suit yourself. Do this correctly and you should only need to do it once, when you make the initial purchase.
Assembled Race Master holsters ready to be boxed up.
The adjustment in the RM allows it to be positioned to suit your own body. This is very important so that when you make the draw the pistol will lift cleanly from the RM. If your draw is not clean, but slightly off angle a pistol can bind and drag or stick. This was a serious issue with earlier competition holsters. I spent some time making sure that the RM was properly set up to suit me and all my draws result in a clean lift. Once you are satisfied with the holster’s position tighten all the screws down and you are good to go.
Boxed and ready for delivery the Race Master has taken IPSC holster design to a new level.
Pistol Compatibility
The Race Master holster and the pistol specific insert block is currently available for the following pistol makes: CZ SP01, Glock, STI 2011 plastic and aluminum grip, SVI Infinity Hi Cap with plastic, aluminum or steel grip, Tanfoglio (square trigger guard), 1911 Para-Ordnance, BUL M5 (round trigger guard) SIG Sauer X-Five, Caspian and Sphinx 3000. The trigger blocks for the Heckler & Koch USP, the Smith and Wesson M & P pistol and the Smith and Wesson 686 revolver are currently in preparation. DAA has just introduced the left hand version of the RM, which is available in the black finish. It uses the same insert blocks as the right hand version, so all the current pistol types are immediately available.
The
The pistol specific inserts, here a CZ75 SP01 and STI, can be easily swapped over. The manufacturing
Smith and Wesson
Smith and Wesson 625 Revolver Insert
DAA have just introduced a RM insert for the S&W 625 revolver. The 625 is the most popular revolver used in IPSC events, so it follows that DAA should also offer the advantages of the RM to practical revolver competitors as well. The 625 insert fits the holster body exactly the same way as the pistol inserts. It also operates in the same way. I spent a day using the RM with the 625 insert. The insert sits slightly further out than pistol inserts, due to the shape of the 625 revolver, but I did not notice any difference when I used it. The tension adjustment screw let me set the level of retention to suit the dynamics of the draws I was making. When off the line I engaged the holster lock lever to increase the level of security. The RM worked as smoothly with the 625 as it has done over the five months I have been using it with various pistols. As well as the 625 DAA are designing an insert for the S&W L Frame revolver and it should be available soon.
An insert for the S&W 625 revolver is now available for the Race Master holster
The S&W 625 insert operates exactly the same as the other pistol inserts and will also suit the left hand holster
I have been using the Race Master holster since May for my own practice sessions, when running training courses and when participating in International competition with complete satisfaction. I will also be using it at the IPSC European Handgun Championships in
Click the above images to get a great deal on Race Master - pistol, revolver or left hand holsters.
For Further Information;
