There’s no lack of holsters or holster manufacturers. There are gimmicky holsters and standard stuff out there. At the 2024 Great American Outdoors Show, I got to meet the good people at UM Tactical and they introduced me to their Qualifier holster. The unit is designed to be both inside the waistband and outside the waistband.
About UM Tactical and their holsters
UM Tactical is an American company that uses only American made materials. Based in Florida, the company has a line of firearm related products. From holsters to their unique R.A.G.E. TCS – Rapid Adjustable Gas Expulsion total compensation system – UM has products that shine.
There are two main holster designs that UM Tactical has on their page; the Qualifier and their outside the waistband holster. They also have magazine pouches available. All the listed holsters and pouches are constructed of Boltaron, a material similar, but superior, to Kydex.
UM Tactical proudly talks about the Boltaron construction of their products both in person and online. “Constructed of Boltaron, an aircraft-grade thermoplastic alloy proven to withstand more impact and wider temperature ranges than mainstream polymers,” they say on their product information page. “UM Tactical holsters will resist cracking in arctic cold and deformation in tropical heat.”
What makes the Qualifier holster unique?
The Qualifier is not just another plastic holster. There are plenty of good, plain jane, plastic holsters out there, and there’s nothing wrong with them. The Qualifier, like the rest of UM’s line, is constructed of that Boltaron material and it feels much more stout than standard Kydex of its size.
The Qualifier is ambidextrous, allowing users to move the clip or strap to either side they wish. They also have full length sweat guards running up both sides of the pistol.
These holsters, as they should be, are make and model specific.
UM paid attention to details when they designed these holsters. The muzzle end of the holster is open. The open end on holsters is standard, but UM carried the Boltaron material down past the end of the slide/muzzle of the firearm and it comes around the end of the firearm. The material almost lines up with the barrel of my Glock 26, the model firearm I carried in the Qualifier I was provided.
The tension screws are calibrated uniformly at the manufacturing facility. I was told that they use a specific torque specification for each screw on each holster, to give optimal retention of a given firearm. My Glock 26 had perfect retention and required no adjustment. I will note that my friend who received one for his Glock 19, said that his firearm did not pass an inverted holster retention test. He further noted that the holster required adjustment in order to retain his firearm properly.
Included with the Qualifier is an outside the waistband strap. It’s designed for users to remove the standard IWB clip and install the “qualifier strap.” With the strap installed, it converts the IWB to an OWB holster. This is a neat and ingenious idea to help firearm owners minimize the number of holsters they need to own. Depending on your particular needs, the qualifier strap might be all you need for your OWB scenarios over a dedicated holster.
UM Tactical offers an optional “mod wing,” to give a wearer that extra leverage they may want with their IWB.
How’d the Qualifier do?
I really like this holster. This is my go-to when I’m looking to carry my Glock 26 inside the waistband. Is it comfortable? Well, it’s a hard plastic holster, so take that for what it’s worth. There were no lines or edges on it that contributed to any discomfort, so there’s that.
I found the G26 to stay well retained in the holster whenever I was carrying it, without issue. It would click into place when inserted and not rattle or budge.
Taking it hiking
The place where the Qualifier really shined and impressed me was when I took it on a hike. I was out in Pennsylvania and went on a 10 or so mile hike on an abandoned stretch of their turnpike. It was an awesome adventure for sure. I opted to carry my G26 during that outing and did so inside the waistband the entire time.
Did the holster move and need adjustments? A little bit from time to time. But it was being bounced at my 3:30 for miles of hiking with a daypack bee bopping back and forth on my back. What really made it seem outstanding is I did not feel it all day. It did not dig into my bulbous areas or chafe in any menacing way.
Granted, this was not a high elevation, high adventure mountaineering hike. This was more of a walk on a desolate section of road. But none-the-less, the Qualifier hung in there all day, all 10 + miles, without creating any issues.
The quick and dirty
Pluses: Made of strong and high quality material. Affordable. Made in the U.S.A. Convertible to OWB. A “mod wing” is available to add on and leverage against your belt.
Minuses: Calibration of screws’ torque settings might not be 100% on every unit.
Overall, this holster is a winner. I’d recommend these if you’re in the market for an inside the waistband holster. I did not try the Qualifier strap myself, but I see the value and merit in it. The added strength and durability of the Boltaron is apparent when manually handling the holster. I’ll be looking at the UM Tactical Qualifier for other make and model pistols when I have holster needs.
