About.com Rating



The Bottom Line

The Clipdraw is a unique product, and does its job well. I applied it to the left side of a Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol, and have carried the gun quite a bit with the Clipdraw in place. Despite lots of twisting, turning, working, and sweating while carrying, the Clipdraw has stayed on the gun, and keeps it handy in case I need it.

I opted for the stainless Clipdraw even though the gun is blued, and I'm glad I did.

It does its job - all day, every day. The clip screws have worked loose, but a quick tightening of them fixes that.

Pros

• Can be applied almost anywhere on the gun, to control depth of carry.
• Can be applied to right or left side of gun.
• Clip can be removed (2 screws) and the base left in place for holster carry.
• Keeps my pistol in place, even after much physical activity.
• Kit includes two extra screws, allen wrench, and enough mounting materials for six installations.

Cons

• Screws securing the clip may work loose.
• May make some features of the gun (such as slide release) awkward to operate.
• Sometimes a bit awkward to clip to waistband, due to the base protruding a bit.

Description

• Universal belt/waistband/pocket clip for semi-automatic pistols.
• Other models available for various pistols and revolvers.
• Available in blued or stainless steel.
• Base plate sticks to gun's slide with 3M adhesive double-sided mounting tape.
• Clip attaches to base plate via two rounded-head allen screws.
• Place it on right or left side of gun, and adjust position forward or backward to control depth of carry.

• Kit contains six pieces of 3M tape, six alcohol wipes, four screws, one wrench, one base plate, and one clip.

Guide Review - Clipdraw Universal #SA Pocket/Belt/Waistband Clip for Semi-Auto Pistols

Beginnings

When I began toting a gun, I started with a diminutive Beretta Tomcat 3032 pistol. Questions of dependability and the 32 ACP's lack of oomph led me to look farther, and I ended up with a Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm pistol. Experimentation led to carrying it inside the waistband (IWB), with the butt forward. The forward-turned butt tended to help hold it in place, and made the grip easier to reach.

While that type of carry worked okay much of the time, it wasn't the best scenario, because it depended entirely upon friction to keep the gun in place. When your popper decides to descend slowly to the floor inside the leg of your britches, you know it's time to make a change. Enter the Clipdraw.

Researching It

Don't get me wrong - I didn't just jump at the first option I found; I did a pile of research first. I wasn't particularly interested in IWB holsters, because I wanted to keep the bulk to a minimum. Kel-Tec sells a clip for the PF-9, but it only works on the right side of the gun, and I wanted it on the left side. User reviews of the Clipdraw were overwhelmingly positive, and I decided to give it a try.

Shop Around

I'll interject here that I bought my Clipdraw direct from the manufacturer (Skyline Toolworks LLC), which meant I didn't get the best price. If I'd looked around and compared prices, I could have saved a few bucks. So you might want to shop around, although ordering from Skyline does give you a money-back guarantee, including shipping & handling charges.

The Nitty-Gritty

Installation of the Clipdraw went easily, following the simple, clear instructions. I placed the gun in my britches at the desired location in order to decide where to put the clip front-to-back on the pistol's slide, for the proper depth of carry. Then I cleaned the slide and the base plate with one of the included alcohol wipes, and stuck it on. I screwed the clip to the base plate, and was done.

I've since carried (and sweated on) the pistol for almost three months, and the clip, base plate, and tape look almost as they did right after I installed it (see photo). The clip screws have worked loose; I noticed the clip sliding against the base plate and simply tightened the heck out of the screws.

I don't remember whether I've had to tighten the screws once or twice since installation, but I haven't messed with them for weeks now and I just checked them and they're as tight as they can be.

Carrying with the Clipdraw is comfortable and secure. I have had this gun in my waistband during a lot of intense physical labor and I've gone through many gyrations and strange positions during the course of that work. The gun has worked upward a few times and needed to be tucked back into place, but it has never come loose.

I have sweated all over this gun and clip while carrying it, and the stainless steel hasn't rusted a bit. I have to work to stay ahead of the rust on the gun itself, but I have no worries about the Clipdraw. (If you sweat and carry, you may also be interested in this: How to Remove Rust From a Gun.)

Mounting Location

As you can see, I mounted the Clipdraw as high as I could get it on the slide without blocking the cutout for the barrel, and my depth of carry choice caused the rear of the base plate to extend onto the slide serrations. I wondered whether it would come loose around the serrations due to the limited surface available for adhesion, but it shows no sign of turning loose.

Because the Clipdraw includes so much extra material, you could install this clip as many as six times before running out of mounting tape and alcohol wipes. Removal of the base plate is simple (though I haven't done it yet); just pry with a small screwdriver to remove the plate from the tape, then peel the tape off of the gun. The 3M tape shouldn't leave any sticky residue.

Conclusion

The Clipdraw is a good product which does its job well, and I heartily recommend it. Being frugal, I balked at shelling out the $25.70 I paid for it, but I'm glad to own it and I foresee a lot of use in its future.

- Russ Chastain