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Radar 1957's RDC modular system has been on the market for little more than a year now, and it has proven both reliable and easy to configure, able to satisfy the needs of service and Law Enforcement operators, thanks to the extensive range of add-on and mission-specific accessories offered by the Italian manufacturer.
The RDC System is essentially composed of a pair of exceptionally strong injection molded, fiber-polymer composite elements, a circular disc male part - which is mounted on the holster - and a disc holder female part, sometimes included with, and mounted to the interface platform, which can be, i.e., a chest panel for MOLLE vests, various belt and paddle holsters for trousers carry, or - as in the case of the configuration featured in this article -a leg harness platform.
The male connector disc features a series of " teeth" around its perimeter, which makes it look like a gear wheel, which fits into the female cup-holder disc, and is locked by two side spring loaded metal levers, which have to be operated simultaneously for both mounting and removal. A third lever engages between the "teeth" of the male connector disc, preventing it from rotating on its own axis, unless the user depresses the lever: at this point it is possible to rotate and lock down the holster on any one of 12 positions covering the full 360°.
The main feature of the RDC system is the great speed with which, by simply pressing two levers, the operator can either rotate the holster from one position to another, or replace the holster and the weapon it contains, with a different one - in our case, the passage of a duty handgun, to a "less lethal" system, specifically a Piexon JPX Capsicum projector. All this, in full safety, without ever having to remove the weapon from the holster .
Furthermore, the fact of having to press both release levers, which are placed on opposite sides of the holster, thus requiring the use of both hands, effectively cuts any attempt, accidental or malicious, to release the holster, even during rough and violent melees.
We tried the innovative Radar RDC System in conjunction with the #6607 holster, and the “M-Style” Pivoting Leg Harness, all in Desert Tan color.
The "M-Style" Pivoting Leg Harness, a very light and solid design conceived for high on the leg Military and Duty open carry, is built of molded polymer, uses a single elastic belt around the leg with a polymer fastener, and a pivoting, semi-rigid belt connection that is adjustable in height via two screws, that ends in a double belt loop. The female cup-holder disc is mounted, using three steel screws and inserts spaced by 120°, on the low portion of the Leg Harness. It should be noted that the disk can be eventually mounted with a different angle.
After adjusting the “M-Style” Pivoting Leg Harness for correct heigth and belt tension on my leg, I've had occasion to appreciate its stability and comfort, due primarily its lightweight and ergonomic shape.
In regards to the #6607 Safe & Fast Index Holster, this is the retention level 2 version of the #6657 holster chosen by the UK Ministry of Defence (which, in addition to the LEP system, also features the RLL - Rotating Locking Lid - system, upgrading the holster to retention level 3).
Manufactured molding a fiber reinforced technopolymer (Polyform), the #6607 Safe & Fast Index Holster boasts two automatic safety retention systems, which are activated by the pistol itself the moment it is inserted in the holster.
The first retention mechanism, called STR system, is essentially a screw that squeezes the body of the holster, which in turn dampens considerably the inner movement of the pistol by acting directly on the trigger guard, while the second is the "LEP" (Locking on the Eject Port) system, which exploits a specific design feature of some semiautomatic pistols, in this case of the Glock: the substantial "step" on the right side of the ejection port of this gun, which is engaged by a a very solid spring loaded polymer lever, preventing any accidental or unwanted extraction of the pistol.
To draw the gun, the officer needs to press with his shooting hand's index finger the release lever on the outside of the holster, a gesture which naturally aligns the trigger finger in a safe position along the axis of the gun's barrel during extraction.
Our impressions are very positive : our side arm, a Glock 17, automatically locks in the holster simply letting it "fall" in it, without having to push the gun inside, and can be smoothly drawed at lightning speed, thanks to the simplicity of the unlocking gesture, without having to learn additional movements to operate the safety retention mechanism.
Switching the holster to replace a fully lethal handgun to various less lethal alternatives, takes, literally, a few seconds: press both side levers, the body of the holster is released and can be easily removed from the leg harness. The rotation feature is very useful, for example, when it is required to ride or drive a vehicle, still being able to have immediate access to the sidearm.
