AllOutdoor Review – Mission First Tactical Ultralite Belly Band Holster
Eve Flanigan 10.20.23
There are lots of belly band holsters out there, and I’ve tried a lot of them in the search for safe concealment and an efficient draw. Most have failed, either on the safety front, due to square corners, or thoughtlessly placed stitching that dug into my side and created blisters. Could the new interpretation of the belly band by Mission First Tactical (MFT) be any different? I got to wear it around and find out first-hand while testing the Mission First Tactical Ultralite.
Mission First Tactical Coverage on AllOutdoor
- Mission First Tactical Releases Multi-Mount for Survival/EDC Gear
- Mission First Tactical Signs with Bass Pro
- AllOutdoor Review: MFT Mission First Tactical AR15 MAGS
- Mission First Tactical One Point Sling Mount OPSM
Design – Mission First Tactical Ultralite Belly Band Holster
MFT made the Ultralite belly band in response to market demand for concealment of small guns on smaller bodies. It’s made to carry a gun only; there’s no built-in space for extra mags, tourniquets, blades, pepper spray, or other miscellany. It’s constructed of what the press release calls 3-D Spacer Mesh fabric. It’s pretty unusual. It stretches like neoprene but light, and therefore air, passes through it. It’s thick like neoprene, but compresses readily under clothing and doesn’t add bulk. On the closure end, there’s a patch of hook-like material that’s not nearly as scratchy as Velcro. It’s surrounded on all sides by the aforementioned fabric so none of the scratchy parts contact skin.
Sizing is universal. Simply don the holster, fit it to oneself, and cut fabric from the tail end. “Measure twice, cut once” is good advice here and is written on the instructions. For women especially, a good fit around the waist might result in a significantly shorter cut than around the hips, so all options should be considered before taking the scissors to the holster.
The gun slot has the holster fabric on the body-facing side with a little extra rise that puts fabric between most guns on the back of the slide or frame/hammer and the body. On the front, there’s a patch of more solid synthetic fabric that is flexible yet effective at preventing anything from penetrating the trigger guard. The slot is shaped like a flat-bottomed “V” which puts the gun at an approximate 10-degree tilt toward the center of the body. This has the effect of slight enhancement of concealment of the back corner of the grip, the most common bugaboo for printing under clothes.
Wear – Mission First Tactical Ultralite Belly Band Holster
The Ultralite can be worn pretty much anywhere on the torso, in theory. The gun can be placed on the front, side, or small of the back. It can go around the hips or waist. Each wearer will have to experiment and find their own sweet spot where there is no intolerable discomfort and from which the gun can be deployed in an amount of time that the wearer finds acceptable. Obviously, the shorter that time, the better, but this is a point where many concealed carriers agree to compromise.
On myself, the holster initially felt best around the small of my waist. However, no matter how tight I made it, the gun began to “walk” around my body as I went through the day, and retention of the gun failed after some purposeful bending over during yard chores and yoga. It never fully fell out, but it came too close. So I started again, this time with the Ultralite around my hips and most of the gun below the waistline of my jeans.
The lower carry position works pretty well for me, and it works with a good selection of guns. A Glock 42, Sig Sauer P365 base model, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus, and Bond Arms Stinger all fit well for me. To my dismay, my newest purchase, a Canik Mete MC9, did not fit. I wore the P365 in this holster in high- and mid- rise jeans, without a belt, over several days with no major issues. I’m accustomed to a belt-mounted Kydex IWB holster and I admit the Ultralite took a bit of mental load off when using a public restroom; there was no need to doff it during that process; no need to concern myself with the gun falling off the TP dispenser, coming into contact with filth, or forgetting it.
Lots of would-be concealed carriers are in search of a system that doesn’t require wearing a belt. The Ultralite is one of the few choices with which belt-free concealment is possible, though I say that with caution. There is no question that the grip stays better-hidden, and any risk of retention failure is averted, with a belt or drawstring on the pants. Thanks to the shape of the gun slot, the Ultralite is suited for ambidextrous use without any modifications.
Training Counts – Mission First Tactical Ultralite Belly Band Holster
Successful, responsible concealed carry includes investing time to the acts of drawing and re-holstering. Every holster, including this one, works better with correct, regular practice. It should go without saying that, in the early stages of wearing any concealment holster, practice should be done with an unloaded gun. Unexpected things can happen and the muzzle safety rule could be broken as a person is working out their interface with new gear.
It is extremely common for people to absentmindedly fail at trigger discipline and/or not maintain control of the gun thanks to gripping too low or fingers going astray from a master grip during the draw and/or re-holstering. The gun slot of the Ultralite can encourage a too-low grip and dangerously outstretched middle finger during these processes, because the gun (mine at least) rest deep in the slot and the top of the grip is semi-covered when worn correctly. With intentional practice, going slow at first to establish a correct grip from the outset, I have made peace and am building confidence with the Ultralite in this regard.
About three times out of ten, my thumb lands between my body and holster on the draw rather than around the gun. I’ve discovered that if I start the draw with assertive, not soft digits, that doesn’t matter because the gun settles correctly into my hand. After just a few practice sessions, I am nailing consistent concealment-to-sights-on-target times that are just tenths of a second slower than from the Kydex holster, albeit with two hands, using my support hand to clear the shirt. I have yet to move on to one-handed clearing, but that will come after I’ve established an intuitive two-handed draw. This holster is good enough that I’m willing to make the training investment.
Safety – Mission First Tactical Ultralite Belly Band Holster
Re-holstering is the highest-risk activity we do with guns on a regular basis, but it gets almost no attention from the training community as it’s much less exciting than drawing and firing. Other belly band holsters I’ve tried offer no way to safely re-holster short of removing the band, inserting the gun, and then donning the works. I was pleasantly surprised that the Ultralite allows me to seat the gun safely without using the muzzle as a prying tool. The slot is stiff enough to gently insert it and maintain a master grip until it’s fully seated. The outer and inner layers instantly recover from the squish my fingers put on them during this process. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of training this.
Trigger protection is excellent when the gun/holster are worn as advertised. The Ultralite is unique among belly bands in this regard, offering trigger protection sans bulk. Retention is not something it does without help from the user. This became most apparent after I’d tucked it under the edge of my mattress overnight, where my EDC gun/Kydex holster live at night (I have no one in the household to disturb them, so that is a safe/accessible setup for me). In the morning, I absentmindedly gave the holster a tug to remove it as I normally would the Kydex holster. The gun, loaded this time, tumbled to the floor. Retention with this holster is achieved by wearing it. The shape of the body pressing against the back of the holster provides fair retention. For solid retention, wearing it under snug pants or a belt is necessary.
There is no equipment that is “safe” on its own. Frequent, conscientious, correct use of guns and holsters that meet a basic standard of safe construction is what makes a safe concealed carry practice. The Mission First Tactical Ultralite is capable of meeting that standard.
Conclusion – Mission First Tactical Ultralite Belly Band Holster
The Mission First Tactical Ultralite comes as close to any of the many belly band holsters I’ve tried to delivering peace of mind with this style of holster and belt-free carry. With consideration to the training considerations I provided here, this holster will surely be the answer for many carriers who don’t have the option or motivation to radically change their style of attire to accommodate a gun. It does require practice to be safe and efficient, but that is common to any system. Consumers who understand that a purchase of a new holster is the beginning of a training process and not a one-and-done solution stand to enjoy a great carry experience.
I don’t know how durable this holster will be or how long its generous elasticity will last. Time will tell. For now it’s pretty darn comfy as holsters go. MFT offers a list of guns tested and approved for the Ultralite so far. In terms of people, it fits circumferences 26 to 52 inches. This newly released holster is shipping now and can be ordered direct from MFT for $39.99. The company has done a great job of creating customer education materials that come with the holster and on their website, and they’ve packaged it in a minimalist, durable, and attractive printed/reusable bag. It’s now my top choice for belly band concealment.
