Depressing the ALS's release button, which is located between the holster body and the Hood Guard, frees the gun.

With no resistance and the knowledge to get it open, he could draw my pistol, but only if he could get both hands on the holster--a much more difficult task than it sounds like. With minimal resistance, he didn't have a chance. No matter what he did, as long as I kept moving, my buddy couldn't come close to activating the ALS.

My testing was far from scientific, but all holster tests are pretty subjective. Still, I came away from my test impressed with the retention and comfort of the ALS rig. Some users might opt for a Level II rig that incorporates the SLS, but the Hood Guard and ALS combine to make Safariland's new rig darn secure.

Rapid Light System
Weapon-mounted lights are all the rage these days, but the cost--for the light, a pouch, batteries to run it--can be high. Safariland's new Rapid Light System was designed to alleviate both problems.

The RLS is a sleek LED light with a one-inch, aluminum body. It comes with a polymer weapon mount and belt clip. The RLS's LED has a 65 lumen output, which is the amount most experts say is required to temporarily incapacitate someone.

The LED provides bright, even light and is easy on the trio of AAA batteries required to run it. A prism reflector helps propel its beam to a claimed 350 feet.

Safariland's RLS comes with a weapon mount and a belt clip. It is a rugged, affordable unit that should see wide acceptance in the law enforcement community.

The RLS's mount is a rugged unit that wraps around the light's body and fastens with a single screw. It mounts on any standard light rail. Once attached to the gun, it may be swiveled to three or nine o'clock to accommodate right- or left-handed shooters.

Swiveling the light into position also engages a rotating lug that locks the light into place on the pistol's accessory rail. The light may be moved forward or back in the mount to make depressing the tailcap-mounted switch, which has both momentary and on-off positions, an easy task. Once the light is fitted, you can secure the clip to the light and use it to carry the RLS on a duty belt.

For testing, I mounted the RLS on a 10-8 Professional Model from the Springfield Custom Shop. The light mounted quickly and easily, and required nothing more than a firm grip to rotate the light to the nine o'clock position so I could activate it with my left thumb while maintaining a strong firing grip. It was bright enough to illuminate my entire living room, and my sights lined up nicely in the center of the beam at hallway distances. In a 150-round live-fire drill, the light stayed put and kept on running, though the lens was in need of a good cleaning when I finished.

Safariland's new RLS is a good piece of gear. At a retail price of only $125, it's reasonably priced and even cheaper to keep up and running thanks to its efficient LED and inexpensive AAA batteries. I highly recommend it.