I Carry: Kimber Ultra Covert 1911 in a Galco Avenger Holster

Welcome to Episode Three of "I Carry," Shooting Illustrated's weekly video series covering the guns and gear needed to put together an ideal everyday-carry kit. Today, we have a Kimber Ultra Covert 1911 in a Galco Gunleather holster riding on a Magpul Tejas El Original gun belt. Rounding out the gear is a Benchmade 490 Amicus folding knife, a SureFire E1B Backup flashlight and a Galco DMC double mag carrier.

Firearm: Kimber Ultra Covert 1911

Kimber redesigned its Covert line of handguns for 2017, and one of the upgraded models from the company is the Ultra Covert. This pistol is tailor-made for concealed carry, featuring a 3-inch barrel, and a lightweight aluminum frame with a shortened grip to prevent printing.

The gun weighs just 25 ounces with an empty magazine, is chambered in .45 ACP and features a standard seven-round magazine capacity. The gun is finished in the company’s KimPro II charcoal-gray coating and features a snag-free Carry-Melt treatment.

Another added component of the Ultra Covert is its Crimson Trace Lasergrips, which are finished in an Urban Camouflage pattern and feature the company’s instinctive-activation system.

The Holster: Galco Avenger Holster

Designed to be a practical, neutral cant, outside-the-waistband holster, the Avenger is made entirely from saddle leather and incorporates a double-layer reinforced opening that facilitates easy reholstering. At the bottom of the Avenger, a screw allows owners to adjust retention to their personal preferences.

The holster features a slight cutout above the rear belt loop that enables users to obtain a full firing grip on the gun before drawing, which is necessary for a good carry rig. The holster also features a molded-in sight rail that prevents irons from snagging during a draw stroke.

The Mag Carrier: Galco DMC Double Mag Carrier

To match up with our Galco OWB holster, we have the company’s Double Mag Carrier, which is made using the same quality saddle leather as the Avenger holster. The carrier attaches to the belt through a wraparound design, and two adjustable screws allow users to determine the level of retention.

One-way snaps secure the carrier into place on the belt. These snaps only lock into place from one direction. Users must push the snaps from the bottom up, and they can only be undone from the top to the bottom, ensuring that pressure from the belt won’t cause them to loosen during use.

The Flashlight: SureFire E1B Backup

For a compact illumination tool, the E1B Backup is an easy-to-carry option built to bombproof specs, as it was designed as a backup light for law-enforcement officers. The light runs off a single CR123A battery, measures just under 4 inches long and weighs less than 3 ounces.

The Backup provides 400 lumens at the click of a tail switch on its highest setting and also features a second low setting with just 5 lumens for discreet, close-up work, like reading maps. The total run time on its highest setting is about an hour and a half.

The Knife: Benchmade 490 Amicus

The Amicus was built with everyday carry in mind, featuring a slim, lightweight, snag-free design with the company’s innovative Axis Assist opening mechanism. The smooth aluminum handles ensure that the knife will ride easily inside of a pocket.

The total length of the Amicus is about 4.5 inches in its closed position, and it deploys a 3.2-inch blade that can be locked open or closed. The knife also features a reversible pocket clip that comes ready for tip-up carry.

The Belt: Magpul Tejas El Original Gun Belt

This whole rig is anchored into place with the use of the El Original, which incorporates a polymer core that is surrounded by bullhide leather in order to provide a solid mounting point for holsters and mag carriers while still looking like an everyday belt. The belt measures 1.5 inches wide and is about a quarter-inch thick, making it usable with most holster and pant loops on the market.