Surefire HD1-R Holster and X300UH-B Light Combo

Officially rolled out at this year's NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta was a new holster from Surefire: The HD1-R Masterfire. We got our hands on one shortly thereafter and have been giving it a good once over.

What makes the HD1-R unique is that it isn't pistol-specific but instead is weapon mounted light (WML) specific. This allows a high degree of versatility in terms of pistols and accessories such as optics, compensators, and even some silencers.

While we don't have an exhaustive list of compatible pistols, Surefire tells us all of the following works with the HD1-R:

Beretta: 92 FS Vertex, 92A1, 96A1, M9A3, M9A1 22, 92F SR22, 92G-SD
Colt: 1911 variants with accessory rail
FN USA: FN 509, FNS series, FNX series, FN Five-seven series
Glock (Gen 3 & Gen 4): 17, 17L, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 30, 31, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40
Sig Sauer: P226, P229, P250, P320, SP2022, X5

At the surface level there are similar OWB holsters on the market, most notably the X-Fer V2 from Armordillo Concealment. What makes the HD1-R a standout is the active retention and flexibility. One downside to the universal nature that you may have already noticed is the not every trigger will be completely covered. While you can see the Glock trigger partially exposed throughout this article, it'd be damn hard to actually pull the trigger on one when holstered.

The handgun is secured in place until the primary lock is disengaged with the thumb during the draw. Speaking of the draw, the HD1-R might be a little different than you're used to because you pivot forward off of the weapon light to release it. Similarly, during reholstering you lead with the WML and rock it back to lock in place. It may sound strange but it's fairly intuitive. For those with smaller hands, Surefire includes two extensions for the primary lock. These just snap in place and a small screw is inserted from the rear; you don't have to do any major surgery.

The standard mount is adjustable for cant and belt width. Thoughtfully, these are phillips head screws instead of hex or torx. If you don't care for the Surefire mount, where there's a cordless drill there's a way. Adapting a Bladetech, Safariland, or other base should be far from insurmountable.

There's a secondary lock in addition to the primary lock. You can see how this works below:

Additionally, you can configure the HD1-R to automatically toggle the light on during the draw. Particularly noteworthy is that the WML also automatically turns off when holstered. The utility of such a feature is up to debate, but it's a selectable option not often seen in the holster realm.

Unfortunately for those who have a drawer full of Surefire pistol lights already, in order to achieve this additional functionality over what's currently attainable, Surefire had to roll out a new series of lights. Shown below is the X300UH-B and the changes required specifically for the HD1-R.

The HD1-R can only be used with the following [new] weapon mounted lights:
X300UH-B (600 lumens of white light, featured in this article)
X400UH-A-RD (600 lumens of white light + red laser)
X400UH-A-GN (600 lumens of white light + green laser)
XH15 (350 lumens of white light)

We would anticipate V-series (infrared) options coming in the future. The real surprise on this list is the XH15, a new polymer WML from Surefire. It's not as bright as the others, sporting only 350 lumens, but it's also priced aggressively at about half the MSRP of the X300UH-B.

While there might be a holster made for the X300U-B that a pistol equipped with an X300UH-B fits into, we haven't found one yet. The locking points on the bezel give the H-series a larger footprint.


[Left to Right: X300, X300U-A, X300U-B, X300UH-B]

The proprietary light and lack of X300U holster compatibility is going to be a turn off for many regarding individual purchase. It also appears that there currently isn't a left-hand option. It's probably best to think of the HD1-R Masterfire as a duty holster for military and law enforcement; it's not hard to imagine this as a large department purchase. As far as how it holds up long term? We'll have to get back with you after we get some more time with it.

[For more information, you can visit Surefire online here]

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