Galco StukOn-U Pocket Holster Review

By Mike Humphries

I have almost always been an advocate of two extremes when it comes to CCW firearms choice — either tiny pistols small enough to fit in a pocket, or mid- to full-size pistols in a holster. For me personally, I could never seem to justify carrying “chopped” versions of full-size pistols as they still required me to put the pistol in a holster in or on your belt. If I’m going to go to the trouble to do that, I’d just as soon carry a larger pistol that is easier to shoot well and carries more ammo.

But, as with every option, there is a tradeoff. With the tiny pistols for pocket carry, I did have convenience, but also a very small pistol that often had the characteristics of a small pistol — lower-capacity, more difficulty in shooting it well, etc. With the larger guns, I get a CCW that is very easy to shoot well but is harder to conceal.

That is, until the Hellcat pistol was released (you can see my full review of it on its launch day here). With the Hellcat, I found myself in a pleasantly unfamiliar spot — this gun undermined my strongly held opinions on carry guns. With its 11+1 capacity (as well as 13+1 with the included extended magazine, and now with an optional full 15+1 capacity), the pistol carried an ammo load comparable to many larger guns.

Additionally, the pistol has excellent sights. Frankly, its U-Dot sights are the equivalent of anything you might find on a quality full-size pistol. High visibility, with both a tritium dot and a luminescent ring, these are sights that are fast to pick up in practically any lighting condition. On top of that, the pistol (in its “Optical Sight Pistol, or OSP configuration) can also accept micro red dot optics,  such as the HEX Wasp, and they can co-witness with the U-Dot sights since it can direct mount low to the slide. This is another feature usually found on larger pistols.

So here I found myself with a pocket-sized pistol featuring full-size capabilities. Everything I thought I knew about carry gun choices had been turned on end. Sure, I could still carry the Hellcat in a high-quality inside the waistband (IWB) holster like the Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 (long a go-to choice of mine in this department), but now I had the option of a serious carry gun that I could carry in my pocket. But which holster would I pick?

A New Option

Recently, I came across an interesting new option from Galco in its StukOn-U Pocket Holster. This ambidextrous pocket holster is designed — as you can probably tell from its name — as a pocket holster that will quite effectively grip the inside of your pocket.

For those not familiar with pocket carry holsters, they are designed as a sleeve of sorts that not only protects the pistol in your pocket and ensures that things do not get inside the triggerguard (do not, I repeat, do not ever consider carrying a pistol in your pocket by just dropping it in there, by the way), but also conceals the shape and contour of the pistol.

One of the biggest problems faced by a pocket holster is how to balance “grippiness” versus slickness. Basically, you want a holster that will solidly stick in your pocket and remain in there as you draw the pistol. But, you also want it to hold the pistol securely while also releasing it easily as you draw it.

The Galco StukOn-U accomplishes this through what it calls a “Gripper Shell” exterior. This material has a textured surface that is extremely grippy — and pretty sharp looking as well. Inside the body of the sleeve-style holster is a “closed-cell foam substrate” that gives the holster a good combination of flexibility yet sturdiness in its shape. Inside the holster, the interior lining is made of 420 denier packcloth. This smooth material protects the finish of the pistol and ensures a quick release during the draw.

Hands-On

Although the use and application of a pocket holster seems pretty straightforward, I always like to read the instructions when it comes to anything related to guns. According to the directions, the StukOn-U is designed for front pocket carry.

For the draw stroke, Galco recommends a “hooking” draw technique in which you catch the edge of the holster on the pocket as the handgun is released. Basically, start by pulling the pistol up and then rock it down and back slightly to catch the holster in the pocket. The sticky shell of the holster will help in this effort.

I tried out the StukOn-U with a standard, non-OSP Hellcat (the holster is not cut to clear an optic, which to be honest would be too bulky for pocket carry anyway in my opinion and would risk the optic catching on the pocket during the draw).

I found that the holster did a good job of hiding the shape and profile of the pistol in my jeans and khaki pants pockets. To be frank, the Hellcat is on the larger size for pocket carry — this is no micro .380. But, it’s still small enough to reasonably work in that role, and the StukOn-U did a very good job of concealing it. The holster also kept the pistol solidly anchored in my pocket all day. There was no shifting or movement — it just stayed put.

Drawing the pistol was easy and intuitive. I found I was able to easily slip my hand into my pocket and keep it on the pistol, and draw it quickly from the pocket when demanded. By the way, when you reholster a pocket gun, always remove the holster to reinsert the gun.

Conclusion

I would say I have found a good partner for my Hellcat pistol in the StukOn-U Pocket Holster from Galco. With an MSRP of just $27.99, and available for an extremely wide range of pistols well beyond just the Hellcat, this is a great option for the pocket carry enthusiast.

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