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Mack sent me two Appendix Carry Pillows for testing and evaluation. They arrived last Friday, and I immediately ripped open the package with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning. My expectations were high, given that Mastermind is well-known for making innovative and high-quality gear. I wear their belts daily. Part of me secretly wanted my own hand-made pillows to be better than the commercial version I was about to try. It's been over 6 years since I
first posted my design for the Junk Carry Pillow, and it's no understatement that the JCP has transformed appendix carry for me. The cushioning and flexibility of the JCP allowed me to carry a fairly large pistol comfortably while doing practically every type of activity, including
hiking all day in rugged terrain.
TLDR: the Mastermind Appendix Carry Pillow (ACP) exceeds expectations in every way, and is by far the best holster wedge ever produced. Anyone who carries AIWB should buy at least two (use one while the other is in the wash). At the
price of $17 it's likely the best value you'll purchase this year.
I like the shape, fabric, and especially the fill. And I admit that the ACP is better than even the best of my own hand-made pillows.
The ACP breathes well, and even during a 3 hour drive yesterday in humid conditions, I barely noticed the CZ P-07 in my crotch. As well, the ACP fabric is soft and smooth, and doesn't pull on skin or underwear while bending and moving.
The ~1/2" of pillow extending beyond the end of the holster provides the advantage of a longer holster without the added stiff plastic that can cause issues when bending over or doing ninja moves. The gun's grip is well-tucked (as with other wedges) but in a more flexible way. The ACP squishes when it needs to. No more weird contortions to tie shoes.
The curved shape of the ACP eliminates corners, conforms well to the body. The added length of pillow wraps around and protects your 'parts' from the hard end of the holster.
The folks at Mastermind did some serious research into high-end pillow-filling materials, and chose stuffing that provides just the right amount of loft and memory. How well the loft holds up over time is an open question, but I think it should be possible to fluff up the ACP if it flattens. And at $17, I wouldn't mind buying a new one every few years.
The size of the ACP is just right for a full-size or compact handgun (e.g. Glock 34 to 19) It is larger than ideal for a subcompact (Glock 43 or p365), fixed blade knife, or mag pouch. I hope Mastermind releases a scaled-down ACP soon.
Note: The ACP should be attached so about 1/2" hangs over the holster, and there is minimal thickness under the belt.
I'll post another review after using the ACP for a few months.