Icarus Precision takes good gun designs and makes them great. Their aluminum frames eliminate the slick feel of some polymer gun grip modules and add ergonomic features that improve the grip. But finding a holster isn’t always straightforward. We’re here to help with the Ace 365 311 series.
Editor’s note: Safariland’s performance guarantees are based on rigorous testing. This fit is not one the company has tested. The information in this article is not intended to supersede such testing, or to endorse duty use of any firearm-and-holster combination. Safariland has Duty-Rated retention holsters for both the Sig Sauer Fuse and the Staccato P, but not any hybrid of the two.
What does it mean to be Duty-Rated, or not?
Safariland tests all of its holster fits. Those that are meant to be used by law enforcement and military are tested with a battery of pull-tests. Guns are holstered, then a test subject attempts to yank the gun free and break the holster free from a duty belt. There are six directions of pull, each lasting five seconds.
If, at the end of this, the holster is still functioning as it should, it is considered to be a Duty-Rated fit. But that’s not where the testing stops. Safariland tests for extremes of heat and cold. They perform drop tests and crush tests. Every test is designed to replicate real world conditions.
These holsters are designed for the guns most commonly in use by LEOs. And the Icarus Precision frames are not commonly found on this type of gun. So when I talk about the Icarus Ace 365 311 frames fitting, I mean that the gun clicks-and-sticks in the holster. If you are on the range, this is ideal. Would it pass Safariland’s complete test protocol? That test hasn’t been done. Yet.
What is the ACE 365 311?
Icarus makes several frames for the Sig guns: P320s, P365s, Macros, and Fuses. The ACE 365 311 is a departure. Instead of building a close match to the original frame, Icarus built a more 2011-style grip shape onto the module.
A true 2011 grip is a separate piece that bolts onto the frame. This isn’t that. Instead, the 311 grip is wider in all directions. It fills the hand.
Holstering the ACE 365 311
If they had only changed the grip dimensions, the gun might still fit in most of the P365, P365X, Macro, and Fuse holsters. Icarus added more to the dust cover area, too. This added dimension prevents it from fitting into most holster designs.
6378RDSC
Safariland’s 6378RDSC holsters are not Duty-Rated, so there’s no controversy here. RDSC means Red-Dot-Sight-Cut, which you can visually identify. This design is simply an RDS holster that has had its top trimmed off. Also, there’s no muzzle plug in the bottom, either. The ALS still locks in the ejection port, but the holsters are not officially Duty-Rated, or tested for retention.
Look for the Staccato P holster in the appropriate length. I use the 4.4″ for the Fuse, and for the Macro 311 frame with a threaded barrel.
6354RDSO
RDSO means Red-Dot-Sight-Open. RDSO holsters are almost all ALS only. There’s no optics lid. These are available in small-light and large-light, and some non-light designs. A 6354 comes on a drop-leg rig or with a QLS fork, and these are classified as Tactical holsters, officially.
6354RDS
The 6354RDS is similar to the RSDO, except it has a floppy lid that can close up over an optic for greater protection. These, too, are small-light, large-light, and non-light compatible.
I like to cut up holsters. Safariland doesn’t endorse these behaviors. They can’t. But there are so many variants of guns and lights and optics, and so few really good holsters. There are companies that exist to make Safariland’s holsters fit things they aren’t designed to fit, and many people like me are doing the work in their garages.
This one didn’t require any modification. To run the Surefire X300, I had to pop out the light cap. That’s not really a mod, though. There wasn’t anything that required heat or a Dremel. If anything, you may need to adjust the tension screw on the holster to tighten it up some. It is that easy.
Where’s the sweet spot?
I’ve shot the 311 Macro and the longer 311 Fuse. I find the 311 Fuse to be an Ideal OWB gun. Follow-up shots are fast and more easily controlled. Icarus frames add some small amount of weight, and this can be increased in a functional way by adding a large light.
A Macro frame has the same capability, too, though. They’re so similar that I’m having a difficult time explaining exactly how they’re different on the range.
What about IWB?
Safariland makes Incog X Macro and Fuse holsters that will work with Icarus frames. Even with the wings, they will fit inside light-bearing holsters. The thinner frames from Icarus are great for IWB carry.
The size of this grip makes it a little bit harder for me to wear IWB. I’m skinny, and most handguns print to some extent. It could be ideal for you.
Check out the Icarus site for more details.
