Alien Dock.
If you’re thinking that this isn’t the first time you’ve seen something about the Cloak Mod, by Alien Gear, here you would be correct. A.G. has made an interesting accessory for their Open Carry holster. Yes, if you didn’t see the first article, I said Open Carry....NOT concealed carry.
Their Cloak Mod Dock is actually kind of interesting. Like the Cloak Mod, the Dock is made from a solid piece of molded plastic. It’s not reinforced with anything so the Dock is fairly thick and should hold up well. The fit to the holster is nice and tight so there should be little if no wobble to the pistol once installed on the Dock. As we all know, stability is a good thing. However, this is tight enough, side to side, that it's going to take some awkward wobbling just
to get it in place. I'm not really impressed with that part.
It’s made as a secure place to stash your pistol (and holster) while you do other things. Something like sitting at a desk or driving. Well, most of us spend our carry time somewhere in between there. So, there’s one thing I question on the Cloak Mod Dock. Is there a truly practical use of it?
Let’s take it one location at a time.
Office
Unless we own the company it’s not likely that they will let you drill into
your desk to install it. Special permission is needed to employ it.
How many of us have the opportunity to discreetly remove our holstered pistol to click it into a dock at our desk?
If we are not able to carry while at work, with the company’s permission, then is it practical to be taking it off somewhere where you may be caught with it? Do you want to run the risk of losing your job over docking your pistol?
The point of Concealed Carry is to have it with you at all times. Are you going to clip the holster back on every time you have to go to the restroom? On and off all day long? Or will you simply leave it at your desk to be discovered or stolen?
Vehicle
Where do you put it?
If you put it where it’s easily accessible then it will probably be visible. Think about that and the possibility of being pulled over. Do you really want
the officer to see a gun within your reach?
If you put it where it can’t be seen then it’s probably not readily accessible.
Once again...taking it off probably isn’t a sitting down job. Do you take it off in public view? Do you put it on in public view? Do you risk some hippie hag calling the police because they say you put your pistol back on before going in to get milk after work?
If you leave it in your vehicle for a quick run into the grocery store, what time of year will you do this and with what pistol? I can say with certainty that doing so with a polymer framed pistol here in South Texas in August...it will warp your frame making it impossible to hit the broadside of a barn. I’ve known it to happen.
Home
Where do you put it at home? No really, where?
Do you have a family? Is this going to be readily accessible to your kids? Maybe their neighborhood friends? Do they have the same level of firearm education as your kids? Is there a possibility of tragedy here?
Is there a more efficient way to store your pistol?
Look, this thing is well made...sure. And that’s nice. It mounts well. It’s stable. Would you really use this in your daily life or is this a novelty that you have to have because it would be cool? The more I evaluate the Cloak Mod Dock the more questions I come up with but don’t really find the answers I’m looking for.
So, let's try to answer some.
Home
Okay, with all my kids in the house and a general lack of gun knowledge being taught to their friends...NOT installing it at home. There just isn’t a practical place to put it where it would be useful.
Work
I work from home. Not putting it there. This would be a great accessory for the single guy with no one to worry about misuse of your pistol. For those folks...have one in every room in your house.
Vehicle
I could see me using this in my car. I would use it as a way to carry a backup. Something in my deep console between the front seats. Out of sight, out of mind.
The one place I see this Dock as being useful is with Police or security personnel. As a means of keeping a backup pistol handy, I think this could be good. Just keep it away from where it can be the victim of a smash and grab.
So at the end of the day does the Cloak Mod Dock add anything to the Carry World? I really don’t think so. Not for the average guy. There just aren’t many practical places to put it so that your gear is both handy and secure. If they added a retention aspect to it and made it a standalone product (no need for the holster because it’s an all in one product) then I see it useful. Something that would give us the ability to have a pistol at the ready but secured from children.
So, sorry Alien Gear. No Gundoc Seal of Approval for this one.
