A good holster is only the starting point for concealed carry. The difference between a holster that prints and one that disappears — between one that shifts during movement and one that stays locked in position all day — usually comes down to three small accessories: the claw, the clip, and the wedge. These components fine-tune how the holster interacts with the belt, the body, and the firearm, and understanding what each one does allows the carrier to optimize concealment, comfort, and retention for their specific body type and carry position.
The Claw: Driving the Grip Inward
The single most impactful concealment accessory for appendix carry is a concealment claw. The claw is a small lever that attaches to the outward-facing side of the holster shell and makes contact with the inner face of the belt. As the belt cinches against the body, it pushes on the claw, which in turn levers the grip of the pistol inward toward the torso. This addresses the most common printing problem in IWB carry: the pistol grip pushing outward through the cover garment.
The T.REX IWB Adjustable Claw offers 21 distinct position combinations across four outward and three vertical adjustment slots. This granularity matters because grip tuck requirements vary by body type, pistol model, and carry position. A taller grip — like that of a full-size Glock 17 — needs more leverage than a compact Glock 19 grip. The vertical adjustment keeps the claw flush with the beltline, which is especially important for strong-side carry at 4 o’clock where forward cant shifts the claw’s relationship to the belt. The claw is designed to flex under pressure rather than remain rigid, increasing comfort during extended wear and reducing stress on the holster shell over time.
The claw mounts on either the front or back of the holster, giving the user control over where the leverage is applied. On the Sidecar, it typically mounts at the rear of the holster body; on the Raptor, either position works depending on where the user wants the tuck effect concentrated. Because it works by pressing against the belt, the claw is dependent on a stiff, quality belt — a flimsy dress belt will flex instead of transmitting force, neutralizing the claw’s effect.
Clips: Securing the Holster to the Belt
The clip is how the holster attaches to the belt (or, in some cases, directly to the waistband). Clip selection determines retention strength, ride height adjustability, profile, and whether a belt is even required.
Plastic Tuckable Clips
The T.REX IWB Tuckable Clip (Plastic) is the standard clip shipped with Sidecar holsters. Injection-molded from high-strength acetal plastic, it is universal in size and fits belts from 1.5” to 1.75” wide. At 3/4” wide and 3 5/8” long with 0.5” of ride height adjustment, it is a reliable, lightweight baseline option. The “tuckable” designation means the clip hooks over the belt while the holster body sits inside the waistband, allowing the user to tuck a shirt between the holster and the belt for deeper concealment. This is a meaningful feature for dress codes that require a tucked shirt — a scenario covered more fully in concealment techniques.
Metal Tuckable Clips
The T.REX IWB Tuckable Clip (Metal) steps up in material and adjustability. Made from heat-treated C1050 spring steel with a textured powder coat finish, it provides stronger clamping force in a thinner package (0.025” thick). The slotted mounting holes allow adjustable ride height and ±10 degrees of cant in either direction — a critical feature for dialing in draw angle. Cant adjustment is especially relevant for carriers who position the holster slightly off true appendix, angling the grip for a faster and more natural drawstroke. These clips require a belt to function properly and accommodate belts up to 1.75” wide and 0.275” thick. They are compatible with the Sidecar, Raptor, and Ironside holsters.
Discreet Carry Concepts Steel Clips
For maximum clamping force and the lowest possible profile, the DCC Belt Clips in 10XX steel alloy represent the top tier. Two variants serve different needs:
- Mod 4: Fits over belts up to 1.75”, including thick rigger-style belts. This is the direct upgrade path from the standard plastic clip for users who want steel-level retention while still using a belt.
- Mod 5.1U: A behind-the-belt design that clasps directly onto the pants fabric and remains completely hidden behind the belt. Its extreme clamping strength allows holster attachment directly to fabric without any belt at all — making it the go-to solution for carry in activewear like sweatpants, gym shorts, or any situation where a conventional belt is impractical.
Both variants feature dual inline slots for ride height adjustment and a dark matte grey non-reflective finish that resists corrosion. Periodic maintenance with a light coat of oil keeps them functioning indefinitely.
The DCC Monoblock Gear Clip serves a similar role but is designed specifically for the Raptor holster’s wider FOMI-style clip mounting pattern. Made from the same 10XX steel alloy with a non-reflective DMG/Cu finish, the Monoblock fits over belts up to 1.5” in its standard length (a 1.75” variant is also compatible). It maintains a lower profile than any plastic alternative while delivering industry-leading clamping force.
The choice between plastic, metal, and DCC clips is a sliding scale of retention force, profile, and cost. Plastic clips work; metal clips work better and allow cant adjustment; DCC clips provide the highest retention in the smallest package and unlock beltless carry.
The Wedge: Fine-Tuning Comfort and Concealment
Where the claw works at the beltline to lever the grip inward, the T.REX Holster Wedge works below the beltline to push the muzzle end of the holster away from the body. This tilts the entire holster-and-gun assembly so that the grip tucks more tightly against the torso. The effect is complementary to the claw — the claw pulls the top in; the wedge pushes the bottom out — and using both together produces the most complete concealment solution.
The wedge is a small foam block attached to the body-facing side of the holster with hook-and-loop material. The hook backing faces outward (toward the holster), keeping the soft loop side against the body to prevent discomfort whether the wedge is installed or removed. It is available in Small (2.17” x 1.90” x 0.500”) and Large (2.37” x 2.82” x 0.650”) sizes, and users can reposition it freely to find the optimal pressure point for their body type and carry position. The foam is made from the same material family used in plate backers, meaning it is firm enough to exert consistent pressure without bottoming out but soft enough to eliminate hotspots during all-day wear.
The wedge is particularly valuable for carriers with slimmer builds where there is less natural body mass to absorb the holster’s profile, and for larger pistols where the muzzle end of the holster tends to dig into the body uncomfortably. It is also useful for general comfort tuning — small repositioning of the wedge can eliminate a pressure point that would otherwise make the carrier want to take the gun off after a few hours.
Putting It All Together
These three accessories form a system. The claw addresses grip printing at the beltline. The wedge addresses muzzle-end comfort and tilt below the beltline. The clip determines how securely and at what angle the entire assembly attaches to the belt or waistband. No single accessory solves all concealment problems, and most experienced carriers end up using all three in some configuration.
For the carrier building a coherent concealed carry setup, the recommended approach is to start with the holster and its stock clip, then add a claw and observe the difference in grip concealment. If printing is still an issue — or if the muzzle end creates a pressure point — add a wedge and experiment with its placement. Finally, if the stock clip lacks the retention strength, profile, or adjustability the carrier needs, upgrade to a metal or DCC clip that matches the use case. This iterative process is far more effective than installing every accessory at once, because it allows the carrier to isolate what each component is actually doing and avoid over-correcting.
A few practical considerations apply across all three accessories:
- Belt quality matters. The claw is mechanically dependent on belt stiffness, and clips — especially steel ones — perform best against a belt with consistent thickness and rigidity. A purpose-built gun belt like a reinforced nylon or leather option is not optional for serious concealed carry; it is the foundation the entire system rests on.
- Body type changes the equation. A heavier carrier may not need a wedge at all because natural body contour already tilts the muzzle outward, while a lean carrier may need both a large wedge and an aggressively positioned claw to achieve the same concealment. There is no universal “correct” configuration.
- Adjustments compound. Moving a claw one slot changes how the wedge interacts with the body, which can change how much cant feels natural, which may require repositioning the clip. Treat the system as interconnected and re-evaluate each component when any one is changed.
- Wear patterns reveal problems. Red marks or hotspots on the skin after a few hours of carry indicate a pressure point that a wedge repositioning or ride height adjustment can typically solve. Consistent outward printing of the grip suggests the claw needs more leverage or the belt is too flexible.
Ultimately, the goal of all three accessories is the same: to make the holster conform to the carrier’s body rather than forcing the carrier to conform to the holster. A properly configured claw, clip, and wedge setup allows a full-size or compact pistol to be carried inside the waistband with genuine all-day comfort and minimal visual signature — turning a good holster into one the carrier forgets is there.