Firearm: Lionheart Industries Regulus Blackout Alpha (MSRP: $999)
The Lionheart Industries Regulus Blackout Alpha is one of the more interesting pistols we’ve featured here on “I Carry.” While it looks like a traditional double-action/single action pistol like a SIG Sauer P226 or Beretta 92, it has what Lionheart calls the “Double Action Plus” operating system. In addition to the standard, first-round double-action pull that cocks and then releases the hammer and the subsequent lighter single-action pull, the Regulus has the “Plus” whereby the cocked hammer can be safely lowered, resulting in a third type of trigger pull with a longer throw but lighter pull.
With a 4.1-inch barrel, overall length of 7.4 inches and height of 5.2 inches, the Regulus Blackout Alpha is on the larger side for a concealed handgun, but certainly not unreasonably so. Unloaded, the weight is 27.3 ounces, only a few ounces more than a Glock G17. Total capacity is 19 rounds, giving a good reason for the size and weight of the Alpha. It’s certainly no harder to conceal than a G17 or full-size M&P, and certainly as easy to control with its full-size G-10 grips and ample texturing.
Other amenities on the Regulus Blackout Alpha include Novak Fixed LoMount Carry wide-notch rear sight and Novak green fiber-optic front sight. These sit in standard 1911 dovetails, so a world of aftermarket options is available should you want to change sights. Night sights are available for a modest upcharge. Lionheart’s proprietary Tru-Axis barrel is noted for its accuracy, while a three-slot accessory rail graces the dustcover should a light or laser be desired. There’s an ambidextrous safety lever but no decocking mechanism, a massive slide stop lever and a small but useful magazine release to round out the controls.
If the Double-Action Plus operating system of the Regulus Blackout Alpha seems familiar, you might remember a similar system on the DP-51/K5 pistol from Daewoo in the 1980s. As for the styling, there’s elements of the SIG P226 and maybe the Smith & Wesson Model 59 tossed in. It is definitely a unique pistol with plenty to offer today’s concealed-carry practitioner, particularly those who are fans of the DA/SA operating system.
Holster: Black Arch Rev-Con holster (MSRP: $54.95)
With the Lionheart Alpha’s multiple modes of operation, it’s only fitting that the holster chosen to carry it should be adaptable as well. Black Arch Holster’s Rev-Con holster is, as the name implies, both reversible for right- or left-handed shooters and convertible between inside- and outside-the-waistband carry. Single-sheet kydex construction is sturdy and minimalist, offering full coverage of the pistol with a minimum of bulk.
Offering an open muzzle for threaded barrels, an extended sight channel for suppressor-height sights and an optics cut, the Rev-Con should accommodate pretty much any setup you might want. A variety of belt-attachment options and colors are available, and the Rev-Con can be ordered for pistols with lights attached as well. With a starting price of slightly more than $50, even fully kitted out the Rev-Con is quite affordable.
Accessory: Nebo Slim+1200 light (MSRP: $49.99)
Since the pistol and holster in today’s kit are so versatile, we needed a comparable light to round things out. Nebo’s Slim+1200 light fills this niche nicely, offering seven different light settings including two red-light settings for times when maintaining low-light awareness is important. In “turbo” setting, 1,200 lumens are available; high, medium and low settings offer 700, 350 and 30 lumens respectively. A 700-lumen strobe rounds out the white-light settings, while in the red-light setting, there’s an 8-lumen low and a strobe.
The Slim+ does more than just offer a number of light settings, though. There’s a red laser available should you need to highlight items at distance, but the most interesting part is that the Slim+ operates as a power pack. With an internal lithium-ion battery and a USB-C charging port, you can recharge your smartphone and other devices with the Slim+1200. That’s convenient indeed, and all for about the same price as a higher-end power pack.
