When I stopped by the European American Armory (EAA) booth at SHOT there were quite a few things to see starting with their 1911s, but there was more of interest than just the guns this year. The rep I spoke to gave me a demo of a holster he was wearing attached to his belt and I admit it looked like a neat gadget. It’s called the ABDO Concealed Carry Portable Firearm Safe and it gives owners of pocket pistols a different way of handling concealment.

If there’s one gun that’s seen a significant increase in sales in recent years it’s those chambered in .380 ACP. Although those pocket pistols have numerous methods of carry thanks to their size and lighter weight, it’s always interesting to see a company think outside the holster, so to speak. The ABDO is made for on-the-belt wear and at first glance appears to be nothing but a slim plastic case. In fact, it does resemble many of the holsters worn by tech fans for cell phones and other electronics. This particular rectangular case is made to hold a pocket pistol, though.

There are two cases being made by EAA. One is the case currently listed on the company’s website which simply holds the pistol inside and can be opened at the press of a button. The other has a computer chip programmed to sync with the user’s cell phone. Not only that, the electronic version will sound a shrill alarm if it’s removed from the user’s belt or disturbed when it should be sitting still in a safe or on a bedside table. The alarm can be easily disabled by the user and text messages alerting the user to activity are sent to the cell phone. This other case can also be opened by the user’s cell phone and not only when the user is in the same city, or even the same state. According to the rep I spoke to, he was able to unlock the case for his wife while he was out of the country.

The basic holster is listed on EAA’s website with an MSRP of $49.00. The electronic version does not yet have an MSRP and is not yet shown on the company’s site.

Take a look at the ABDO at http://eaacorp.com/gun_accessories/index.php/abdo.html. The ABDO is visually and basically the same as the model containing a computer chip so you can get an idea of what the newer model looks like by visiting the link.

Visit the company’s website at http://eaacorp.com/gun_accessories/index.php/