A tourniquet in a bag or a cargo pocket arrives after the bleeding has decided the outcome — belt-line carry is the point, and a draw you have drilled is what makes it count.
At a glance
10 things to know about the TQ911 holster
What it is, how it holds the tourniquet, what the evidence-based list covers, and the doctrine and evidence behind belt-line carry.
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01
A holster — not a tourniquet
The TQ911 carries a Gen 7 C-A-T®. The tourniquet is sold separately and is the only part that stops bleeding.3
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02
Made for the duty belt
It fits up to a 2.25 in. belt and is designed for personnel who carry a duty, patrol or pistol belt: plainclothes, patrol and any officer or agent.3
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03
One piece of glass-filled polymer
It is injection molded in one piece from a glass-filled polymer used by major firearms manufacturers, so there are no rivets to snap, clips to break or screws to come loose. S4 Solutions describes the polymer as 20 percent glass-filled.3,4
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04
Held by the shape, not by a cover
The holster does not use straps or a cover; the formed design keeps the tourniquet in place, and it has no sharp edges to cut or fray the tourniquet's nylon.4
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05
Drains
The design includes drain holes to prevent pooling in inclement weather.4
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06
Compact on a crowded belt
The case measures 4 in. high, 2.25 in. wide and 2.25 in. deep, and weighs 1.6 oz. S4 Solutions says it takes up less cube space than other tourniquet holsters.3
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07
What the evidence-based list says about the tourniquet
The list names the C-A-T Gen 7 at NSN 6515-01-521-7976 and carries Gen 6 only until it is replaced by Gen 7. It names tourniquets, not holsters.2
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08
Reach decides how early it goes on
In a survey of 232 casualties with 428 tourniquets at a Baghdad combat hospital, survival was 90% when the tourniquet was used before shock and 10% after.8 In a pilot of 12 trained officers, C-A-T self-application succeeded 8 of 12 times under simulated hemorrhagic shock against 10 of 12 normally, with failures from insufficient tightening.9
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09
Carrying is not training
Right after a course, people trained on the C-A-T applied it correctly 92.2% of the time on a manikin against 68.6% for the SOF-T and 11.8% for two other designs.10 Skill fades without practice.11 Drill the draw from the exact holster, in the exact position, with the exact tourniquet.
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10
Match the generation
The holster is made for the Gen 7 C-A-T®. Seat the tourniquet you carry fully and check that it releases cleanly on the draw before the holster goes on duty.
How to set up and use the TQ911
Mount it, drill it, then apply by the doctrine it exists to serve.
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1Fit the belt. The holster fits up to a 2.25 in. duty, patrol or pistol belt.3
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2Seat the Gen 7 C-A-T. Set the tourniquet fully in the holster so the exposed portion is what your hand finds.3
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3Set the position. Choose a spot you can reach with either hand, under stress, without looking, that does not collide with the radio, magazines or cuffs already on the belt.
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4Drill the draw. Draw the tourniquet one-handed, with each hand, with gloves, until it comes free the same way every time.
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5Choose the placement at the wound. Under threat, or when you cannot see where the blood is coming from: hasty — high and tight on the limb, over clothing. When the source is found and time allows: deliberate — on bare skin 2–3 in. above the wound. Never across or directly over a joint.1
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6Tighten, lock, record. Tighten until the bleeding stops and the distal pulse is gone; if bleeding persists, tighten further or add a second tourniquet beside the first. Write down the time.1
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7Restock. After any use, the holster gets a fresh tourniquet before it goes back on the belt.
Where it fits
- A Gen 7 C-A-T® on a duty, patrol or pistol belt3
- Belts up to 2.25 in.3
- Belts already crowded with a radio, pistol, magazines and cuffs, where footprint matters3
- Plainclothes, patrol and any officer or agent who wears a belt3
- A tourniquet other than the Gen 7 C-A-T®
- Belts wider than 2.25 in.3
- Groin, armpit or neck bleeding — pack the wound with hemostatic gauze and hold pressure
- Standing in for training: carrying is not practice
The evidence
The studies behind the doctrine above, what each one tested, and how strong it is.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kragh et al., Ann Surg 2009 | Human · combat clinical | Prospective survey of 232 casualties with 428 tourniquets on 309 limbs, combat support hospital, Baghdad, 2006 | Survival 90% when a tourniquet was used before shock vs 10% after; mortality 11% with prehospital vs 24% with emergency-department application; no limb lost because of tourniquet use |
| Tanaka et al., Prehosp Emerg Care 2026 | Human volunteer · pilot | 12 trained law enforcement officers in body armor self-applying a C-A-T to the non-dominant arm, with and without lower-body negative pressure simulating hemorrhagic shock | Application succeeded in 10 of 12 without and 8 of 12 with simulated shock; times did not differ; failures came from insufficient tightening despite correct placement |
| McCarty et al., JAMA Surg 2019 | Manikin · randomized crossover | 102 laypeople trained on the C-A-T applying five tourniquet types immediately after the course | Correct application: C-A-T 92.2%, SOF-T 68.6%, improvised 32.4%, SWAT-T 11.8%, RATS 11.8% |
| Goralnick et al., JAMA Surg 2018 | Human · randomized trial | 465 laypeople; correct tourniquet application in a simulated scenario after in-person training, retested at 3 to 9 months | 88% correct after a Bleeding Control Basic course vs 16% with no intervention; 54.5% of the 303 retested could still apply one |
| Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts, Dec 2021 | Expert review | The committee's list of limb tourniquets, non-pneumatic | Names the C-A-T Gen 7 (6515-01-521-7976); no holster appears |
Strongest to weakest: combat clinical data, then human-volunteer and training trials, then manikin studies. The studies concern the tourniquet and the skill of applying it, not the carrier; carrier specifications come from the manufacturer.
How it compares
Four ways to carry a windlass tourniquet on the belt line.
| TQ911 holster | RIGID TQ Case® | TACO® Polymer Pouch | Vanquest TQ-1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maker | S4 Solutions | Eleven 10® | High Speed Gear | Vanquest |
| Carry | Duty, patrol or pistol belt up to 2.25 in. | TEK-LOK belt (to 2.25 in.) or Malice Clip MOLLE | Belts up to 2 in. or MOLLE, with two HSGI Universal Clips | Built-in MOLLE straps; belt carry |
| Retention | Formed one-piece polymer shell, no cover | Friction | Adjustable shock cord | Hook-and-loop closure with vertical adjustment; red pull tab |
| Tourniquets | C-A-T® Gen 7 | C-A-T® Gen 7 and older; SOF®TT / SOF®TT-W; TMT™ (a case for each) | C-A-T, SOF®TT, SOF®TT Wide, SAM® XT | C-A-T® Gen 7, SOF-T, SAM® XT, TMT™ TQ |
| evidence-based standard | No — a holster; the C-A-T Gen 7 inside is | No — a case; the tourniquet inside is judged separately | No — a pouch; the tourniquet inside is judged separately | No — a holder; the tourniquet inside is judged separately |
Figures from each manufacturer's product information.3,4,5,6,7
Build the system
The tourniquet this holster is made for, other carriers, and what goes in the kit beside it.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
Domestic & Military Shipping
Free Standard Shipping: Automatically applied at checkout on all orders $200 and above within the 48 contiguous United States (CONUS).
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Order Processing & Tracking
Fulfillment Timeline: In stock merchandise ships within 48-72 hours from Florida HQ.
Automated carrier tracking details are emailed immediately upon shipment dispatch.
30-Day Returns & Medical Safety
Returns: Unused, unopened equipment in original manufacturer packaging is eligible for return within 30 days of delivery.
Bio-Safety Notice: To ensure sterility and patient safety, medical consumables with opened or broken tamper-evident seals cannot be returned.
Return Facility: MED-TAC International Corp., 15757 Pines Blvd, Suite 154, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027.
Export Compliance
North American Rescue (NAR) products and rifle hard armor plates are strictly restricted to US and APO/FPO addresses and cannot be exported internationally.
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