Cool Alien holster system

[expatriot98]

Just ran across this - great flexibility! Any of you guys use it?

[masraum]

Based on many, many recommendations that I found on a very active spoon forum, I have had a couple of these (Crossbreed SuperTuck)

Once they are made, other than adjusting the belt hooks up/down, there's not much that you can do with them. But they are VERY comfy and durable.

I once bought one of these alien gear holsters because they were a lot cheaper than the Crossbreed Supertuck, but the same basic holster. It was very similar, but not nearly as comfortable (which is pretty important. On the crossbreed, the portion closest to your skin is very smooth, but the Alien gear that I got was not. The metal bits were's ragged or anything, but they weren't nearly as smooth (practically invisible as far as your skin and feeling is concerned).

It looks like this particular system has addressed that with the neoprene backing. I wonder how that's going to hold up.


Based on my experience, Alien Gear makes good stuff, and it's good value for the cost. It may be even better now.

[E38Driver]

I have several Alien Gear holsters and to me they are very comfortable. The one I use most when I can carry has been great to wear.

Dave

[MRM]

I really want one of those old school leather shoulder holster like the ones detectives in 1970's cop shows used for their snub nosed .38s.

How does it feel to carry tucked in at the small of the back while driving? It looks uncomfortable to me but there aren't many safer but discrete places to carry.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by expatriot98

Just ran across this - great flexibility! Any of you guys use it?

Looks THICK!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by MRM

I really want one of those old school leather shoulder holster like the ones detectives in 1970's cop shows used for their snub nosed .38s.

How does it feel to carry tucked in at the small of the back while driving? It looks uncomfortable to me but there aren't many safer but discrete places to carry.

Small of the back carry is generally frowned upon, the theory being if you fall and land hard on a gun at the base of your spine, it could be bad.

I've also heard that the shoulder holsters aren't great, but I can't remember why.

IWB seems to work really well and is usually very comfy, even with a full size 1911, but a double stack 9 plastic gun was less comfy to me than a full size 1911 which was surprising.

[911boost]

I have a system by them that I use a few for hunting etc., still prefer the Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 though for every day.

Only carry single stack here due to the width issue Steve mentions above.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by 911boost

I have a system by them that I use a few for hunting etc., still prefer the Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 though for every day.

Only carry single stack here due to the width issue Steve mentions above.

I was surprised. I started with a "compact" double-stack 9. It was OK, but not great to carry. A subcompact single stack 9 is MUCH better to carry. I have only done it a couple of times, but was really surprised to find that a full size 1911 is actually pretty comfy, and probably more comfy than the double stack 9. Either way, smaller is better in a lot of ways.

[id10t]

between my dunlap and ongoing weight loss (pound or so per month, down to 230ish from 295 just by removing excess sugar from diet) I have a hard time finding ANY holster that would work for CC. Probably because I need to find a really good belt and change where I hitch my pants up to.

Figure if I ever get a CCW permit (done the class, etc. just never felt the need to have one, not that that has stopped me from arming up when I felt the need, and typically then with a battle rifle or shotgun) and I end up carrying I'll move my swiss army knife and occasional change to my left pocket and use a in-the-pocket liner style holster.

[flipper35]

I sometimes carry the 1911 in a shoulder rig when I wear a sport/suit coat. With regular clothes I carry kidney because it is too big for appendix.

The shoulder rig is most comfortable and discreet, but least easy to draw from.

Now, if only I had a .44 with a loudener like Sledge Hammer used to carry...

[flipper35]

Oh, leather can squeak when you have all that strapping around your shoulders.

[Jeff Higgins]

I have settled on three "go-to" holsters that seem to fit my needs depending upon what I'm wearing and where I'm going.

For ease of access and comfort when out to dinner and that sort of thing, I like my Galco shoulder holster. I like the idea that the gun can be accessed without having to lift my sport jacket or dinner jacket or make any other obvious movements when sitting at a table. Plus, it gives me an excuse to wear a jacket.



Another one I really like is my El Paso Saddlery pancake holster. It still requires a jacket or a vest or something to keep it concealed, but it's really comfortable. A somewhat baggy sweatshirt will still hide it as well.



My least favorite is my old Bianchi inside the waistband, the tiny little suede one shown above. This one is only used when wearing a jacket would make me stand out; it's my "deepest cover" option. Damn uncomfortable to drive anything with, however. It originally had a retention strap with a snap, but I cut that damn thing off. I really don't like any sort of retention strap, except maybe on the shoulder holster. One more thing to fumble with and they just make too much noise.

I often go without a holster at all. This is known as the "border carry", having apparently originated in our Southwest. It works very well when wearing jeans with a good stiff, wide belt.

[Jim Bremner]

Springfield EMP, mini 1911 @3:00. IWB Ina Galico paddle holster. Been discovered once hugging a friend

[rfuerst911sc]

Just curious for those of you carrying a revolver what style or type/brand of holster are you using ?

[DavidI]

I prefer the https://www.boraii.com/ inside the pocket holster for my single stack M&P M2.0 Shield 9mm. For a striker fire pistol with no safety, the trigger must be covered to avoid an unintentional discharge.

https://gunnewsdaily.com/reviews/kydex-pocket-holsters/

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Just curious for those of you carrying a revolver what style or type/brand of holster are you using ?

Revolvers tend to be more difficult to conceal. Not just because the cylinder makes them so wide, but because of how the grip fits in relation to the the rest of the gun. Here are some photos showing how much different this relationship is on a revolver vs. auto. This is a common full size 1911 and an S&W Model 19 .357 mag:






As you can see, with their respective bore axis overlaid, the revolver grip sticks down and back a good deal more. This makes them very difficult to conceal in anything but a shoulder holster. Granted, a "round butt" grip profile helps, but not much.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Revolvers tend to be more difficult to conceal. Not just because the cylinder makes them so wide, but because of how the grip fits in relation to the the rest of the gun. Here are some photos showing how much different this relationship is on a revolver vs. auto. This is a common full size 1911 and an S&W Model 19 .357 mag:

As you can see, with their respective bore axis overlaid, the revolver grip sticks down and back a good deal more. This makes them very difficult to conceal in anything but a shoulder holster. Granted, a "round butt" grip profile helps, but not much.

Which is, I think why this sort of thing is so much more common as a carry revolver

[Jeff Higgins]

So, in light of that, I won't even try unless I'm wearing a jacket. If that's the case, and I'm trying to conceal a revolver, I like the ones shown below. The black holster is an Uncle Mike's, holding my Charter Arms Bulldog Pug in .44 Special. There is another El Paso Saddlery pancake, this time holding a 4" S&W M29. The fancy pancake with white stitching is a Galco, with my 4" S&W M19 aboard. A sport coat will conceal any of these, and even a loose t-shirt will hide the little Bulldog.

The Single Action Army in the El Paso Saddlery "Thomas Threepersons" (named after its designer, a Native American Border Patrol agent of the late 19th / early 20th century) is shown for comparison's sake. This is my setup I prefer for when I'm outdoors, back packing, day hiking, and that kind of thing. A rain parka (often worn up here in the Pacific "North wet" will kinda sorta hide it, as will a loose, long t-shirt, but hiding it usually isn't a concern.

When I actually used to carry a Single Action Army as my concealed carry, I simply used the "border carry" mentioned earlier. The nice thing about an SAA is that the loading gate, when flipped open, acts as a stop of sorts to keep it from sliding down into your pants.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by masraum

Which is, I think why this sort of thing is so much more common as a carry revolver

Yup, absolutely. The problems with these, however, is their lack of capacity - most only hold five rounds - and lack of power - most are .38 Special. My Bulldog Pug is a .44 Special, but I decided a while back that I really want more capacity than that. That's pretty much why I stopped carrying the Peacemaker anywhere but as an "outdoors" gun - it only safely holds five rounds.

What has changed my mind on all of this is our new ability to watch and review real life armed self defense scenarios playing out right here on the internet. Active Self Protection, John Correia's web site and YouTube channel are great examples of using footage from real life shooting incidents as training tools. Mr. Correia does an absolutely fantastic job of analyzing and deconstructing these scenarios, so we all can learn from them. One of the more resounding truths he has managed to drill into me is that one can never have too much capacity, and just how many rounds, how many even very good hits it can take to disable an attacker and take him out of the fight. It's astonishing just how many rounds some guys will soak up and continue to fight.

So, yeah, I've pretty much quit carrying a revolver just for that reason. I still very much prefer them for the outdoors but, for "social" carry, it's going to be an auto from now on.

[Skillet83]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Just curious for those of you carrying a revolver what style or type/brand of holster are you using ?

I use this for a 3" S&W 686 Plus (7 round 357 Revolver).Stays tucked tight to my side, conceals well with a jacket or untucked shirt.

www.desantisholster.com/carry-styles/best-sellers/