Friday, March 5, 2010

About My Crossbreed SuperTuck IWB Holster

A purse or a glovebox is not the best place to store a gun (easy target locations for thieves and not readily accessible), so I am a big fan of on-body carry. In the movies (and I'm sure in real-life too), some people just stick their gun into their pants, without a holster, but that is not something I want to do. I think that having a good holster is the way to go, and I personally think that investing in a high-quality holster is worth it's weight in gold, if you want to carry your gun concealed.

It seems to me that holster-selection isn't as big a deal for men, (not as picky, wear baggier clothes, and have less curves on their bodies...) but I know first-hand that it can really be hard for a woman to conceal a firearm on her body. Even if a woman has her concealed pistol license, she probably won't leave the house with her firearm if she can't figure out how to comfortably carry her gun, hidden on herself, without a major transformation of her wardrobe. This is why I really want to help share my experiences with different holster options and give other women my own opinions regarding what I've learned on my personal journey towards firearm concealabilty. After a lot of reaseach, wardrobe trial & errors, and money spent on holsters, I've finally pretty much figured out how to carry on myself at all times; and although I own a variety of holsters, the Crossbreed Supertuck is my favorite & most comfortable, as long as the pants I am wearing are not too tight. I tried just taking pictures of my Crossbreed Supertuck, but the photos weren't an accurate portrayal of the true concealabily of this holster; therefore, I have made my first video! I hope you enjoy it ~ I've never made a video before, so sorry if it doesn't meet your standards :)

The Crossbreed SuperTuck holster is an IWB (inside the waistband) holster that is extremely comfortable (you don't even notice that you're wearing it), excellent quality, and fully adjustable for different gun rakes/cants/angles. It is a "hybrid" holster, made of both Kydex and Leather. The Kydex part holds the gun very well and makes it extremely smooth to draw and easy to reholster one-handed. For the backing, I chose the horsehide leather option because it is more moisture resistant and better suited for warmer climates where one may sweat alot. The leather part goes against your skin and your shirt can then be tucked over the gun (but behind the clips), making the holster quite concealed. Only the two steel-clips show, but they are easily hidden if your belt is the same color. The two clips are positioned far enough apart that the weight of your gun is evenly distributed over a wide span. Depending on what you are wearing, you can increase concealabilty by covering up your revealed firearm with an over-shirt of some type, and you are all set. If you are ok with layering, just wear a sweater, jacket, or sleeveless vest. If you are not a fan of layering, this holster can also be concealed with a basic T-shirt.

Before I got any holsters and was first trying to position my Ruger LCR around my body in different locations, I realized that it was going to be extremely hard to conceal it. A woman's body has curves that a man's body doesn't (normally) have, and women tend to naturally wear more form-fitted clothing. I've also got a small frame and it seemed like no matter what I did, I would have a noticeable bulge somewhere on my body. Out of all my current holsters, I am just so incredibly happy with the way this one lines up against the form of my body. I wear it on my strong-side (right side), positioned directly behind my hip (between my side and my back). When I have the holster on in this location, and I look at it from all sides, it is perfectly concealed.

I think that this holster in particular is especially good for women, being as adjustable as it; I didn't know what angle/rake would work best for me until I had this holster and kept adjusting it to see what worked. I discovered that I personally need a very extreme cant (angle of the gun tilted very far foward, with the muzzle toward the rear) in order to keep the grip of the gun from poking out my shirt in a weird place. After looking around quite a bit, I discovered that it's hard to find a holster with a very extreme cant, unless it is custom made. And even if it is custom made for you, you might not know the exact degree angle that you want the gun to sit at. An adjustable holster makes it very easy to discover what the best gun cant (rake/tilt/angle) is for you personally.

Being an IWB (instead of an "on-the-waistband"), more of the holster is hidden, making it easier to wear shorter-cut shirts. Also, I personally just wear normal-fitting jeans with the SuperTuck (maybe one size up, but not necessarily). Some of my really snug pants just won't work with any IWB holster, so if you want to try an IWB, make sure you own some pants that don't naturally suffocate you. If your pants are SUPER tight, you obviously won't be able to squeeze your gun & holster inside your pants.

I will admit, the SuperTuck may not be perfect, but it sure comes incredibly close. Really trying to be critical, here are the few things I like least about it:

1. I've got a Crimson Trace laser-grip on my LCR (instead of the standard Hogue grip), and I had to trim the Kydex down a tad to get my gun to go in slightly deeper so that my trigger wasn't exposed. Fits great after trimming the Kydex though.

2. I wouldn't mind if there was just one more notch of adjustability. I'm curious about what a slightly-more extreme rake would be like.

3. The front part of the Kydex is too close to the front steel clip. The way that I have the holster adjusted for the most extreme forward rake, I can't get that steel-clip to rest perfectly upright on my belt. That front clip always sits on my belt at an angle. Works fine, it is just a cosmetic complaint on my part. If you like to wear your holster more upright ("straight-drop"/no rake), then this probably would not be an issue.

In case the CrossBreed SuperTuck seems a bit too pricey at around $70 (it is worth every penny though), maybe check out the Kholster. It looks very similar and also looks like it might be even more adjustable. Not sure though as I haven't tried it.

I really do just LOVE my Supertuck. If I could keep only one of my many holsters, this is the one I would keep. Hands down.

My Video Review:

21 comments:

Todd Temple said...

Great video review. It looks like a quality piece of equipment at a fair price.

I will say seeing you tip it upside down got me a bit nervous. (If the rentention was not good...)

Thanks for sharing.

Guntard said...

Nice review. Shorty has been looking for a holster that was comfortable with her short frame and this one looks like it might be it! Mother's Day present perhaps? You hit all the major points--comfort, retention, concealment--very well.

Speaking of "Mexican Carry" sans holster, I used to carry that way all the time and I loved it. Then my chief got pissy about it and I had to stop.

I like that you showed different shirts with the holster as well, that really showed how the holster worked well to reduce the outline of the revolver and not print. Good job.... As for the price, it's in line with other quality holsters--much less expensive than say Blade Tech or other manufacturers of similar quality.

Unknown said...

It's surprising how well the holster conceals the handgun. But it seems like it would be very uncomfortable, say, when sitting and driving. In that case would you leave the gun in its holster or remove it and place it elsewhere?

In other news, I see you've got a link to Green for Life over in the sidebar. I completely agree with your review: wonderful book and an eye-opener!

Rich Banks said...

Great review.The supertuck is a good holster.
I would never tell someone to carry in a way that they would not be comfortable. If open carry is not for you due to comfort, worry about folks knowing you are armed, etc, then by all means I would not recommend it. But I do take slight issue with your one statement that open carry "scares people". I dsagree.
I OC everywhere. Have for many years. By and large people don't notice and when they do they don't care. The only times people have had an issue with it were when they were personally opposed to firearms. Much like a reaction certain people would have towards a gay couple holding hands or to a nose piercing. But they were not "scared". Of course this probably has a lot to do with how one carries oneself too. If you look "scary", the gun might not help :D j/k
Anyway, not to stir an OC debate, but just wanted to point out that I think folks who do not OC *presume* that OC = scared people but those of us that do OC have found out people simply don't care in practice.
Congrats on the holster and the decision to carry concealed. Concealed, open, matters not as long as you carry.
Best wishes.
Rich Banks
Founder: paopencarry.org

Bon vivant said...

I always thought the IWB would be uncomfortable. You, with text/feeds, have shown that's not true. Good film.

I'm excited that we can legally carry in some National Parks now so this is a good time for bloggers to do these clips.

I'm for Open Carry, one reason being that if a person is afraid to see one on a citizen the best way to remove that fear is repeatedly seeing responsible owners practicing OC.

All the best!

FALIA REVIEWS: said...

Todd - yeah, good point, didn't mean to make you nervous! I just knew that the retention was incredibly good... The firearm WAS unloaded, by the way, but I didn't show that because I didn't have the use of both of my hands, with one holding onto the camera... so I just made sure to not point it at the camera. I'm always very cautious anyway, though, about where I point it, making sure it is unloaded, and keeping my finger off the trigger.

Guntard - I think shorty would love this holster, no doubt about it. Ahh "Mexican Carry," didn't know it is called that! also I think it is cool to hear that you liked carrying that way. I had no clue that it would be comfortable. It just stays where you put it?

QMarke - I leave it right in the holster when sitting and driving. I find it to be comfortable all the time, all day long. Weird, I know. YAY you are a green smoothie lover too :)

Rich - Well, it scares some people, but I should have been more specific. Definitely not all people. and I definitely did not mean to give the impression that open carry is bad! I'm all about carrying, either concealed or open, but I have just personally known many people who are scared by it, so that is why it was fresh in my mind. I have since added a note to the bottom of my post... You are correct, in many places open carry is much more common and accepted by more people. Maybe I shouldn't have said "scared" because, although I know people who are scared of guns, I was thinking more about those people who are anti-gun (personally opposed to firearms, like you said). I just don't want to open carry most of the time, because I don't want to give the anti-gun people motivation to try and get anti-gun laws passed. "Out of sight is out of mind" is more of what I meant (for the anti-firearm crowd). also I will check out your site!

Bon Vivant - I'm glad you liked it! And yes, my NRA email bulletin told me about the National Park thing, I think that is great. Honestly I am personally ok with open carry, I guess I just hate drawing attention to myself, especially from anti-gun folks. I REALLY wish more people open carried and wish that most people were ok with it, so really I ought to promote it and be one of those people myself! thanks for reading :)

Guntard said...

RE: Mexican Carry.

The pistol does stay put. I found it was a great way to carry a full-sized pistol such as a 1911 when wearing light clothing. There is a way to draw the pistol which pushes the pistol up into the master hand as well as lifts it out of the belt line. I wouldn't recommend it for carrying a Glock, but standard DA autos and revolvers work just fine. My draw time from this method was 1.7 seconds from buzzer to first shot. Not bad from concealment.

It's not a carry for everyone, but learning to do it well in places where you are allowed to is fast and actually fairly safe as long as you practice trigger control and proper firearm handling.

Red Icculus said...

Open carry is for jerks who want to make a statement. It doesn't even make sense for safety or tactical purposes. The important part is that you do carry. Great review.

Anonymous said...

I might have to opt for the Mexican myself as soon as the permit comes in the mail, but I do like how the Supertuck looks and that they are a Christian company.

FALIA REVIEWS: said...

Guntard - I appreciate all the mexican carry info

Red - glad u liked it!

Anon - yup, Christian company, nice people, good reputation

Keith said...

I am soooo jealous how well you have gotten your SuperTuck to fit you. I just got mine (same one) 4 days ago and have yet to find a good spot on my hip. My pistol's butt keeps sticking out like you said yours did. I am going to try the "extreme cant" that you have and see if that helps. I had only moved it one hole so far.

Thanks for a great review and I still can't believe how well your pistol fits on your hip!

Anonymous said...

Have you ever been in real danger that forced you to carry a gun? Where is night parking safety in New York City?

FALIA REVIEWS: said...

Keith - did you try the most extreme cant yet? Did that work for you?

Anon - I did have a stalker once that required me to get a 2 year restraining order. I would rather carry a gun and never need it, than need it and not have one. I've never been to New York, so sorry, I have no idea on parking there.

Rain said...

Thanks for the excellent review! I currently live in Arizona...which has some of the best gun laws (in my opinion). It is very acceptable and the norm to carry guns out here in the open. But it is my own personal preference to want to carry it concealed, because I also agree that a lot of people do get "wierded out" by a gun. I'm planning on getting my CCW permit and getting a handgun to carry on me while RVing fulltime. I've looked into some 9mm, .375, .38. But I don't want one of those "girly" guns that guys always try to push off on me. This is my first time owning a gun, but not shooting one. My dad is a hunter and taught me how to shoot. Any recommendations? Where did you get your CCW permit? Have you had any complications while traveling with your firearm?

Anna said...

I've been looking for a good IWB holster and a friend sent me a link to your page (informative review by the way) but the video isn't isn't working. I was really wanting to see how well it would hide when not wearing a shirt that resembles a tent (like most of the guy reviewers).
Thanks

FALIA REVIEWS: said...

Rain - hmm recommendations. All the calibers you mentioned are great in my opinion. 9mm, 38, and 357(not 375, I'm assuming you did a typo) are excellent, and I don't consider any of those to be considered "girly." Not at all! "Girly" calibers in my opinion are just plain old .22 or perhaps 380ACP. But even 380 is alright in my opinion. A first gun really comes down to personal preference. Whether you like a revolver or a semi-auto. ANd whether you want a lighter gun that may be a little more uncomfortable to shoot, a medium weight gun with a manageable recoil, or a heavier gun that is very comfy to shoot. I like the Ruger LCR because a 38 is a good self defense round and it is very light for every day carry, although it can be a little harsh to shoot depending on your ammo and which grip you have installed. If you don't mind carrying a little weight, the Ruger SP101 is an excellent revolver (shoots both 357 magnum and 38). It is really comfy to shoot. There is so much to consider when choosing a carry gun. As for my CCW permit, I got it in Michigan. And I haven't had any complications yet while traveling (knock on wood). :) hope this helps. Look into the Ruger SP101 with a 3 inch barrel! If price isn't an issue and you prefer a semi-auto, check out the Springfield EMP in either 9mm or 40 caliber. That is my dream semi-auto when i have extra funds.

Anna - sorry, I was in the process of editing it and re-uploading. I hope you found that it is working now. Also I hope it helps you.

Anonymous said...

Your crossbreed holster review piqued my interest on this holster which drove me to research it more, which took me to the below site.

A very good website speaking on the issue of woman carrying handguns can be found at usconcealedcarry.com. I appreciate your opinions and enjoy checking in on your site once in a while to see what is new. More woman need to know their options when it comes to tools of defense.

They have a section called the Ordinary Citizen. You'd be a great person of interest for the article.

From your review and others I've purchased this holster and their Ohai L/R holsters for my vehicle.

Thanks for the time you took to put this together.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious to know if you've tried either the J clips or the Velcro strips to try to hide it a bit more. I'm a little concerned about the belt clips being noticeable.

thanks.

That Texas Lady said...

Can I share this video on my blog? http://thattexaslady.blogspot.com/

Kelly said...

Thank you so much for your reviews! My husband just led me to your YouTube channel (we're from ITS Tactical) and I'm excited to try out some of your recommendations. Our figures are very similar, and a lot of the outfits you conceal in are very similar to what I wear. Seeing your wardrobe changes already makes me feel like I'll be less conspicuous when carrying. Thanks again!

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