Review: Alien Gear Holster

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ssracer
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Review: Alien Gear Holster

Post by ssracer » Wed Nov 06, 2013 9:12 pm

Now that I have my XDS back I have been able to make use of the Alien Gear IWB holster (https://aliengearholsters.com/) that I bought for it (which happened to show up the same day that the XDS was sent off for recall repair). I have a Crossbreed Supertuck (http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/) that I have been using for close to a decade with three different pistols (heat gun modified). I couldn't modify it to fit the XDS because the gun is too much thinner so I went looking for something similar. I was seeing a lot of people on an XD/XDM/XDS group on Facebook raving about Alien Gear, so I gave them a look.

They are the same basic idea as my old Crossbreed and many others; leather back, kydex front, tuckable belt clips. Two of the main things that Alien Gear had going for it were price ($35.00) and time. While many holster makers were running a month or more behind in production, AG was only running at about a week. One other nice thing that they offer is that the kydex body is removable and replaceable, unlike the riveted body on the Crossbreed. They also have a policy that if you get rid of your gun you can send the kydex body back to them and they will swap it out for a new gun model free of charge. So I ordered one.

It showed up in a nice black plastic ziplock type pouch with the Alien Gear logo on it. It also came with a bag of extra hardware (screws, bushings, etc). They tout using thicker materials than other makers, and they do. The leather is a little thicker than the Crossbreed and the kydex is much thicker...you wouldn't be modding this one with a heat gun, but with their swap policy there is no need to.

CB on the left, AG on the left
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A side by side comparison shows that both holsters are about the same overall width and height
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Obviously my CB has been well formed to my side over the years. This is the first place that I think the thicker leather of the AG will be a bit of a hindrance...it seems to want to hold its flat shape more than the CB did when it was new. Also the thicker materials obviously make for a thicker holster...not necessarily a good thing when you need to fit it between you and your pants.

The holster does wear and conceal as well as the old Crossbreed. I have not tried tucking a shirt in over it yet, but wearing the little XDS IWB makes it pretty much invisible...with a flush fit mag its nearly impossible to make it print with even a slightly loose fitting shirt. The clip design on the crossbreed seems to be easier to get on over my belt and I may swap them.

The main thing that I dislike about this holster is the amount of leather. You can see in the comparison pic above that it is very minimalist compared to the Crossbreed. I'm sure this is part of what keeps the cost down, but it definitely has its drawbacks.

Here is a closer shot of the AG with my XDS in it from the front
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And from the back
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Now compare that with how it would be in the Crossbreed
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The first place that the extra leather of the CB is nice to have is behind the steel clips to keep them from digging into your side. They haven't been a big issue on the AG holster, but I have noticed them there more than once.

The really bad part is the lack of extra leather by the grip. You can see from the photos that the Crossbreed has a lot more material here. I have found that this missing material on the AG holster causes at least two problems. First is comfort...there is a lot more of the pistol rubbing your side and it has become uncomfortable more than once. However I discovered the real issue with this area while helping a friend move. I worked up a pretty good sweat over several hours while wearing the AG holster. When I got home and unholstered the XDS, the side of it that was up against by body was soaked. Because there is so much more of the pistol exposed to the body, as I began to sweat, rather than the holster blocking all the moisture it collected on the pistol and ran down the slide and frame. This, to me, is the holster's biggest flaw and would likely keep me from buying another. I may actually look into replacing this with another Crossbreed before summer comes back around. If they would leave a little more leather by the grip, the holster would be fine.

It's still a hell of a deal for the price, but extra care will be needed to ensure the pistol you are carrying in it doesn't rust from exposure to your sweat.

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Re: Review: Alien Gear Holster

Post by GeminiXD9 » Thu Nov 07, 2013 12:54 am

Nice review. I love my crossbreed
"That's how we do. We keep it light til it's time to get dark. Then we get pitch black."

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