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Thursday, May 19, 2016

Alien Gear Holsters

The promised review holsters arrived.  The left hand outside the waistband model for the Browning Hi-Power looks like this:



All plastic: good for sweat.  Note the alien; everyone needs a logo, why not go extraterrestrial?  Just tell people it identifies you as a very illegal alien.   It retains the Browning Hi-Power nicely.  Not sure I would want to run with it, but if you are armed, running is not usually necessary, although often a good idea.  There's no retention strap.  As delivered, it is stiff enough to prevent movement in the holster but still draws pleasantly quickly..  There are TorX [no, Allen head] screws that look like retention adjustments, but actually hold the outer shell to the mounting system.  The Mustang holster shipped was just the outer shell. Unscrew the screws, and install the Mustang shell and you have the other holster.  Not quite what I was expecting, but an interesting way to give you two holsters with a common attachment system.

Attachment.  Here is my biggest gripe and it isn't a big one.  There are two strategies for attaching holsters to your belt: a loop or a clip.  Clips are nice because you can remove the holster and gun with minimal exposure.  I have removed a Bianchi Askins' Avenger holster (which is a loop holster) with a 1911 in it while sitting in a car seat without removing my coat.  Yes it was as hard as it sounds.  

The problem with most clip attachments is that they usually don't hold very securely on the belt.  I have an inside the waistband holster for my Mustang that tends to work its way off my belt if I get in and out of the car a lot.  Obviously this could be embarrassing.  Worse, I always find myself wondering if drawing the weapon might draw the holster as well.  Instead of frightening a bad guy, he might start laughing, which at least will spoil his aim and reaction time.

The Alien Gear holster has a clip on it that while a bit of a struggle to remove from your belt (bad), is not going to work loose or draw with the gun (good).  It doesn't show real well on this picture, but the bottom part of the clip goes way in to make a good catch on your belt.

It looks and feels thick and bulky but It conceals well under a light coat, and I am only 5'11".  I do not expect to use this in preference to my Askins' Avenger, but tomorrow I will reassemble with the Mustang outer shell, a gun for which I have never found a really good OWB holster and report back.

And yes a pistol as small as a Mustang needs a holster.  Remember that ISU chemistry instructor who reached into pocket and had an accidental discharge?  Pocket holster or belt holster, you want the triggerguard covered.

1 comment:

  1. Ah! The Alien Gear Cloak Mod OWB looks a lot nicer than the Alien Gear Cloak Slide OWB that I have. I'm half tempted to pick one up, but I prefer IWB carry. Like I posted earlier I use their Cloak Tuck 3.0 all the time.

    The only suggestion that I have to your review is that you add some links to the Alien Gear website so you can get some credit for clicks.



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