Alien Gear holster opinions

[kennethg]

Any one care to share their thoughts or experiences using Alien Gear Holsters and/or their ShapeShift Core Carry Pack?
Not to be used to carry any of my S&W handguns.
Thanks in advance.

 

[rednichols]

Certainly not any of their recent stuff! I expected to find the original thin Kydex and padded fabric hybrids, but when I had a look at their site I instead was offended by the sheer bulk and complexity of these injection molded monstrosities. Like Safariland and Rogers, these are not holsters but converted Kleenex box covers. If a gunleather maker put out such bulk we'd be pilloried.

In another vein, this stood out for me:



When I joined the gunleather industry in 1970, JB's first patent (I learned its number by heart) had just appeared: it was 3,630,420 -- and so nearly 6 million U.S. patent numbers ago, compared with Alien's . Puts me in mind of the 1960 TV series where the voiceover is: "There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them."

 

[hardknocks]

IWB

For me i choose a thinner design, i sent alien back.
Tommy Theis gets my money.

 

[grover99]

I liked their early stuff but this latest holster system is more like they are trying to build a bridge or something. I feel the same as rednichols

 

[crazyphil]

I think Gunny Sgt. Highway would call it a clusterflub.

 

[kraynky]

I haven't bought any of their holster since before the shape shifters came out. My first two holsters have been very comfortable, with various handguns. I traded out shells for a while & they worked fine. Then they stopped making revolver shells and I moved over to Sticky Holsters for my IWB carry. Same holster is good for 2.5" 66-1, and my 6906. Smaller ones are just as versatile.

 

[GerSan69]

I think they're either trying to do too much with all the "options" or trying too hard to be innovative. I still have one of their older ones.... I never use it. The problem is, there isn't much that can be done with sheet plastic that hasn't been done before. It's just plain boring and doesn't lend itself to artistry like leather does. Then they want to charge high prices for $3 worth of material and work. Oh, well, to each his own.

 

[kennethg]

Thanks for all the replies. I will stick with my Galco Yaqui Slide for now.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Hubby and I used their Cloak Tuck 2 for several carries. Upgraded to the 3 version and we are both happy using them every day. Customer service makes swapping shells easy when you change guns.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Wise_A]

I have a Cloak Tuck 3 (I think?) that I don't use. It was okay-ish. Despite what they say, a giant pad of neoprene slapped against your back is just as hot and sweaty as a giant piece of leather. I was also not in love with reholstering.

These are also the guys that thought sticking a fan in a holster was a good idea.

Lemme just see here...a hundred damn dollars??!! Are they crazy?! You can buy a good holster for that much. Wait, no...you can buy a bunch of good holsters for less:

*PHLster Classic $80
*Dark Star Gear Orion $80
*Keepers Concealment Errand $50
*RCS Eidolon $80
*Custom Carry Concepts Shaggy $73
*JM Custom Kydex AIWB $70

For another $25, you can have a Keepers Concealment Mentor. And any one of these holsters is very likely to resell for a significant percentage of what you paid, especially if the company in question is running a lead time. Nobody's gonna give you anything for the AG.

By all means, depending on what gun you're using, I wholeheartedly endorse the Plastic. But seriously, look elsewhere.

 

[Kronos]

I just got one for my M66-nothin' fancy,probably on the level of my King Tuck or the Desantis rigs that are similar just the Alien is multi use so for $43 bucks it'll do the job.

The revolver rigs are unique to that type so if you want to switch a semi auto you can't,don't mean spit to me since I try to just have and carry one handgun instead of treating them like shoes or some other weird thing.

 

[rednichols]

I just got one for my M66-nothin' fancy,probably on the level of my King Tuck or the Desantis rigs that are similar just the Alien is multi use so for $43 bucks it'll do the job.

The revolver rigs are unique to that type so if you want to switch a semi auto you can't,don't mean spit to me since I try to just have and carry one handgun instead of treating them like shoes or some other weird thing.

The revolver's muzzle and sight peeking out of the holster's muzzle doesn't seem justifiable. S&W made that change to their revolvers -- shifted from 3-7/8" to 4-1/8" barrels -- in the 1970s, for fear of anything under 4" being outlawed as Saturday Night Specials (remember when that's what we worried about them vs. AK47s?).

Which then suggests that the holster was made using a VERY old mold, of the old Smiths. At Bianchi we learned the hard way when the M27K quite suddenly stopped fitting customer guns; S&W didn't tell ANYone, and in the 27 the muzzle by design rested on the inside of the holster, to prevent tipping the gun out from the rear by the grips.

In the case of this particular holster one would wonder about that front sight insert being pulled loose at some point. Something the maker, not the buyer, should've taken into account .

 

[Kronos]

The revolver's muzzle and sight peeking out of the holster's muzzle doesn't seem justifiable. S&W made that change to their revolvers -- shifted from 3-7/8" to 4-1/8" barrels -- in the 1970s, for fear of anything under 4" being outlawed as Saturday Night Specials (remember when that's what we worried about them vs. AK47s?).

Which then suggests that the holster was made using a VERY old mold, of the old Smiths. At Bianchi we learned the hard way when the M27K quite suddenly stopped fitting customer guns; S&W didn't tell ANYone, and in the 27 the muzzle by design rested on the inside of the holster, to prevent tipping the gun out from the rear by the grips.

In the case of this particular holster one would wonder about that front sight insert being pulled loose at some point. Something the maker, not the buyer, should've taken into account .

There's actually a good amount of space between the polymer shell and the leather,the mold is off of a M64 (or M10) so it's not an issue for the different front sight unlike either the Desantis or Galco holster since the kydex is riveted right to the leather with those,I could fix it since the polymer shell screws off I suppose but ~meh it's a utility piece so big whoop...in a way the space seems made for differing front sights,not a perfect solution but one that works.

I can recall all the M66's being four inch but now they're 4.25 blame that one on S&W...