Alien Gear arrived! Review

[Rayneiac]

The Alien Gear holster I ordered to potentially 'take one for the team' has arrived. And I actually like it.

This may be long, so hold on.

The little bag of extra screws and spacers for cant/ride height/retention adjustment.

Retention right out of the package...check.

Leather about twice the thickness of a standard house key. But not hard. It reminds me of quality saddle leather. Tough, but flexible.

Kydex is the thickness of the key. Hard to see here in part because if the angle and in part because the edges of the kydex are slightly rounded. Very nice.

The backs of the screws. These distribute force a bit better than the 'Chicago' screws or rivets I'm sure. Pressed firmly into the leather, the points of those little wings can barely be seen on the front side. They don't stick out or anything, but you can tell they are IN THERE firmly. Tried to pry one out....no go.

You can also see the back side has a smooth finish.

The edges of the leather on the back are beveled for comfort, also very smooth.

Bang slot covered.

The muzzle end is open but the kydex isn't just flat. It's rounded down a bit.

Clips/screw are metal, seem sturdy. I'll wear it this weekend and report back. If anyone has questions, ask away.

 

[bsoileau24]

Thank you for all the information posted and I look forward to future updates

 

[Jack]

Same here, I'm honestly surprised, I was expecting you to get a disappointing product. That seems far from it

 

[Rayneiac]

I was half expecting it too Jack. I thought at worst it was $35 down the drain, at best functional crap.

I would have expected a $70-$80 or higher price tag for a holster like this.

I forgot to mention that the hex wrench for adjusting cant etc comes in the bag of parts, and the clips are set away from the leather enough (spacers) that tucking in a shirt is no problem at all. There is about 1/4 inch between the clips and the leather, but this can be adjusted of course.

I wore the holster out to dinner tonight, and found it VERY comfortable. The smooth leather did not rub my skin at all, the hammer of the j-frame was covered and the leather is thick enough/sturdy enough that it doesn't just bend over easily as some IWB holsters tend to. The clips were secure and stayed put.

I hadn't noticed before but if you look at the clips from the side, it's not a perfect oval inside. The closed end is wider than the open end, so there is some tension on the bottom edge of the belt (with a leather belt anyway) and the holster was not sliding around on the belt.

Weight distribution on the clips seemed even, and I did a few drawing drills when I got home, AFTER unloading the j-frame of course!

 

[Gunfighter]

thanks for the review. Just ordered one for a 4" 1911. How long did it take to get yours in from them?

 

[Rayneiac]

thanks for the review. Just ordered one for a 4" 1911. How long did it take to get yours in from them?

It took about two weeks, and I'm not sure that's a common time frame. I don't know how many left handed snubby j-frame kydex runs they make. Lol

Seems a 1911 would be more likely to be a quicker turnaround.

 

[Blue295]

I ordered a holster from them on Oct. 22. Hadn't heard anything so I emailed them on Oct. 28. Was told they are running 6-10 days behind on majority of holsters. Will update when I recieve mine.

 

[Gunfighter]

Mine took about 10 days to get. Their customer service is slow about answering emails or so it was with me. The basic overview of the rig is spot on. The holster was molded using a standard Springfield full size 1911 with 5" barrel and forward cocking serrations. I had ordered one for a 4" Kimber Master Carry so the holster is a little long and I don't care to have the serrations. I also had to modify the Kydex on mine to accommodate the Crimson Trace Laser Grips which although not drastic will probably void the warranty. Something I inquired about before doing but never got an answer to. The actual laser at the top of the right grip bottomed out on the top rim of the Kydex and wouldn't let the weapon fully seat into the holster. However once modified with the Dremmel it fit very nice. The overall quality of the rig is very good. The included spacers allow you to customize the firearm retention to your specific desires. The holster is very comfortable to wear and the draw is simple and smooth. Reholstering however is another matter. I find it difficult to reholster while holding onto the grip. I have to slip my hand down the slide toward the muzzle to get it to align properly in the holster. Perhaps it's just me and with a little practice perhaps I can over come this situation. This isn't something I encountered with my cross breed. Reholstering with the cross breed was as smooth as the draw. Also the flap of leather that insulates the upper part of the slide from contacting your bare skin flops over the top of the holster with the weapon out further causing reholstering problems. Perhaps this wouldn't be a problem for a thinner person but for an older guy with a small spare tire around the middle it proposes a minor inconvenience. This was the only negatives I could find with the holster. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend purchasing one to anyone who carries concealed a lot. For the price it's hard to beat.

 

[rockmup]

I bought one for my shield off ebay. 3 days to my door. I love that thing, very nice.