CrossBreed for J-frames?

[Panzerschwein]

Hey gang!

I'm in the market for an IWB holster for my S&W 642 which is my dedicated EDC carry gun. What I've been using the past year since I bought the gun in a set of Barami hip grips paired with a Tyler-T grip adapter. A nice simple combo to be sure, very discrete and it hasn't let me down yet. But, it has some issues. Below is a picture of my current setup:



These grips just aren't that comfortable during firing. The Barami's are slick, slim, and have the flared out portion on the right grip panel to go over the belt for CCW. All of this is great for concealment, but pretty bad for recoil control. I've adapted by grip and learned to deal with it, but I'd imagine a set of boot grips would be much nicer. I've been looking at the VZ Grips G10 checkered grips and they look like they'd be much more comfortable and offer a better grip, especially with sweaty or (God forbid) blood or gore covered hands.

Also, while the Barami setup I have is secure, I sometime feel like it could be a bit more so. It relies on belt tension to secure the gun properly, and I sometimes feel like my belt doesn't get it as tight as I want or it makes it too tight, I almost need to drill another hole between the ones already on my belt. I use a Beltman 1.5" bullhide belt BTW.

Lastly, the draw with these grips is just plain slow. They make the gun sit really low, which is ideal for deep concealment but in order to get the small grips clear of the belt for better purchase, I have to rock them forward, struggle to get a grip on the slick Baramis, then draw. It's slow, awkward, and I could even see myself accidentally dropping the slick gripped gun to the floor during a fast life or death draw attempt.

So, I'm wanting to find an IWB holster so I can alleviate all of the above issues. I will be able to use more comfortable grips with better traction, retention should be better, and draw speed should be increased.

So I've been searching, and came across the CrossBreed brand, which I've read great things about. They have one model that I really like and have the J-frame airweight S&Ws as an option:

http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/H.../tabid/113/slug/SuperTuck-Deluxe/Default.aspx

It looks very nice, I like how it has the clips on both sides of the gun. Seems like it should lay flat and be concealable, and has alot of options to change cant etc. It's right up my alley, but how well do you think it will do? I am a T-shirt and jeans kind of guy to the extreme LOL, it's basically what I wear every day of the year. Only thing during winter I'll throw on a flannel shirt or coat. Will this holster conceal well and be comfortable with just a T-shirt and jeans? I'm going for max concealability, but also would like it to be comfortable and fix the above mentioned problems.

If this holster isn't what I should be looking for, what are some good IWB options for J-frames that will work with T-shirts and jeans and will be as concealable as possible? I'm 5' 7" and 170 lbs, so I'm not a large person. I just want to carry my gun "more betterer" than before is all.

Thanks so much for your time guys!

 

[sawman1293]

The CB Supertuck is a great holster. I have one for my G19. I prefer the CB QwikClip or a Remora for my 642.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Thanks! Is the super tuck flat? Or is it bulky?

I'm leaning more towards the super tuck because it has two clips and seems like it will offer more support, but I'm still gunning for high concealability factor with only a T-shirt and jeans.

 

[bainter1212]

If you want to save some dough, go for an Alien Gear instead. It is basically the same holster, they even have one with a neoprene backing that is SUPER comfortable.

I carry my 360J Airweight every weekday on an AG Cloak Tuck 2.0 for about 12 hrs or so at a stretch. I tuck my shirt in over the gun. I go into 7-8 houses a day and nobody has any clue that I am packing.

The Crossbreed is a good holster but the Alien Gear is a comparable product at half the price.....and they will exchange shells at any time for free if you switch guns.

Just MHO.......good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Thanks bainter! I'll look in to them as well.

 

[WardenWolf]

Try getting a Hogue Monogrip. That'll make it much more pleasant to shoot. I put one on my father's M38 Airweight Bodyguard and it fixed it right up. It took a gun that was painful to shoot and turned it into a kitten.



FYI, that is an ORIGINAL Airweight. The very first model with an aluminum frame. Previous models were all steel, and later models were made of an aluminum / scandium alloy to enable them to handle +P. But this one is pure aluminum and can handle standard-velocity only.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Politely, no thanks.

I'm not a fan of putting full size (or nearly full size) grips on a J-frame snub. To me, it's like putting an axe handle on a pocket knife... also, the Hogue mononucleosis grips are hideously ugly and the rubber sticks to clothing, which can catch on the draw and also cause printing. I've got the stock S&W boot grips that came on the gun, they're nice to shoot with but I'll be avoiding them too as they are the same type sticky rubber. No bueno.

But thanks for the recommendation! They do make the gun more pleasant to shoot, I'll give you that.

 

[WardenWolf]

I know they're ugly, but they do the job well. And he still carries that revolver sometimes, though he usually carries his Polish P-64; we bought matching P-64s for our concealed carry pieces. It was nice being only a 2-hour drive from J&G Sales.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Very cool! I got a S&W Model 64 from J&G Sales, it's a DARN good revolver for the $299 I paid for it last year. It's probably a very good thing I don't live 2 hours from them, I'd probably have more than one gun from them by now!!!

Thanks for all the help so far guys. I feel like I'm learning more and more on my IWB J-frame journey.

 

[Rugerista]

I like the stock S&W rubber boot grips with the Lobo Offset belt clip holster.

http://www.lobogunleather.com/9_offset_belt_clip_model

Crossbreed is a fine choice too. I like their traditional two clip IWB. I tried their single clip and didn't like it. It is a lot of material for a J frame but for speed of draw and reholstering it is a fine choice.

 

[medictrent]

I have the crossbreed super tuck for a Ruger lcr357. I use it specifically for t-shirt wear. I have never had anyone notice that I was carrying, even some of my gun buddies.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Nice! Does it print noticeably though?

 

[Eaglestroker]

Cooldill, regarding your last post: even though it varies for body type a J-frame sized gun should disappear on you with any decent IWB holster.

I use this holster I made only for my J-frame. It is tuckable which is nice for being in the office but not a feature for everyone or even most because of how cumbersome it is putting it on.

As far as grips I really like the standard S&W Rubbers shown on 2/3 of my guns. These guns are 32 mags so the recoil is a bit different.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I'll defer to those that have used hybrid holsters for revolvers but it doesn't seem like a good match to me. Having the front half molded in kydex but the back half completely flat doesn't seem ideal for a wheelgun. I would think the round cylinder would make for somewhat poor fit and retention. I guess that a J-frame is maybe small enough to mitigate that somewhat, though.

I carry a Ruger LCRx, which is similar in size to a J-frame, in a Garrett Silent Thunder IWB. It's a kydex shell with leather bonded to the inside. So you get a holster molded to the gun on both sides that won't collapse on the draw but with the softness and quietness of leather. It's an awesome rig for a small revolver (I actually have eight of them, one for every gun I CCW) and should be good for a J-frame.

Again, if there are folks successfully packin' wheelguns in hybrids then I'll defer to their experience. This is kind of a thought experiment on my part.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

BTW, Eaglestroker- that rig is beautiful!

 

[Crayfish]

I don't see the point in carrying such an easy to carry gun in a big and bulky two clip rig. I carry a snub in a simple one clip leather Barsony leather holster IWB. Super easy to take on and off and you can put it anywhere you want (move it appendix for driving,etc) without unbuckling and all that hassle. I think the Crossbred is excellent for a very heavy gun but not a snub. If you want a quick alternative for that midnight sweatpants store run you can use a Remora which also works super fast but, every day I prefer a clip on a belt for more security.

 

[bannockburn]

Eaglestroker

Those are some mighty fine looking J frame rigs you've got there.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Thanks guys! Learning a lot, I'm looking for the most secure and concealable IWB J-frame holster that God ever put on this earth.

 

[sherman123]

I bought a Crossbreed Supertuck a few years back and my experience was that I was unable to get a full fighting grip on the pistol until I completely cut away the leather sweat guard above the plastic portion of the holster. I also noticed it shifted position slightly wearing one throughout the day. Also, I have seen the holster ripped out of someone's waistband along with the gun during a weapon retention situation in training. Just my .02.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Dang.

Maybe I should rething this holster.

Theres just so many choices for IWB J-frames!! I don't know what to do!

 

[Phaedrus/69]

My LCR is about the same size as a J-frame. This is how the Garrett Silent Thunder fits it:







I couldn't be happier with how this carries and conceals.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Looks very nice, I would prefer to have the clip offset from the cylinder though to reduce width.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

Something more like this?





This is Garrett's Revolver IWB. This one is for my 3" Ruger LCRx. The clip is offset from the cylinder for just the reason you mention. However I prefer the other one. They cylinder of the LCR (or a J-frame for that matter) is so thin that it's not really necessary to more the clip IMO. Especially since doing so tends to make the body of the holster wider than it would otherwise need to be. My LCR is almost exactly the same width/thickness of most of my HK carry guns.

 

[Ironman]

Clipdraw my friend. Clipdraw

 

[Zerodefect]

Crossbreed Supertuck is as thin as a holster can be.

I forget if it's the Supertuck or Minituck for the Jframes. Both aren't available.