Thursday, April 17, 2008

Crossbreed SuperTuck: Long-Term Review

In my original review I outlined my initial impressions of Crossbreed's SuperTuck holster. At that time I had worn the holster for a few weeks. As of today it has been over 8 months since I started wearing my SuperTuck daily with my Sig P239. I wanted to give people a longer term review to know what they can expect with owning one of Crossbreed's holsters.

Here's a brief recap (for more detail read my original review). This is a Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe IWB (inside the waistband) tuckable holster using V-clips (velcro clips) molded for a Sig P239 in 9mm. It is constructed with a large leather backing and a stiff piece of molded kydex to cover the firearm. The strong points this holster offers are it's adjustability, comfort, concealability and a very reasonable price.

Clothing Wear:
You might be wondering why I'm starting off with 'Clothing Wear' as my first section. The reason is to help explain the pictures you'll see for those who only care about pictures (you know who you are). Below you'll see what I mean by clothing wear. This is something that won't show up until extended wear with the same pair of pants.

The circled area is where the muzzle of my P239 has rubbed a spot on my Wrangler cargo pants (my favorite for looks & utility and yes I am carrying in that picture). It's not the best picture of it, but I think it shows what can happen. I've got a navy pair of Old Navy pants where it's worn an actual hole (I think my wife threw those away because of it). I found those pair of pants here's a picture showing how bad the wear is.Now why did I get this wear? Well one reason is because I carry at about 4:30 so when I sit (which I sit a lot for work) causes my gun to press against whatever chair I'm in. By the way that is in no way uncomfortable. I can go 14+ hours carrying this way without any discomfort. If I carried at closer to 3:00 I most likely wouldn't get this wear. Unfortunately, because of my luv handles that is not the most comfortable position. Another reason why my pants wear this way is due to the open muzzle design of the SuperTuck. A closed muzzle design would typically mute the somewhat hard edges of my firearm and cause less abrasion to my pants. Below you can see my solution to this problem.


I picked up a bag of scrap leather from the local Tandy Leather and used a larger section to trim up and cover the exposed muzzle. Then I used a leather punch and two chicago screws to fasten it to the holster leather backing. I've only done this just recently so I don't know if this is solve it long term, though feeling it through the pants there is a noticeable improvement at that spot. The great thing about this mod is that the only permanent thing I had to do to the main holster itself was punch two small holes.

Durability:
Here is a picture of the holster very shortly after I received it.

And here is a picture of my holster as it is over 8 months later including all the mods that I have done.
You can see that the leather has aged to a nice tan color. It has picked up some indentions from the gun and has developed a comfortable curve where it has conformed to my waist, but otherwise has held up very well. You will notice that I did trim a bit of the leather to aid a full grip. The clips which I initially worried about the velcro peeling off have weathered hundreds of on/off transitions without any indication of peeling or fraying. They work great for support and concealment though the velcro part is much longer than my 1.5" belt so I have to be careful when I first put it on so that it doesn't poke out the bottom of the belt and become visible. It's not a big deal and I haven't had to trim them at all.* The kydex section doesn't show any wear at all. It still holds the gun loosely until I have my belt tightened, but I have never had any fear that my gun would fall out. Overall, I can see this holster lasting many years without much additional wear than what it already has on it.
*Edit - got my new velcro lined belt from Crossbreed and it included new clips with it which are of the same design, but are sized just right for the belt and are totally hidden when tucked now.



Gun Wear:
The Nitron finish on Sig's aren't known to be anything close to Glock's Tennifer finish and below it shows.
Because of the loose fit of the kydex, the gun does have a little room to shift and that shifting has caused some finish wear on the slide. You can't tell from this picture, but just to the left of the pin behind the extractor on the rolled edge the blued finish has been polished all the way off. On the muzzle end of the gun this is also some wear where the front of the slide contacts the leather. Now I'm no gun snob and I realize that an EDC gun will get holster wear so this kind of wear on this kind of finish is acceptable to me. Now if I had a hard chromed slide and the holster was able to chew through that finish then I'd be upset. I'm actually thinking about refinishing the slide in the future (maybe hard chrome, maybe NP3, maybe try to find a super tough black finish). This particular P239 was made in 1996 and has seen about a solid year's worth of daily carry IWB. Before that it mostly sat in it's case. I'm glad that I can give it some use.

Conclusion:
The SuperTuck is a really good holster with only a couple tweaks away from being truely great. In it's role as a tuckable IWB concealment holster I can't imagine anything more comfortable and if you want to CCW 24/7; sitting, standing, driving, bending, twisting, turning, squatting and plain living then you can't go wrong with Crossbreed's SuperTuck. If you must keep the finish of your gun perfect then get it hard chromed or some other ultra tough finish because standard blue finishes will wear with use (no getting around that) and this holster like all others will wear that finish over time. The tweaks I made with my holster are simple & effective and in my mind only reflect what works for me. YMMV ("Your Mileage May Vary")

22 comments:

Unknown said...

This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for in a holster review. Been looking for something for my Glock 19/26, and it looks like I found a winner. Thanks for the post :)

Unknown said...

Wow! Great job. You could really get a following with your blog with awesome information like this. You saw a problem and fixed it!

Unknown said...

Great review! Just what I was looking for! I have one of these holsters coming to me in a few days. I really like the long term review standpoint and I may do what you did and get a scrap piece of leather to protect my pants/shorts from muzzle wear. My EDC is currently a Taurus Mil PT140 Pro and it has a total length of 6" so I'll wait and see just how far the muzzle sticks out to judge whether it's going to need pant protection.

MavMan said...

I like the reviews, which almost convinces me to get the Supertuck. Does anyone know if the molded piece easily fits a 5 shot 38 2" revolver?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the review. I'm looking for my 1st iwb holster, & am pretty much lost. I hear lots of stories of how people end up with a ton of holsters before they finally find 1 they want, & I am trying to just find the right 1 the 1st time. This thing seems pretty wide, & unnecissarily big, but who knows, I'll figure it out.

Unknown said...

GREAT REVIEW ERIC!!! I, too, am looking for a tuckable IWB holster that actually works! My EDC is a Taurus PT111 Milenium Pro, 9mm, loaded with Remington 124 gr. +P Golden Sabres. My current holster is a DeSantis "Cozy Partner" IWB. It fits the gun ok, but the belt straps are too close together and it tends to rock back and forth so that every time I get up from a sitting position, I have to discreetly "re-adjust". Not good. I really like the SuperTuck's wide belt clip spacing. That would seem to me to eliminate the tilt / rocking problem I have now. Also, the large leather backing seems like it would also add to the overall comfort (especially after it breaks in) of the holster. I understand that carrying a defensive handgun should be more "comfortING" than "comfortABLE", so if one can have BOTH, then I say DO IT!! And so I shall, as soon as I log-off! THANKS AGAIN!!! Jim S.

Unknown said...

After reading this and several similar reviews, I ordered a Supertuck for my Glock 36. My first impression was that this was one big, ugly holster. Still, thin profile, lots of adjustability for depth & cant; I figured I'd give it a go. Pretty is as pretty does, right? Three weeks of everyday carry have proved you right on every point. Thanks for the straight dope on a really outstanding product.

Unknown said...

Well, I logged off on June 10th and ordered my SuperTuck Deluxe. I was amazed when it came in the mail TODAY!! Eight days after I ordered it!!! It fits the gun perfectly! As for comfort?..all I can say is...WOW!!! This is, without question, the most comfortable, out-of-the-box holster I have ever owned...period! And from what I've been reading, it gets better after it's broken in! I cringe when I think about the money I've wasted over the years on holsters that just didn't quite work out. Now I'm thinking about ordering one for my XD-9 Tactical!---Thanks again, Eric, for the great info!!!

s0nspark said...

Eric - if you do end up wanting a better black finish for your Sig, I'd recommend Ionbond's Diamond Black...

Thanks for a great review! I am going to be ordering a Supertuck soon for my Glock 19 and I may just go ahead and ask Mark @ Crossbreed to include your mod ;-)

Counsel said...

I just started using my supertuck with my .40 P239. I expect my EDC to have some wear, but I want to protect my investment and my EDC to make sure it always works as I expect. Nothing wrong with it continuing to look good too :)

I saw the Ionbond recommendation for a new finish. Anyone have any experience with them or any other "new" finish on their Sig?

Unknown said...

you can also look into cerahide or cerakote. If your part of sigforum, the guys there can give you some sort of discount. I just got the supertuck as well for my p239 sas, but haven't worn it enough to see any major wear on the gun.

Pack Man said...

I was really torn between the Super Tuck by Cross Breed Holsters and the MTAC by Minotaur Holsters. On the one hand,Minotaur offers interchangeable kydex, so your expensive holster can fit multiple guns. On the other hand, the Super Tuck has a larger leather backing and has more kydex selections. In the end, my decision was made for me. Only CBH has the kydex for my current EDC (CZ 82). I wanted that one anyway, because that big piece of leather covers more skin keeping my hammer from digging into my side.

Mike508 said...

Great review. Just ordered a Supertuck for my Glock 36. Can't wait for it to come in. Look forward to any future posts you might have.

Joe said...

This review is a couple years old but still very good. Comfort is a big deal for me when carrying 24/7. The weapon I want to conceal is smaller than yours SP-101 w 3.5"bl in .357. Thanks for the knowlege. You put it forth in a very professional manner. Gunny G USMC

donboggs said...

Just finished reading this old post and I thank you for the information. A really good review. Hope you sent this to Crossbreed and maybe they will incorporate your
"adjustments"

donboggs said...

Just finished reading this old post and I thank you for the information. A really good review. Hope you sent this to Crossbreed and maybe they will incorporate your
"adjustments"

GSmith32953 said...

Bought my "Super Tuck" about 6 months ago for my Glock 30 (mid-size .45). It's perfect!!!! I wear in inside and outside the waistband. MY Glock 30 shows no wear from taking in and out of the holster, and I use it a ton. It has great retention, but still draws without much drag and doesn't pull my belt/pants up when I do. The leather backing is great for comfort and you can adjust the cant of the holster by adjusting the J-hooks. I just purchased a Glock 19 (mid-size 9.mm) and am in the process of purchasing another crossbreed super tuck. Concealment & comfort are the best, and I have tried plenty of holsters before. In my opinion, nothing compares.

May 14, 2012

Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

Michael M said: This was a great review. It was honest, informative, and to the point. I recently purchased 3 Super Tuck holsters from Crossbreed. I purchased one for my my .40 caliber S&W Shield, one for my XDs Springfield .45, and one for my Sig 239 .40 caliber. I can honestly say that this hard earned money was very well spent. All 3 pistols weigh in the excess of approximately 23 to 30 ounces fully loaded. The Sig 239, which is approximately 30 ounces loaded, is an extremely comfortable carry. I wear all 3 holsters (IWB) at 3 o'clock. These 3 firearms are NOT small. Though all 3 guns are somewhat hefty, the Crossbreed holster is EXTREMELY comfortable for the all day carry! You will not be sorry for investing in these quality holsters. Also, it should be noted, that Crossbreed's Customer Service is exceptional. Michael M.

MIke said...

I recently purchased my second CrossBreed Supertuck for my new Kimber Micro 9MM. I had enjoyed my previous holster from them for my Beretta PX4 Storm.

Unfortunately, the new holster damaged the finish on my new Kimber in 6 places.

I returned the holster along with photos of the damage. CrossBreed's response: "Would you like us to send you a gift certificate for a new holster?" My response: "Will the gift certificate pay to refinish my ruined new Kimber?"

Anyone who does not stand behind their product and step up to the plate to make restitution for damages caused by their product does not deserve to be in business.

If you have a nice pistol that you care about...DO NOT CARRY IT IN ONE OF THE THESE HOLSTERS!

Mike
Conway, AR

bgbmagic said...

Mike,

Sorry to hear about your Kimber...but...Kydex will wear on most any handgun. Kimber is NOT known for the most "hardened" finishes out there. I bought an $800 Solo (complete disappointment) and the finish was wearing by just disassembly. Their Kim-Pro finish is weak at best. I also have a Kimber micro .380 but would NEVER put it against Kydex...plastic on this light black metal finish will not turn out well. Cordura or leather only...common sense dictates.
Friction is a natural law and will never change.

Brian B.

ahmadqureshi said...

I have a Glock 17,19 and 23 and they all fit in this very nice CrossBreed Holster. I have several others from Don Hume to Galco but the CrossBreed is the most comfortable and concealable of them all. I'm a Big Man, and wear it around 330-345 and no one knows I'm carrying. I highly recommend this SuperTuck! My concealment method is I wear a undershirt, (T-shirt) with another ss short not tucked in. Works great for me.
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