Are you a fan of shoulder holsters?
What about 1911 style pistols?
Alien Gear Holsters sent out to me for review their model 1911 Cloak Shoulder Holster.
Alien Gear Holsters Cloak Shoulder Holster is a cross of old school and new technology wrapped up into a versatile carry option. The straps are padded with CoolVent neoprene. The holster and magazine base pads also have plenty of padding. Belt hooks keep the rig where it should be and not riding up. They are available in black, brown or tan leather. The magazine base pads and holster pads also are self adjustable for the cant of choice. A manual thumb break can be added if you choose and was included also with extra spacers, screws and other accouterments needed for a perfect fit.
With my supplied review holster is for the standard 1911 size handgun. I chose to try it out with both a SDS Imports Model 1911 A1 Pistol and the SDS Imports 1911 Duty B45 Pistol.
Adjusting the Alien Gear Holsters Cloak Shoulder Holster took only a few minutes. I am 6′ tall and keep a slim build. My preferred way to carry a shoulder holster is high and tight to my body. I adjusted the holster straps to the smallest length possible and found the fit perfect. Readers should note if you are a larger build there should be plenty of strap length for your measurements.
I found that the magazine holders might need to be adjusted for the right tension for different single stack 1911 magazines. Smooth sided commercial mags needed more retention than the rougher finish mil-spec versions. This can be done quickly though using the Allen wrench cleverly stashed away in the magazine holders themselves.
The manual thumb safety can be used also with the passive retention of the holster itself. That feature worked great on the SDS Imports Model 1911 A1 Pistol. It was however not a good option though for the SDS Imports 1911 Duty B45 Pistol. The extended safety on that pistol could inadvertently be pushed aside by the manual thumb safety itself while the pistol is in condition one in the holster. At this point I realized after adjustments that there was more than enough positive retention without the manual thumb safety so I took it off. The best part of the Alien Gear Cloak Shoulder Holster is it’s user friendly and can be configured to your own personal needs easily within minutes.
Well how does it work in the real world of concealed carry? First off the comfort is very good. Everything is padded where it should be. Also the rig stays in place after you properly adjust it to your measurements and preferences. The whole system is very user friendly. For carrying a full size all steel handgun such as the 1911 the holster distributes the weight well. No more pulling up your pants when packing heavy protection.
What to wear over it? I used a flannel shirt with plenty of room so that any possible muzzle protrusion past my back was not noticeable. Under a jacket, vest or coat even better concealment would could be acquired. What about under a roomy sweatshirt or pullover? Sure why not? Use your imagination and of course your wardrobe you already own.
The Cloak Shoulder Holster is made in the USA, and comes backed by their Iron-Clad Guarantee. This includes a 30 Day Test Drive trial period after purchase, and the Forever Warranty for the lifetime of the holster. They’ll even trade retention shells with you if you trade in your gun for a new model. What more could you ask for?
Be sure to check out the Alien Gear Cloak Shoulder Holster and all of the other great concealment options on the Alien Gear Holsters website.
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NEXT: ALIEN GEAR CLOAK CHEST HOLSTER IN REVIEW