I wanted a place to discuss my handguns and firearms in general. Everyone seemingly has lots to say about guns, so I promise you this won't be a rant blog.
So, I received the holster shell for the Canik TP9 Elite SC on Saturday.
I installed it on my Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 holster base, although I hat to mess around with the mounting screws and bushings to customize the fit. As well, I used blue thread locker on the screws. I’ve been carrying the handgun in this holster half the day. It carries well with this holster. It doesn’t protect from the grip texture, though, but I installed rubber Talon Grip tape on the grips on Saturday, as well, so the texture doesn’t beat up my skin.
I’ve yet to give the N8 Tactical holster a try. Maybe soon.
Also, I want to give the holster that came with the handgun another try, soon, too.
I found that I’ve another box of Hevi Shot 100-gr frangible 9mm ammo. I shot most of a box (of 50) from the TP9 SC. I think I may attempt to use this ammo as SD/HD ammo. It shoots flat and doesn’t jam the handgun.
UPDATE:
I’ve been giving the Alien Gear holster a try, carrying it around the house. It carries well but the included Canik holster works surprisingly well. I still do not know which I’ll use. I suppose I can use all three over a long time span and report on my findings. So, with that being said, I’ll be carrying with the Alien Gear first!
Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 with TP9 Elite SC shell
TP9 Elite SC in the included holster provided by Canik
I revisited the range a few weeks ago with the Canik TP9 Elite SC again, using different ammo. I used some light for caliber ammo (90-grain 9mm), as well as some 124- and 147-grain, hoping that one of those would lessen the recoil.
While I love the handgun, it is snappy as hell. Keep in mind, I’ve been carrying a Springfield Armory XD45 Mod 2 subcompact the past 2 years, so when I say the TP9 SC is snappy, I’m not joking. And, prior to carrying that handgun, I was carrying the XD9 Mod 2 subcompact, which I also shoot well.
I’m not sure why I can shoot the XD45 without worrying about snap while I can shoot the XD9 and XD45 without issue. It could be that the XDs have great grip texturing while the TP9 SC’s grip texturing isn’t quite as robust.
I’m going to attempt to carry the TP9 SC. I’ve ordered some rubber Talon Grips for it. I’ve also swapped out the backstrap for the large one. I’m hoping that the backstrap alone will help me get a better purchase on the grip so that I can better control the muzzle flip. The Talon Grips will certainly help with that, too. I’m not sure when the Talon Grips will be delivered but hopefully I’ll have them within the next 7 days. While I’m waiting for them to arrive, I’ll visit the range and work on grip control with this handgun.
I also ordered a N8 Tactical OT2 IWB holster. I didn’t purchase a kydex holster, as I wanted a holster that would protect me from the grip’s texturing…it was rubbing me raw when I was test-carrying the handgun around the house. I can also order an Alien Gear shell for the TP9 SC (I’ve several Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 holsters), but I’ll do that if I find I don’t like the N8 Tactical holster.
Update (12/27/2021): I’ve been using the N8 Tactical holster as my primary holster, mainly because it keeps the grip texture from my skin. I sometimes use the OEM holster and sometimes use the Alien Gear hybrid holster, as well, but the go-to holster is the N8 Tactical holster.
I didn’t have a good picture of the gun…I only had the pictures I took the day I picked up the gun from the gun shop.
I now have three extra mags for it (five total). That arrived yesterday, along with 1000 rounds of Wolf 9mm 115-grain FMJ ammo.
The N82 Tactical Professional holster also arrived. I’m not in love with it. It doesn’t fit like the one for my Bersa. The hard shell is large and bulky, because the gun is large and bulky, I guess, but my Alien Gear feels more comfortable. Because of the large shell, it is difficult to put on my hip…it’s very difficult to fit it in the gap between my body and waistband of my pants, and I’ve a good 1″+ of space. I’m trying to give it time to grow on me…it’s not really going to break in enough for me to begin to like it. It’s a shame because it’s a nice holster. I like the retention system. I like the professional look and feel of the holster. I like the way you can adjust cant. It’s just larger than I thought.
I suppose since the ammo and magazines have arrived, I’ve no excuse to not visit the range tomorrow.
My P320 subcompact grip assembly arrive today. I can already tell that it’s the better size just by gripping it in my hand. I’ll swap out the gun’s slide and FCU tomorrow and maybe use a tape measure to get measurements (I’ve no calipers).
Oh, I’m still awaiting my stealth controls to arrive. I’ve no idea when they’ll show or how they’ll show. It’ll arrive via USPS, almost certainly…I don’t know when, though. I’m thinking I might keep the PX4 as an F-type. F-type isn’t bothering me like I thought it would, since I just keep it off of safe.
I received the Alien Gear holster shell for the SP2022. I used the compact backing from the Sig P320 holster that I have. The gun carries well but is quite a big bulkier than my Grand Power P11. I’ve adjusted the cant so that it’s leaning forward, which helps a bit in hiding the longer grip.
I received the Alien Gear holster shell for the SP2022. I used the compact backing from the Sig P320 holster that I have. The gun carries well but is quite a big bulkier than my Grand Power P11. I’ve adjusted the cant so that it’s leaning forward, which helps a bit in hiding the longer grip.
I’m 5′ 7″ and 175-180 lb. I tend to carry with a shirt over my firearm, usually a T-shirt or golf shirt that is untucked. Today, I’m straight from work (have to be tucked in, but I usually wear something over my shirt (sweater or bigger shirt or sweater). I think it’s important to know how I carry so that you know my carry experience. The belt is a Galco 1.5″. The holster is an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0.
Camera is at 3 o’clock position – holster is at 4 o’clock
Camera is at 4 o’clock position – holster is at 4 o’clock
Camera is at 5 o’clock position – holster is at 4 o’clock
Oh, and those pinky extension magazine base plates? I ordered some flat ones but to be honest, it’s a trivial concern…trust me, it’s not going to make all that much of a difference if you’re coming from a subcompact and are opting for a handgun of the size of the SP2022. I kid you not. I will more than likely return those mag base plates or sell them.
By the way, I ordered those flat mag base plates from RoCo Firearms. They are currently $12.50 each. I’m not sure if I posted their origins, but if not…
I have not carried this gun outside of the house (yet). It is more comfortable than I imagined (so far). The magazine is empty, though, but I don’t think a loaded mag will make much of a difference…it’s not the weight that will bother me (I’ve a good holster and belt). The bulkiness of the gun is probably all I need to get accustomed to.
I also received the Alien Gear holster shell for the Beretta I bought last night. I’m curious on how that will carry. In fact, I just might have an IWB bake-off between the Beretta and Sig. It will be interesting, since they both have similar manual of arms, both are polymer guns, both are similar in width, height, and weight (the Beretta is shorter, though, I believe).
My sister’s birthday is today. She’s 40 years old. I got tired of trying to guess what she wanted and asked her to tell me if she needed/wanted anything. She said she wanted ammo.
She has a Walther PPK/S .380ACP. She has a North Carolina concealed handgun permit and carries as much as she can (she’s also a federal employee, so she can’t carry anywhere near work…she can’t even leave her weapon in her car while on work property).
I bought her 200 rounds of Winchester Personal Protection JHP ammo. It’s JHP ammo that is designed for defense (it is not range ammo). I told her to ensue that she shoots 25 or so rounds to ensure the gun can fire the ammo without feed or extraction issues.
When speaking on the phone with her, she also stated she’d been watching my Facebook posts and had gotten herself an Alien Gear IWB holster (the Cloak Tuck 2.0). I was very surprised, as I thought she was carrying in her purse. She asked for belt suggestions. I told her to go back to where she bought her gun (in Fayetteville) and ask them if she could try her 1.25″ belts (she shouldn’t need anything bigger for the PPK/S). I told her that a good strong belt is essential but she’s already been wearing the holster and says it’s extremely comfortable for her.
On a different note, I saw someone on the forums complaining about their P320 Subcompact’s round trigger guard and the fact that the grip module assembly might not fit in other holsters designed for other sizes of P320 handguns. Well, I’ve a P320 Compact shell for my cloak Tuck 3.0 IWB holster. I’ve the P320 Compact and have the parts to convert it to Subcompact. I converted it and tested fitment in the aforementioned holster…it fits without issue, probably because I’m using the Compact slide with the Subcompact grip module. In that configuration, the slide dictates fitment more than the SC’s trigger guard. That’s a good thing, since I didn’t want any more holsters / shells.
I ordered a sub-compact grip module for my Sig Sauer P320 Compact handgun.
I couldn’t find ANY place that had the medium sub-compact grip modules in stock, though, so I settled for the small module. The main difference between the two is that the grip is a tad smaller (in girth and thickness) on the small grip module assembly, and the medium has an accessory rail while the small does not.
I also ordered 2 sub-compact magazines (12 round capacity). I can use the mags that came with my Compact but they’d stick out a bit and be more difficult to conceal. Sig Sauer also sells mag sleeves for the Compact mags so that they can more easily be used with the sub-compact frame, but that wouldn’t help with the length of the mags and kind of defeats the purpose of going down a size (if the grip will print easily, it’s counter-productive).
I also will have to contact Alien Gear to see if I can swap my SP2022 holster shell for a P320 Sub-compact shell. The P320 Compact shell I have will not fit the P320 Sub-compact.
The grip module is plain black. I’d thought of getting OD green or FDE but I couldn’t find any in stock. I can always paint the grip module if I desire a different color.
I’ll be using the Compact slide on the small Sub-compact grip module. It’s been verified that this type of modification will work without issue. I don’t want to have to buy the Sub-compact slide when the Compact will work fine.
I’ve been itching to buy a new gun but this is the next best thing…can’t beat converting a gun!
I posted about my Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 purchase back on April 3rd.
Well, four months and a few days later, I’ve noticed that the inner plastic lining has cracked and is making some noise when it flexes. After only four months of occasional wear (I do not carry daily, but maybe 4 out of 7 days in the week). I bought two of them, each with a different shell, but I only use the one I bought for my Springfield. I supposed if it really bugs me, I can swap the XD shell to the non-cracked holster, but that’s just robbing Peter to pay Paul.
I should contact Alien Gear to see if they can replace the liner with their new steel material. Or, I can just order a new set of the 3.0 version. Or, I can go with another holster maker. :/
UPDATE:
Here’s a 4 month review video:
I ended up ordering a new 3.0 holster base to replace this one. I did not want to end up having to send the cracked one back to Alien Gear and not being able to carry while waiting for them to ship me new one.
I also ended up ordering two new holsters of the 3.0 variant, for my P320C and Glock 19. Additionally, I ordered an extra shell for my 22TCM (railed) 1911.
I ordered two Cloak Tuck 2.0 in-waistband holsters from Alien Gear on 3/1. I was informed that the wait could be 4-6 weeks, but they shipped on 3/26. I received the holsters on 3/30 (the shipment was 2-day Priority but took 3 days).
The holsters are awesome. I got one for my Commander-sized 1911s and one for my XD Mod.2. I also bought an extra shell for my SP2022.
The holsters come with a lifetime warranty and I can exchange all three shells for other shells, free of charge for the life of the holsters/shells. The build quality appears to be good. They also came with spare parts (extra screws and grommets). They also came with detailed instructions on how to adjust cant and retention, as well as how to put it on and how to best wear it.
I’ve been wearing the XD Mod.2 holster all week, trying to get used to IWB. The space of the pants you wear with the holsters make all the difference in the world (as well as a strong gun belt). Most of my jeans have shrunk (no, I’m not fat and have recently lost 10 lb with much of it being off my waist), so I may need to go out and get more jeans and/or cargo pants. My dress and work pants appear to be OK, though I can’t carry at work, so that doesn’t really matter as long as I’m on work property.
I think I’m going to trade my SP2022 shell for a Glock 19 or P320 Compact one.
I highly recommend Alien Gear. Just be prepared for a long wait before the product ships. It’s worth the wait, in my opinion.
I submitted for my concealed carry permit on 13 February 2015. I received the permit on 21 February. I’m now able to carry concealed. Yes, that is probably a record timeframe of submittal and approval for the state of Virginia.
I carried for the first time today. I carried the majority of the day. I decided to carry my XD 9 Mod.2. The holster I used was a Blackhawk nylon holster (non-ambidextrous with no mag holder). I was actually looking locally for the Blackhawk ambidextrous holster with mag holder (product #40AM06BK, specifically)…I tried two Walmart stores but someone has been opening the packages, removing the holsters and switching them, because I’d bought two holsters and upon getting them home, I’d found that the holster in the package wasn’t what was advertised on the package’s labeling. The first holster wasn’t even close to what I was looking for, as it was a large holster made of slick black nylon. The second holster (what I’ve since discovered is a Blackhawk Sportster in size 8) wasn’t what I was looking for but was a small holster that was able to hold my two sub-compacts and three compacts (I’ve no idea if it’ll hold my SP2022, but I doubt it…that gun borders on being full-sized).
So, if you’re looking for a cheap (~$20) holster, this may fit the bill. Most people do not like cheap holsters, but it fit my XD 9 perfectly and didn’t feel uncomfortable. I kept the holster at my 4-o’clock strong side and wore a long thick plaid work shirt over it (my wife said I wasn’t printing). I probably need a better (stronger) leather belt, but the one I was using is actually pretty thick…there was only a tad bit of sag. I’ll look for a better belt tomorrow, as the local gun stores will be open and I’m off work.
What other guns will fit in this holster? My Glock 19 fits perfectly and will slide in/out without issue, as will my XD. My Grand Power P11 fits well, also (not as good as the XD, though). My P320 fits great but the take-down lever hangs on the inside of the holster when trying to remove it. I’m wondering if a bit of tape will fix the issue, but I also realize that I should be glad I can use this holster with the other 3 guns without issue. I want to reiterate that this is probably one of the few holsters you’ll find that fits the Grand Power P11…there are NONE specifically made for the P11, so I searched for holsters that would support guns of similar size/dimensions.
I’ve also ordered two Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 IWB holsters: One for my 1911 commanders and one for my XD 9. I also ordered an extra shell for the Sig SP2022. When I was looking, I saw that they had a two-holster combo deal, which was a lot cheaper than I’d thought it would be to buy two. UPDATE: I’ve received the holsters and conducted a quick assessment here.
The above pictures highlight a potential issue: The 1911 shown doesn’t have an ambi-safety like my RIA does. The right side of the holster doesn’t look to be able to accomodate an ambi-safety. I’m not sure if that means I’ll have to alter the holster. :/ UPDATE – No, the ambi-safety doesn’t cause any fitment issues.
I also bought a Pro Carry HD from The Holster Store. It’s supposed to be an IWB holster but I keep looking at it, wondering, how the hell is it supposed to mount to your belt? I guess I’ll see when I get it tomorrow. Another thing that grabbed my attention (but only just now and not when I’d ordered it) was this blurb buried within the description:
The Pro Carry HD can be worn both both strong side and cross draw. For carrying this item in the small of back inside the waistband, you will need to select the opposite shooting hand.
I plan to carry my gun at the 4-o’clock position with this holster, but this holster won’t give me the option of carrying in the small of the back IWB, which limits me. If I’m understanding the maker correctly, if I want to carry IWB in the small of my back with this holster, I would need to buy a left-hand holster? Thinking on it a bit, and if that’s indeed the case, that would be the more comfortable way to draw a weapon from behind your back…I might order another of these just to try it out.
The Pro Carry HD is also described as being bulky by customer comments on Amazon, although some customers are defending it by reminding gun owners that they should be buying pants with enough waist room to allow for such a holster.
So, tomorrow, I trek to find a nice gun belt (or even two, if they’re priced decently). I’ve one gun store in mind (Trinue in Warrenton), and if the pricing is too high, maybe Guns and Ammo Warehouse. UPDATE: I ended up going to The Gun Shop, which didn’t have any belts, so they sent me to Virginia Arms, and I left with a black Galco 1.5″ gun belt. I also plan to go shooting either tomorrow or Tuesday morning. I need to begin the break-in process of the Glock 19, my P320, and my GP P11. I will probably carry the XD there so that I can fire off a box of SD rounds (Remington HTP +P 115-grain JHP) to see how well the XD responds to that ammo.
