CrossBreed Holsters are well known for their inside-the-waistband holsters. But they make some very good outside-the-waistband holsters as well. The SnapSlide OWB you see here may be the most simple holster CrossBreed makes. It doesn’t bother, for example, with a sweat shield, a feature that some people find indispensable. But not me. I often wear a tucked-in T-shirt when I carry. And I don’t fear my guns enduring a little moisture, because I know I’ll clean them regularly. But I didn’t choose the SnapSlide because I didn’t want a sweat shield. I chose it because I wanted a very simple OWB that offered me an ultra-low profile and a fast and sure combat grip. The absence of the sweat shield is of little consequence; if anything, it enhances grip and draw. So I don’t sweat it much. And you shouldn’t either.
The SnapSlide makes use of CrossBreed’s familiar mating of leather and plastic: leather for the backer and the part that slides on your belt and plastic for the part that carries the gun. High-quality rivets keep the two together, and the carrier is formed exactly to whatever gun you’ll be carrying in it. Installing it on your person requires threading your belt through the back loop, then through a pants belt loop, then through the holster’s front loop. Cinch it tight and it will not move. Suck in your gut a bit and you can slide it forward or backward a couple inches, depending on the placement of that pants belt loop through which you threaded your belt.
The SnapSlide rides high and tight, putting your gun very close to you at a slight forward cant. I like it best at 4 or 5 o’clock, which is a strong-side draw for me. At 5 o’clock, I can reach behind and grab my gun with my weak-side hand. A firm tug and the holster releases my gun. Reholstering is a snap, because the plastic carrier retains its shape. A simple motion of returning the gun to the holster and click, the holster grabs it.
This SnapSlide retails for $48.50. And despite its simplicity, SnapSlide can come in a variety of configurations. The leather backer can be Black Cowhide, Tan Premium Hard Rolled Cowhide or Natural Tan Horsehide (when available). And if you want a sweat guard, just let CrossBreed know and add $3 to your order. You can even order a sweat guard with a combat cut ($10.50). Just know that a sweat guard has the potential — depending on several factors, including your build and which gun you carry and how you carry it — to just barely get in the way of your draw. Usually it means pushing your thumb between the sweat guard and the gun’s stocks as you go for a draw.
Not sure which model or configuration to order? CrossBreed offers a two-week “try it free” guarantee and, on top of that, a lifetime guarantee. So as far as holster satisfaction goes, this one is no sweat!
