I have been carrying a handgun both in a duty holster and concealed for four decades now. When I started this journey, you either purchased a quality leather holster, thus earning respect from your peers, or you went cheap and bought a stitched nylon P.O.S. and kept your purchase to yourself.
Of course, the attraction of the nylon holsters back then, in addition to the price point, was that they were made with loose tolerances to fit multiple models of handguns. We termed these “one-size fits nothing” holsters because any gun you put into one of these moved, flopped or shifted around while you were carrying it. Those things are still available from discount stores for people who aren’t at all serious about carrying a handgun.
The moral of the story: if you wanted a quality holster that held your handgun securely in place, particularly for concealment, you needed to shell out the cash for a moulded leather rig. If you were lucky, you might find a gently used leather rig for your particular handgun in the “used holster” bin at your local gun shop. That was yet another benefit of frequenting a privately owned shop versus one of the corporate chain stores.
The Inside-the-Waistband Dilemma
Even forty years ago, just about every holster maker offered some type of IWB holster. The majority were designed to be worn in the 4 to 5 o’clock position on the strong side. Appendix and/or spleen carry wasn;t really a popular thing yet.
The only guns we regularly wore tucked into the front of our waistbands back then were compact J-frames for special circumstances. For years I tried out different IWB holsters, from quality makers, and yet I could never find one that I could wear all day without the constant nagging need to shift or adjust it.
Sometime around February of 2011, I met Mark Craighead, the founder of CrossBreed Holsters. The flagship product at that time was the SuperTuck Deluxe, a hybrid IWB holster with a genuine leather backer and a Kydex pocket for the gun. I explained to Mark that I had tried numerous IWB holsters and had given up on the idea.
Mark said to me; “Do me a favor, try it out for a few days and give me your honest feedback. If you don’t like it, I’ll accept that.” I got a Super Tuck with a horsehide leather backer for my GLOCK 19 and I mated it with a quality leather belt.
I didn’t need a few days. After wearing the rig for only two days, from dawn to dusk, I was sold. It was not just comfortable, the holster supported the pistol in such a way that it never shifted around and I never felt the need to fiddle or fart around with it. So perfectly did the holster fit that I found myself “bump-checking” the gun with my right elbow to make sure it was still there. With every previous IWB holster I was constantly aware of the gun’s presence.
CrossBreed MultiFlex
Well, here we are fifteen years later and the upstart SuperTuck hybrid now seems like the “old model.” Every holster maker on the planet first ridiculed the SuperTuck and then they ripped it off in one form or another. During the last decade, CrossBreed has become masters of injection molding and combining polymers with other materials such as leather and nylon.
The latest creation to come out of Springfield, Missouri, is the MultiFlex IWB/OWB holster. Going back to that “one-size fits nothing” discussion, what CrossBreed has done is combine polymer holster construction with multiple adjustment points.
The MultiFlex comes in two basic configurations: Full Size and Compact. So, for duty guns, like the G17 or Canik METE SFT, you’d use the full-size variant. For something like a SIG 365 or Canik MC9LS, you could choose the compact model. According to their website, the MultiFlex can accommodate more than 275 handgun models.
From the factory, the MultiFlex is set up for IWB with steel belt clips. However, each holster ships with belt loops and the end user can convert it for OWB carry should they desire. The stock unit was deliberately built to meet a desirable price point being only $51.95 MSRP (it’s listed on their site now for $38.96).
I ordered the optional neoprene “comfort backer” for mine as my desire is to put my gun on in the morning and leave it there until I go to bed at night. They offer a paddle backer as another option for those who desire that method. Also, while I was on the CB website, I put one of their Confidant single mag carriers in my cart. The Confidant will hold single stack and double stack magazines securely on your belt.
When I got my compact version of the MultiFlex I fitted it to my Canik MC9LS 9mm pistol. The adjustment points are found on the back/triggerguard side of the holster and all you need is a narrow Phillips head screwdriver. With an empty pistol in the holster, it took me all of a couple of minutes to snug the adjustment points to my preferred tension level. I also used the same screwdriver to add the “comfort backer” to my personal MultiFlex holster.
While I’m not getting rid of my many SuperTuck Deluxe rigs, I see the MultiFlex as being an extremely attractive option for dedicated gun carriers who are serious about wearing their self-defense pistol all-day without exception. Though my friend Mark left us to go on to his reward, CrossBreed remains a family-owned company with a stellar reputation for quality and customer service.
Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student of the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.