Mark Craighead (Crossbreed Holsters) We’ve lost a good man

As most of you know Mark Craighead, owner and designer of Crossbreed holsters, passed away last Friday from a heart attack. Mark has made a great number of contributions in the firearms world with his very innovative holsters as well as his many other activities most people aren’t aware of.

Anyone who keeps track of what’s new in our hobby know about his holsters but many don’t know what a fine man he was. He not only made one of the best concealment holsters you can buy he was also a contributor to many charities and was very active in the protection of our second amendment rights. He was also a fine family man who’s loss will be felt for a long time.

Mark started his business about three years ago from his home in Republic Missouri. Republic is a small town in southwest Missouri a stones throw from where I grew up in Springfield. I’ve spoken to Mark a good number of times and I’ve never known anyone who was as dedicated to his customers as he was. He always went that extra mile to ensure his customers got what they needed. He would even call customers himself which is rare these days.

Mark was too young to leave us but then God sure has a great guy with him! I’ll miss him. My prayers are with his family and those who’s lives he’s touched.

I’ve blogged about his holsters before if you want to read the review from 2010: https://gunner777.wordpress.com/?s=Crossbreed+Holsters

Read my gun reviews on “The Firearm Blog” as well as Gunners Journal

My reviews for GFS have been moved to “The Firearm Blog”

Hello all I wanted to announce I will be writing gun reviews weekly for the online gun shop and accessories dealer Guns for Sale.com. These reviews will be posted from now on at “The Firearm Blog”—link above:-) I will still post on Gunners Journal.
My ethics that apply to the blog will be in place as always so the reviews you read on Guns for Sale.com will be 100% correct and honest to the best of my ability.
Your questions and comments can be posted on their website and I will respond as quickly as possible as has always been the case here. They are good folks and I encourage you to look over the guns they stock at very fair prices.
The first article should be out in the next week or so.

Happy Shooting,
Phil
Gunner777

Crossbreed Holsters — The very best IWB holster made!

Springfield 1911 in a CrossBreed Super Tuck holster

     As many of you know from previous post I take my gun leather very seriously. When it comes to good leather and spending a good bit of money I’ll spend the money. The price of not investing in a quality holster can have disastrous consequences. This is one holster that doesn’t require an expensive investment yet you get the best IWB holster made! Make no mistake even the owner of Crossbreed holsters Mark Craighead says they are ugly:-) In this case beauty is in function. This holster is the most comfortable and functional IWB holster I’ve ever used and so much so it’s amazing.

Belt clips

    I’ve used this holster everyday for several weeks now and I have no complaints whatsoever as far as fit, function, comfort and the ability to hide a full size 1911 under a regular polo shirt. I believe the reason it works so well is the width of the leather backing that holds the kydex holster. It seems to distribute the weight over a greater area instead of holding all the weight in a 4 inch or so area. The Kydex holster is fairly thin but still stiff enough to hold the pistol securely and allow for easy re-holstering. You have a choice of belt clips. The standard ones are in the photo above and work just fine. You can also order the type that hook to your belt if you prefer. Most of the time I’ve used the clips that hold firmly on the belt but with the width of this holster the amount of area allows these types of clips to hold the whole rig very securely. They can also be adjusted for height and cant if you prefer.

    As you can see from the picture above the base of the holster flares at the base which makes it much easier and faster to draw you pistol. It also has an area behind the top of pistol that protects you skin from any abrasion which could be caused by the pistols hammer or sights. The following pictures show the holster on my right side with my shirt tucked in. As you can see or rather not see it conceals very well.

     From these pictures you have to be impressed with how well this holster conceals and this is with a full size 1911! Another feature I need to cover is not only is this holster comfortable even wearing it all day you really don’t even notice it’s there because of the way the design distributes weight.

   
    Any of the holsters Mark makes are available in cowhide or horsehide as well as tan or black in color. He also makes several other models to suit your needs. This will be my permanent choice in an IWB holster for all my CCW guns. Crossbreed Holsters can be ordered by contacting them at www.crossbreedholsters.com or by phone at 888-732-5011. The prices are great and you certainly won’t be sorry relying on this holster or any of the other IWB types.

Springfield Operator Milt Sparks Holster

This is a variation of the 55BN holster modified to fit the Springfield Operator 1911 with a rail system. The holster will also work on most railed 1911’s. The size of the holster isn’t much different than the original 55BN. If you look at the back of the holster you’ll notice it has two loops for a belt to go through. This is the same setup the old Bianchi Askins Avenger holster used. This holster holds your 1911 closer to your body than any other holster ever made. It’s very comfortable to wear for long periods of time and fits the gun like a glove which is typical of all Milt Sparks holsters. The mouth of the holster is reinforced so that reholstering is straight forward and very easy to perform. The holster is available in an FBI cant (butt slightly forward). The materials and construction of this holster is top notch all the way around. You may purchase this holster from Milt Sparks directly or you may find one in stock at http://www.lightningarms.com/products.htm. Craig and Audrey own this company and are fine people to deal with. I’ve been able to get two of my Milt Sparks holsters from them which were in stock and received within 5 days.

Milt Sparks Holters

I recently received a wonderful rig of holster, belt and mag pouch from Erik Little at Rafter L Combat Gunleather. Now since I crowned Milt Sparks top dog in holsters I have to back up a bit. Eriks holsters are second to none including Sparks. Now I know that’s a big statement to make but I’m willing to put my reputation on the line to say that Rafter L Gunleather is every bit as good as Milt Sparks products and has a couple of features Sparks holsters do not.
Erik has been able to craft a holster for my Hi Power that no bad guy will be able to remove from the holster which is like the 55BN that Sparks makes. That’s the difference Eriks keeps the pistol secure whereas the Sparks does not. Quality is so close there is no way to put one above the other. Features make the difference and that’s where Eriks product pulls ahead!
Erik can be reached at Combat Gunleather

The two holsters pictured are the 55BN on the right and the “Heritage” on the left. The 55BN is an old Bruce Nelson design which at one time was made by Bianchi as the Askins Avenger. Milt Sparks created this variation which rides high and is pulled tightly into the body by the belt loop on the back of the body of the holster. With the FBI cant it’s very concealable as well as being very comfortable. The fit is excellent with no concern of loosing your gun during strenuous activity. It’s been my favorite holster since 1980. The “Heritage” is also an old Bruce Nelson design updated my Milt Sparks. It is very comfortable to wear all day long. The construction is such that there are no uncomfortable spots anywhere on the holster. The mouth of the holster is reinforced such that it will not collapse with the gun removed and makes it super easy to re-holster. This is true of the 55BN also.I tend to use the Heritage in the summer months and the 55BN during the fall and winter. Both holsters ride so close to your body they never ever hang out away from your body giving away the fact your carrying. That and comfort are the two main reasons I always use Milt Sparks holsters. Some folks have mentioned the waiting time. Well there is a way around this most of the time. It’s a company that carries Sparks holsters in stock and they are wonderful to deal with. The website is Lightning Arms. You’ll speak with Craig or Audrey a husband and wife team that owns the company. The materials and production method are so good that you can reasonably expect the holsters they make to last for decades. They are the best holsters ever made! Just click anywhere on the darker gray text to go to the Lightning Arms Sports website.
Of course he offers mag pouches as well as belts and other accessories also of the highest quality.

Update 10/19/07

The new Axiom Holster