I purchased a Rogue System holster from CrossBreed Holsters for myself for Christmas last year. In the past I have almost exclusively carried my EDC pistol outside of the waistband (OWB). Growing up with a law enforcement range instructor in the house, you kinda just adopt a duty style carry. I ended up buying my wife and myself Hellcat Pro pistols for Christmas and decided I’d give inside the waistband (IWB). I have had a lot of bad experiences with uncomfortable holsters that cost way too much. I’ve even gone as far as to make my own Kydex™ holsters and still couldn’t make one that I actually wanted to wear.
I’m not a small human, I came in at 5’11” due to the genetic lottery and sit at around 225-230 lbs. Any of y’all dad-bodded gents, and probably of the curvier ladies, may have come across issues with comfort if you’ve ever attempted to appendix carry. Your holster and barrel digs into some very tender places, prints through your shirt, and can even pop the belt clips loose if you lean over or sit down.
I found CrossBreed Holsters on Facebook while scrolling.
I was just scrolling through Facebook after looking for options and coming up short. Then, I came across an ad by CrossBreed. The holsters in the ad looked like they were built well, the finished products were visually appealing and I decided to visit their site. After days of looking and trying to decide, I made my purchase. As their items are made to order, there is, and was a bit of a lead time. I understood this and appreciate a quality, American made product. So I waited excitedly until my stuff arrived. I mean OUR stuff. I got a couple of holster options for my wife as well, but she hasn’t used them enough to give an honest review on them yet.
My order was a CrossBreed Rogue System for a Springfield Hellcat Pro with a TRL-7 light and RMR cut (for a dot sight). I dug it out, cleared my handgun and went to adjusting the retention, deciding on if I wanted to keep the spare magazine holster attached or not, etc. After some tinkering, I was satisfied and couldn’t wait to try it out.
Unfortunately, my body shape didn’t really lend to concealing the firearm in my holster.
I will say that I was a bit larger around Christmas (weighing in at around 260). My gut pushed the handle grip and spare magazine out, printing horribly. I was pretty disappointed in this, I put the pistol in the holster, and stuck it all in the safe.
Fast forward to June, I dripped around 30 lbs and leaned out in the mid section. I was getting tired of wearing my bulkier over shirts trying to cover an OWB holster in the Texas heat. So I dug out my Hellcat and Rogue System to try again.
To my surprise, it fit me quite well. The handle was significantly less noticeable through a tighter fitting over shirt. The whole rig didn’t seem to be digging into any of my tender bits. Pretty much all of my issues with the CrossBreed Rogue System had gone away. I’ve been carrying this holster off and on for the last 3 months and could not be happier with it.
Rogue System Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Concealment- If your body shape lends to it, you may be able to conceal your pistol under a T-Shirt or loose fitting over shirt. Your weapon’s profile is lower and therefore less conspicuous. Printing can be a concern though. | Comfort- your firearm may be digging into you because it is inside of your belt. Also, depending on the length of your pistol, the barrel may dig into you groin area and can be outright painful. |
| Security- your weapon is against you and generally very hard to see. Your pistol is in a position that is more easily defended in a scuffle. | Dexterity- As a father of three small children, I can tell you that picking things up with an appendix carry can be a bit inconvenient, to say the least. If you just bend over, you may end up digging into your stomach at the top, and your groin at the bottom at the same time. You’ll learn pretty quickly to bend at the knees and reach from there. |
| Low profile-Unlike my OWB rigs, I have only managed to snag my pistol using this holster once. My over shirt generally prevents this from happening though | |
| Accessibility- the Rogue holster ensures your weapon is readily accessible to you once you have lifted your concealing garment. With practice, you can compete with open carry draws. |
Built to last and high quality finish.
Pictures don’t really do the CrossBreed Rogue System justice. The men and women at CrossBreed take pride in their workmanship. It shows in the finish of their products. All of the edges are expertly buffed and could not find any blemishes anywhere on the holsters. While I cannot speak for their other offerings yet, I will say that the Rogue was designed for comfort. Carrying concealed can be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be. There is a limit that you can take if something hurts you. A little discomfort because of an IWB holster is OK. But if it is painful, you won’t carry it. And let’s face it, a firearm is like a parachute. If you need it and don’t have it, you probably won’t be needing it again.
In closing, if you are new to concealed carrying or just looking for another option we at Guardians’ Arms highly recommend giving CrossBreed Holsters a chance. There are many options to choose from. Their site is easily navigated and their customer service is professional, courteous and know their product. I would also like to say that I told them what we do, and where we’re going with Guardians’ Arms in a message on Facebook. They replied promptly and offered a coupon code for 15% off of any non-sale item on their site. If you do decide to give them you business, and we highly recommend it, enter code GUARDIANS15 at checkout for 15% off of non-sale items in your order.
Our disclaimer:
We want you to know that
We receive ZERO compensation from CrossBreed or any other company for our review. If we ever do have any items/services sent to us to test and review we will openly state it. We will never give a product, service, or manufacturer a positive review in exchange for any form of compensation. All items/services reviewed, or mentioned in this review were purchased for personal use with our own money. You will always get an honest evaluation from us. We know that your life, and our lives may depend on items/services we promote and will never intentionally misrepresent them for any reason. We care about our customers and communities.
From us here at Guardians’ Arms, God Bless you all, God Texas and God Bless America.