Crossbreed
Holsters Concealed Carry Shoulder Bag (CCSB)
Review
By
B.T. Davis
January 2008
CrossBreed Holsters has an innovative new
product for CCW permit holders wanting a
versatile off-the-body method for going armed.
They’ve developed an extremely functional
shoulder bag which has a discreet, quick-access
compartment to conceal a holstered handgun.
CrossBreed calls it their Concealed Carry
Shoulder Bag (CCSB) and in today’s modern,
high-tech, “wired” world this shoulder bag looks
very much like a typical, unthreatening laptop
computer case. From a practical standpoint the
CCSB blends in well with today’s typical urban
landscape. For concealed carry, its design and
appearance are, I think, its strongest
attributes. The bag does not appear to the
casual observer to be overtly “tactical” looking
- which can be a decisive advantage to the CCW
holder. In fact, a person wearing the CCSB
slung over their shoulder appears to be any one
of the countless number of people who carry a
laptop computer, or book bag, back and forth to
work or school each day.
The CCSB that I had the opportunity to review
was made out of sturdy black canvas material and
tanned leather. As is typical with CrossBreed
products, both the materials and workmanship
evident in the CCSB’s construction are
first-rate. The use of the mixed materials,
combined with quality construction and
stitching, gives the bag a high-end look, and
not simply like that of a utilitarian mil-spec
denier nylon “assault bag”.
The basic design of the CCSB is very similar to
that of a laptop computer bag or book bag with a
fold-over top. The fold-over flap top covers a
spacious main compartment which has three
individual side pouches sewn in, where you can
stow smaller, loose items such as spare
magazines or revolver speed loaders, keys, a
cell phone, etc… The flap is secured via snap
hook hardware. The bag’s adjustable shoulder
strap is made of black web material and attaches
to the bag with snap hook hardware.
Running vertically along the left-hand side of
the bag, when slung over the wearer’s shoulder,
is a full length black zipper which discreetly
blends in with the seam. Pulling down on this
zipper opens the slit concealment compartment.
The bag I tested was set up this way for right
handed shooters, but CrossBreed also produces
them for southpaws with the zipper access to the
concealment pocket being on the opposite side of
the bag. To aid in quickly locating the zipper,
especially in high-stress situations, I looped a
length of black 550 parachute cord through the
hole in the zipper. This allows me to yank the
zipper by grabbing the cord with my whole hand,
not just with my right thumb and forefinger.
Accessing the concealment compartment in a
fumble-proof, fast manner were my primary
concerns here. |
The removable holster which fits in the
concealment compartment is one of
CrossBreed’s excellently designed Ohai Kydex
and leather models. The Ohai is a
weapon-specific holster, and the user will
need to specify their gun type at the time
of ordering. It is secured in the
concealment compartment with Velcro
material. The “loop” Velcro material is
sewn into the sidewall of the bag’s
concealment compartment, and the “hook”
Velcro material is covering the back side of
the Ohai holster’s flat leather panel. The
Ohai holster design provides user-adjustable
retention and a covered trigger guard which
allows a secure Condition 1 carry option.
Since the holster is a separate piece of the
CCSB system, it can be securely positioned
in the bag to the shooter’s exact
height/cant preferences. As a well thought
out extra touch, Crossbreed provides extra
loop Velcro material which the owner can put
on the underside of a desk, car interior,
etc… with which to secure the Ohai holster
when it’s not being used exclusively with
the bag. Talk about 24/7 real-world
versatility! |
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After living with the bag for awhile I
increasingly came to appreciate the
functionality of its innovative design. The
bag blends totally in the typical urban
landscape. Unzipping the concealment
compartment and smoothly drawing a holstered
handgun is next to effortless, and requires
no break-in of the Ohai holster. There is a
semi-auto pistol magazine pouch sewn onto
the side wall of the concealment
compartment. During drills where I drew the
weapon, fired the gun then attempted either
slide lock reloads, or reloads with
retention, I found this particular spare
magazine pouch set up awkward. The shooter
has to transition his gun to his weak hand
and reach back into the bag’s concealment
compartment with his strong hand to retrieve
the spare magazine. During a lethal force
encounter this would be tactically
disadvantageous to the user. Elastic loops
for 3-4 magazines sewn vertically into the
body of the main compartment would be a
better solution. This would allow the
shooter to maintain both his focus on events
around him, as well as control his handgun
in his strong hand while using his weak hand
to quickly access the main compartment and
retrieve the securely stowed magazines
there.
All in all though, I very much like the
concept of CrossBreed’s CCSB. It’s
tailor-made (no pun intended) for women, who
in the conduct of their daily, urban lives
would not be at a tactical disadvantage
using it to legally carry for personal
protection. My wife has commandeered my
test bag. In addition to a .45, she’s got
her “girl stuff” in there. For students, it
blends in well as a laptop and/or book bag.
Imagine how great it would have been if the
academic elites running Virginia Tech had
allowed concealed carry on campus, and one
of those innocents ultimately slaughtered by
the psychopath murderer had been discreetly
armed in this manner, and could have
defended themselves!
To provide this common-sense carry option to
the widest possible customer demographic,
CrossBreed is, at the time of this review,
working to provide both an all-canvas CCSB,
as well as an all-leather CCSB. Up market,
down market, or in between, they’ve got a
CCSB bag/holster combination to cover your
needs. For more information go online to
CrossBreed’s excellent website at
www.crossbreedholsters.com to check out
the CCSB, or to place an order. CrossBreed
can also be reached at: (888) 732-5011. |
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