Mirror, yup.
I'm not a selfie master.

That sweater is worth more than your soul.

Tom called me this afternoon. My rig is in the mail.
He actually apologized profusely for the "delay".
I should have it next week.

I'm glad that the company is still being ran the way Lou did and would have wanted it to carry on. He was well respected by many.

It wasn't long ago I heard the wait to get an Alessi shoulder holster was closer to 4 months! I'm glad to hear they have caught up.

The rig arrived on Friday and I have been wearing it all weekend to get the fit and everything to my liking.
I really, really like it.
The fit is fantastic.
Unlike the George Lawrence I picked up, this holster doesn't dig into my rib cage.
I kind of had my doubts that you could really forget that you were carrying in this rig.
Well, I should not have doubted. You really can forget that you are carrying with this rig on. It is that comfortable.
The draw from either side is extremely easy and mimics the natural motion of lifting your hand to your underarm and then withdrawing it.
Conceal-ability is silly easy, extremely effective, and comfortable. Example below in the pictures.

The dye on this rig is lighter than the photo's I found on the internet of earlier rigs.
That's fine with me. The rig looks fantastic. The fit is amazingly good.




In this photo you can get an idea of how the revolvers are supposed to fit while the rig is worn, with the barrels of the revolvers forward of your underarm:


An example of conceal-ability with the rig.
This is one of my tighter fitting rugby jerseys. The rig hides the revolvers extremely well even through a full range of motion.

Great review as always, and those pics of you wearing it are really helpful.

Between the holsters, that fancy belt and your backpack . . . I think you are our top collector of fine leather!

Drew, that's badass...

That's all I have to add to this conversation.

So it just runs around the back? Nothing tied down to the belt? Interesting. I would have thought they'd flop around not being tied down. Its nice to see that a simple rig can be that effective. Do you just give them a tug, or need to unsap the snaps for draw? Gorgeous rig and might just make me start the hunt for one.

Yes, it just runs around the back.
There are no tie downs that loop to a belt.
There is no need for any such tie down system.
As well, the way the harness/suspension system and holsters are designed, there is no room or requirement for a tie down system.
This is not a system like the famous Jackass Rig.
There is no "flop" unless I hang upside down.
There is a little play where the holsters will move away from my sides and sort of "float" if I bend over.
However, that seems to be only a very small amount and it actually is nice as it keeps the revolver in a position where I can access it even bent over double.

With the way the suspension system is made up, using a screw and hole system, it allows for a very easy to customize fit.
This allows for an extremely comfortable fit and also makes the ability to custom fit the suspension system a cinch.


There is a snap you have to undo in order to draw from either holster.
I have drawn from both holsters over 200 times over the weekend and today.
The snap required to draw the revolver is placed in the "perfect" position to where your thumb naturally comes in contact with it just through the natural process of reaching and grasping the grip of the revolver.



The second snap involved in the holster system is involved in maintaining retention around the barrel and front of the frame.
This snap is released through the motion of drawing the firearm.
This motion is entirely natural and does not require any sort of special pull or angle of pull when drawing the revolver.
This means that you have great, reliable retention while the revolver is holstered, but also have an extremely natural draw where the one snap you have to undo is in a position that allows it to be undone in the most natural, and automatic way possible. Muscle memory training is minimal, in my opinion, since this snap is placed in such a position as to make releasing the snap almost a natural process of seizing the grip of the revolver.
The trigger of the revolver is fully covered and protected until it is fully drawn from the holster body.
The barrels of both revolvers are in a safe direction while in the holster.
I would have to move my head in a really strange and unnatural position in order to get it into a position where I would flag myself.



This holster system is extremely well thought out and I can understand why it remains so popular with alphabet soup today, even though the system saw it's origins in the 1920's and it's greatest popularity in the 1950's and 1970's.
Every aspect of the rig, in regard to motor skills, is set to be as natural as possible.
That is something which I can really appreciate should I need to use the system under stress.
Some people said that after Lou Alessi passed away, the quality of his holsters also dropped.
I have a (much) older Alessi holster for my 1911 Gov't.
Comparing that holster with this rig, I cannot see any drop in quality what-so-ever.
But, like in any hobby, or subculture, there are always people who think the older, original stuff is better and that whoever carries on the tradition can never "measure up".

Tom and his people at the Alessi shop are good people.
The quality of this rig is as good or better than the older Alessi holster I have.
Tom knows what he is doing. All the holster systems I have seen from him are well done and thought through to meet specific, professional needs.
As I mentioned in my original postings, he took a lot of time to personally make sure I got exactly what I wanted.
If the NYPD's top undercover squads, the Secret Service, the FBI and other professionals look to Tom, I see no reason not to consider the products he puts out.
I would not hesitate to do business with them again. Period.

Here is a few more photo's. One with a picture to get an idea of how the harness fits across the back.

I do not want to trim the straps of the harness.
So, I am still trying to figure out a way to either loop them up or tuck them in.

In this photo, you can (hopefully) see how the holsters rest tightly up against the rib cage, just short of the underarm.
This allows for an easy reach to the grip of the revolver.

Wow, great pics Drew, thanks. Top notch review as always. I love my J frame, and carry it frequently. The idea of being able to carry two would be even better as a NY reload is super fast. I have a model 60 with hammer intact, would want something to match. I know you enjoy the bobbed style, any reason why intact hammers wouldn't work? Also, I see they have the sizing nailed for Hobbits, Leprechauns, Ewoks, Dwarves, and the like, but are their rigs available for full grown human males?

The rig will fit you. There's a ton of room to expand the harness as needed.
The holsters are made to accommodate hammerless, bobbed, or standard J-frames without any alteration.
In this photo you can see that the thumb break is made in a way in which several variants of the J-frame will work with reliable retention.

Looking forward to your next leather review. Or maybe I'm not.

There's no question that Alessi holster's are first class. As for Galco, I have one that's been with me for years. Definitely mass produced but so are the firearms they're made for. A little farting around with the adjustments so it fits and it does the job (comfortably on me).

Resale value?? For me not an issue. I don't buy holsters like some shop for clothes so no excess holsters to get rid of.