Nick Leghorn for TTAG

I have hope in my heart. Hope that, one day, I’ll see something advertised on Instagram as I’m scrolling through gun photos (only lightly drooling on the phone, mind you) that is actually as cool in real life as it looks online. I think I know deep down that’s a foolish hope, but nevertheless that’s where I first saw the Stealth Anti-Theft Crossbody Sling Bag and decided to actually pay real cash for one. Oh man, that was a mistake.

First, before we get to reality, let’s talk about the fantasy.

I like the idea of a cross draw holster. I know, roast me if you must, but there’s something appealing about the comfort I imagine comes from carrying a firearm under the arm instead of attached to your hip. Especially as I was getting ready to do a long cross country road trip with the wife, the idea of having a holstered handgun the entire ride didn’t seem appealing. But if that gun was slung under the shoulder, easily accessible while driving, that would be a whole new ball game.

Which brings me to the Stealth Anti-Theft Crossbody Sling Bag.

As advertised, it seems to be a “covert” option for a cross draw holster. It’s pretty much the same idea as the European man purse that’s ubiquitous overseas. Not something you typically see carried here in the States, but then again, not entirely unheard of. Something that might pass without a whole lot of attention.

Stealth Daily Anti-Theft Crossbody Sling Bag
Courtesy Stealth Daily

The bag is designed to not only hold your handgun, but also be a functional carrying pouch for things like your cell phone, wallet, and other small items. Again, I had a long cross country trip planned: the fewer things in my pocket, the better.

It sounded OK. And for ~$30, I was willing to take a gamble. The bags are only available on their online store, and listed them as in stock.

I ordered one bag on September 28th.

It shipped nearly three weeks later on October 21st, too late to actually be used during the cross country trip as I had intended.

Stealth Daily Anti-Theft Crossbody Sling Bag
Nick Leghorn for TTAG

What arrived was disappointing on almost every level.

The material used for the bag feels cheap, like it’s made of plastic. The zippers get stuck easily, nowhere near the gold standard YKK zippers you’d expect on something on which you’re betting your life on the ability to open it in an emergency. And there was no reinforcement of the bag — it was just a soft, floppy piece of fabric sewn together.

None of that bodes well for long-term use.

Stealth Daily Anti-Theft Crossbody Sling Bag
Nick Leghorn for TTAG

While the main “concealed” pocket is, in fact, big enough to hide a GLOCK 19 with a weapon light — once you have it canted in position — but it barely fits. There’s no guide inside the bag to keep the gun in position, so the muzzle droops down to the bottom corner and the whole thing seems to get lost in the pocket. Anything bigger and you’ll start having issues closing the zipper.

Speaking of which, I hate that there’s a zipper here. Based on the nature of the product, you are probably are going to need to access this pocket in a hurry. The folks at Eberlestock did it right with their EDC bags using a set of magnets to keep their handgun pocket closed. They’re guaranteed not to jam so you can quickly open it when you need to.

With this thing, I think I’d be lucky to do an El Presidente in under a day and a half.

Stealth Daily Anti-Theft Crossbody Sling Bag
Nick Leghorn for TTAG

So getting the gun out of the pocket is difficult, and that’s made even more so by the nature of the fabric used. There’s no reinforcement to the pouch, so it easily deforms and can trap your handgun inside. A stiffer material on the back of the pouch would have gone a long way toward helping the bag keep its shape.

That shapeshifting only gets worse once you actually add other items to the bag. At most, expect to be able to carry a small cell phone and a few dollars. There isn’t any room left once the handgun is in there, and cramming in more stuff just makes the deformation problem worse.

Stealth Daily Anti-Theft Crossbody Sling Bag
Courtesy Stealth Daily

That doesn’t even begin to get into the problems involved with using this as a carry bag, let alone a concealed carry bag. I tried carrying this thing under a jacket, I tried it while biking, I even tried it while just sitting in a chair.

It always seemed to swing to an awkward position and get in the way, never staying where I wanted it to be. And the entire time, the rough, coarse material on the strap kept irritating my neck.

So, at the end of the day, I’m $30 poorer, 30 days older, and have a hunk of plastic-y fabric that is practically useless. Maybe I’ll learn my lesson some day and stop buying crap off Instagram. Especially when it turns out to just be a re-packaged version of this ~$14 sling off Amazon.

Recommendation: DO. NOT. BUY.

 

 

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51 COMMENTS

  1. “It’s not a purse!…(it’s a European handbag)”

    ****

    +1 for whoever comes up with the correct answer for where that quote comes from.

  3. Maybe the tech has changed since last i tried. But I was never very comfortable in a shoulder holster. In the 80’s I did a long cross country trip by train which included a long lay over in Chicago. I wore a snubby in an ankle holster for that trip.

    Car travel affords so many more options that I don’t miss a shoulder holster.

  4. Nick, thank you for the review. I have a lot of respect for people who help other people learn from their bad experiences.

    • Man, I should be writing more reviews….. I’ve fallen for the “save a buck” scam no telling how many times…..

      • Yeah. No sh!t.
        Especially off “InstaScam”. It took me three purchases before I figured out the BS.
        Never again. Even outfits like “Hard Headed Veterans”.
        Pleas allow 3-6 months delivery time. I don’t care how good your product is, or what it is. If I can’t get it after a few months or weeks from order time? It’s probably coming from China. So manufacturing time when they hit a limit, shipping time, time in a warehouse to strip the “made in Chin-wa” stickers off everything, re-bag, (after stripping those stickers off), then ship.

        Nope.

        Thanks Nick. Gonna need to look at that Eberlestock option. I don’t care for the zipper on the 5-11 sling bag.
        Hmm. Think I’ll write that one up since I’ve used it over a year now.

  5. I find a regular shoulder holster (fitted, not a mike’s special) and a light cover garment is better than messing with something like this when cross draw carry is desired

    “anti-theft”? Anyone who works crowds will carry a knife- not to stab someone but to cut a purse strap. And this purse strap looks a lot easier to cut than most actual purses.

    hah on the website the photos are great… one is of someone wearing this over a plate carrier… what a joke

  6. I saw in a vid by Mike Glover of Fieldcraft Survival uses a Patagonia fly-fishing bag of similar design to the one you tried and he digs it. Food for thought.

  7. For carrying in cooler weather with a jacket on I like the WW2 tanker’s holster. Holds the 1911 against the chest a bit to the side but not entirely under the arm. I find it comfortable and more concealing than a shoulder holster that has the gun vertical under the arm. Also makes room for hiking.

  8. I never buy anything self defense related on line from a company I’ve never bought from before and that first purchase only after I have held and, preferably, tried a sample of their products.

    • I try to be mindful of that too. But sometimes, ya gotta roll the dice.
      The 5-11 bag I bought sucks.
      I’d like to see something developed by carrier/shooters.

      For instance, I’m currently in the market for a bump helmet, high cut, and a flir to mount to it. I already have a reliable nvg scope for a gat. I want something wearable.
      Sh!t, oh, dear. There are a lot of helmets out there. (Wrote off HHV because of their delivery times.)

      So I’ll keep looking tonight for a “this week” delivery.

      • Troll around on r/tacticalgear. People there love bump and ballistic helmets and they chase/share sales.

        Just don’t get caught up in the DNC craze. That shit’s retarded.

  9. I carry in a Bluestone vest while doing a lot of driving.

    The elastic for securing the guns is pitiful, so a I put the gun in a pocket holster inside the concealed pocket.

    The main advantage is having a gun that is not constructed by the seatbelt.

    A regular shoulder holster under a light shirt works too.

    Just not as much extra room for “stuff”.

      • I’m almost old enough and grey enough to go the fanny pack route.

        Have to find the right one to wear in the front that blends in with clothes. Not a huge fan of them, but some situations might allow.

  10. I use a Pistol wear PT-2 Concealment Holster when biking and trail running. I’m thin and it hides well on me. If you were to see it under my shirt you would assume its a bit of the ol dad bod. The magnet latch and print proofing work well. Under a suit or button up shirt I have no cue as I’m severely allergic to ties.

      • Something else that this type holster is good for is it does not scream GUNS!! when exposed. Nothing on the outside says what is is, there is “pistol wear “printed on it but it is on the inside of the band. And the bag is not gun shaped. So the gun phobic do not become alarmed if they see it. The P938 and spare magazine usually carried inside are well concealed.
        Mine came into view a few years back and someone working security asked what it was. I reached into it and showed assorted diabetic type stuff ( insulin pen if the pump failed etc ) and all was well. I suspect I am one of the very few who carry at events.
        It looks like a slim high end running waist pack. and hides well under a loose shirt. If anyone else has one or is considering it if you know one of us diabetics ask if we can save an empty insulin pen for you. They make excellent camouflage for most of these type holsters.

    • enuf:
      “That one contains no suck whatsoever.”
      Oh yes it does suck. The holster’s retainer strap depresses the grip safety, so the user is carrying the pistol with its hammer down, hopefully on an empty chamber. That is no way to carry John Browning’s masterpiece.

  13. I have one of those narrow little sling-type backpacks for the gym since I never let my personal property out of my sight in public, and it has a normal compartment that can fit a G23 just fine. That’s about the only time I would ever consider carrying a firearm anywhere other than IWB or in an ankle rig.

    Yeah, I could use a fanny pack, but if I’m going to look like a dork anyway, I’d rather not look like one that was just thawed out after being frozen in a block of ice since 1993.

  14. Yeah, I could use a fanny pack, but if I’m going to look like a dork anyway, I’d rather not look like one that was just thawed out after being frozen in a block of ice since 1993.

    WWW,BONANZU.COM

  15. I’ve tackled this problem from a slightly different direction. I purchased a vest with multiple pockets inside and out. Some zippered some velcroed and two with no closure.

    The vest is commonly called a photographers vest due to the multiplicity of pockets and the varying size and location.

    I found that by using some IWB or In Pocket holsters that are soft and flexible material can be pinned or sewed into place using various pockets and thus accommodate quite a few different models of firearms.

    Thus it can be worn over a lot of different regular clothing without a lot of fuss transferring the gun and holster and magazines depending on what you’re wearing. It also helps when you go somewhere (say the doctor) where a firearm would most likely be revealed during the exam. By putting it into the vest, when I take the vest off, no one’s the wiser.

    I’ve pretty much given up on trying to find made solutions to concealed carry and will use universal holsters and other materials to form my own. Thus getting what I need at a reasonable price.

  16. Wow take a CCW class, no professional instructor would ever carry off body or suggest to carry your pistol off body. I can’t believe the hot steaming pile of crap these writers pass off as articles on this website.

    • To my knowledge, just anybody can announce he is a professional firearms instructor without a shred of knowledge which end of a gun to avoid while it is being fired. What such a person may say *might* be worthy of consideration, but should NEVER be considered the gospel received directly from the mount.

      Short version, who gives a shit what self proclaimed “professionals” say? Or what you can believe, for that matter.

      • I take classes at a facility that Tier One groups train at as well. If the instructors weren’t on the professional level that they are, I highly doubt they would be a GSA contract holder. LARRYINTX you could be a writer for this website because you have zero clue to what you are talking about

  18. When I drove Uber & Lyft for a while, I dealt with some very unsavory types. After a bad trip or two, I started carrying two (2) M&P Shield 9mm’s. I took a nice leather Triple K shoulder holster rig, and replaced the twin mag pouch with a second holster. Both holsters have thumb breaks, and are for the M&P Shield 45, which, being slightly larger, allows the 9mm’s to pull effortlessly, yet there is no slop when bolstered.

    The rig is completely adjustable, and the guns are bolstered horizontally under each armpit. You can hide them perfectly under virtually any jacket. Of course, it helps being ambidextrous. If I have a problem outside my drivers side, it is an easy draw. Problem behind me? Same deal with my left hand. I can unsnap either side; pull it slightly, and be ready to draw in an instant.

    It has become my go to whenever I take any driving trips of any distance. The only drawback? Cost. The rig with an extra holster will set you back about $200.00.

    But then, what is one’s life worth, especially in these crazy times.

  20. On body is preferably for control, but it isn’t always possible. I use a satchel or Maxpedition Fatboy when I’m on a motorcycle. I wear a full suit, so IWB or OWB would still be inside the suit and inaccessible. It also let’s me get to my wallet without essentially undressing.

  21. I had a similarly disappointing experience with the 5.11 holster t-shirt.

    The material of the t-shirt will not support the weight of a full-size handgun. I tried switching to a much lighter handgun (S&W Bodyguard .380) but it slid down to the bottom of the compartment. Since the compartment is sized for a full size handgun, the smaller handgun had to be ferreted out of it.

    If the shirt material was capable of supporting a full-size handgun, it may work.

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