Chest rigs are more comfortable most of the time. I also have good luck on cross draw holsters. But for all my full size guns a chest or shoulder holster is mandatory
Lol. I agree I've got a PPKs made in Germany. I've had this pistol for close to 50 years and it is still one of my favorite carries. Never had it fail me. And yes I do have a shoulder holster. Lol
It works great if you're wearing a suit coat like the presenter, or some sort of other overcoat. Definitely makes it easier to do everyday things like drive, sit, squat, etc.
As a guy who rides a motorcycle, shoulder holsters under a vest or riding jacket are a great option. Much more comfortable and concealable when I’m on my bike
I've had the hardest time finding a carry solution for hiking. I'm in Florida and we don't have open carry here so I can't use a shoulder rig. I wish I could find a comfortable solution for hiking in the heat.
@@timrobinson6573 Have you thought about a Fanny pack or gun bag? A few models have the holster in the front pouch that you can access in a second. I know they look stupid, but at least you are comfortable with easy gun access.
@@timrobinson6573 I’m in Florida also. Buy a conceal carry pouch. Attach the same type of hip belt clips that your backpack has on it to the conceal carry belt loops. Then just attach those same clips to your backpack hip belt clips and the conceal carry pouch will hang in front of you at belly button level. Basically daisy chain the pouch.
Florida it is legal to open carry for hunting and fishing but be careful since not all cops know this statute. Also the type of property youre on may negate it being legal.
Comfortac Has a good Fanny pack with a built in holster. Points the firearm down in a safe direction, has pouches for extra mags, and the zippers are really smooth.
The reason ranges and classes dont let you practice drawing from a shoulder holster is you are flagging everyone. The shoulder holsters that carry the pistol pointed down are a little safer but you still flag everyone to your side and behind you during the draw
Every form of carry flags other people. If you walk past seated people, if you bend at the waist, even yourself as you move your legs throughout the day. You want to see a lot of people get flagged? Go to any military event. It’s simply not possible to avoid. As gun users, we have some situations when the Barrel Line Laser Beam touching people is something we see as flagging, and other times when we trick ourselves into thinking it didn’t happen.
This is my GO TO method from fall to spring when I am wearing at least a light jacket. I have tried every option almost and this is as comfortable as it gets
Best explanation of the use of a shoulder holster that I've ever heard! I use my shoulder holster to carry my backup gun. If I were to ever be engaged while seated in a vehicle the shoulder holster is much more advantageous than a belt holster. But my primary firearm is in a belt holster
It's not only a personal preference, but also can be a necessity when wearing a side holster is going to leave the obvious "printing" that just having a shirt hanging over your holster will do sometimes. No matter what option you decide to use, practicing your concealed carry draw is important.
I use mine for a secondary weapon and especially whenever I'm driving. It's much easier to draw from the sitting position and halfway through the draw, it's pointed out the driver side window.
@Vanktum Alexander If someone is gonna try to rob you they're probably gonna be by the driver side window. So the gun pointing there halfway through the draw is quite the advantage
Shoulder holster is handy when wearing a long wool coat in colder climates. I also like the idea of picking up a rig in a hurry with extra ammo and not needing a belt.
I like a dual gun shoulder holster so my backup gun is identical to my primary and the holster is perfectly balanced.... Also I can pocket two in my front pockets and easily have 4 guns on me and no one would ever even know, not that I would do that. Galco actually mentions a dual gun shoulder holster on there website.
The Alien Gear shoulder holster doesn't have those last two problems. You can pull and replace your pistol one handed pretty quickly with them because: 1, the holster has "suspenders" to allow the gun to move with you while keeping it in place, and 2, there's no strap to hold the gun in the holster. It uses a thumb release retention switch. Works great. Now I just need to move up north where I can justify the coat. Hot in the south.
I ironically bought one mainly for summer carry. I can’t carry inside the waistband because of my back and appendix carry makes me physically ill so it’s outside the waist band or should holster for me. Upper hand holsters is great for owb concealed carry and I have to wait one more week for my alien gear shoulder holster to come in but I’m just going to wear an unbuttoned short sleeve shirt over a t-shirt to hide it.
Thanks for the opinion. I've owned the Bianchi Phantom 2000 since 1978. Im not a cop nor do i go around much in public situations. Yet its very comforting to know I can access my weapon if neccessary.
Carhart winter coat has a perfect inside pocket for us 1911 people. Deep enough to be secure and tight enough to keep the gun from flopping around. Enough grip sticking out to get a good hold for drawing... bit of adjustment for firing grip. Coat material is thick and stiff so no printing. No shoulder rig to get into and out of. I have a regular leather vertical hang shoulder rig that I wear for summer car trips. A fairly violent city a couple hours away and the Fed Ex building is right down in drug dealer central... one of those chambered and highly alert trips. I don't fear the dealers as they are business people but their customers!
I wish I could do it here. Most of the year it is too hot for a shoulder holster. I am not worried about reholstering...if I pull it out I am going to need it until all the threats are gone. At that point I can take my time reholstering.
Agreed. Never understood the obsession with reholstering quickly. Strikes me as something you only care about if you're constantly showing off your "concealed" weapon
While I tend to generally agree there, I can see the upsides of being able to quickly reholsters to get your hands free for other tasks, for example to give First Aid or to operate other kinds of equipment that you may need in the moment
While I rarely shoulder carry I do occasionally shoulder carry. As a LEO I typically carry strong side OWB. I have typically thrown a shoulder holster on when I didn’t want to get dressed with pants/belt just to say, run to the store to get milk. I have also worn a shoulder holster when I’ve gone biking as it’s a little more comfortable. Regardless of how you carry practice-practice-practice as over the years I’ve seen a lot of people fail to remove a firearm from a holster under stress.
Due to a wound I received in the military, I cannot wear a holster on my Right hip and I either use a shoulder rig or SOB holster for my double stack 1911. Its a lot of weight to get used to and I am barrel chested with a somewhat short torso. A shoulder rig works for me now that I am used to it, but it took a while for it to become comfortable. I actually feel like I have an advantage, since shoulder rigs arent really all that common. Im a Private Investigator and I usually wear a light dress blazer when I am out in the public, which covers the rig nicely. I've become proficient drawing and firing and its very accessible while I am driving. Police in Texas are still a bit hinky about License to Carry and now we have constitutional carry, so I always let the officer now I have a firearm and its in my shoulder rig. I keep my hands on the wheel and ask them if they would like me to disarm. Usually, they thank me for letting them know and thats the end of it. All in all, I really like wearing a shoulder rig and even if I could wear a hip holster, I dont think I would.
If you're considering a shoulder holster, buy a good one. I bought a cheap one..... nylon, with plastic strap adjustments. It works, but I am constantly adjusting it, and realigning.
Thank you. Best explanation of pros & cons I've seen. I spend a lot if time in a seated position and often feel trapped if threatened. A shoulder holster with a small pistol would fit under my shirt and I would leave one shirt button open.
Where are all the haters of appendix carry on this topic???? If carrying appendix is, "pointing at something you're not willing to destroy", then so is this carry method. It's literally pointing the gun at the chest of the guy behind you lol.
@@jessekaiman5182 Appendix is far superior. Just pointing out the hypocrisy in the gun community. I didn't even touch in him flagging is support arm at the 3:34 mark hahahaha
Pretty much every IWB carry method points at your own body in some form. 2/3s of Americans being overweight/obese means their tactical lovehandle pushes the top of their strongside holster towards their leg.
That is so true and hard to achieve, I only say this as a trap shooter, because trap shooting ends up being tens of thousands of rounds, I realized I became a good shooter but after thousands and thousands of shells.
This may be a super niche scenario to some. But one I often think about in a city plagued with armed robberies that can be a plus for shoulder holsters. A scenario where you are ambushed and are being robbed at gun point and you have the perp trying to dig through your pockets. In a scenario where they have the drop on you and are digging at your waistline to get your stuff a hip or appendix carry could immediately get you shot when they see it OR would have to force you to draw at arguably the worst case scenario in a self defense situation. With a shoulder holster it allows you to comply with the robber and still conceal your weapon in a area where they would not likely try to look for anything to steal. Any thoughts?
My main concern with carrying on my waist is somoene seeing me carry while trying to rob me or in general someone seeing me as a threat as they commit whatever crime and shooting me
This is the best answer I’ve seen when it comes to buying one !, I was on the fence about buying one online it was 300 new , and I saw it for 100 , but was on the fence about getting it for the fear of not using it ever , as 90 percent of my holsters lol, however , after your comment , I live in Houston Tx and crime is spreading like C0v1D , and yes you’re right , the criminal has the advantage of surprising u , and more than likely you’ll be caught off guard at one time or another ,
Back in 1993 when I bought my HK P7M8 the only holster I could find for that pistol was a Galco Miami Classic shoulder holster…I still have both the holster and P7
If you correctly adjust your shoulder holster, rarely will you have to attach it to your belt. Unless you’re wearing a 7” Blackhawk, it should not swing forward more than an inch or so if you bend, as in picking something up. A lot of times the gun is balanced with magazine(s) or speed loaders. These are also not necessary, but some holsters, such as the Miami Classic, are designed for this balance and are brilliantly comfortable.
I have a couple shoulder holsters for a couple different guns so I certainly don't hate them but the commenters saying, "I'm not worried about reholstering.", need to rethink that. Consider a scenario where you have to draw your firearm in self defense. Whether you fire or not, chances are very good someone is dialing 911. Being the one holding a gun when police arrive is a bad idea. An even worse idea is to move that firearm to reholster when the police are ordering you to drop the weapon. Reholstering is always something to consider.
Point of concern... Caleb needs to clear his off-hand much higher during the draw. He flagged his own arm and hand many times. Drawing from the shoulder is made safest if the offhand goes all the way up to the head. It clears the hand, forearm, and elbow completely out of the way of the sweeping muzzle.
Yeah, I remember one instructor trying to make that point by saying, "Rhino your elbow!" meaning push your elbow up and fully out of the way of your draw.
Because of my tendency to burn after only short exposure of my skin to the sun, I always wear a long-sleeved shirt in the summer. It's usually unbuttoned all the way down, though(undershirt beneath it). Works good with a shoulder rig
My tailor has 'Wide in the chest' on file for all of my suits. Perhaps I can chalk it up to being full Italian (my Tailor is also Italian). So he naturally adjusts all my suit jackets and sport coats to be "wide in the chest". This is a very important term for those who are looking to get their suits custom tailored. It is uncouth to enter such establishments and start talking about 'gun this and guns that'. _Wide in the chest_ is the phrase that summarizes everything without the need to say the word(s) out loud. FWIW - *_NEVER_* buy off the rack and be done with it. One must _absolutely_ get every suit tailored to your physique, lest ye risk looking like a fool. Fun side note: For those of us who grew up watching 'Miami Vice' or the later version 'Nash Bridges' as is my case; the shoulder harness has become synonymous with that 'Hollywood Cool Guy' appearance. It was only later on (once I reached legal age) that I quickly realized that a shoulder harness fulfills a very specific niche. It is highly unlikely you would be using a shoulder holster as your primary method of concealed carry. Even the gents that I know who practically live their entire lives in a three piece suit, still have alternative methods of concealed carry. They also refuse to carry anything that costs less than $2k. IE - Your Nighthawks, Wilson's, Triarc Systems, Dan Wesson's, Ed Brown's, select CZ's and so forth. There is even a gentleman who carries a B&T in his briefcase/backpack. Just remember - _Wide in the chest._ Stay classy my friends.
I that as an horizontal version of shoulder holster but there are vertical versions that I used have when I was able to. I wore it during formal events.
I swear, people over think conceal carry on what if or why, pros and cons bs. Carry what you feel comfortable in an train. John Mclane didn’t have an issue with his shoulder holster.
Carried a 7.5" Super Blackhawk in a Vertical shoulder holster for several years in Alaska. I could draw it while sitting in a car, hiking, etc. It didn't stick in the snow if I squatted down. As for the single-action, you can cock it while drawing.
Another drawback, that was amply demonstrated in the video, is that it is very easy to muzzle yourself while drawing and holstering. Also, since most people are right handed, carrying in a shoulder holster puts the gun butt in a location where it is hard to defend from a disarm attempt. I’m not saying that those issues should rule out shoulder holsters. All carry methods have pros and cons and these are just some issues to consider.
it might not be the fastest draw, but it is the best conceal carry, besides, your almost NEVER gonna be in a situation where you drawing doesn't also include you STEPPING OFF CENTER LINE, for those who don't know what that is, watch warrior poet, john explains it better than me, but put simply, you move back and to the side or just to the side, in a retreating pattern, behind the nearest cover when drawing your gun, so you don't become a target, and in that situation, your ability to cowboy draw, doesn't matter, in the end most of the time if you have to draw fast, you practice your style any way you can and you'll be fine
In jacket weather or formal events with jackets/suit coats or any other jackets or coats its great. Horizontal is the only way to go. Leather or nylon. I used leather horizontal for years with a 1911A1. Pistols should always be looked back into a holster for reholstering regardless of holster type.
As far as cover garment, a baseball jersey worn unbuttoned is a rather inconspicuous and comfortable option. Hawaiian shirts worn open are also viable, but have a negative boogaloo connotation.
I have seen shoulder carry a few times. But it is fairly uncommon. Tends to show easily if your not wearing heavy clothing. Also not a fan of horizontal as you are constantly breaking the, keep it pointed In a safe direction rule. Yes I know its in a holster, but rules are rules, especially those rules.
If your trigger discipline is poor enough to make a horizontal holster an issue, you're gonna have issues no matter how you carry. I.E. Blowing off your junk with appendix carry, or shooting your downstairs neighbor with hip carry.
@@jeremiahm3765 trigger discipline is not the issue. ALWAYS Keeping it pointed In a safe direction is. Not sometimes. Just like you always treat it like it is loaded. And never, not just sometimes, point it at things you don't want to kill or destroy. Or always, not just sometimes, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Putting a gun in a holster does not make the rules invalid.
@@jonathanrogers9961 Trigger discipline > muzzle discipline. I'm not saying the direction of the muzzle doesn't matter, but "down and away" doesn't do much good if you fiddle with the bang switch. Ricochets and shrapnel can't be prevented by muzzle discipline, but they can be prevented by keeping your finger off the trigger. If putting the weapon in a holster doesn't make the rule less valid, then everyone living a second story apartment will have to disarm immediately. The ceiling/floor isn't gonna stop a negligent discharge.
@@jeremiahm3765 That is why you follow the rules. All of them. Whenever possible. Not just when you feel you need to. Its not always possible true. but whenever possible. There are plenty of good holsters and carry options, including vertical shoulder holster that don't muzzle everyone behind you. Also if your on the second floor, or just feel like it, making a load/unload barrel is cheap and easy. 2 -5gal buckets full of sand. Point the gun into the stacked buckets when loading or unloading. your talking like $20.
@@jonathanrogers9961 I completely agree. I guess my point is that most, if not all, issues created by bad muzzle direction, can be remedied by trigger discipline, even though it doesn't justify the bad muzzle direction. To be honest, a horizontal shoulder holster wouldn't be my first choice either, if only for concealment sake. Now that you mention it, a bucket full of sand isn't a bad idea for any household, especially if you're trying to teach good habits to new shooters.
I have the same problem. Its not the weight its the placement of holsters on my belt. With numerous injuries to my lower back and knees it doesn't seem to matter where I wear it on my waist seems to press on some nerves. Thats the main reason I go with my Miami classic for years now.
dont use it much anymore but I love my butt down bianchi 9r1 holster for my charter arms bulldog. if I ever need a gun getting it back in the holster will be the least of my worries.
I've tried finding a holster solution for hiking. I live in Florida and a person can open carry only when they are fishing, hunting or camping but not when hiking. Inside the waistband is not comfortable when you're doing 10-15 miles in a day and it's 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Are there any holsters that keep the actual firearms concealed/covered but the rig is on the outside of the clothes for easy access?
I believe what you seek will generally be in a fanny pack form if you hike with a framed pack. Otherwise check out 5.11 Tactical. Many of their bags have an easy access pocket for concealed carry. They are pricey, (what GOOD products in the industry aren't) and they are NOT fast draw, but it does the job. I have a sling bag that I have carried for years. It was $200 new in '15, and my only complaint is that it doesn't have a third point adapter to secure it when moving rough.
Could always turn sideways while carrying concealed, might flag by standers with the barrel but if your in a 1on1 situation and are expecting the worst.
There's ways to draw from a shoulder that don't flag you or anybody people just don't know about it cause the tactical Bois don't wear them anymore and it's not tending.
One other thing that can save you from a ND is not only the guns safety(ies) but the fact that the thumb break strap should be between the hammer and the back of the slide. Had a gentlemen get upset that my BHP was cocked with a thumb break between the hammer and the back of the slide and the safety on. Took some explaining and in the end I am still not sure he understood.
LOL---shoulder carried now for many years now---driving/sitting and deep cover is best---wear it all the time in the office and or working which I drive a lot and works best---inclement weather----humm pocket carry---just put revolver in pocket---as well as shoulder carry=====offiside I carry a large fixed blade---so just pull straight down and have 5in tanto--- I use superman carry---underneath my button shirt...carried all day yesterday underneath my snap western plaid shirt---was sig p250 with olight light laser and it was almost 80---get yaslef a safariland ALS shoulder holster..