In the forty-plus years that I’ve been paying attention to the gun world, I have witnessed holster trends come and go. When I was going to the police academy, one of the veterans showed me a Safety Speed clamshell holster that was once all the rage. I recall at the time that the Trooper model holsters all had hinges to allow them to ride low, but rock up out of the way when seated in a cruiser. Then there was the ubiquitous Jordan duty holster, named for Bill Jordan.
If you showed any of the aforementioned rigs to a modern deputy or patrolman, they would likely view them as antiques.
Back in the olden days, before the full court press to give citizens back their Second Amendment right to carry a firearm, the concealed carry market was rather niche. Most cops wore duty rigs and few of them actually carried their guns off-duty. When I put the uniform on for the first time in 1991, I was shocked that most cops that I talked to did not carry off-duty. The few who did generally dropped a J-frame in a pocket, naked, and called it good. Sure, Chicago or New York cops might have been carrying off-duty, but they were the exception, not the rule.
I mention all of this because when it comes to concealed carry holsters, the United States is still in its formative years. Think about it, before Florida passed shall-issue in 1987 and got the ball rolling, having a government-issued permission slip to carry a concealed firearm was extremely rare; it was golden ticket rare. When Clint Eastwood was toting his Smith & Wesson Model 29 in a shoulder rig, we all thought it looked cool, but very few citizens could legally carry it that way. Ditto when Don Johnson portrayed Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice.
Shoulder Holster Season
While they might seem like antiques compared to the newest and coolest plastic AIWB rigs, shoulder holsters do indeed still have a place in the concealed carry lexicon. Many folks find them to be convenient and comfortable, particularly when wearing sportcoats and jackets during cooler weather. The other benefit is carrying in dress clothes. Tailored suit pants or slacks with narrow belt loops for thin dress belts are made for fashion, not function.
The mercury has dipped and everywhere, except San Diego, Miami and Phoenix, folks are dressing in layers and wearing coats and jackets. I am personally acquainted with a few folks who look forward to the cool weather so they can make use of their shoulder rigs.
Horizontal or Vertical?
When we drill down on the subject of shoulder rigs we have two basic designs; horizontal cary and vertical carry. Horizontal carry has the muzzle pointing to the rear. Vertical has the muzzle pointing downward. And yes, there has been contention amongst the gun culture as to which is an appropriate choice.
When it comes to carrying a double-action revolver or DA pistol, such as the Beretta Model 92/M9 featured here, the idea that the gun might “go off” in the holster seems like quite the stretch. There is one current model of pistol that I would not carry horizontally or vertically, but that is a topic for another day.
Regardless of holster design, handling your pistol is always a matter of muzzle control and muzzle awareness. I find it funny to hear folks pontificate that they would never wear a shoulder holster because of the muzzle orientation, but these same folks have no issue muzzling their junk with an AIWB model holster.
Training and Practice
Regardless of the style or design of your holster, even the good old strong-side OWB, training and practice are always requisite behavior. The biggest issue with a shoulder rig is naturally the opposite configuration; gun on non-dominant side and spare ammo on dominant side. You need to have the flexibility to reach across your body. If you don’t have that, a shoulder rig is not for you.
Shoulder holster basics would include: Step One – move your non-dominant arm out of the way so that you are not muzzling yourself as your draw. Step Two – control the gun and muzzle as you remove the gun with your dominant hand. Step Three – for a two handed grip, bring your support hand up under the gun to mate with the dominant hand. Step Four – extend both arms to engage the target. (Holster worn deliberately on the outside for photos)
When it comes time to load your pistol again, the muzzle of the gun goes up as the non-dominant hand reaches over to retrieve a fresh magazine. Otherwise the loading process is as normal.
As far as holstering the gun (I’m using “gun” to include pistols and revolvers), slow and deliberate are the watchwords. Keep the trigger finger up along the slide/frame and take your time. Remember, you never have to put your gun back into your shoulder holster “fast” or in a hurry. If the crisis requires two hands, immediately, open your hand and let the pistol drop. Take care of business and then retrieve it.
If a shoulder holster is a new piece of gear for you, or you haven’t worn one in a while, you owe it to yourself to get your posterior to the range and deliberately work with the gear. Take your time and worry about skill and method. If you have real skill, speed will come.
“Speed for its own sake is the worst thing we can do. The object is to work on method. It’ll be done faster when it is done methodically.” – Col. Charles Beckwith, Founder US Army Delta Force
Galco Shoulder Holsters
Plastic holsters are economical and relatively easy to produce. Genuine leather holsters require craftsmanship and, unlike plastic, come with some pride of ownership. Galco Gunleather has been continuously producing high quality gunleather for over fifty years. They built the shoulder rigs for both Don Johnson (Miami Vice) and Bruce Willis (Die Hard).
The two models featured here are the official Die Hard horizontal rig for the Beretta 92 and the VHS 4.0 vertical rig for the GLOCK 21SF. Both of these are genuine leather with dual magazine pouches and optional belt tie-downs. The GLOCK rig is the one that I wear in bear country.
Parting Shots
Is a shoulder holster for everyone? No, probably not. Are shoulder rigs still viable ways to ensure that you are an armed citizen? Yes, they are. Take the time to get comfortable with your gear, train and practice with it.
Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.
That ‘Safety Speed clamshell holster’ – I’ve seen one of those. More like ‘Safety Speed shoot your self in the leg clamshell holster’.
The finger of the gun hand poking around into the trigger guard to push that button thing was probably a bad idea.