Shoulder holster tips.

[Trempel]

I just got a hold of a Miami Classic II set up for Glocks. Although I primarily conceal IWB, I couldn't refuse the deal I got on this, plus I'm interested in other carry options for long road trips, etc. Problem is that I'm having trouble setting it up in a way that actually hides the weapon, without needing a huge overcoat. The piece that I'm planning to carry is a G19.

Does anyone here carry with this or a similar shoulder holster? How did you set it up to make it more concealable and what type of clothing do you wear on top of it?

[markm]

light, puffy jackets work good. Those jackets that are something between a windbreaker and an actual coat. They're loose cut and their puffyness masks printing very well.

Sport coats actually print very badly. I've also used an unbuttoned long sleeve shirt over a Tshirt too.

[John_Wayne777]

Originally Posted by Trempel

I just got a hold of a Miami Classic II set up for Glocks. Although I primarily conceal IWB, I couldn't refuse the deal I got on this, plus I'm interested in other carry options for long road trips, etc. Problem is that I'm having trouble setting it up in a way that actually hides the weapon, without needing a huge overcoat. The piece that I'm planning to carry is a G19.

Does anyone here carry with this or a similar shoulder holster? How did you set it up to make it more concealable and what type of clothing do you wear on top of it?

...and now you know why you rarely see shoulder holsters on those of us who carry concealed regularly. Frankly, they suck for many handguns. Remember Miami Vice? Did you ever look at how effectively Don Johnson was actually concealing that big 10mm he packed? You can actually watch episodes of MV on the NBC.com site. Go watch one real quick. I'll wait...

Good! You're back. Notice how absolutely obvious it was that Johnson was carrying? Ya. That's the problem with shoulder holsters. You just about have to be wearing custom, expertly tailored clothes or a ski jacket to conceal the bulge.

You can minimize this by adjusting the ride of the holster somewhat. For most people a holster adjusted where the weapon component sits perfectly horizontal just won't get it done. You can adjust the front (front being defined as the loop nearest to your chest) loop on the holster component out with more slack while leaving the rear loop (the one by your back) where it is, which will in effect make the weapon tilt butt down. This cant will help the weapon conceal more unobtrusively. Ditto the ammo carrier component.

Even at that, you may not find that it conceals very well.

[Skintop911]

Originally Posted by Trempel

Does anyone here carry with this or a similar shoulder holster? How did you set it up to make it more concealable and what type of clothing do you wear on top of it?

There are a lot of variables here. I know that holster and gun, but what's your body type? Barrel chest/lean/obese/etc? There are body types, and combos, that make the carry method more difficult.

You can adjust the rig to hang the gun at upward or downward angles. If you find the muzzle or grip is printing a bit, give it a bit of cant to fit better within your body profile. Be careful not to compromise your ability to present it well. Don't forget to play with the height over belt line as well as angle.

As Mark notes, you'll need a cover garment of sufficient material density to resist obvious printing. More than that, though, the cut of the garment is important. When I bought sport coats, my tailor adjusted them for my gear. It may be worthwhile to have your chosen cover garments done in the same way. It's less expensive than you think, and a good tailor is worth their weight in gold to the dedicated.

100% cotton shirts over tees can work, depending on your body type and holster adjustment. A lightweight vest works if the arm holes aren't oversized enough to expose the gun.

Depending on how much adjustment the holster has and how the harness fits you, you may find that some time with at a friendly leather shop is worthwhile. I had the harness on one of mine tweaked a bit, and it made a huge difference in comfort during extended wear.

Like ankle carry, shoulder holsters take some getting used to and are bettered through some tweaks for the method.

Report back on how it's going?

[markm]

Good point on "body type". What you can get done will be unique to you. I don't use my shoulder holster very often at all, but I can get a full sized Glock to conceal well enough.

[Business_Casual]

The key to making a shoulder-holster work is how the gun and magazines hang. The straps need to be asymetrically adjusted in order to correctly follow both the shape of your body and the straight pull of gravity.

If they are adjusted to the same length then the holster and mags ride forward and accentuate the printing.

M_P

My tip: find a better carry method.

[markm]

Originally Posted by ToddG

My tip: find a better carry method.

I think he does carry differently for the majority of the time.

Shoulder holsters do suck in many regards, but they have a niche.

Originally Posted by markm

Shoulder holsters do suck in many regards, but they have a niche.

So does felching. Which I'm about as likely to need as a shoulder holster.

There are so many obvious issues:

• Training/safety, especially in group settings
• concealability, especially if you move into an environment in which wearing a coat/jacket will be conspicuous
• comfort, especially if you move into an environment in which wearing a coat/jacket will be hot
• retention, and the need to cross your centerline to draw the weapon
• depending on the design, one-handed draws can be difficult or impossible
• cost (vs. other more suitable carry methods)

[markm]

None of these issues are impossible to overcome.

For a safe pistol shooter, the worst is slow presentation due to the cross draw. The second worst thing for me is comfort.... I'm always adjusting it and such. If you don't have a pants belt or a fag bag, you still have an option for being armed with a "real" caliber pistol though.

I might carry in a shoulder rig 2 days out of a year at most. Then I hang it back on the safe handle until I once again forget what a pain it is to carry that way.

[Trempel]

I do carry strong side IWB about 99.999% of the time when I'm not at work. On just a couple of occasions, I carried my G26 in a bellyband holster when I needed to have a tucked shirt.

There are several reasons why I want to try this out. One is to take the weight off my belt at least for some of the time, because I'm already paid to carry enough crap around my midsection for 40+ hours/week. Another is so that I can have better access to a weapon if I'm seated in a car.

As for body type. I'm 5'11", around 195lbs medium build. I'm not obese by any means, but not all muscle either. Chest is 42.5" and I wear pants between 34" and 36", depending on whether I'm wearing an IWB holster or not.

Originally Posted by markm

None of these issues are impossible to overcome.

Again I could make a felching reference ...

The question isn't whether the problems can be overcome. The question is whether it's a practical solution versus other options.

If I can't wear a belt, I use a fannypack (HawkePak). I'm hard pressed to think of a situation in which:

1. I cannot wear a belt.
2. I cannot use a fannypack.
3. I can wear a jacket without any chance of having to remove it.

And if such a situation were to arise, I'd be much more inclined to go with SmartCarry or something similar.

If there's a method of carry you use only two days a year, how much training & practice do you put into using that method?

[JimmyB62]

Originally Posted by ToddG

Again I could make a felching reference ...

The question isn't whether the problems can be overcome. The question is whether it's a practical solution versus other options.

If I can't wear a belt, I use a fannypack (HawkePak). I'm hard pressed to think of a situation in which:

1. I cannot wear a belt.
2. I cannot use a fannypack.
3. I can wear a jacket without any chance of having to remove it.

And if such a situation were to arise, I'd be much more inclined to go with SmartCarry or something similar.

If there's a method of carry you use only two days a year, how much training & practice do you put into using that method?

I was going to post about how a shoulder holster is my lazy man's carry method if I'm wearing sweats and just want to walk to the corner store. I throw a bomber style jacket over it and off I go. Your post made me think it over a bit though. Ignorance is (was) bliss.

PS- I couldn't remember what felching was and looked it up from work. I'm sure the IT guys will enjoy that.

[markm]

Originally Posted by ToddG

Again I could make a felching reference ...

You're freaking me out with that shit. I'm proud to say I had to look it up to find out what it is you East Coasters are all about!

If there's a method of carry you use only two days a year, how much training & practice do you put into using that method?

Not much. I make a few presentations when I put it on. But I look at it like having a pistol within reach instead of going completely unarmed. There's no chance of outdrawing someone who has picked you out for a surprise attack, but you have a real pistol in the even that you're in a situation where some nut just decides to attempt a mass shooting.

I carry the Hawkepak too.... maybe 10 times per year. But like most fanny packs, the holster isn't right. You can present the pistol ok, but reholstering is an awkward cluster fuck. Then you have the seatbelt to deal with.

Originally Posted by JimmyB62

PS- I couldn't remember what felching was and looked it up from work. I'm sure the IT guys will enjoy that.

You really should have worded that differently.

Originally Posted by markm

Not much. I make a few presentations when I put it on. But I look at it like having a pistol within reach instead of going completely unarmed.

Having a gun is always better than having no gun, agreed.

I carry the Hawkepak too.... maybe 10 times per year. But like most fanny packs, the holster isn't right. You can present the pistol ok, but reholstering is an awkward cluster fuck. Then you have the seatbelt to deal with.

I've never had a real problem, though admittedly I'm not concerned about the speed of my re-holster technique. As for the seatbelt, I just lift the whole pack up and over so it clears the belt. A forceful pull on the belt will also get it free of the pack if you need to bail out of the car quickly.

[markm]

I think my pack was somewhat Farked up from the get go. I had to have my amature seamstress Mom tweak it a little to get the muzzle portion wide enough to get my Glock to holster at all. It appeared oversewn where the muzzle goes for a righty.

[MX5]

I carry either IWB or same position OWB the majority of the time whether I'm in & out of vehicles a lot or not. Even on very long road trips, this is usually the norm. However, I have a very old Galco system from the period between the Jackass shoulder rig & the Miami Classic. I use this time to time as the situation warrants; just as I do ankle rigs.

One of my vehicles is a performance car with very tight seating that holds you in place. Knives, flashlights, guns & magazines don't work well in that environment. Strapped-in, the tools will tear into the leather seats & there's no hope of reaching them if you need one with my usual method of carry. Combine that with very long hours of cross country driving (last Fri. was 688 mi.) & the shoulder or ankle rig makes sense. But, their utility is limited in my opinion. Sure, there are other alternatives, but I look at them like shoes or any other clothing - use them to fit the situation at hand. I don't wear the same clothes, shoes or holsters all the time for every occasion. My job requires exposure to a wide range of environments, weather & challenges - from the boardroom to a rooftop to burned-out or collapsed buildings or climbing towers. The tools/clothing/shoes change as the situations change.

Good luck.

[VooDoo6Actual]

SHHHHHHH.....


Here ya go....

Well, at least you make appendix carry look safe.

Nice Pani btw.