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]

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.

[ST911]

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

[ToddG]

My tip: find a better carry method.

[markm]

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.

[ToddG]

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.