Posted: 10/12/2010 12:15:56 PM EDT
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What do you do if you're wearing a shoulder rig with a jacket over it and you happen to go somewhere that you need to take your jacket off?
The reason I ask is that I'm looking at CC rigs and am contemplating whether I should go the belt or shoulder route. Thanks a bunch! |
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I think many of us (whether most will admit it or not,) played around with the notion of a shoulder holster at some point in our carry lives, but quickly realized that while they are great for TV and movie characters, and actually have a real life application for armed security in the personal protection role (drivers, vehicle crew, other people who may spend a lot of time seat in a vehicle and need to be armed,) they are positively awful as general purpose holsters. Retention is generally poor, especially if it were to come to a struggle for the weapon, not to mention the trouble of running while wearing one, they print like nobody's business unless you have a good tailor and plenty of $$, and they are slow and ungainly on the draw, and darn near force you to cover vital bits of yourself with the business end while drawing or holstering.
Not to mention the rather serious drawback mentioned in the OP: you cannot take off your jacket without exposing your weapon. No, the only things I think shoulder carry are good for would be using a Better Holster (I don't have the link handy, but Google should get it for you,) or a place to carry a backup weapon for someone who wears body armor. |
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In this day and age a shoulder rig is hardly a viable option. Lots of people are making great quality belt carry gear with options to suit pretty much anything. Unless you're looking for the holster to fill a very specific role you will be much better suited with belt carry. Even if you decide to go with a shoulder rig, you will probably also need a belt holster to supplement it. |
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A shoulder carry rig CAN be a great option to have. It sees a lot of usage with me for a number of reasons. The options for carry for me include a shoulder holster (Galco Miami Classic, horizontal carry, double mag pouch on the opposite side), inside waistband (Comptac CTAC), and an outside waistband (Blackhawk Serpa). The shoulder holster used to be regulated to jacket carry for me. It is now used as my primary holster when riding a motorcycle. Since the motorcycle safety gear can't accomodate belt holsters, it has become a vital part of my carry gear.
There are, however, downsides to the shoulder holster, like you have mentioned. My solution, generally, is to either wear a completely button up shirt and have the holster under that as well as the jacket. When the jacket comes off, the light shirt stays on, keeping the holster concealed. If I don't have that, I can easily remove both the jacket and the holster at the same time and cover the holster with the jacket. A booth in a restaurant provides good enough cover to do this. This, of course, means that I won't be leaving the booth if somebody I trust isn't there to cover the jacket  To put the holster back on, it depends on the setting. If I do it just right, I can put the holster back on at the same time that I put the jacket back on. Sometimes I'll just put the holster on, and then put the jacket on. People see, but since I'm doing this as I leave, it has not yet been a problem. You can also carry the jacket concealing the entire holster to a better location and put everything back on there. The restroom works well for this, back out to the bike or car also works well for this.
Shoulder holsters also are a little slower on the draw. I haven't timed it, but they are definitely slower. You CAN "preload" your draw a little bit if you are feeling threatened, like by pretending to rub the ribs right under the gun, or acting like you are placing something inside an internal pocket in the jacket. People don't notice anything like that. You can sweep yourself and others when holstering. Don't be a complete retard and you can figure out a way around that. You can also sweep yourself and others while unholstering. That's pretty easy to avoid when you AREN'T in a hurry. Can be more difficult if you are, but train to keep your finger off the trigger until you are nearing the target and this shouldn't be a problem, either. I was not happy with the inability to move with the shoulder holster on, but oddly enough one day I actually noticed that Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2 had the same exact holster set up I had (make, model, color, all the same), with the addition of two straps to secure the bottom of the holster and the mag carrier to a belt. I quickly purchased those items and after adjusting it all properly, the holster fits very well and stays put. Retention is not really any worse than another thumb snap style holster. Those are some downsides. The good sides: You can carry a good gun without the need for a heavy duty belt. This is useful at formal parties when a dress belt makes it impossible to carry even a subcompact gun. You can have on sweat pants, throw on the shoulder holster, throw on a jacket, and take the dog for a walk out in the snow or colder weather. This is also the reason it is useful as a motorcycle holster. And so on. It is more comfortable to use when driving long distances. It is generally easier to draw while seated. I have found that it is more comfortable for longer periods of time. I know I have more than that, but have forgotten them at the moment. |
| I use my shoulder holster during the winter months, mostly for walking in the woods, but I have no problem carrying around in it too. I also use it when I am making longer road trips as it is more comfortable to wear in the car for long periods. Most common use for my shoulder holster is while I am hunting and wearing coveralls, which have no belt loops. Not the ideal holster for concealed carry going in and out of buildings, but if you are going to be outside all day during winter months I find it to be a great alternative to a belt holster, not a replacement. |
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Quoted:
A shoulder carry rig CAN be a great option to have. (snip for brevity) I know I have more than that, but have forgotten them at the moment. I also use my shoulder holster a fair amount, almost exactly as mentioned above. It is the holster of choice for motorcycle rides, long drives, or walking the dog in the winter. Open carry is also legal here, so the few times I have to pull the jacket and expose the gun are not a real issue. Az |
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I generally carry IWB. But when hunting I wear fleece pants under my outer layer hunting pants. IWB doesn't work. Even OWB won't work with my hunting pants.
This has me considering a shoulder rig for hunting. But they all seem to have loops to attach to a belt. Again, that's not going to work for when I want it. Does anyone know of a shoulder rig that does not use loops for a belt? I've been searching, but haven't found anything. I guess another question is this - are there any shoulder rigs that would work reasonably well without using the loops to attach to a belt? Keeping in mind this is something I'll use for one week a year, I'd like to find one at a reasonable price. I'd be carrying a Glock 17, if it matters. Thanks. |
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I have just ordered a sholder rig from Alessi. While I carry via OWB and or ankle typically, the new sholder rig will be used during motorcycle rides since my OWB will not work with my riding jacket and body armor. It will also serve while hiking in the colder months.
Peace 
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| another disadvantage for the shoulder rig: you will find it difficult to practice with it. most ranges will not allow drawing from a shoulder rig on the line. IPSC and IDPA competition won't allow these rigs- carrying and drawing violate the 180 rule for handling firearms in these situations. so you are limited to dry fire practice or live fire practice away from most ranges. |