Shoulder Holsters for Carry?

[Lastmohecken]

I didn't want to derail anyone else's thread on here, but since we have covered holsters and carry guns quite a bit lately, I wanted to bring up shoulder holsters and maybe also chest holsters. I do have an old Galco Miami Vice horizontal holster for a 1911, which I used a fair amount years ago, but other than that holster, I haven't experienced much satisfaction with shoulder holsters in general.

But I have been thinking about trying a Bianchi X-15 vertical rig for a revolver possibly. And I have also thought about trying one of those Diamond D chest holsters for bow hunting, and maybe farm use. What have you used, pictures? I do have a Dirty Harry leather holster for a 4 inch model 29 44 mag, and the holster is pretty good, but the harness is junk. I have thought about try to modify it, to make it better.

Anyhow, just wondering if any of you have found success with some form of shoulder holster for CCW or field use.

[jkbrea]

When packing elk quarters, I usually take a 4" S&W .44 mag. I used to carry it in a cross draw holster. It was great until packing a quarter out which was about 90lbs. I was walking along on top of a slope. I was wondering if I could draw and aim while packing a heavy load. Well, as my right shoulder went up while drawing, the load shifted left and down I went. I slid on my back, headfirst downhill about 20 yards while pointing the revolver straight up. I was so glad no one saw it!
After that incident, I bought a Double Diamond leather chest rig. It works great and much easier to draw with a heavy backpack. It also fits my 3" 686.

[JimT]

I have a Bianchi X15 I have been using since the early 1980's. That has been my hunting holster whether stalking on foot or riding a horse.

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X15.JPG

[jeepnik]

The only "shoulder holster" I had any real experience was not a shoulder holster but a chest holster. I used a GI "tanker" holster for a bit and liked it until you need to go prone. Not something you want to throw yourself down on. So I abandoned that and went back to a belt holster.

Fast forward to the 80's when the UM84 from Bianchi came along. It had more strap and buckle combinations than you could imagine. I did pick up an actual shoulder holster harness. It was uncomfortable and the holster was way too bulky.

Fast forward again, and a few years ago, just for stuff and giggles, I picked up a Chesty Puller harness from Simply Rugged. Turns out it works pretty good. It's kind of fun to be able to carry everything from a 2" snubbie to N frame S&W and all manner of semiautos using the same harness.

[Lastmohecken]

When packing elk quarters, I usually take a 4" S&W .44 mag. I used to carry it in a cross draw holster. It was great until packing a quarter out which was about 90lbs. I was walking along on top of a slope. I was wondering if I could draw and aim while packing a heavy load. Well, as my right shoulder went up while drawing, the load shifted left and down I went. I slid on my back, headfirst downhill about 20 yards while pointing the revolver straight up. I was so glad no one saw it!
After that incident, I bought a Double Diamond leather chest rig. It works great and much easier to draw with a heavy backpack. It also fits my 3" 686.

I did think about getting one if these for my 686, 5 inch gun, and then it should also fit my standard Model 29, or even an L-frame 357. And actually, I have found that a lot of times a 4-3/4 Ruger Blackhawk will also fit, depending on the particular holster.

[Lastmohecken]

I have a Bianchi X15 I have been using since the early 1980's. That has been my hunting holster whether stalking on foot or riding a horse.

16.jpg

deer2004.jpg



X15.JPG

Jim, glad to see someone that has used the X-15 and was happy with it. I have never owned one, but they have been around for a long time, so somebody much be using them.

[Lastmohecken]

The only "shoulder holster" I had any real experience was not a shoulder holster but a chest holster. I used a GI "tanker" holster for a bit and liked it until you need to go prone. Not something you want to throw yourself down on. So I abandoned that and went back to a belt holster.

Fast forward to the 80's when the UM84 from Bianchi came along. It had more strap and buckle combinations than you could imagine. I did pick up an actual shoulder holster harness. It was uncomfortable and the holster was way too bulky.

Fast forward again, and a few years ago, just for stuff and giggles, I picked up a Chesty Puller harness from Simply Rugged. Turns out it works pretty good. It's kind of fun to be able to carry everything from a 2" snubbie to N frame S&W and all manner of semiautos using the same harness.

Yep, I have been looking at that Chester Puller Harness, too. Also, a Simply Rugged Pancake for just belt carry. Pricy but I do like how deep the guns usually sit in them. I will probably end up trying one for one of my belt guns, at least, maybe with the IWB straps also. They offer a pretty good system.

[stretch]

The Simply Rugged pancake holsters are very nice. I have several.
They ARE a bit spendy, but the quality is outstanding and the service
is really top-notch.

I carry a 2" Rossi 357 Mag or an SP101 in 357 Mag in one. Honestly,
I sometimes forget I have it on me - the setup is THAT comfortable!
I also have a Galco rig that is the same sort of thing - also very comfortable.

I came across one of those Miami Vice shoulder rigs as was described earlier.
It was awhile ago - I might have actually gotten it for free.
It seems comfortable, but I haven't really used it much yet.

Those Chesty Puller rigs look good, I just haven't sprung for one yet.
I have a 4" Redhawk in 44 Mag that would be a good candidate for that rig.

-Stretch

[Bill in Oregon]

I had a used Bianchi X-15 that I carried an SBH in as well. Sure beats all that leather required for a normal belt holster. I even made a belt holster for a 10 1/2-inch SBH and it was like wearing a framing hammer in a leather case in the woods. Somewhere I have a photo of a shoulder/chest rig I made for a Glock Model 40 longslide -- leather for the holster and nylon webbing for the harness. I go way back with shoulder holsters. This is Christmas about 1963 and that black plastic rig I am wearing is holding a Mattel snub-nosed .38 loaded with Shoot-n-shells and primed with Greenie Stick'em Caps.

[Lastmohecken]

I think I am definitely going to get a Simply Rugged Pancake or two, eventually. I am just trying to decide what gun to order it for. Looks like I would need a couple at least to hopefully accommodate a few different guns. Holsters have always been a struggle for me, being left handed adds to the issue, as you almost always have to special order, because most shops don't carry many lefty holsters. I probably already own a bushel basket full of holsters, that I practically never use, and only use a few that I have found to work for me.

[jeepnik]

The Simply Rugged pancake holsters are very nice. I have several.
They ARE a bit spendy, but the quality is outstanding and the service
is really top-notch.

Spendy? Have you priced similar quality holsters?

My only complaint about Simply Rugged is that their lead time has grown over the years. But with good reason. They produce a high quality product for a reasonable price and their popularity has grown.

[Walt]

I have several Bianchi X-15 holsters for various guns and also X2100 holsters. The primary difference is that the X2100s have a thumb snap. They are all top quality holsters.

[marlinman93]

Thought I should have a shoulder holster for my 1911 decades ago, so bought one and quickly realized I didn't like it. When I was walking or doing any activity the holster was flopping around, and I was always checking the gun to make sure it didn't work loose. If I had to pull the 1911 I always grabbed the holster with my left hand to hold it as I drew the gun out with my right hand. I finally gave up on it and stopped using it.

[Walt]

I was once way out in the sticks, shooting my Colt 1911 and several other guns. I had been carrying the 1911 in a shoulder holster and after finishing my shooting and cleaning up my target area I was ready to get into my truck and drive away when I suddenly realized my pistol was not in the holster. After a rather frantic search I found it half buried in the sand. I did a thorough disassembly and cleaning when I got home.

[Steve in MO]

So, I've been a fan of shoulder holsters for a long time. I blame Dirty Harry, Sonny Crockett and Jerry Ahern. I've carried 1911s, Glocks and N-frames in them, along with snubby K-frames because, well, Bullitt.

The one I've used most is the Galco Miami Classic. It's the most comfortable of the breed, though I haven't used them all. The ability to take that weight off my belt is very welcome, while still being able to carry something substantial along with spare ammo.

I've also used an old Alessi shoulder rig for my Colt Officer's Models. It was a double shoulder holster, since I had two of them. I didn't do that for long.

I used my Bianchi X15 with my 4" Model 29 when I was living in Oregon and Washington, but I never liked the strap riding along the back of my neck.

I've been looking at the Sam Andrews Monarch shoulder holster for a while, and I'll probably order one of those here in the near future. It'll hold my 1911, three magazines and a Gerber Mark I fighting knife. That's a lot of hardware, but I have to go to St. Louis on occasion so that'll be what I take with me.

I know all the arguments against shoulder holsters, and most of them are based on fixed range rules. In the real world, a proper shoulder holster rig will be comfortable all day, and allows you to have all of your fighting equipment with you at one time.

[jkbrea]

When packing elk quarters, I usually take a 4" S&W .44 mag. I used to carry it in a cross draw holster. It was great until packing a quarter out which was about 90lbs. I was walking along on top of a slope. I was wondering if I could draw and aim while packing a heavy load. Well, as my right shoulder went up while drawing, the load shifted left and down I went. I slid on my back, headfirst downhill about 20 yards while pointing the revolver straight up. I was so glad no one saw it!
After that incident, I bought a Double Diamond leather chest rig. It works great and much easier to draw with a heavy backpack. It also fits my 3" 686.

My bad. It's Diamond D chest rig. I just looked them up. Price went up but they work great.

[Bill in Oregon]

After finally getting the Blackhawk in .41 to the range this morning, and seeing it wants to play nice, I found an X-15 Large on eBay for $36 shipped, so I'll be back in the Bianchi business soon. With a mild load of 7.5 grains of Universal in Starline brass, CCI 300 primer and the Hornady 210-grain XTP, I had a first shot flier upper right, then four under .75 inches at 25 yards, rest. I didn't think I could shoot that well any more. That load should be loping along just over 1,000. I credit the accuracy to having sent my cylinder with uneven throats to Fermin Garza for reaming before I even fired a shot.
In full candor, the Blackhawk did not care much for the Lee 210-grain TL SWC over 7 grains of Universal, or at least I wasn't shooting it well. I'll try feeding it something else as others report good luck with this cast boolit.