Shoulder Carry qualms

[JdePietro]

I'm gonna try and keep the back story short and to the point. I got hurt at work and lost the use of my right hand for about two weeks. Always looking to take advantage of the situation I thought it would be a good time to let Randy of Hangunners (Topton Pa) make my wonderful SW1911PD a little better. So I brought it in and left myself in the hands of my significant other until I got home.

Randy had told me when I brought in my sidearm in that he was swamped and it would probably take longer than usual. No problem I'm not in any huge hurry. A while back I bought a 92fs so I would have a back up if I could not use my trusty 1911. I kinda figured that even though the doc said I would be fine after two weeks there was no sense to be found in pushing myself. Shooting a 9mm out of a big heavy gun is a lot easier than a scandium framed .45.

My problem is that I did not have a holster for my 92. Again always looking for the positive I thought this would be a good time to try IWB. After 3 days of a Mexican IWB I was ready to just not carry at all. Now I am sure that if I had a good holster it wouldn't be so bad but mexican style sucks.

My gun budget is rather small these days (Saving for a special rifle) and I just didn't want to drop a lot of money on a holster that would only do a marginal job at concealing and my current IWB method had me not even considering getting a holster for such a thing. As fate or luck would have it I ran into a local Police Detective. The Police Dept in question issues the 92fs to everyone so I asked him how he kept it hidden from prying eyes. Without a second to think about it he said "Shoulder Holster".

This guy wears it all day everyday so he must be on to something. So I got a Galco Lite Harness and a Desantis NY undercover shoulder holster. The holster itself is amazing, zero break in. My 92 slid right in and it had just the right amound of retension. I was pretty excited so I got out the harness and put the two together and slipped it on.

Now I know that I am missing the Mag pouches and maybe having them would make a difference but I cannot express the level of dissapointment that washed over me. Without wearing a button down and a jacket overtop of it there is no way in hell you can't notice the huge mass on my side. it rocks all around twisting my sleves and collar so that after 10 minutes of walking I look like I'm wearing a shirt two sizes too small and some blind person applied the graphic.

Now maybe my physique is not perfect for a shoulder rig, I am not a small guy and have very wide shoulders and chest and a cinched midline that fills out into a round belly. Kinda like an hour glass shape. As if the upper half wants to be a body builder and the bottom half enjoys food way too much. lol.

Still, I'm about $60 in the hole now with half a rig that is killer to wear and easy to spot. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong???
Is there a right and wrong way to wear a shoulder rig? Is there a certain cant that I need? Will the double mag pouch make any differnce???

At this point I'm willing to just sell the harness and holster and get a cheap OWB and just live with it until I get my baby back.

Your thoughts???

Point of interest...
I train some with my weak hand (left) but I don't own any holsters for that mode of carry, do you? And should we?

[tombogan03884]

Mess round with the straps, it sounds like you may need to loosen some places and take up the slack in others.
You ARE fastening it to your belt or trousers, right ?If it's adjusted RIGHT there should be NO flopping around at all.

[devzal]

I had the same problem before, for me I needed the off side mag pouch to balance it and I had to wear it a bit low with a horizontal rig. I eventually switched to a vertical model so the muzzle wasn't pressed into the back of my jacket. I don't like them for the most part, but I was working from cars a lot and my side holster was hard to get at when I was belted in. I was usually wearing at least a sport coat or jacket and most them fit better a couple of sizes larger, but it was always hot where I was working. Besides using one in a car the only real benefit for me was helping keep my pants up while carrying two pistols. Hope you get better quick.

[TAB]

As a tall skinny guy  I used a jack ass rig most of the time during the winter... as long as its adusted right( its alot easer if you have another person help you) and had a extra mag it was not a prob. 

[Frisco]

Shoulder holsters are...great to look at, but lousy for actually carrying a gun.

I tried Alessi, Jackass Leather, Galco, you name it.  None of them really worked.  In my opinion, even the "perfect" shoulder holster is still a "compromise on purse strings".  There are seventeen ways to sunday in which your draw can be impeded, even if no one is tying to impede your draw.  Your seatbelt shoulder harness is one heck of an opponent at times.

My STRONG prefersnce is a GOOD OWB or IWB made for strong side carry.  Good leather, wide belt slots, make for good retention, and really good concealment.

[Sponsor]

[ericire12]

My friend showed up with a new one last time we were at the range. It made him look like he was wearing a "gun bra".

[Overload]

Frank James did a great series of blog posts about shoulder holsters a few weeks ago.

[JdePietro]

Thank you for your replies.

Personally I have never been nor will I ever be a fan of cross draw.

I have since given up on my rig. Having only fiddled around with it, I will attempt to take the whole thing up to my local shop and try trading it in on a OWB pancake or scabbord style holster. I may take a loss for it but at least I will have a holster that I will actually use.

Thank you

[shooter32]

 but at least I will have a holster that I will actually use


That's the best kind.