This has probably been gone over before, I however, have not read anything on it so here goes...

With the concept of all guns are loaded, and never point a gun at something you don't plan on destroying, how is it okay and safe to use a shoulder holster with the barrel of teh gun pointed at people all day long?

Granted, there are verticle holsters that point the barrel down, but those are not comfortable and require extra effort to pull out the piece, so I would venture to guess most folks that use a shoulder holster, use a horizontal model, but now there is a loaded gun barrel pointed at other people all day, and pretty much at the head of children, should they be around.

For me it is to each their own, so please don't take this question as bashing or anything, I'm just curious as to how it's okay to use these type of holsters?

Just a friendly discussion.

That's a good question.

I am wearing a Galco shoulder holster right now for my Sig .45. I don't really worry about it as long as its concealed. I've had this rig for about 20 years, and it hasn't shot anybody in the face all by itself yet.

Once I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New Orleans - Jack Dempsey's, I think. I took off my coat and didn't really think anything since I was at a table full of cops and there were badges and guns everywhere. I felt a light tap on my shoulder, and turned to see a nice older lady smiling at me. "Suh", she said, "would mind awfully much putting your jacket back on? That big ol' pistol is pointed right at mah head."

I felt like such an *** I just took the whole rig off and stowed it in my car. I thought it was sweet that she didn't mind it still being pointed at her head, as long as there was a thin layer of fabric covering it.

In short, I don't worry about it.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I almost tried to post about hearing that story, couldn't remember where i heard it. Too funny.

Now I know it is not gonna shoot somebody by itself, but you hear it all the time about a barrel only pointing at stuff you are okay with destroying, but that one very important rule seems to go out the window when it comes to this one thing (shoulder holster).

I just find it wierd, again, I know it isn't gonna just go off, but I don't think I could do it, I would be too worried about it for my own comfort.

Thanks for sharing though, that is a funny story and one that has stayed with me since I heard it last.

My biggest concern when I taught firearms was the draw on shoulder rigs.
Unless you're real carefull ever draw means you sweep pretty much a 180 degree arc to get on target.
I used to put those with that type of holster on the very end of the line to prevent unfortunate situations, and the problem WILL be worse when you throw in a high level of stress.
Good holsters with a specific use, but not for the begginers.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

I only use vertical shoulder holsters for concealed carry.

Even though I know the gun won't go off by itself, there's just something about having the barrel of my .44 Mag pointed at the head of a little girl behind me in the checkout line that I don't like.

I don't like guns pointed at me. I don't care if I have unloaded and triple checked the gun myself. In gun shops, I get ticked when I see someone sweep me when carelessly waiving around a gun.. even though the employee just checked it. On the same note, I don't want to be out in public and have a loaded gun being pointed at me from underneath some guy's coat. Has it happened? Most likely, but that doesn't mean I like it.

I'm not bashing Glocks... I have two... but I shudder to think of someone carrying a loaded Glock in a nylon horizontal shoulder holster.

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- The Federalist #46 -

Good point the stress level wont help any. I have seen plenty of people practice quick drawing and NOT under stress, but still shoot themself in the leg or foot. With a shoulder holster, that leg or foot now becomes a bystander.

I could see maybe on a farm or hunting or something, when you are alone or with one or two people but everyday around lots of people just seems to be asking for trouble.

Again just my honest opinion.

Pretty much how I look at it.

As far as the glock in the shoulder holster, now add a mall ninja to the equation

I had a shoulder holster my wife got me for a little while, just for around the house, because my holstered sigma was uncomfortable laying on the couch, but I stopped wearing it when my 3 year old came up to me, while I was sitting, and I realized there was a loaded gun pointing right at his face. Gave me the chills, and off to the cloest the holster went...

And again... there's no reason that it would have just gone off, but still, you wouldn't point a loaded gun at someone even with your finger off the trigger. There's little difference in my mind even if the gun is in a holster.

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- The Federalist #46 -

Exactly, there was n't even a chambered round but still gave me the chills. I know guns don't just go off, but it still messes with your head a bit.

I dont use them for that reason and the fact that its impossible to train with them since you are going to cover whoever is on your holster side at the range when you draw the weapon. If I cant train with it I aint using it.

As a civilian with a CCW permit, on the farm would be the only circumstance where I would even consider a shoulder rig. That way the only feet I got to shoot at are my own...

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

Exactly, I see no problem with that, or like hiking in the woods/ mountains or something.

I qualify with mine four times a year. I just stake out the far left position on the line.

I would say if you are uncomfortable with it, don't use it. It works for me, but it's not for everybody.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I agree with Gunslinger, it's a specialized piece of equipment and not for the newbie, but it also fills a role nothing else can. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a shoulder holster. Every accidental shooting I've seen, except one, revolved around a person who could not keep their finger off the trigger, not the holster the gun was in. When was the last time you read about a gun just going off in a shoulder holster...never.

I was thinking of getting one for long road trips. I think it would work well while driving.

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"... shall not be infringed."

So you would have no problem having a loaded 1911 hammer cocked pointed at your child's head as long as nobody touched the trigger? That's how I'm looking at it. I know it doesn't happen, but nothing is impossible, and it goes against one the the most basic gun handling rules.

It just seems to me this basic gun rule is broken with this method of carry, if you think about it, that loaded gun is pointed right t the head of children behind you, or people sitting down behind you. Mechanical malfunctions can and do happen.

I guess I'm just overly cautious. I was around a ND when I was in my teens which resulted in a death of a friend, and have been overly paranoid ever since, to the point I can't chamber a round until I'm ready to shoot EVER. Now I realize it was a PERSONS fault when it happened, but in my head that doesn't matter.

Thanks for discussing this with me, been on my mind for awhile now.

I can see where you would be traumatized and I would be the first to tell you if you are not comfortable with your gun, holster etc in a certain fashion, do not carry it. Confidence in your system is very important.

Looking at your 1911 example you have not 1 or 2 safeties, but three. In the 100 years of the gun and millions of carry hours, there is no record of an accidental discharge such as concerns your scenario, that I am aware of. As for the violations of gun rules, that is when handling one. Many people carry loaded guns in glove boxes, in carriers on the back seat etc. Police carry them pointing in a potentially dangerous angle in their cruisers, yet it's done all of the time. I'm not advocating bad gun handling technique, just pointing out the nuances of the debate.

Everything about Self Defense is about possibility, not probability. There is no way to know in most civilian situations, that it is probable you will need a gun that day, you carry it because of random probability. That said, carrying a CCW with an un-chambered round is not what I what consider advisable either. I would be shocked if the general consensus among people who have carried a gun for a while, living etc is not the odds of the time it takes for you to chamber round does not substantially increase the chance of your getting hurt by a BG, vs the odds of a chambered round going off accidentally and hurting someone.

Buy a high quality gun/holster, practice drawing it, invest in a biometric safe for home etc, those are things you can control. I was not being smart over the finger on the trigger issue, I've seen that be an issue for even LEO's and military people. Stress makes even common sense things difficult.

I think your concern based on your past history is quite understandable, but I don't think it's based on historical risk. However, as I said in my first paragraph, if it makes you nervous, don't do it, nerves only increase the chance of an accident occurring.

Stay safe and enjoy your evening.

Edit: It occurs to me I forgot to mention one key thing. Shoulder Holster carry is not my preferred carry style, not even close. I utilize it in the winter when I'm going to be something that routinely exposes the belt line and that would be an issue. The rest of the time OWB is my preferred carry for my primary gun. However, in the instance mentioned above, SH carry fits the bill.

Lot's of good points here, and I should add, I only CAN carry when I'm home, so I will have the half second it takes to rack the slide. If I could carry out and about, I'd probably force myself to chamber one, but that is not an option in IL.

Thanks for the post.

I am scared to death of those horizontal shoulder holsters. I will bet a dollar to a hole in a doughnut that if you point a gun at a person wearing a horizontal shoulder holster they would have a fit but then they say that pointing their gun at the person behind them is okay. Larry

If you aren't comfortable...DON'T USE IT! A shoulder holster is no more dangerous than any other holster. It is the operator not the gun, not the holster!

A properly holstered gun presents no danger to anyone whether it is a shoulder holster, IWB,OWB, ankle, *** or any other configuration.

A gun goes bang because someone did something to MAKE it go bang.

Randy

That being said, would you feel comfortable with someone walking around with an un-holstered gun pointed in front of them? Even with no finger on the trigger? It's properly secured, they have a good grip.. there's no way the guns is going to "go bang". The operator has control and wont fire by accident. Really no different than in a shoulder holster pointed behind them from under the armpit.

You might say it's an extreme comparison (and it is), but in reality there isn't much difference, other than the obvious fact that holding a gun out like that would be brandishing.

Nobody has said that the holster is unsafe.... it's just the concept of a loaded gun pointing at things you don't want to have shot. Normally when carried, the guns is pointed downward.

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- The Federalist #46 -

Hmmn. I see a great deal of paranoia and hand wringing going on here.

Let us begin with my background on the matter of shoulder holsters . I use a Miami Classic shoulder holster for my Beretta and S&W 4566 when concealed carrying.It is a satisfying condition to have a holster which fits two different pistols safely and comfortably, which is why I am dismayed at the hand-wringing happening here.

For one, you do NOT sweep people to your right as you draw unless your shoulder holster is improperly adjusted. If your holster is adjusted like you are Don Johnson starring in Miami Vice 2012, it is improperly adjusted. When the piece is suspended at waist level in such a manner the user must fold themselves in on the draw to acquire an angle to reach the weapon, resulting in the unfortunate problem of 'sweeping' anyone to the immediate left side of a right handed shooter.

When the gun is properly adjusted in the holster with the leather retention component as close to the armpit of the user as comfortably possible this index changes. Once the strap is broken and the weapon is free of the holster completely its already facing a 90 degree direction to the right, and a split second later its pointing forward and on target. In this manner one has a much reduced draw radius and the risk of sweeping the right side is signifigantly reduced.

As to lasering people behind you with a firearm, this is an aspect of image trumping reality. A S&W semi auto is no more likely to fire in a shoulder rig than it is in a waistband holster.The difference is that a S&W holstered on the hip is aimed at the floor, which appears to be a more responsible direction than in a holster pointing back at the wearer's 6 o'clock. While firearm safety is a creed for all who keep and bear arms, let us no preoccupy ourselves with absurd determinations. If a shoulder harness is unsafe because it points a loaded and inert firearm behind the shooter, than police, military, and citizens who live and work in multi-story prefab buildings are practicing quite rude behavior carrying guns pointed at their neighbors and co-workers beneath their feet.

To adress the reaction to a loaded .45 ACP pistol in a holster pointing at me, I consider it no more dangerous than a parked car or an idling vehicle waiting for me to cross the street. Becoming freaked out because I visually see a gun pointing at me in a harness is illogical when said weapon would still be pointing at me had the user kept a jacket on.

There is a major difference between a holstered gun and one in hand ready to be used. I would hope that all who carry weapons regularly will know the difference.

Find some articles about a properly holstered gun going off on it's own, you can't. There are plenty of examples of people with guns in their hands falling and the gun going off etc.

Having a gun in your hand and pointing it at someone vs having it holstered is NOT the same thing..if you are disagree go try both with your local LEO...concealed means the shoulder holster/gun not being visible.

....sit in the back of the restaurant etc so the gun is pointing at a wall.

The OP not wearing one at his house, that I get. This other stuff is opinion and nothing else. Don't use a shoulder holster if you don't want to, it's fine with me.....

Silversmok3 makes some excellent points.

Silversmok3 said it better than I could.....Thank You for your eloquent reply. Well thought out, well reasoned in all regards!

Randy

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend. Very sad indeed. I lost a very close friend to a self-inflicted gunshot wound and you never forget those events.

Regarding shoulder holsters: I'll grant you that they are not the perfect design but I don't think they are as dangerous as they might appear. I've been around handguns seriously for almost 40 years and can't recall a case of anyone being harmed due to a shoulder holstered handgun.

Now, if you want to talk about dangerous... I'm a big fan of appendix carry.

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Centennial Every Day

My issue still goes back not pointing a gun where you don't want to shoot. The point about a downward pointed gun in an office building is totally valid. Yeah, if we followed the rule strictly then we could only carry with guns pointing downward and in one story buildings. It's not going to happen. Have I aimed a holstered gun toward something I'd rather not shoot? Sure. It's going to happen. If I can reduce the frequency in which this happens, I will.

As far as the gun being inert and therefore of no risk, this is true. Still, how many of us would sit down at a table and place a loaded firearm toward someone else or at our self? We wouldn't. Would any of us rest a loaded rifle pointed toward a crib? Obviously not. This is bad etiquette as well as a safety no-no. The rifle could be sitting there on a desk with nobody else in the room but a sleeping baby. We still wouldn't do it. Again, these are extreme examples but a valid comparison.

When my fiance rests her head on my lap when we're watching TV, I either move her or the gun I have holstered at 1:00. I know it's not going to go off, but I still won't point a loaded, albeit inert, gun at my fiance's head. I just won't. Despite years of civilian and military training during which I learned the mechanical actions which have to occur in order for a firearm to fire, I won't do it.

It has nothing to do with paranoia or lack of knowledge or anything of the sort. It has do do with etiquette and standards I have set for myself.

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- The Federalist #46 -

It takes a special breed to carry a gun pointed at that......

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- The Federalist #46 -

Be reasonabley safe, secure, and comfortable with whichever mode of carry you choose for yourself.

Currently I carry only DAO firearms in my horizontal shoulder holsters. I limit my horizontal carry to DAO because I figure it's pretty hard to get a DAO firearm to go off without a substantial pull of the trigger, so carrying horizontally isn't much of an issue in my mind - as long as the gun's trigger isn't touched in my drawing it.

To me, handling and carrying are not the same thing.

Once, at a LE shotgun training course where the four golden rules were strictly enforced, I had my Remington 870 unloaded, slung, muzzle down, safety on and action open, with my hands nowhere near the trigger. While I was talking with some of my fellow trainees one of the range masters walked up to me and said "Do you know your muzzle is pointing at this officers foot?". I looked down and sure enough it was.

This event got me to thinking about how easy it is, without any intention, to "sweep" another person in the course of carrying a firearm. I started watching others. Heck, even LE instructors, with their keen sense of firearms safety, occasionally and unintentionally point a holstered, slung or encased firearm's muzzle at someone else or theirself at least some of the time, regardless of the holster, sling or case used.

I've often seen folks I consider very safe with firearms and well versed and practiced in the basic firearms safety rules, carrying a cased gun vertically as they moved about.

I've been in many places where a firearm was just sitting on a table, counter top or in a case and the muzzle may have been pointing at me or others; gun shops, homes, businesses and in the field.

In my decades of firearms use and my decades of following of firearms safety rules, I've come to believe that rule one (All firearms are always loaded, treat them that way) of the basic four is the one you have to practice all the time; and rules two through four apply while handling.

Rules two (Never point a firearm at anything you're not willing to destroy) and three (Keep your finger off the trigger, unless you're prepared for a shot) would be difficult, maybe even impossible, to religiously adhere to, unless you only handle your firearms alone, in an underground bunker lined with bullet absorbing materials. Rule four (Be sure of your target and what's beyond) clearly only applies while handling a firearm.

I'm not saying ignore any of the rules; I'm saying let's not become so wrapped around rule two we're afraid of firearms carried in reasonably secure and reasonably safe fashions. It is the handling of firearms that should be our utmost concern.

I use mine primarily for days when I'll be in a car a lot. There's NO way I can get to my holstered (IWB) handgun while it's covered by a coat and a seatbelt. The shoulder holster makes great sense. And while I don't like looking at the muzzle of any gun, if it's not in someone's hand, it's not an issue. I'm careful.............but not paranoid.

Wow, who would have thought shoulder holsters would inspire such vigorous debate?

I work violent crime matters on two remote Indian reservations. That means when I arrest someone, we get to take a three hour ride together to federal court. Me, the bad guy, and my Sig Sauer. As has been noted, there is no more accessible way to carry a gun while driving.

I also like being able to put on all my gear - gun, mags, cuffs, and badge - in one swoop, and dump it at once at the end of the day.

While I consider the safety issue a moot point, since my gun is well trained and will not shoot people without my input, I would note that in many carry options (in the waistband, crossdraw, appendix, some belt holsters and ankle holsters) the loaded gun is pointed at human flesh 100 percent of the time. Mine? Maybe 10 percent of the time, and even those folks are blissfully unaware since I learned my lesson at Jack Dempsey's.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

If you have a belt holster, do you stay on the ground floor so it doesn't point at someone in the floor below?

A weapon in someone's hand point in all directions is something to be concerned about. A holstered, usually safed weapon is not going off by itself. However, the process of holstering is always going to require special care.

Wow lots of responses, thanks guys.

One thing I want to point out is the second floor thing, unless its a house 9 times out of 10, the floors in tall buildings are poured concrete, so a firearm pointed down is not gonna go through 10 inches of concrete.

True. However, it will most likely ricochet...

I frequently carry a 1911, cocked and locked, in a horizontal shoulder rig. The retention snap lies between the hammer and firing pin. If this is not snapped, the gun will fall out. I make sure it's snapped in place firmly before I take a step. It will not go bang in this condition.

It also has a series 80 firing pin safety. Even if I drop it, it still won't go off, unless three safeties break all at once.

Not anything to get tensed up about. Every man has to know his limitations, as Harry said. JMO

Well that would happen on the sidewalk too.
What's a series 80 firing pin safety, not to jack my own thread, lol. Also what are the 3 safeties you speak of, I'm unfamiliar with the 1911, I do want one bad though.

What about carrying a DAO with no safety like a glock in a horizontal holster, what's your thoughts on that, as these plastic guns are becoming more and more popular with the younger crowd.

A 1911, I'm learning, is not so bad, having 3 safeties and all, but some other guns still have me thinking.

I do want to clarify I'm not trying to get anyone to change their carry or anything like that, it's not for me, but you guys like it so cool, just wanted to talk about it, I was kinda gettin the hint from a few posts, that I should shut up and not worry about others, so I'm sorry if that is how this thread came across. Just a friendly discussion.

Thanks for all the replies.

The same thing bothered me at first, but so long as all the other rules are observed, nobody is in danger. It is equivalent to having my gun in the dresser, technically speaking at some point if my .45 magically went off as I walked past, the thin wood wouldn't stop it and I'd have the quickest tracheotomy ever completed. But guns don't magically discharge, the pointing rule applies when the gun is in your hand.

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Just the opinion of a kid

I assume the third he's referring to is the series 80. The three I know of are the grip safety, the thumb safety, and the right(or left) number 2 digit.

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Just the opinion of a kid

The Kid has it. Thumb Safety, Grip Safety, and Firing Pin Safety, which on a Series 80 weapon, blocks movement of the firing pin unless the trigger moves to the rear enough to operate the FPS up and out of the way.

Your trigger finger is an integral part of the S80 mechanism, as it has to operate the trigger.

I think this is an interesting discussion. Personally, horizontal shoulder rigs have never bothered me, either wearing one or working with someone else wearing one. The whole concept of not POINTING a barrel at something you do not want to destroy can be taken too far sometimes. When I did smithing work I had to learn to be very concious of handling guns so none of them EVER got pointed at a customer (or another employee or myself). Then you get into the habit of never allowing a gun to point at another person even when working on a frame that has to barrel, or no trigger, or no cylinder, or no hammer. At some point you start to ask yourself, where do we draw the line between safety and paranoia? If you're driving down a highway behind a truck filled with new S&Ws on their way to the market and they are all laying in boxes with their barrels pointed back at your car do you worry about that fact? I carry DA revolvers in a Galco shoulder rig. The hammer is down and there is a heavy leather strap pinning the hammer down and securing the gun in the holster. I have taken falls including one from a motorcycle onto concrete and the gun never moved, never came out of the holster, or discharged. I don't think there is a real problem there. What does worry me is someone carrying certain types of semi auto pistols cocked and locked horizontally in an old worn out holster with a worn out snap on the retaining strap. If you're going to use a shoulder rig you MUST inspect it carefully for retention and make sure none of the stitching is failing and the snap is tight and snug and takes a little effort to release and that all of the rivets and fasteners are solid.

I've been (editorially) looking into shoulder holsters.

Historically, as I understand it, the first was forged by a blacksmith using a "U" of spring steel wrapped in leather to hold a revolver vertically.

As noted in this thread and elsewhere, a vertical carry is intrinsically safer but with a usual (more or less long-pocket) holster, inconvenient and slow to draw, especially with full-size barrels.

I recently reviewed a SpringTac holster - slit along the bottom so it can hold a rail light - and to my thinking, a good starting point for a vertical-carry holster that, on a shoulder harness, might allow a draw that comes out barrel down in one motion then lets the barrel swing up to acquire its target.

I don't think a shoulder holster is a bad idea but I do think that the current designs of them may account for their relatively low popularity.

Wow... interesting points brought up. It brings up a little hypocracy in a way that I never thought about. Dont point a loaded gun at anything, unless you're carrying in a shoulder holster in which case, it's ok. The comparison of a loaded gun resting on a table pointed at someone and a holstered gun pointed at all the people behind you really made me think.

I don't buy the 2nd floor argument. Like mentioned, the bullet most likely won't even make it through to the next level, and if it does someone needs to be directly underneath you. With the shoulder holster, there is a much longer path through which a bullet could travel, hence a greater chance of someone being in the path.

Sweeping is another thing brought up. You ARE going to sweep. No matter what. Unless you unholster the gun, flip it 180 degrees vertically and have it somehow face right side up (which isn't possible) and then aim it in front of you, you're sweeping. More dangerous than a belt holster indeed. However, this comes down to proper weapon control. Keep your finger off the trigger until on target.

For the record, I will still be wearing my shoulder holster. Although if I see that little girl behind me in the checkout line, I'll probably be turning sideways. Now that it's been pointed out to me, it just aint right. I don't want to point a loaded gun at a girls head, "inert" or not.

Unless one lives in a lead lined silo underground , most of us will point our weapons in the direction of another person without our knowledge at some point. If we are to hold to the idea that a horizontal shoulder holster is unsafe on the grounds that the loaded gun is pointing at people behind us, then we are in very deep trouble ever time we visit the gun range.At some point a firearm is briefly pointing at another person between the trunk of your vehicle and the firing line. That is just as unsafe as carrying a pistol in a horizontal rig, as all firearms are loaded whether or not there is ammunition in the weapon.

This is not to say that lasering people intentionally is a good thing under any circumstance, but the safety rules are meant to be a creed of behavior, not a doctrine to be adhered to in the fashion of the Wahabbi sect of Islam. Otherwise gunsmiths would be out of business, and my FFL would have to shut down on account of the display case firearms pointing at the neighboring building.

Insofar as drawing from the shoulder rig is concerned if the weapon must come out on the street one has much bigger concerns than lasering people to the left. That concern will involve putting bullets into another human being to stay alive. So long as the finger does not touch the bang switch until the sights are on the target one need not fear shooting a bystander regardless of where a pistol is kept.

I have ,and use Galco Miami Classic rigs for 1911A1 and N frame Smiths.Now,it is one thing to be handling a gun and point it in the wrong direction,it is another to get paranoid about an innatimate object pointed wherever. Do you climb over the dresser or nightstand because there is a pistol in the drawer?It is hard for me to envision how you can practically conceal a weapon on your person and not have it pointed at somethimg you wouldn't want to shoot.Appendix carry?'Nuff said about that!FBI strong side? Maybe just a buttocks burn. Verticle shoulder rig? Well,that is your hip and leg in the line of the muzzle. Yes, it is true that as Col. Cooper said," any fool can rise to his own level of incompetance". The one I really love is the middle of the back holster for a left hand being used by a right handed hero. Try to tell him that every time he puts his hand between his back and his piece and draws he will sweep the muzzle across some very hard to replace biological "real estate" [spleen, kidneys, liver ,and depending on technique most everything else important to a sexually active person].This discussion can go on forever and it is worth talking and thinking about,but I think this phobia is more driven by competition on ranges where match directors fear[and rightly so] liabilities abound.Meanwhile,carrying is about responsbility and I will be responsible to insure no innocents harmed by my carry mode. When I can't do that I'll have to go back to a bow and arrow or a Louisville Slugger. Just one mans not so humble opinion. Nick

Great info guys, I want to bring up, when drawing from a shoulder rig, it's not the sweeping I'm concerned about atthat point but drawing a weapon under stress, and very quickly.

I have seen a lot of videos of guys practicing quick draws and quick shots and then inadvertantly shhot themselves in the leg or foot, if this happens when doing a shoulder rig draw, well you are gonna shoot someone next to you.

Hypothetical, your weapon is on your left side for a right handed draw, your wife is on your left side, a mugger comes you go to draw under complete stress and shoot your wife instead. Stuff like this happens.

Do all the guys here who carry shoulder holsters, do you practice rediculous amounts of time doing a quick draw and fire to make unbelievable muscle memory? Even if you do, stress is a very crazy thing. I would hate to have a situation happen and it then be compounded by the fact I just shot an attacker and my wife too. That would mess with your head for a long time.

Some might say to that, they would move to not have their wife, or child on that side or this or that, but you simply don't know how it would play out.

Some might also say I'm overthinking this, well I think this subject needs some extra thought, thinkgs like this are completely possible.

Becareful guys, just some more things to think about.

Thanks for the small talk. I didn't expect to get this kind/big of a response.

I think you're overthinking this. Do you not carry in a strong side holster because if you crank off a round when you draw you might shoot your kid in the stroller in front of you?

You can create a doomsday scenario for anything. I've been carrying in a shoulder holster for over 20 years. Most of the time I've needed my gun I've had it in my hand when the fun began. I've also carried a J-frame in an IWB holster in the appendix area, and have yet to shoot off my own bodily parts.

Anyone carrying a concealed weapon needs to assess their own abilities and act accordingly. Sometimes the right choice might be to not carry at all.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

And now you know why I love the South so much. Ya gotta love a lady like that.

I used a galco horizontal type for a while, years ago, but stopped when my Mother was visiting one day, she made the comment, "I don't like it when that thing is pointed at me." I got to thinking about it and decided I didn't feel good about either; I've been using the old vertical type.

Plus one! In my opinion this discussion is ridiculous !

I have never liked the idea of the horizontal shoulder holster mainly because it causes an otherwise safe gun handler to deliberately violate a very important rule of safe gun handling. The gun should never be pointed at anything that you are not willing to destroy. This rule should not have an exception for shoulder holsters.

The only shoulder holsters I use are the vertical ones and those only while hunting and usually while open carrying.

There was one time at a seminar when I noticed a guy sitting in front of me with his horizontal shoulder holstered pistol pointed right at me. He had to know that his muzzle was pointed at everyone behind him but obviously didn't care. He just sat smugly and I just moved to a safer area of the room. I was convinced that it wouldn't matter if I has said anything since obviously he thought it was ok to have his gun pointed at people. Incredible!

It occurs to me that if you carry a gun in a jacket pocket [sans holster], it is probably pointing at the lower extremities of someone in front of you.

For my J-frame I have an S&W shoulder holster that points upward, like the one used by Steve McQueen in Bullitt. I have only seen a limited number of this design.

One more thought. Sometimes a shoulder holster is a necessity not a choice. Recent abdominal surgery has made it impossible fro me to use a belt, and suspenders won't support a holster. ;-)