Went hiking in the western North Carolina mountains with 2.75 inch Model 66-8 in an old JayPee shoulder holster. Shoulder holster is a great way to carry when using a backpack. The pack’s waist strap makes OWB carry impractical. Toted the 66-8 and that little girl (who is also a SWCA member ) for about 6.5 mostly uphill miles, across streams, etc. Great day.















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God bless you and the children! The rest ... good idea. Have walked many a mile in the woods w/ one daughter in a backpack and the other daughter in contraption that allowed me to carry her in front. We saw deer and turkey and had wonderful times! God bless you and your children as you make memories together! Sincerely. bruce.

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<><

This is one application in which the shoulder holster does have a benefit. It also looks like y'all were having a fun day in the woods!

There's a whole lotta like in that post!

Personally the fact that the loaded gun is facing in the direction of the child is disturbing - at least to me. Yea, I know it's a Revolver BUT STILL!

No. She’s entirely behind me and out of the way. That, and the holster situation makes it completely safe.


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NCBeagle -
Hey there Dad! You're really building memories with that kind of outing with your daughter. Best Kind!
I did some of the same with my boys in Texas. They're all grown up and got young'uns of their own, but I still hear - "Hey Dad! Remember that time in the woods . . . . . . ?" Well, ole Dad's pushing 70 now, but the memories are still crystal clear and the questions from my granddaughters keep it real and refreshed! Great Times there. Good Job Young Man - they Will Remember.

WYT-P
Skyhunter

Solid entry for post of the year! I want one of those rigs the next time I go hiking!*

*(The carry pack with the sun screen! The problem is it would take Godzilla to haul me around. I will take the sippy cup too. Is that the fancy plastic that North Arkansas shine won’t melt?).

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No school like the old school.

Nice shoulder rig......& that's a beautiful co-pilot you had on the hike. Reminds me of hiking with my 3 daughters years ago .

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

Sorry, I agree with Chief 38, your precious cargo could easily swing into the muzzle arc on a draw.

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Tony

Yeah, no, that image is reminiscent of the forklift-accident-from-third-world country images; you know, the ones we'd never do ourselves? I wouldn't be walking with the OP if that's his level of safety awareness. If one could ignore the lead bullet -- which one can't -- ever seen the flame ball out of a revolver cylinder and its muzzle? Ever had a gun go off when you're not expecting it, and you're not wearing hearing protection? Now imagine being a child on someone's back, experiencing both from the one person she or he is counting on to protect him/her.

revolver-muzzle-flash.jpg

We lifetime gunleather designer/makers don't create gunleather with this kind of carry in mind. Please stop.

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The Holstorian

I carry a very beat up Colt Agent when backpacking. I mount the holster to the Hip belt's adjuster straps. When younger it was a 1911!

Everyone's a critic! Having had 4 little ones and a house full of guns, I heard it all. They tell you all the things you already worked out, but never have anything useful to say (except maybe, buy product X). Continue to think things through, and build lots of those memories!

Ivan

I agree.

A few years back, my sons and I planned a five-day fishing trip into the Boulder Mountain alpine lakes in Southern Utah. We set up a base camp and hiked into the various lakes. I had my float tube strapped to my back, so a shoulder rig was perfect for packing my Ruger Vaquero Sheriff's model with a 3½-inch barrel in .45 Colt.



I know this is totally off topic...but the fishing wasn't bad either.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

In a holster with the hammer and trigger covered? No.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

Post of the year, keep up the good work!

Then you have had it happen, but with an uncovered hammer and trigger?

Hopefully though you won't ever experience the 'rattled and holstered a DA revolver that had the hammer back and the trigger finger caught the covered guard'. Snake, maybe; or bear. Bang. I was a witness in a shoulder holster case in the '80s, where the miscreant -- an actual drug smuggler in the East -- had holstered his cocked Python; produced it to show it off to his conspirator in Boston airport and touched what he thought was a DA trigger pull and . . . shot him dead.

One doesn't need to have known about this particular incident, to have sense enough to realize that it can happen.

Risk management is not about 'managing risk'. It's about eliminating unnecessary risk. If Dad needs to rappel over a river between two cliffs to save his child from bears, then I say "Go Dad" with that carry. If Dad is having 'fun' with his child then I quote Judge Judy: blond is temporary; stupid is forever.

I'm keeping the image in my 'what were they thinking' subfolder; along with the crotch carry holsters and the partially covered triggers on Safariland Glock holsters.

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The Holstorian

It looks riskier than it is and anyone can come up with "what if" scenarios. I think it's all good and BTW, if you've ever carried a revolver in a rig like that you KNOW how safe it is in there.

https://epsaddlery.com/wp-content/up...em-600x600.jpg

(c) El Paso Saddlery 2019

I carried a rig like that in the hunting fields more than a few times and I assure you that's a VERY safe way to go about it.

NCBeagle - Great post and photos! But, as Gomer Pyle would say, Gaww-lll-eee - you sure brought out some interesting comments. Daughter in the line of fire ... ?? Some folks seem to just lurk around here looking for something to get their panties in a knot over. By the way, I have that 66-8 (I think) on my want list but I've got a 360/.357 and P938 Legion lined up ahead of it ...

NO............. If, if, if, if ,if


If I said the sky was blue someone on this here forum would say no, it’s red. And so it goes.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

I worked for over a decade, with another detective that carried on of those style of rigs....
His handgun never went off not once, in all the time we worked together....

I've never had my sidearm go off while holstered in my entire half century of carry a sidearm.

Were some here come up with such foolishness...It's beyond me.

.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I am disappointed to see the thread follow this trajectory. Did not expect to draw fire (perhaps a bad choice of words) for a perceived safety issue.

O (daughter) is bolted firmly to my hips and shoulders, high, to the center, and well to the muzzle's left. This is a modern double-action firing pin blocked revolver, uncocked, with a strapped hammer and covered trigger and is not pointed at her. In fact, I chose this old holster over a newer vertical drop Masc holster for the trip because, unlike a vertical drop, this holster (1) hangs low and forward, (2) pulls forward on the draw so the barrel clears leather to the side, forward, and with finger nowhere near the trigger (like cross-draw).

Rednichols, I know who you are and appreciate your contributions on this site and holster making generally. That said, your comments in this thread are histrionic and largely address situations not present here. There is no cocked and locked drug smuggler. No baby sitting in the cylinder blast zone. No round going off without hearing protection, etc.

You can quote Judge Judy all you want but I am not sure why anybody would do such a thing. Incidentally, little O objects to the "blond" comment and notes that her blond situation is likely permanent. Just like her mother's. I can do without the lecture about risk management. Quite familiar with the concept and agree that we should all be concerned about safety and call one another out when appropriate. But, I think you overstepped by a wide margin here and then doubled down...since we're sharing opinions.

I am surprised the OP got criticized for his revolver-carry method and how it worked with his child-carry method. Personally, I don't see an issue with it. It won't go off in the holster. If the snap broke, and the revolver fell, the hammer block will prevent the revolver firing. And, if the weapon is used on a predator (two- or four-legged), I suppose there is always risk in re-holstering, but I would think such would be accomplished VERY carefully, or after the young passenger were let down from dad's back. So, I think any risk is quite small.

I went back to look, and I saw no constructive suggestion about what the OP should have used for a carry method.

Would whoever did not like it please offer a suggestion?

How do you go with re-holstering the gun if you happen to have had it out? Do you take your daughter off first, reholster, and then put her back on?

I don't. This was not a target practice trip. Gun stays holstered except in the event of angry bears or violent meth heads or some other back woods mountain disaster. Should that occur, I'd simply stick my newly empty and slightly warm revolver in my right front pocket...or left pocket. Opposite the iPhone and car keys.

Or, I could pull the holster forward while it is still on my shoulder, insert the revolver while pointing straight down, snap, and let it swing back into position. Not a concern.

I've been around handgun men all my life, men of arms.
Men that carried the tools of the trade daily. In retrospect,
some may have been safer in the handling of arms than others.

But, I can not recall any major mishaps...

Most here on this forum thread are those that handle arms on a purty regular basic.
Actually wear and use holsters of varying design everyday
without calamity befallen them or others.

Being a shoe cobbler, does not make one a podiatrist. Nor is the talented
saddle maker always a champion bronc rider....And so, as it is with some other trades,
just being a maker/designer of items, does not make one an expert in the
use of such items. It seems those that wag their finger the most, often have very lit'l real
world personal experience in such doings on a daily basis.

I general follow the advice and teaching of those with real
first hand experience(s) in all matters large and small.

Just my opinion.


.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Me too. It's quite disappointing, to be perfectly honest.

Besides having nothing to do with anything here, way out of bounds.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

OP, if you don’t spend much time in western NC be aware of the wild hogs. IMHO the hogs are a greater threat than bears or meth heads (lots of those too). The hog’s attitudes range from bad to worse, especially towards fly fishermen.

The hogs have made a large dent in the snake population too. As a result, rattle snakes have pretty much stopped rattling in that area. Be careful where you step.

Wow...... it you think Red's risk assessment through.......... all horizontal shoulder holsters should be banned...... in a few years with O walking single file behind her dad (or pushed behind him if a threat emerged) the gun would be pointed right at her head.

Secondly the gun is always sweeping the area behind the wearer , and everyone in it at about 4 ft off the ground.......

In 22 years of having my boys in the woods with me carrying a gun (generally in a IWB or cross draw)....mine has never left the holster........so I guess I could have just left it a home.

you'd think....

Holsters | Berns-Martin | Australia | Red Nichols Holsters


.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

For three days I have been pulled back to this thread.
Not to see those that try to sully a tender, well meaning post but to stare at this:



An expressive photo that tells a beautiful story.

God knows how I wish that I could do that.

Excellent post, sir.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Wow---I read every response from the nit pickers to the positive. The only criticism I could come up with is that funky hole in the side of your revolver. Hey, someone had to say it sooner or later.

Oh, I also forgot to mention another growing threat in the woods. Out West we also have to keep an eye out for cougars up in the trees----the 4 legged type.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

In general, ALL shoulder holsters that are the horizontal type are pointing at humans all day long even while being concealed. At least the vertical style points downward.

Hey, if there is a NO SWEEP rule for firearms - shouldn't it ALWAYS be obeyed!?? Who here would LIKE a loaded gun pointed at them??

So, your concern is with all horizontal shoulder holsters? Perhaps, that would be better addressed in its own thread.

Let Me Google That

[quote=NCBeagle;140519496]




Ryan,
That is just a wonderful photograph.....

I recall roaming the hill with my daughter when she was small,
40 some odd years ago. Sure Nuff Happy Memories.

All My Best,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

LOVE the picture!
The little lady is perfectly content, riding on daddy's back, sippy cup in hand and protected from danger.

Carry on.

P.S. How did you take the picture???

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Stay protected my friends.

And how many people have been accidentally shot by a handgun carried in a horizontal shoulder holster? I well remember many years ago, when I moved to a different locality and had to be fingerprinted again for my CCW permit. At the local police department, there was a very well known plain clothes detective, not wearing a coat and sporting a Miami Classic shoulder rig. I seriously doubt he was carrying that pistol unloaded and I did not see a single person diving for cover as he walked around, carrying out his office chores.

If you really think that a vertical holster is safer as there is no muzzle sweep of persons behind you, then you have never actually drawn from such a holster in a serious situation.

Propped the iPhone on a rock and put it on video. Wanted to get a video of her saying hello to “mommy” but she would not cooperate. Had a mouth full of goldfish crackers. Ha.


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Sippy cup AND goldfish crackers???....she was "living large" that day! LOL

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Stay protected my friends.

Great picture.Reminds me of when my children were young and my knees healthier. Keep making those memories they grow up to fast.

Looking good Ryan! My youngest son lives in the NC Mountains...Haywood County. He is a bear & hog hunter and has Walker Hounds and a Catahoula.

Critters are in the Western NC mountain woods...including my son.

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C & L

Hey, thanks. Hope all is well. That's a great picture. I didn't really appreciate, until this thread, that hogs were such a big deal in western NC.

You will really appreciate a wild hog as you are standing on a rock in the middle of a river trying to decide to shoot or strip off your chest waders and jump into the current.

Mountain lions are out there too. Be aware, if you have to shoot one of those things in self defense you better be missing an arm or leg when you call DNR. The authorities will DNA test that carcass and if it ever touched a Florida Panther your missing limb will be of little concern, as those are on the endangered list.

Mountain lions in western NC? I am under the impression that there has not been a confirmed sighing any time in recent memory (maybe decades) and that they are "officially" long gone. I could be wrong. Certainly not an expert. I've heard folks who live up that way passing along tales of suspected large cats...most recently near Lake Toxaway. I think that it would be great if we had them.

I've been fortunate enough to see a couple Florida panthers. Went on a snake seeking trip to the Fakahatchee Strand Everglades just east of Naples, FL. It's beautiful but sort of creepy and weird at night. Especially in what's left over of the old land scam (Golden Gate Estates) section. Anyway, that area is Florida panther habitat. Greater concentration than almost anywhere else. Saw two over two days walking down one of the old cleared roads. I'll tell ya, I am not scared of large snakes. Not even scared of bears. But big cats make me nervous. My neck got sore from turning to check my 6 during the first day. So, I taped a small mirror to a strap on my pack so that I could discreetly look back without turning constantly.

I use a tanker style shoulder holster with my model 19. The vertical holster is no safer than any other shoulder holster, including a horizontal rig like the OP's. As a matter of fact I would rather use a horizontal shoulder holster as the draw is easier but they're hard to find and very expensive.

The safety is between your ears, not in the holster design. This disapproval of a horizontal shoulder holster sounds a lot like Glock block to me. Pure rubbish.

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That's just somebody talkin.

"So, I taped a small mirror to a strap on my pack so that I could discreetly look back without turning constantly."

Did the mirror have "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear"?

Four years ago there were two mountain lions living on the Biltmore Estate.

I saw one sitting in the brush alongside 441 south between Talullah Gorge and Clayton, GA.

They are out there, officials lie.