Belt or shoulder?

[Florida Shooter]

Here’s the problem: Removeable belt holster versus shoulder holders. And I’m new a CCV. Got the training, the background check, the mug shot and the fingerprinting. Got the permit to carry concealed. Tried an Uncle Mikes generic IWB. DID NOT FEEL GOOD after a long trial period. Try with the same holster outside waist band, inside belt. Better, but still a PITA. The problem with any belt carry is sitting in some situations, and always when driving. The gun is useless on the belt - removable or otherwise - while riding in a car. Must be removed in those sitting situations.

So I got a very, very, very inexpensive shoulder holster. Took A LOT of adjusting and some sewing by wifie. OK now. Has tie downs. One thing’s for sure - I do not need to remove it when sitting or driving and it’s always accesable - even under heavier outer clothing. Does not require more clothing for concealment than IWB or OWB.

So, the belt holster is better for everything, shooting-wise . . . but horrid for the sitting and driving of which I tend to do so much. Also not so cool in the bathroom, public or private, during siting events. Must be removed during most sitting and all in-car stuff. The shoulder holster never, ever requires removal. It’s just not as good as the belt type holsters in the draw . . . . but of course, not totally unacceptable, either.

May I have your input on this conundrum? And for shoulder holster - verticle or horizontal? You posts addressing these issues will be appreciated.

 

[The Big D]

First, what kind of gun are you toting in your shoulder holster? It makes a big difference.

I usually carry a j-frame (60 or 642) and usually carry OWB or IWB at 3 o'clock (that's belt position) or so. I do use a shoulder holster when I am going to be in a vehicle for a lengthy period of time. That said, I was in the car for 5 plus hours yesterday and carried my 60 in a Galco CON158 OWB the whole time. A large semi-auto or other than a j-frame likely would not have been as comfortable.

My shoulder holster carries a j-frame in the inverted postion...grip toward the ground. It does not fasten to my belt. Though comfortable, it is NOT suited for vigorous physical activity by the wearer.

There are myriad IWB and OWB holster options tghat I find very comfortable. I like j-hook holsters and the Remora, in particular. There are certainly some Forum members who are vendors and manufacture holsters. Most of them come highly recommended, too.

Hope this info is useful...

Be safe.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

You have identified one of the key factors necessary for holster selection, and that is choosing something that works well during all of your regular activities. Since you are driving quite a bit a shoulder holster may be the best choice for you.

There are four basic factors in holster design; comfort, accessibility, security, and concealability. Whenever one of those factors is emphasized there will be compromises among the other factors.

IWB-style holsters emphasize concealability by keeping the bulk of the holstered handgun inside the trousers. The trade-offs are frequently in accessibility and comfort.

OWB-style belt holsters generally provide best accessibility (although this can be limited by being seated, seatbelts while driving, etc), but may require more thought to cover garments to achieve proper concealment.

Full flap holsters provide great protection for the weapon and are very secure, but accessibility is very limited and concealment can be difficult.

In addition to the four basic factors in holster design there are additional considerations such as your usual activities, your usual wardrobe, your body profile, any physical limitations or range of motion issues.

There is no such thing as the "perfect" holster for everyone and every situation. Once you find something that works for you stick with that, practice with that, and develop confidence with that.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a good shoulder holster, although some ranges do not permit their use and many of the shooting sports prohibit them due to range safety issues.

 

[thndrchiken]

Now that you have a CCW permit, you won't be griping at your wife as much about all the shoes she buys. You'll be buying holsters. Trust me when I say this, you get what you pay for. For strictly utilitarian owb use when out in the field the inexpensive holsters will do but and this is a big but, for ccw you need to try different holsters to see what works best for you. There are advantage and drawbacks to each different style of holster and it's intended purpose as well as what type and size of pistol you carry. If spending a lot of time seated in a car the shoulder rig, a crossdraw belt holster or an ankle holster would be some of the preferred choices. You might also want to consider a style of holster that is adjustable for the desired cant. I can tell you personally that as of now I carry either a SC 1911, compact Sig P250 and an SD, I have no less than three different style of holsters for each depending on what I'm wearing and the intended activity. Shoulder and crossdraw rigs tend to be more difficult for big guys than a strong side rig.

 

[The Big D]

Lobo and thndrchiken are spot on.

No one holster works in all situations...in the best manner possible. Yes, you can have just one holster; it will not be a "perfect" holster for all occasions.

Just counted mine. Eleven (11), just for j-frames. And use them all to varying degrees.

Be safe.

 

[A10]

+1 on all of the above. If I'm on a long road trip I carry my .40 Hi-Power in a Galco Miami Classic. Works pretty well, all I need to wear over it is a loose shirt.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I have a couple of old leather Safariland vertical shoulder holsters for my K and N frame revolvers; one horizontal leather shoulder for my J frame, and one each polymer vertical Ken Null holster for my J frame and K frame revolvers. The Safariland holsters are good for field use, or when the weather is bad and you'll be wearing a coat or jacket. My favorite is the Null rig. Because of the design, one holster will hold all barrel lengths of a particular frame size. Thus, I can use the same holster to carry my Model 34 (4.0 inch barrel) as well as my Model 60 (2.0 inch barrel, exposed hammer) and my Model 642 (2.0 inch barrel, concealed hammer) in the same holster. The Null holster does take some getting used to, and the draw stroke is unique to it. Being made of polymer, it is great for use in hot, humid areas.

Best of luck,

Dave

 

[Vartarg]

Yep

Yep....as above! Ditch the generic Uncle Mikes and begin looking at quality carry equipment.....and set aside a large box to begin your holster collection. You'll need it.....

 

[mg357]

i suggest mernickle holsters they have a good selection of belt and shoulder holsters. also take a look at the safepacker holster sold by the wilderness.com

 

[cmort666]

I never, ever wear additional cover garments except as dictated by weather. That means no vests, jackets, cuirasses or anything of the sort. That rules out shoulder holsters, at least unless I wanted to open carry.

I have two methods of carry, a 2" Model 36 in one of the leather pocket holsters I make, or a full sized auto or revolver in one of my tuckable IWB holsters.

If I know I'm going to be doing a lot of driving around to prohibited places, I stick with the pocket holster. Before I leave for a prohibited place, I put holster and all in the glove box so that nobody sees me leave an unattended gun in the car.

Now that the car carry rules in Ohio have been (at least somewhat) rationalized, I will probably figure out some way to rig a holster under the seat or some other convenient place for when I'm driving.

 

[Gamer]

Great advice thus far. For me, I carry mostly IWB and as you said it is more difficult to draw from a seated position. But, you can get better if you practice. Actually, there was a neat segment on drawing inside a vechicle on the outdoor channel show "handguns" this week. The best solution they offered is to use the skinny pedal on the right if at all possible.

But, I often just remove my CCW from the holster and store it inside or under the fold down center consol of my truck. This is necessary for a number of reasons, including going places where you cannot carry and if I'm driving some distance I do it anyway.

 

[Chubbs103]

Before you spend anymore money on holsters (and you will), buy a good belt designed to support a gun.

I've got them cheap from Don Hume and I've got them costing more from Milt Sparks.

Price does not always equal performance, but if you really want to be comfortable carrying, you are probably going to have to step up from the Uncle Mikes.

Chubbs

 

[feralmerril]

Being fat, my imput isnt for many. But in my experiance I have found unless we are talking about a model 36 or 40, I really need a large gun belt. I have many holsters and guns and tried many ways. Sure Ive, owned and wore pancakes etc., but everything pulls my pants down, pancakes are hard to holster the guns, I wear suspenders or even that wouldnt work anymore. When I was working I had somewhat ingenious ways of wearing a uniform gunbelt with suspenders and belt keepers and got by. Really, the only time I carry concealed now is a model 40 in my pocket. All other guns are really OC covered with a loose shirt. Most often they are just in a compartment in the truck or in a bag on my quad.

 

[ContinentalOp]

I've been giving some thought to alternative carry methods while driving, particularly on long drives. I carry strong-side IWB 99.99% of the time. I don't have any issues in terms of comfort while driving, but access is a little limited. I've done some practice with drawing an unloaded gun from a sitting position, simulating moving the gun around the steering wheel as well as avoiding crossing my body with the muzzle while releasing the seatbelt. It's not easy, but practicing helps.

I've been looking at the polymer Ken Null shoulder holster that holds a J-frame upside-down as well as an ankle holster. The problem I see with the ankle holster is the steering wheel getting in the way. With the shoulder holster I could just leave my shirt unbuttoned on the front for access.

At some point I'll probably try a cross-draw holster and see how that works out.

I've considered getting one of those counter-carjacking specific rigs. The problem I have with them is that I really want to keep the handling of my gun outside of a holster to a minimum and I'm also uncomfortable with leaving a loaded gun in the car, either of which I'd have to do due to the specialized nature of the holster (they're not meant for carrying concealed when not seated).

Then again, I like keeping things simple and I would prefer to avoid having different carry methods if possible. For now I'll probably just keep practicing drawing from a seated position for situations when I can't drive away.

 

[ohiococonut]

I carry a Sig in a cross draw rig. Seat belts aren't a problem and and it conceals easier for me.

 

[357larry]

I have experimented with many types of holsters over the years but have settled on just a couple. My first choice is the horizontal carry shoulder holster. Mine are either old original ******* leather or newer Gould and Goodrich. The second choice is a Gould and Goodrich 3 slot pancake style belt holster. I have one of each for each of my guns, revolver and auto.

The only exception is my 6 inch 629. I don't ever carry it concealed although it can be done. I have a DeSantis vertical shoulder holster that when you unsnap it, the top half pivots down to a horizontal position for the draw. Cool holster. Hides very easily when wearing a suit but the 629 gets heavy.

I have tried holsters made of kydex, nylon, and that rubberized **** some manufacturers played with years ago. Did not like any of them. It took a while but I finally came to realize that nothing beats wet molded leather for carrying a handgun.

 

[chief38]

Been packin' for 35 years and I do have a HUGE holster "collection" (as I am sure quite a few members on this Forum do as well). Out of all the holsters I have and all the different types imaginable, I basically use 3 or 4 on a regular basis. Those 3 - 4 are all belt scabbards made of Horsehide and ride on a horsehide gun belt. One of them however is a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster. Personally, I still own 4 shoulder holsters but I HATE them. They are just too uncomfortable for me to wear even for a short period of time. The bigger the gun - the more uncomfortable the holster is. Of course this is just my personal opinion as I know others do like 'em.

Chief38

 

[Florida Shooter]

Just checking in, and thanks for all the input. The good news is that a very generous person who also owns M&P 9mm FS is letting me try his holsters. My first reaction is that IWB never have and never will be comfortable enough for me to carry that way. Also, there are a lot of good things to be said for good quality Kydex.

I'll check back in when I have more news.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Due to back issues I've been a cross-draw user for years now, using primarily Mernickle Holsters.

Without even trying I've converted more than a few to cross-draw who, when they started carrying, quickly figured out that more often than not they would be driving (sitting) when going somewhere and when you get belted in with heavy clothing (Michigan winters) you have a hard time accessing your gun when carrying IWB or even OWB.

I also like the fact that if I ever have to draw and keep it "low key" I can easily do so without excessive "telegraphing" i.e. ackward arm movements that can be easily spotted.

 

[PHB]

I tried the holster shirt from 511 and find I can carry anything up to about 35oz with out a problem at first I thought this would be a joke a colleague told me about them and I bought one works great but can get a little warm in the summer I have carried a J frame up to my daily carry which is a 1911 commender and welcome from Florida.