horizontal shoulder holster

[tops]

I was at the gun club today and a member was open carrying in a horizontal shoulder holster. The gun pointed to everyone behind him. I pointed that out to him, another member agreed with me and 10 or 12 people acted as they didn't care. I told him he needed a vertical carry and he said he didn't like them. I said how about upside down and then if it goes off the bullet would go in his armpit. He said are you crazy, I am not going to carry a gun pointed at myself. Under a coat does not make them any safer, it just hides the potential problem. A lot of people must think horizontal is safe because it is easier to find them than vertical holsters. This is my rant for the day.

 

[tops]

I was at the gun club today and a member was open carrying in a horizontal shoulder holster. The gun pointed to everyone behind him. I pointed that out to him, another member agreed with me and 10 or 12 people acted as they didn't care. I told him he needed a vertical carry and he said he didn't like them. I said how about upside down and then if it goes off the bullet would go in his armpit. He said are you crazy, I am not going to carry a gun pointed at myself. Under a coat does not make them any safer, it just hides the potential problem. A lot of people must think horizontal is safe because it is easier to find them than vertical holsters. This is my rant for the day.

 

[Big Foot]

I think on the range, you have a good concern about safety, especially if it isn't a revolver. I use a horizontal rig for CC on occasion, mostly in the winter time and found it to be comfortable and easily accessible.

 

[38-44HD45]

I fully understand the concern for having a muzzle pointed in your direction. You did not indicate what kind of gun was in the holster, but if it was a 1911 type, there was likely a strap between the hammer and the slide, so there would be no likelihood of the gun firing. Lots of folks like horizontal shoulder rigs, including me, but for open carry, they do cause some heartburn, obviously. Upside down? Like a Bianchi 9R? I do that, too.

 

[Guest]

Hey, if it was good enough for "Sunny Crockett" then it's just got to be the Best of the Best!!!

All kidding aside, I don't know a single working LEO who uses one of these because there simply isn't any safe way of re-holstering the gun with one hand. And, the fact that you are pointing your gun in a direction that isn't safe because you can't see whats behind you and that breaks the FIRST Rule of gun handling. Never point a gun at anything you're not willing to shoot.

 

[photoman]

The first rule is "All guns are always loaded" or some such nonsense.

Rule Two is the one you're looking for.

Shoulder holsters...I was talking to some Copper Chopper cops and they were using horizontal shoulder rigs over their flight suits. It didn't much bother me but I sure wouldn't want to be standing behind someone drawing from one of those!

 

[torrejon224]

Have used horizontal shoulder rigs for years for my 1911s, 4566 and "J" frames. All made by Lou Alessi and never once was this a concern. It all boils down to proper gun handling, safety and most of all common sense. Could never get used to a vertical carry rig and found the horizontal much quicker to draw from when needed.

 

[Jack Flash]

Seems like a cross-draw holster, or one that is canted in anyway would raise similar concerns...

 

[flop-shank]

I was carrying a .357 snubby in a pocket holster tonight (weak side, front pocket). It was pointing at friends sitting across the table. They were in no danger and none the wiser. It's not so much about where a holstered gun is pointed. As others have said, it's other things like drawing and reholstering where it gets hinckey.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Originally posted by Photoman44:
The first rule is "All guns are always loaded" or some such nonsense.


So how is that nonsense? All the accidental shootings I saw in over 20 years in the Emergency Room were all caused by the famous "unloaded gun".

Regards,

Dave

 

[GatorFarmer]

Guns do not, as a general rule, go off by themselves. 1911s - I used to carry one in a Galco Miami Classic myself - have both the manual safety and the grip safety preventing them from going "Bang" unless the trigger is pulled.

 

[photoman]

Originally posted by Double-O-Dave:

Originally posted by Photoman44:
The first rule is "All guns are always loaded" or some such nonsense.


So how is that nonsense? All the accidental shootings I saw in over 20 years in the Emergency Room were all caused by the famous "unloaded gun".

Regards,

Dave

While I regard Cooper in the highest esteem, I think he missed the boat on this one. Everyone knows that all guns are not always loaded. It creates a mental situation to absentmindedly ignore the rule.

I would prefer he had written something like, "Rule One: Check condition before handling" or something like that.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by Jack Flash: Seems like a cross-draw holster...

Yes, same concerns and same problems except for the re-holstering issue. Not sure what you are referring to by the "<span class="ev_code_RED">canted in anyway</span>" comment. The FBI cant has been used for many years and continues to be favored by many, many LEOs for Strong Side Carry holsters. I've also seen a number of LEOs going to an even more radical cant but still using on the Strong Side behind the hip. Concealed Carry for Off Duty LEOs is the same for everyone else. Concealment is important!

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Ordinarily, I would answer something like GatorFarmer did. However, in this case, someone with even greater knowledge of the guntoter's reliability testified.

I said how about upside down and then if it goes off the bullet would go in his armpit. He said are you crazy, I am not going to carry a gun pointed at myself.

If he wouldn't carry a gun pointed at himself, he needs to have removed from him the gun he's pointing at everyone else. I'd vote to throw him out of the club.

 

[longhair]

Torrejon- didn't know if you had heard-I believe Lou Alessi has passed, cancer got him.Truly a sad loss

 

[ect1222t]

I also have a Galco Miami Classic, #244, for my 5903's. As has been stated, firearms do not go off by themselves, and you NEVER put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire. The same complaint could be made for my Galco SOB holster, as it also points in a horizontal position (my back-up 5903). BTW, I always carry with the safety in the on position.

 

[Andy Taylor]

ANY holstered weapon could inadvertanly be pointed at someone. What if you are on the second floor of a building? Your vertically holstered weapon is pointed at everyone on the first floor. Properly holstered weapons, in good condition, do not just go off.

Someone pointed out that the FBI cant has been used for years without incident. So have horizontal shoulder holsters. I have, and still do occasionally use such a holster.

 

[mississippi revolverman]

When I was working in Narcotics I saw an accidental discharge in the Agent day room. The Agent was removing a 2 1/2 model 19 from a "hanging" clam shell shoulder holster. Put his finger on the trigger. As the weapon cleared the clam shell just enough tensin to finger set off the triger. The round cleared his body and went into the wall behind.

We found the bullet 2 office and a hallway down lodged in a guys chair who was at the coffee machine

It can happen

 

[WC145]

I'm a LEO and I use a horizontal shoulder holster all the time, in fact I'll be putting it on in an hour or so when I get ready for work. I work on the shore and it keeps my gun accessible and up out of the mud. If I use it when I shoot with others, I take the furthest left station so that no one is "lasered" when I draw, I can reholster with one hand, and I can draw from it with either hand.

Being worried about a holstered gun pointing at you is the same as worrying about a hammer on a carpenter's belt wacking you in the head. While it's hanging in the holster is not actively being pointed at anyone, it's no different than the same gun laying on a table and you walk past it, is it being pointed at you? No, it's an inanimate object that can't do anything by itself. A holstered gun is nothing to fear, it's when it's drawn that stuff happens.

 

[WC145]

Originally posted by mississippi revolverman:
When I was working in Narcotics I saw an accidental discharge in the Agent day room. The Agent was removing a 2 1/2 model 19 from a "hanging" clam shell shoulder holster. Put his finger on the trigger. As the weapon cleared the clam shell just enough tensin to finger set off the triger. The round cleared his body and went into the wall behind.

We found the bullet 2 office and a hallway down lodged in a guys chair who was at the coffee machine

It can happen

Operator error, not the holster's fault.