Is A Shoulder Holster A Good Way To Carry?

Is A Shoulder Holster A Good Way To Carry?

A shoulder holster can be a good way to carry, if you use one as they were intended. A shoulder holster is a specialty item, that was designed for a specific use case, and - when used as intended - works very well indeed.

Where a lot of people start encountering issues is when they use one in a manner it wasn't designed for.

So, let's talk about what shoulder holsters were designed for and how best to use them.

How Practical Are Shoulder Holsters?

Shoulder holsters were created for detectives, supervisors and stake-out men in police departments, whose job put them behind a desk or sitting in a car for long periods without moving around too much.

This is where the shoulder holster excels.

If you aren't getting up and moving around much, or spending a lot of time in a car and not doing too much once you get out, shoulder holsters are very practical. Where they being to become a lot less practical is as an all-purpose concealed carry holster.

Rough concealment is simple, in that you can wear a shoulder holster under a loose-fitting cover garment like a jacket. Loose-fit jackets such as sport coats and blazers were once very popular for this purpose. However, this manner of concealment is not necessarily practical at all times and certainly not in all climates!

So, that's what shoulder holsters were made for and how best to use them.

Does Anyone Still Use Shoulder Holsters?

Shoulder holsters have fallen out of favor somewhat. Interest among the general public tends to wax and wane with their use in film and television. It's not exactly an industry secret that "Miami Vice" sold an awful lot of Galco "Jackass" shoulder rigs (that was the holster Don Johnson's character wore) as did James Bond movies and so on.

It's also true that a quality OWB or is a bit better as a general purpose concealed carry holster, as shoulder holsters can limit wardrobe choices and even white linen sport coats with the sleeves rolled up are more clothes than some people want to wear in warm climate.

However, it's also true that while the shoulder holster is a specialty holster that doesn't necessarily fit for everyone, it does have a place, a niche of its own, and if you use them in the use-case it was developed for, shoulder holsters actually work and work rather well.

And let's be honest. They're cool. If you just want one because you want one, that's totally fine.