Shoulder Hip

Shoulder+Hip

The Shoulder Holster by Brain

Ostentatious Anachronism or useful accessory? The real Eliot Ness wore a first-issue Colt Detective Special in a shoulder holster. Robert Stack in TV's mid-20th century show The Untouchables portrayed him with a bigger Colt Official Police 4".38 in what appeared to be a Lawrence shoulder rig, and Kevin Costner in the movie of the same name played Ness as wearing a 1911.45 in the same type of rig. Whether in the pages of the novels or on the screen, Mickey Spillane's popular private detective Mike Hammer just wouldn't have been the same with his.45 automatic in anything but a shoulder holster under his trench coat.

These days, a lot of folks think shoulder holsters are way too "Hollywood," and not as fast or as practical as a modern belt holster in any case. They'll get little argument from me; I rarely wear one these days. That said, though, I think a complete modern "holster wardrobe" should contain a good shoulder rig, if only for special purposes. Back in the '60s, Richard Gallagher conceptualized the Shoulder System, a figure-8 harness which carried the gun under one arm and ammo and even handcuffs on the opposite side. It came to market as the Jackass Shoulder System, and was the foundation of Gallagher's current gunleather empire, Galco. The system lives today in Galco's Miami Classic design and others, and has been widely copied throughout the holster industry. There are certain detectives and federal agents who seem to feel their desk or briefcase is their best holster. At least some of them realize that at any moment an emergency might require their immediate response, prompting them to keep a shoulder system in the drawer instead of just a gun. As quickly as donning a vest or jacket, they can slip their arms through the harness of the shoulder system and have gun, spare ammo and cuffs on their person quickly. Similarly, it makes sense as part of a home defense setup. Twenty years ago, I discovered this setup can also serve as an "orthopedic holster." I had managed to pull my lower back big time, and the doc told me "No weight around the waist, not even a belt!" He knew my job required me to be armed, even on "light duty/Medical," and I asked, "How about a shoulder holster?" He replied it would be OK if I wore one on each side. I thought he was joking until he explained that if upper body weight tilted one way or the other due to extra load, the lower back would never get right. I wound up with a cobbled together rig (Jackass holster and mag pouch, Rogers harness and Seventrees handcuff case). With a Spyderco knife clipped to the equipment side and a lightweight Colt Commander.45 auto in the holster, weight balanced to the ounce on both sides. It was an unexpected benefit from shoulder holster design. Another way to equally balance is to simply get twin holsters with an identical gun on each side. The subjective fashion statement might be "paranoid" to some and "ostentatious" to others, but for those of us who recognize the advantage of a backup gun that works like the primary, it's one effective way to implement the concept. I've found it awfully heavy with a pair of loaded all-steel 1911s, but not at all uncomfortable for a week at a time of all-day wear with featherweight Baby Glocks. The late, great Skeeter Skelton had holster makers of the day create twin shoulder rigs for him-to carry 1911s in one case and Ruger service revolvers in the other and seemed pleased with the results.

Other needs

There are other special needs which the shoulder holster fits well. You're a bodyguard/chauffeur, spending much of your working time in a seated position wearing a seat belt? If you can manage to keep a cover garment on all the time, a shoulder holster will give you quicker access in that position than the typical belt scabbard worn behind the hip. Police pilots love shoulder holsters, for similar reasons, and they are still extremely common among them. On some departments, the pilots are the only armed personnel authorized to wear shoulder rigs and are sometimes even issued them. Handgun hunters out in inclement weather often choose shoulder holsters, normally those that carry the gun butt high and forward. The gun is reachable through the upper front of the garment, but the coat shields it from scratchy brush, rustinducing rain and snow and icy cold that can turn the lubricant inside gelid and compromise the handgun's function. Men wearing bulky rifle-grade body armor find conventional hip holsters hard to access. Before the current popularity of tactical thigh holsters, many police SWAT teams used shoulder rigs for their sidearms. So, to this day, do some members of our armed forces. Galco has a program they call "Holsters for Heroes." If you donate the retail price of a regular Galco Shoulder System that holds the military Beretta M9 vertical, they'll send two such systems to our young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm sure our troops are putting them to good use. A cop who attaches a backup gun's holster to the side-strap on the ballistic vest under his uniform shirt is practicing a type of shoulderholster draw. So is the armed citizen who carries a small pistol or revolver in a purpose-designed gun pouch on a T-shirt, as in Greg Kramer's defining Confidant design, or who wears the gun in a bellyband wrapped high on the body at ribcage level. The only difference is the "harness" that carries the holster. It's not a style thing or a showoff thing, or an "age of the technology" issue. The simple fact is, there are special handgun carrying purposes which, at least for some users, are best accomplished with certain types of shoulder holsters.