Shoulder carry resentment

[JDePietro]

Ladies and Gentlemen of the PAFOA,

I'm gonna try and keep the back story short and to the point. I got hurt at work and lost the use of my right hand for about two weeks. Always looking to take advantage of the situation I thought it would be a good time to let Randy of Hangunners (Topton) make my wonderful SW1911PD a little better. So I brought it in and left myself in the hands of my significant other.

Randy had told me when I brought my sidearm in that he was swamped and it would probably take longer than usual. No problem I'm not in any huge hurry. A while back I bought a 92fs so I would have a back up if I could not use my trusty 1911. I kinda figured that even thought the doc said I would be fine after two weeks there was no sense to be found in pushing myself.

My problem is that I did not have a holster for my 92. Again always looking for the positive I thought this would be a good time to try out IWB. After 3 days of a Mexican IWB I was ready to just not carry at all. Now I am sure that if I had a good holster it wouldn't be so bad but mexican style sucks.

My gun budget is rather small these days and I just didn't want to drop a lot of money on a holster that would only do a marginal job at concealing and my current IWB method had me not even considering getting a holster for such a thing. As fate or luck would have it I ran into a Exeter Police Detective. They issue the 92fs to everyone so I asked him how he kept it hidden from prying eyes. Without a second to think about it he said "Shoulder Holster".

This guy wears it all day everyday so he must be on to something. So I got a Galco Lite Harness and a Desantis NY undercover shoulder holster. The holster itself is amazing, zero break in. My 92 slid right in and it had just the right amound of retension. I was pretty excited so I got out the harness and put the two together and slipped it on.

Now I know that I am missing the Mag pouches and maybe having them would make a difference but I cannot express the level of dissapointment that washed over me. Without wearing a button down and a jacket overtop of the thing there is no way in hell you can't notice the huge mass on my side. it rocks all around twisting my sleves and collar so that after 10 minutes of walking I look like I'm wearing a shirt two sizes too small and some blind person applied the graphic.

Now maybe my physique is not perfect for a shoulder rig, I am not a small guy and have very wide shoulders and chest and a cinched midline that fills out into a round belly. Kinda like an hour glass shape. As if the upper half wants to be a body builder and the bottom half enjoys food way too much. lol.

Still, I'm about $60 in the hole now with half a rig that is killer to wear and easy to spot. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong???
Is there a right and wrong way to wear a shoulder rig? Is there a certain cant that I need? Will the double mag pouch make any differnce???

At this point I'm willing to just sell the harness and holster and get a cheap OWB and just live with it until I get my baby back.

Your thoughts???

[gf45acp]

From your description of yourself I would guess that you and I are built alike. I have never liked shoulder rigs, and have only one, for my S&W 645. I don't think I have used it to cc more than 2 times, it just sits in the closet.
If you have big arms, and a large chest, there is just no room for the gun, espically a big gun such as the 92.
You may try a large windbreaker, about 2 sizes lager than normal, but you are into spending more $$.
If you do not have the mag pouches, then you should have a tie strap that hooks to your belt to help hold the rig in place.
If you don't like the rig, why not try putting it on the for sale section here on the forum, perhaps someone else can use it.
If you are REALLY strapped for cash, try taking a length of paracord, or a shoestring, tie it in a circle, loop it around your belt so that it goes over and under just enough to get the 92 through both sides and put the gun with the loops around it IWB. You will be supprised how well this will hold the gun. Stops it from dropping and moving around so much.

[jahwarrior72]

i own one shoulder rig, and i used it exactly once. i think they were designed less for concealment, and more for ease of carry, especially if you sit on your ass for most of the day. i think the only way you can conceal anything with a shoulder rig is by wearing a suit jacket or overcoat.

[thirtyonebravo]

while i prefer a heavier weapon myself, like a 1911 or Sig, for stability and less recoil (and just feeling like a real gun)... you might try trading the 92 in for a polymer type of weapon such as a glock or XD, and use a shoulder holster with a double mag pouch. I have worn a Glock 17 with two mags on the other side, and felt a pretty equal weight distribution.

[wa3ra]

You really do need a sport jacket to carry concealed with a shoulder rig. I had two different set-ups with the same holster; suspender-type that clips to the top of your pants if you don't balance it with the mag holders, and a cinch that worked with the mag holders .

Yes, the holders really do balance out the rig.

[jcabin]

Who says you need a shoulder rig for CC. I might be getting one for OC, but I think I'll start a thread for that when im not too lazy.

[unclejumbo]

As a police officer, I can tell you I have tried a lot of different concealed carry methods. Best I have found is IWB in the small of the back. I am also a big boy and have never found a shoulder holster remotely comfortable or concealable. I also have a belly band and one of the holster shirts (Lycra with pockets on the sides). Belly band is useful until you sit and the barrel pokes you. The holster shirt does work out well with smaller pistols. It would hold a 92 but would pull and print badly. Don't rule out the fanny pack. Pretty obvious if you know what you are looking at but most people don't. I wore mine to OC Maryland shortly after I got on the job. Had a couple of looks from the police, but no one approached and asked if I was carrying. I also have a Maxpedition bag. Very useful but even in camo, I still feel like a metrosexual with a man purse.

[riverpirate]

I to have a beautiful gazelle leather shoulder holster with double mag pouches that I have worn exactly ONE time. I bought it thinking wow this will work perfect and wore once to find out that im so barrel chested it just pulled and dug and drove me nuts. I tried adjusting it over and over and gave up.It now hangs in the closet. Im all for IWB in the small of the back, it just works for me.

[bigbear]

I wear the exact same shoulder holster, (Galco lite) every day, under my uniform shirt. It kinda prints, but it conceals well. And, if I need it, I can get to it pretty quickly.

It does take some getting used to.

Good luck.

[dgg9]

Now I know that I am missing the Mag pouches and maybe having them would make a difference but I cannot express the level of dissapointment that washed over me. Without wearing a button down and a jacket overtop of the thing there is no way in hell you can't notice the huge mass on my side. it rocks all around twisting my sleves and collar so that after 10 minutes of walking I look like I'm wearing a shirt two sizes too small and some blind person applied the graphic.

First of all, that shock of dismay is common. We've all been conditioned by TV and movies that shoulder holsters are great for concealment. But obviously TV and movies carefully manipulate the images so no unexpected frames happen. Also, shoulder holsters work best with the kind of physiques that actors have: long arms and tiny, narrow torsos.

Then you buy one and in reality, as you move around, it's VERY hard for a lot of people to keep the handle of the gun hidden.

A few points:

1. Barrel chested guys will always find s/h's a problem. It's built-in.
2. A long barrelled gun like a 1911 or 92FS is making the problem much harder than it needs to be, since the length of the gun forces the handle forward.
3. Lack of offside mags makes balancing a heavy gun virtually impossible.
4. Cheap s/h's are not worth it. They may look ok and the holster piece itself may hold the gun well, but the cheaper s/h's just don't "drape" nicely. They shift, they slide, the gun isn't held closely, and they're hard to draw from (the handle seems to squirt away from you). I have had several Galco Miami Classics, and it was always the same: "yeah it looks cool, but it just doesn't feel right." Then I got an Alessi Bodyguard and it was literally night and day.
5. A light summer shirt or jacket will not keep the handle concealed as you walk around. The breeze created by movement will billow open a light shirt or jacket. Miami Vice lied to you.