Shoulder Holsters – Choosing One for Concealed Carry

Thinking of using a shoulder holster for concealed carry? Here’s a list of 5 things to consider before making your purchase:

5) Leather or nylon? Although there are a number of quality leather shoulder holsters on the market today – most of the time – it’s best to choose nylon for concealed carry. Leather shoulder holsters are can be five times more expensive than nylon – and you must wear them a long time before they’re broke in enough to feel comfortable. Additionally, you’ll probably find yourself purchasing one or two before you find the correct fit.

4) You get what you pay for. Although I don’t usually like using “old sayings” in an article – this one definitely applies here. Having been buying and selling holsters for many years – I’ve made this mistake myself. Although embarrassing to admit – I have a few boxes of cheap holsters (purchased for resale) that were too junky to sell. Needless to say – they’re still sitting in a box in my warehouse. If you’re paying less than $40 for a shoulder holster – you’re probably wasting your money.

3) What style do you want? There are a number of styles of shoulder holsters. There are only three I would recommend. The first one is a cross harness shoulder holster. These are worn similar to suspenders – they drape over your body in much the same manner. Second, I would consider a shoulder support style harness. These styles have large shoulder supports which spread the weight of the holsters, your handgun and extra magazines over a larger area of your shoulders – creating a more comfortable rig. Lastly, I would consider a double shoulder holster. However, these holsters are more likely to be worn by individuals with more experience with handguns. Sometimes the desire to carry a primary handgun for self-defense and then a backup handgun in case you need it – necessitates the need for a double shoulder holster.

2) Horizontal or vertical? A horizontal carry shoulder holster is designed where the handgun points behind you – allowing you to holster your weapon in a motion level to the ground. A vertical carry shoulder holster is worn with your weapon aiming toward the ground. This rig requires you to push your handgun toward the ground when holstering. Also, vertical shoulder holsters usually require a belt to anchor the rig. My personal preference is to use a vertical shoulder holster when I need to carry a large handgun (five or six inch barrel or more) and use a horizontal rig with smaller handguns. Most of the time – it’s simply a matter of personal preference.

1) What size are you and will it fit? In my opinion – you’re wasting your time if you buy a shoulder holster based on sizing like small, medium, large, etc. We prefer universal adjustable shoulder holsters simply because you can adjust them to fit a range of sizes from small to XXL. Some people like to wear them more tightly and others like to wear them less tight. With a fully adjustable shoulder holster – you never need to worry about sizing issues – you can always adjust your holster for that extra 20 lbs you gained, the extra clothes you’re wearing or when you just want to loosen it up a little.

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