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It appears that I have never actually written up my experiences with carrying in a shoulder holster.
If you search you're going to find three Galco models are my main experience.
All put the gun facing aft under my left arm pit.
Yes, I am sweeping everyone behind me.
With the trigger guard completely enclosed by the holster.
The first thing you have to get comfortable with is the idea that your gun isn't going to go off unless you put your booger hook on the bang switch.
It just isn't.
Any gun that will isn't safe to load.
Arm pit carry has a bonus in that it's not natural to be fondling the gun.
The draw is where the instructorati give spontaneous creation of kittens. Like gun grabbers, the instructorati live in a world were potential energy equals kinetic energy; where can is synonymous with will; where P 0.01 is rounded up to P 1.
I'm still waiting for the citations showing more people shot (including themselves) by someone drawing from a shoulder holster than other forms and the severity of the injuries.
You're bringing the gun around 180° and likely sweeping friendlies to do so.
Don't engage the booger hook and/or disengage the safeties until you've got a sight picture. Lift your weak side arm over the gun so you don't point right at your radial artery.
Pretty much everything about getting your gun out of appendix carry applies here with regards to not shooting yourself, and your gun is pointed less at you the whole time.
The way to make sure you're doing it right is to practice your draw.
You will not find a public range which will let you. It's rare to find a range that will let you practice drawing from strong side OWB hip.
So unload the gun and practice on the mirror or television. Get in some dry fire practice too.
What works best for me is a twisting deal with my weak arm up and weak hand on my strong shoulder turning at the waist as my strong hand grabs the gun; pulling it and the holster around my torso to get the gun more in line with the target. Now I unsnap the thumb-break. Then I twist my torso back during the draw and present the pistol. This reduces the out of holster sweep to less than 35° and leaves the trigger enclosed until the very end. It also points the muzzle at the bad guy early so that if I needed to I could pull the trigger and fire through my shirt if the ranges have closed faster than desired.
It looks awkward, but it's not. It's slower than several other forms of draw too.
Gotta keep better situational awareness, I guess.
With all that out of the way...
A shoulder holster puts the weight on your shoulders. Where the straps cross puts pressure on your neck. It takes a little getting used to.
The gun is in the same place standing or sitting. It is not masked by seat-belts or center consoles. It is not pinned under your beer belly.
No part of the gun is being shoved into a tender spot.
Spare ammunition is handily balancing out the weight of the gun on the strong side.
This is not legal advice. I am not a lawyer, let alone your lawyer.
Do not not try this at home, even if I said, "try this at home."
Not a guarantee.
I used to carry a Star PD automatic in a horizontal Uncle Mike's cordura horizontal crossdraw back in the 80's. It worked well during deer hunting, under a M65 jacket. Worn exposed with a T-shirt underneath, the velcro was a bit abrassive to the underside of the arm's bicep. But it was comfortable, accessible seated or standing, and a slung rifle did not collide with it, especially under a jacket.
ReplyDeletejrg
A recent surgery has waistband carry out of the question until i heal up. A shoulder holster for winter carry. might be it... great for drawing a pistol under a sweater. But I'm a skinny guy, so I think I'd have to really adjust that horizontal angle to keep the barrel from printing out the back, -JKing
ReplyDeletePractically lived in the car in a previous life, so a shoulder holster was the most convenient method for carry, not for use. Given the slowness of presentation one needs "sufficient situational awareness to anticipate immediate need."
ReplyDeleteAnd, "armpit carry" is wrong, so is "belt-level carry;" the straps should be adjusted to put the gun right in the middle, and the tie-downs (you're using Galco, they have good ones) will help keep it and the mags (assuming off-side mag carry capability) right where you expect them to be.
(Galco used to offer an off-side accessory that held 2 mags and had a slot for a tactical flashlight; they no longer do, which is a shame. Having a backup flashlight was very useful, especially when entering a dark building with a partner who didn't have one. As for carrying spare mags, the weight alone helps balance the rig more comfortably, and mags have been known to occasionally become empty When There Was Still Work To Be Done or fail completely. Your car has a spare tire, does it not? Spares are useful. Pro Tip: Using *only* an empty gun and dummy ammo practice reloading from the off-side mag carrier, and in different body positions.)
Bart