Ladies Only: Shoulder Holster Security

In the upcoming June 2014 issue of COMBAT HANDGUNS, author Sara Ahrens discusses one type of carry option that women should consider: Shoulder holsters. She writes, “Most holsters are developed for men’s bodies, so when a woman selects a holster that allows her to conceal a firearm, it may come at the expense of comfort. One holster system, often overlooked, that works surprisingly well in bridging the gap between concealment and comfort, is the shoulder holster. For many of us, the mere mention of shoulder holsters conjures up images of shows and movies like Miami Vice and Serpico, whose popularity in turned spurred interest in shoulder holsters as a method of concealed carry. Today, though less often used by civilians, shoulder holsters are common in law enforcement, especially for those assigned to desk jobs such as investigations. And their enduring popularity with law enforcement may provide some clues as to why more women are opting for them as concealed-carry holsters.

“Shoulder holsters can be found in the product lines of a number of well-known holster makers.

Safariland makes the leather and synthetic Safariland 1090 Gun Quick, which uses a spring-loaded retention device, while DeSantis makes a series of shoulder holsters, including the leather-crafted C.E.O., the nylon Patriot and the leather New York Undercover, which DeSantis debuted in the early 1970s. Another holster maker with a long, 40-plus-year shoulder-holster pedigree is Galco Gunleather, which makes nine different systems, including the two I used to test the shoulder holster’s viability as means of carry for women, the Classic Lite and the Miami Classic II.

CLICK HERE for our listing of holsters!

“With the holsters fitted for my full-size, 8.74-inch Glock 35, I utilized my law enforcement training, skills and experience along with my feminine preferences to see what I had been missing all of these years. As a caveat, I’ll mention that this was my first personal experience with a shoulder rig. It didn’t take long for me to learn some valuable lessons.”