[teach]

Good Morning,

So I was surfing fleabay the last few days looking for new holsters on the cheap. I came across an upside down shoulder holster that fit a snub nose revolver. After thinking on it for a while I decided I needed it. To make a long story short I was out bid, but it got me to thinking that it would be a handy carry style.

I often wear a hooded sweatshirt or some other cover garment like that and I also spend a fair amount of time on the road. I know, I know a crossdraw or IWB holster would work but I have a hard time finding shirts that are long enough for my torso. Which leads me to think a holster like this would keep it away from my belt line where I tend to show off my gun.

My question is two part, first off do you have a downward draw with this type of holster where I can reach up my shirt and draw (manly flashbang style), part 2 who still makes these types of holsters that are under $100?

 

[msgt/ret]

Those holsters were made back in the 1980s and to me the best shoulder holster made. I carried a S&W Model 10/15 in one and when doing my pre-flight on C-5s I never had the gun come loose. As far as I know no one still makes them but I have found a couple on ebay at reasonable prices. I have one that fits a Colt Detective Special I use for a road trip set up. By the way that is the same holster Steve McQueen used in “Bullit”.

 

[WoodLark]

msgt/ret is right. They are the best shoulder holster. I have a couple of them. Most were made by Bianchi as the model 9R, but I believe Safariland also made a version. Ken Null (see holster makers list) also makes an upside down shoulder holster, but his works differently. The Safariland ( I think) used elastic to hold the gun in place; Bianchi used a steel spring and Ken Null uses plastic that hooks the trigger guard. They are very easy to draw from, but difficult to re-holster. Just keep watching Ebay; that's where I found mine.

By the way, some of the Bianchi's have a belt slot so you can take them off the harness and use as a belt holster.

 

[QKShooter]

Nevada Gun Leather still makes one.

Shoulder Holsters

 

[teach]

Nevada Gun Leather still makes one.

Shoulder Holsters

That is a pretty sweet holster but a little above my price range. I suppose I had better keep watching ebay. I have one other quick question, do you all think a horizontal shoulder holster would be easy to draw from wearing a pullover shirt? I know the upside down one would be perfect but if I came across a good deal on a horizontal one I could jump on it.

 

[303british]

I got my S&W brand off of EBay for my 442. It works much better than a horizontal for pullover shirts.
They are the most comfortable and easiest draw for the snub nose revolvers.

 

[Mike1956]

I made one for a Model 29 Smith and Wesson back in about 1977. Retention was an issue I finally overcame with a thumb snap. It worked, and concealed great.

 

[rednichols]

I made one for a Model 29 Smith and Wesson back in about 1977. Retention was an issue I finally overcame with a thumb snap. It worked, and concealed great.

Right on the money, Mike (56? You're still a bub). Retention was an issue with the upside-down holsters, beginning with the original Berns-Martin:

It's not entirely clear when this holster came on the scene, because the mag articles I've seen from the 30s speak only of the famous Speed holster; and it is in reality a conversion of the common shoulder holsters of the era, into a belt holster. My original catalogue is from 1966. These use a spring that retains above the cylinder. That three-stitch plug is there near the muzzle for a reason; and its omission is why the elastics don't retain. But the spring is not very strong.

The Bianchi 9 originated in the 60s, the oldest record I've seen being from 1963/4 when Perkins and Bianchi were a team; when Perkins split off, he made his own version as in MSGT's post. The Bianchi was copied heaps.

The Bianchi 9R, one of my first assignments as a youngster at Bianchi, was originated because the elastics don't retain under certain circumstances; which I will explain in a moment. Turns out it didn't truly solve the retention problem -- until we added a rubber grommet and screw assembly that emulated the leather bit in the Berns-Martin mentioned above. Notice that in this pic there is no screw assembly to act as a pivot, and the revolver has arced its way loose from all retention.

The 9R2 was created to provide a hammer-spur guard, as in the Bucheimer "Marshall" belt holster; and make it a dual-side belt holster; and somehow we were back full circle to the Berns-Martin "Triple Draw"! Except retention, and durability, were excellent. Note the post and screw assembly near the muzzle.

All shoulder holsters need to pass the test we created as a tool to solve the retention problem in the 9 and early 9R: it's called the "snap test". It was created to simulate an officer who had jumped a fence and found himself without his revolver; when he landed the jump, the revolver came out.

With your revolver in the holster (only leave it loaded if you want an a/d, your choice), grasp the harness at the centre of the shoulder strap, and "snap" hard. Hard. Many shoulder holsters will give up their revolver, so do it over your bed If the revolver stays in, then you have a good design in your hands. If the design is poor, you have a good revolver on the floor.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.", which is why there were and are so many copies of the elastic version. The spring versions are beyond the hobby craftsman, though I made my first at home when I was 19; trying to copy the Hoyt ("I didn't try. I succeeded". Sheldon Cooper).

 

[GhostMaker]

Everyones response is spot on, and they are great shoulder rigs. They were popular with detectives when I was a cop and the revolver still filled our holsters. If you carry a snub this is the rig to put your pet six-shooter in. Just goes to show not all of the best ideas are made of Kydex or invented after the year 2000.

 

[GhostMaker]

Those holsters were made back in the 1980s and to me the best shoulder holster made. I carried a S&W Model 10/15 in one and when doing my pre-flight on C-5s I never had the gun come loose. As far as I know no one still makes them but I have found a couple on ebay at reasonable prices. I have one that fits a Colt Detective Special I use for a road trip set up. By the way that is the same holster Steve McQueen used in “Bullit”.

View attachment 69754 View attachment 69755

By the way, the Msgt is right, they work great in vehicles......and McQueen in Bullit....CLASSIC!

 

[teach]

Dang now I am going to have to have one. What would be a good price to spend on a used one?

 

[WoodLark]

Dang now I am going to have to have one. What would be a good price to spend on a used one?

If I remember correctly, the cheapest I got one was $35.00, but being Ebay, it is unpredictable; just depends on how many bidders want it and how bad.

 

[msgt/ret]

Dang now I am going to have to have one. What would be a good price to spend on a used one?

I think I paid about $35 for one and $41 for the other.

 

[smolck]

Am I the only one who has an issue with a holster that points the muzzle at my body parts? No thanks.

 

[msgt/ret]

Am I the only one who has an issue with a holster that points the muzzle at my body parts? No thanks.

Twelve years of carrying that way and still do on occasion never had a problem with it.

 

[QKShooter]

Am I the only one who has an issue with a holster that points the muzzle at my body parts? No thanks.

Ever walk around with your holstered firearm on the second floor of your house?
Your OWB or IWB firearm will then have its muzzle pointed through the floor at the heads and body parts of everybody on the first floor below you.
Floors don't stop bullets.

A safely holstered firearm is a safely holstered firearm. That is the main reason why we purchase properly constructed high quality holsters.

 

[IAm_Not_Lost]

Am I the only one who has an issue with a holster that points the muzzle at my body parts? No thanks.

It's not like it's pointing at your heart, lungs, or head, just the shoulder. No biggie.

 

[teach]

Am I the only one who has an issue with a holster that points the muzzle at my body parts? No thanks.

I figure right now my revolver is in my pocket and pointed at my leg when I sit, on my hip it is close enough to my leg if it did go off it would hit me. Really no matter how you carry it is pointing at or very close to a body part.

I do know what you mean, I am fairly new at ccw and I find my self all the time thinking about where my gun is pointed at the moment.

 

[QKShooter]

Not to send this thread on a trip to Offtopicville but, if your properly holstered firearm was laying on the coffee table that was in front of the couch...and you got up off the couch to get yourself something to eat out of the fridge...would you avoid walking in front of the muzzle of that holstered firearm?

Of course...you would not - guns just do not go off by themselves inside holsters. The muzzle rule does not really apply to a properly holstered firearm.

Try working for a few months in a room full of detectives that are all carrying in horizontal shoulder holsters sometime. You'll get used it very quickly. :biggrin2:

Buy a high quality holster. Holster your firearm properly. And don't "monkey around" or fidget with it and you'll never have a problem with the muzzle direction.

Just one mans opinion on the subject.

 

[N4AOF]

Am I the only one who has an issue with a holster that points the muzzle at my body parts? No thanks.

You might be.

And you might also be the only one who doesn't realize that most holsters point the muzzle at some body part at some point in the carry/draw/reholster process.

Personally I prefer to carry firearms that know won't "just go off" and that only fire when I pull the trigger, so I can't be too worried about where the muzzle points except when I'm the one pointing it.