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Tagua Shoulder Holster - experience?

RetiredOC

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
1,561
I'm looking at getting a shoulder holster, but it appears every quality shoulder holster out there is hand made- thus costing 300-500 bucks. <<< Not happening. I've looked into the Miami Classic by Galco online, but it looks cheap and a few reviews I've read said that not only is it over priced for a mass produced holster - it is indeed 'cheap' with plenty of plastic parts.

I've come across the Tagua shoulder holster online, it looks like it has more quality than the miami classic, but I cannot find a review of this thing anywhere. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.

http://www.taguagunleather.com/new/concealed-shoulder-holster-p22
tagua.SH4.full.jpg


"PS:" I'm looking for something that will bring the gun up nice and high, close to the armpit. If you guys have any other suggestions let me know!
 

carsontech

Activist Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2011
Messages
529
Location
Anderson, SC
I've only seen one review on the Tagua shoulder holsters. I came across it when I was googling them, as I was impressed by the price.

Anyway, the person who reviewed them was a dealer. He said the the stitching was, sometimes, inconsistent, but the holsters were very high quality for the price. I can't find the review anymore, though.

My wife and I had a few Tagua belt slide holsters. They hug REALY tight and they're REALLY stiff. The draw is not as fast as other leather holsters due to how freaking stiff the leather is. The leather gets torn up if there are sharp edges on the gun, such as a loaded chamber indicator that pops up, an external extractor, slide serrations, etc.

My wife had a Tagua belt slide for her Glock. The external extractor rubbed bits of leather off onto, and sometimes into, the chamber of the barrel. That worried us as we didn't want any bits of leather getting chamber or the rest into gun.

My Sig P220s slide serrations ate up my Tagua belt slide, as well. It scraped the leather off into tiny bits, which got all over the outside of the chamber on the barrel.

We both quite using leather and went to Kydex/plastic holsters, as they seem to proved a much quicker and smoother draw. High speed/low drag.
 
Last edited:

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
I've had a few Tagua holsters and mag carriers over the years for various guns, and they fit well, are tight and secure, and the fit and finish is generally very good. The price point they are sold at is also pretty good.

All that said, the fit on Tagua products tends to be a little TOO tight for me, and their break-in period is excrutiatingly long and requires a LOT of work. And because of the grain of the lining of Tagua products, coupled with the tight fit, they tend to have a slow draw, even AFTER they are properly conditioned and broken in.

And I have NEVER had a Tagua product where the snaps were reliable. I once had a Tagua double-mag carrier for my Para come unsnapped out of the blue while I was standing in line in a convenience store, CC. Had I been OC it would have been merely embarassing. But because I was CC, it pretty much let everyone know I was carrying, which was NOT cool...

Bottom line is, from my experience, if you want leather that LOOKS really nice at a budget price point, Tagua is a good deal.

But if you intend on using it as EDC gear, you're probably going to have to replace all the snaps and spend HOURS on break-in and conditioning to get it to work reliably, if you want it to work with utter reliability and security...

I currently do not own any Tagua gear...
 

RetiredOC

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
1,561
I bought it.

The gun fits just fine, not too tight- the holster doesn't want to hug the gun while I draw (crap you get with cheap nylon holsters). I've been wearing it around the house all day and I like it. I removed the belt straps and raised it to it's highest position on my body. I am surprised with the quality, I've always thought of Tagua of being cheap based off the price, but so far it's nice.

This is just day one though, we'll see if my mind changes as days go on. I like being able to just throw a gun on with out having to take a belt on and off. (I can also carry a couple guns at once now ;) )
 

xmanhockey7

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Messages
1,195
FWIW I have the Galco Miami Classic and I think it's great. I know someone who has been using the same one for 10+ years and theirs is still holding up great with 0 issues.
 

J_Oliver

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Messages
151
Location
Haw River, North Carolina
I purchased a safariland model 1051 shoulder holster from a durham LEO on craigslist a few weeks ago. I have to say I like the construction and the ALS system on it. Removing and reholstering feels like it's almost coated with astroglide! I know it's kydex, but it's covered in leather. The price from holsters.com is really awesome too. Just my .02 ...

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk
 

RetiredOC

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
1,561
I purchased a safariland model 1051 shoulder holster from a durham LEO on craigslist a few weeks ago. I have to say I like the construction and the ALS system on it. Removing and reholstering feels like it's almost coated with astroglide! I know it's kydex, but it's covered in leather. The price from holsters.com is really awesome too. Just my .02 ...

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

$(KGrHqV,!isE3RjyLFMfBN0936nv5!~~_35.JPG


How in the name of sam adams do you carry like this?
 

J_Oliver

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Messages
151
Location
Haw River, North Carolina
$(KGrHqV,!isE3RjyLFMfBN0936nv5!~~_35.JPG


How in the name of sam adams do you carry like this?

It's not that difficult. Took a little adjusting though. Because I'm kinda built in a weird shape, it wasn't an exact fit out of the package, I had to put a few minor modifications on it to make it a good fit. But other than that I couldn't have been happier with it.
Would leather have been nice? Sure! I just didn't want to pay those kinda prices. To each their own I guess.
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VW_Factor

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
1,092
Location
Leesburg, GA
Tagua holsters in my experience have been a great deal for the price you pay. Most certainly a ton better than any of those nylon holsters in the same price range.

I didn't know they made a shoulder rig, I might have to check that out.

Thanks.
 
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