Open carry shoulder rig for fat people

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I am a large man, 275 lbs, unfortunately with a gut, who recenlty moved to WA, and am interested in open cArry with a shoulder rig as I most often wear shorts and t-shirts.



Any recommendations?



Thanks in advance



fubar59

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I would suggest a vertical shoulder holster, as a horizontal holster will point the barrel behind you and potentially cause someone to be very upset. I know I'd be a little peeved if I was staring down a barrel in line at the grocery store. It might be interpreted as "in a manner, in a place and under circumstances that would warrant alarm for the safety of others" if the barrel is pointing at people.

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I understand Exp's concern for muzzle direction, however I would not go so far as to say that it would legally justify warranting alarm. A properly designed holster prevents the weapon from firing by holding it securely and protecting the trigger. If a gun fires while in the holster, it is all sorts of YOUR fault, either from something you did or from poor gear choice. I personally find that the muzzle direction issue with a horizontal shoulder rig is quickly out weighed by theincrease in draw speed and comfort. I don't like vertical shoulder carry, as it is muchslower and more difficultto draw from. Besides, if a shoulder holsteredgun pointing behind you is grounds for concern, wouldn't a belt holstered gun pointing at your leg or foot be as well?

As far as thetype and brandof holster, Blackhawk and Safariland make very nice shoulder rigs using their locking mechanisms (Serpa and ALS, respectfully). Keep in mind, though, that these holsters are made of plastics and therefore stiff and bulky. For open carry this isn't as much of an issue, but they are harder to conceal under clothing. These holsters are also adjustable for cant, so you don't have to choose between vertical or horizontal when you purchase. Beyond that, most, if not all of the popular leather holster manufacturers make shoulder rigs. Hereis a pretty good review on a lot of popular shoulder holster brands.

One last brand for you to check out would be Uncle Mike's. They're nylon, so not as pretty as leather, but they do their job. I am probably going to buya shoulder holster from them shortly. Uncle Mike's products have always looked like cheap, not-so-universal fit nylon holsters at first, however I keep going back to them in the long run. Their holsters DO fit, if you get the right size, and the quality is exceptional. Their thumb break isn't that bad, either, and this is coming from a guy that doesn't like thumb breaks.

There has been some discussion from time to time as to whether or not a shoulder holster could be considered "concealed". The general consensus is that no, you can obviously the see thing, so it's not. However, the fact that your arm rests over a good portion of the firearm might be enough for someone with authority to try to claim it is concealed. Would it hold up in court, or even make it that far? Probably not, but it might bea hassle. Just keep that in mind.

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Isn't an easy solution to horizontal carry and pointing it at the sheep to get a holster with an enclosed muzzle end? After all, the issue is people's reaction, not the reality of the safety. If they see a big, black hole staring at them they may get much more alarmed than just seeing the closed end of a holster.

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deepdiver wrote:

Isn't an easy solution to horizontal carry and pointing it at the sheep to get a holster with an enclosed muzzle end? After all, the issue is people's reaction, not the reality of the safety. If they see a big, black hole staring at them they may get much more alarmed than just seeing the closed end of a holster.

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My point exactly. Obviously I know that the gun isn't just going to gooff, but that's because I know not to listen to the Brady bunch. Half of the people behind you in line at the grocery store might not be so educated. A jury of your peers might not either.

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Thanks ALL for the replies. After reveiwing this thread I realized I left a lot unsaid about myself in the profile and especially about my situation.



I as stated recently moved to Dupont from the occupied terrotory of Lincoln, ie ILLinois, where as all should know you simply cannot carry a firearm unless it is unloaded and enclosed within a "case".



I am looking to add to my firearm collection with my FIRST carry firearm. I am thinking a para ordnance or more likely Rock River Arms, 15 rd mag .45 ACP. May decide on something else but definitely in .45 and definitely more than 8 or 10 rd capacity. Don't you just HATE when anyone especially gun owners refer to guns as "high capacity"? haha



Again thanks for the replies especially the comparison page. I am looking forward to becoming a regular participant on this forum AND in the OC, CC activism issues here in WA. BTW my son serves in the Army at Ft Lewis and he has been raised with firearms and political activism in his blood. We are both going to the Pierce County Sheriff's dept.to get our CWP, very soon, not because we feel we need them but coming from ILLinois we want to exercise our rights in every form AND be legal doing so!



Thanks

Steve Bohannon

aka fubar

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fubar59 wrote:

Thanks ALL for the replies. After reveiwing this thread I realized I left a lot unsaid about myself in the profile and especially about my situation.



I as stated recently moved to Dupont from the occupied terrotory of Lincoln, ie ILLinois, where as all should know you simply cannot carry a firearm unless it is unloaded and enclosed within a "case".



I am looking to add to my firearm collection with my FIRST carry firearm. I am thinking a para ordnance or more likely Rock River Arms, 15 rd mag .45 ACP. May decide on something else but definitely in .45 and definitely more than 8 or 10 rd capacity. Don't you just HATE when anyone especially gun owners refer to guns as "high capacity"? haha



Again thanks for the replies especially the comparison page. I am looking forward to becoming a regular participant on this forum AND in the OC, CC activism issues here in WA. BTW my son serves in the Army at Ft Lewis and he has been raised with firearms and political activism in his blood. We are both going to the Pierce County Sheriff's dept.to get our CWP, very soon, not because we feel we need them but coming from ILLinois we want to exercise our rights in every form AND be legal doing so!



Thanks

Steve Bohannon

aka fubar

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congratulations on your "Escape from Illinois" (I always feel like I am escaping as I cross the state line). Since you indicate that you are going to both open and conceal carry, for your first carry pistol, may I suggest you take a look at the Springfield Armory XD .45 line. They make a compact .45 in a 4" or 5" barrel, that has 2 different magazine options, a 10rd short mag and a 13 rd full size/length mag. The short mag is for conceal carry as it drops 3/4" off the grip length which is usually the most difficult part to conceal and the other mag for everything else. Best of luck!

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I'd actually like to voice my opinion against shoulder holsters for husky fellows. I do consider myself on the rotund side of male physiques and I purchased a Blackhawk shoulder holster to attach my SERPA to.

The problem I came across is that the pistol always seemed to creep back, even though I had the belt strap supports attached as well. In addition, in the winter, wearing a standard leather jacket, I was not able to draw quickly and comfortably -- the cross-draw motion which can be a slight bit cumbersome compounded by a somewhat bulky jacket can make for bobbling for your weapon when seconds may count.

If you do get a shoulder rig, be sure to TEST IT first. Put it on, wear a jacket, make sure you're able to comfortably draw. Then, take a jog around the store, do a couple of jumping jacks... something that might simulate walking a few blocks, then without adjusting the harness, try to draw again.

For your safety, make sure the damned this stays solid and in a single place on your side. If not, I recommend a paddle holster for OWB carry.

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Excuse my ignorance, but what is "owb" carry? I'm also thinking I may need to modify my fashion in order to carry either way, like maybe bib overalls instead of my much loved tshirt and basketball shorts LOL... I just can't see me wearing jeans or pants with suspenders all the time.

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fubar59 wrote:

Excuse my ignorance, but what is "owb" carry? I'm also thinking I may need to modify my fashion in order to carry either way, like maybe bib overalls instead of my much loved tshirt and basketball shorts LOL... I just can't see me wearing jeans or pants with suspenders all the time.

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Sorry.

OWB: Outside Waist Band (paddle holster or standard belt holster)
IWB: Inside Waist Band (Usually clips onto the belt but the holster resides inside of your pants.

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I agree, holster should point downward for open carry, don't want the extra negative attention of sheeple flipping out. Now I do have this sh holsterI made based a bit off the Miami style, so it does do this, but I wouldn't wear it in public OC. Exception may be a warm day on the PA trapline, where the most attention I'd get is a landowner or lease farmer saying hello, a goofy neighbor spying on me (now they won't mess with me LOL), or a deer hunter using the same property.

Id say belt attachment to keep the holster from moving backwards, and for one that points downward, this is the attachment that allows for a smooth draw anyway, because you are pulling up and need something securing under there so you can pull the gun and not the holster with it. My sh rig does move backwards and I have added problem of female appendages LOL for when I pull it back. I did find that having a spare mag in both of the 2 mag pouches does balance it better. This when I was loading up to go shooting off the back deck...

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thanks deepdiver and expvideo VERY good reasopnable point about the muzzle. I truly hadn't thought of that as being a [possible point of contention. I can easily see that presenting, if nothing else, a reason for an agitator or anti, the basis to complain however unfounded.



fubar

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When I get my pistol permit I plan to use a SERPA in a shoulder rig for carrying (in the winter mostly). I don't care if it's pointing towards people. If you ever did get dragged to court you can point out police officers carry the same way....