I fully appreciate all the effort designers put into holsters, but when the cows come home (or the fat lady sings if you live in the city), the proof is in the pudding. Now, neck-deep in metaphors, I’ll cut to the chase; a finely crafted leather shoulder holster rules the day when packing a multi-pound chunk of stainless steel bear-repelling hardware.
Look, I get that city folk respect their CCW-IWB-OWB-APNDXcarry holsters, but those people are moving from home to bus stop to office workstation. Me? I move from home to 4x4 to great big wide open Big Sky Montana. And my low density 41st State is jam packed with reasons to carry a hand cannon in a shoulder rig.
Craft Holsters is a rock solid supplier of some of the best holsters on this planet especially shoulder holsters among their over 250 offerings. But before we go too far into the holster, let’s look at the concept. Shoulder holsters have been around forever with a Hollywood cred to back it up. From cowboy western to Dirty Harry, to Miami Vice, to Die Hard, to John Wick. If anything, the holster consuming public (which is no doubt every reader of this) may be a little gun shy when it comes to shoulder rigs due to nothing more than a lack of confidence and perhaps need.
Shoulder holsters do extrude some serious gun creed that a belt-mounted holster cannot come close to unless accompanied by a flat dark earth thigh strap (if you know what I mean...and I know you do).
However, in my case a shoulder rig is just what the doctor ordered. And trust me...I’m a doctor. Obviously by now you know that Craft Holsters supplies an excellent array of holsters for both city and outdoor needs, not just bothering to sell low hanging gun fruit for simple carry uses and those complex ones that need a little explaining Craft Holsters delivers the goods on advanced needs too. As one who fits into the latter category of complex needs I find the Craft Holster shoulder option an outstanding variation that fits neatly between my belt rig and my heart-covering chest rig. Dare I say the best option?
The shoulder rigs by Craft Holsters are backed up with solid knowledge about the history and use of shoulder carry. Here’s the Craft backup on that intel, including a quick vid of how to draw from the shoulder rig. The particular one under discussion here is the Vertical Roto Shoulder Holster w Double Mag Pouch. And put a finer point on it, the Ruger Alaskan will make this Craft Holster its home.
The leatherwork of this gunleather is phenomenal. The numerous adjustments and locking screws allow a wide range of custom fits and carry options. The classic shoulder deployment is a cross-draw with the strong-side hand. It takes some practice to draw with the the support hand since the gun is carried below the support-side armpit. But if the shoulder rig is appropriately fit to the wearer, it will provide enoug
h resistance to allow a gun to be pulled free even from a bit of a contorted angle. And speaking of fitting, the Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster has two belt loops that anchor the holster system to your body. The choice of using the belt anchors may depend on what you anticipate. For rough stuff, definitely strap in.
Of all my carry choices, the Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster satisfies a wide range of carry needs. No matter the outerwear, the wearing of a backpack, or simply the need for a more covert option compared to a in-your-face-chest-presentation, the Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster delivers.
The ammo supply on the Vertical Roto Shoulder Holster w Double Mag Pouch is either in the form of a pair of rectangular magazine pouches, or two cylinders for speed loaders. And even if your plans don't require extra ammo, the counter-balance effect of a weighted mag pouch or two makes the entire system ride better.
The Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster is composed of three main pieces. Obviously there is a gun container, followed by a strap system, and finally the accessories composed of two speed loader compartments. The gun holding aspect is absolutely top notch! No seriously. I’m not overusing the exclamation point. The workmanship and fit is as good as it gets, and the snugness is so right that it took a bit of work out of the box to get the Alaskan and the leather to play well together. Once fitted, there is nothing more secure than this. Now I know that reading between the lines some might worry that quality it is optional, but let me be clear that it took a moment to get the leather stretched, but after a few tries, the snap snapped and the leather locked in a perfect fit. I would not want it any other way! And you can take that exclamation point to the bank! That one too.
The leather of the Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster is top notch. It wears well and provided ample security and fit, and will grow only better with age. The roll-out of the revolver upon deployment provides three levels of extraction. Once the retention strap is popped free of its snap, the Alaskan can be slid straight free. If a 45-degree rotation is needed, then so be it. The Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster accommodates a quick low-angle deployment, as well as a massive 90-degree plus rotation out of the shoulder configuration if needed. No matter the need, the Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster will deliver. So think of being rolled in an tree-lined alley by a grizzly bear. Yea. That’s what I’m talk’n bout Willis!
The Craft Holsters Shoulder Holster is not just carried, but worn. It blends into your wardrobe and daily routine. The adjustments offer significant options to customize the fit as well as presenting the firearm at the exact position you expect. And that’s a deliverable you can bank on.
