The best shoulder holster

Best shoulder holster overall: Galco Miami Classic II Shoulder System, Glock 19

4.7/5 our editorial score

4.7/5 from 44 reviews on OpticsPlanet (pooled across every gun, hand and color on the listing)

Horizontal carry · card: MCII224, right hand, Tan · the orderable row names Glock 19 first, plus Glock 17, 22, 23, 26, 27, 31 to 35 and Stoeger STR-9 · the listing sells 41 gun, hand and color rows

around $250exact price on OpticsPlanet

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The shoulder holster to start with if you carry a compact or full-size semi-auto such as a Glock 19. Galco describes the Miami Classic II as a refined, modernized version of its original Miami Classic, and lists 1.5 in wide harness straps, a full grain leather harness on a Flexalon swivel back plate, a harness that fits chests up to 56 in, and a silhouetted holster that takes several barrel and slide lengths. The gun rides level under your arm; two spare magazines ride level on the other side in an open-front carrier that Galco says gives a faster, more natural grasp when reloading. The box holds the holster, harness, magazine carrier and a set of harness fasteners. We card the right-hand Tan row whose orderable name starts with the Glock 19. 40 of the 42 reviews we could read recommend it, and reviewers carry it for long days, while driving and under a jacket. The costs: four of those reviews mention a tight fit or a break-in period at first, others say setup takes time and patience, one reviewer calls the plastic connector piece uncomfortable, and Galco itself notes that most fits are not compatible with red dot optics.

Best for: a Glock 19 or similar compact or full-size pistol carried under a jacket all day, or while driving. Skip it if your carry pistol wears a red dot.

“The GALCO Miami Classic II seems like it is one of the best shoulder holsters you can buy off the shelf.”

Greg X, owner (OH) via OpticsPlanet

Most reviewed (the original Miami Classic): Galco Miami Classic Shoulder System, Right Hand, Black

4.6/5 our editorial score

4.8/5 from 74 reviews on OpticsPlanet (pooled across every gun and color on the listing)

Horizontal carry · card: MC224B, right hand, Black · the orderable row name names no gun; the retailer's Gun Model field for this row lists the Glock 19 among its fits · the listing sells 7 rows

around $210exact price on OpticsPlanet

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The original Miami Classic, the most reviewed shoulder holster we found at the retailer and the design Galco says the II improves on. Galco's own guide calls it a direct descendant of the shoulder system the company first introduced in 1970, then as the Famous Jackass Leather Company. The retailer lists a premium steerhide holster and magazine carrier, medium-width harness straps, a full grain leather harness with a swiveling Flexalon back plate, a thumb break, and attachment points for tie-downs, a cuff case or a flashlight carrier; the box holds the holster, harness, ammo carrier and a set of system screws. Be careful with fit: the orderable name of the row we card, MC224B in black, names no gun at all. Its Glock 19 fit comes only from the retailer's Gun Model field for that row, so confirm your pistol on the listing before you order. All 73 reviews we could read recommend it; reviewers praise all-day comfort and easy adjustment. The trade-offs: three reviewers criticize plastic buttons or connectors, one of them replacing the buttons with metal screws, one says the new square buckles dig in, reviewers describe a tight break-in, and one says the choice of fits for railed pistols is thin.

Best for: a buyer who wants the classic Galco horizontal rig for less than the II. Check that your exact pistol appears in the row's Gun Model list first.

“The Miami Classic is comfortable for all-day use, rugged enough to reliably hold everything where it's supposed to be: ready and in reach.”

Fritz, reviewer (WA) via OpticsPlanet

Best for full-size pistols (diagonal carry): Galco Jackass Shoulder Rig, Glock 17

4.5/5 our editorial score

4.6/5 from 65 reviews on OpticsPlanet (pooled across every gun and hand on the listing)

Diagonal, butt-down carry · card: JR224B, the row the retailer names for the Glock 17, right hand, Black · the listing sells 12 gun and hand rows

around $190exact price on OpticsPlanet

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The rig for a longer pistol. The retailer lists a diagonal, butt-down carry, a premium steerhide holster and magazine carrier, a Premium Center Cut Steerhide harness with a swiveling Flexalon backplate, and attachment points for tie-downs, a cuff case or a flashlight carrier. Galco's guide says the Jackass holster adjusts to a more diagonal position than the Miami Classic or Miami Classic II, which lets smaller-statured carriers conceal larger guns. Reviewers agree: several carry full-size 1911s and Sig 226-type pistols on other rows of this listing and say the canted holster hides a long slide better than a horizontal rig. We card the right-hand black row whose orderable name is the Glock 17. Of the 62 distinct reviews we could read (one is posted twice), 60 recommend it. The costs: tie-downs are optional extras, and one reviewer notes the rig came without them; two reviewers say the thumb break strap was too short to snap, on a Sig P220R and a 1911 Officer's model; one calls the plastic joiner on the back flimsy; and one says the suede straps catch thin fabric and can cut into the shoulders.

Best for: a full-size pistol, or a shorter wearer who wants to hide a bigger gun, when a level horizontal rig would print. Order the row for your exact pistol.

“Being canted, the Jackass allows for the longer slide to conceal much easier and comfortably than the Miami rig would allow.”

Dave, reviewer (GA) via OpticsPlanet

Best value horizontal rig: DeSantis New York Undercover Rig, Glock 19

4.0/5 our editorial score

4.0/5 from 13 reviews on OpticsPlanet (pooled across every gun, hand and color on the listing)

Horizontal carry (reviewers) · card: 11DTAB2J0, right hand, Tan, Full Size · the orderable row names Glock 19 first, plus Glock 17, 22, 23, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33 and 36 · the listing sells 7 rows

around $170exact price on OpticsPlanet

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The lowest-priced rig on this page and the one non-Galco horizontal rig here. The retailer's listing is thin: a leather holster with a thumb break, full size, for barrels of 3 to 5 in, made in the USA, and no feature list at all. Reviewers fill in the rest: the harness is fully adjustable, one reviewer with a Glock 27 had to add a hole to keep the holster level, and one reviewer says the magazine pouch can be worn horizontally or vertically. One reviewer bought it for a Glock 26, 19 and 17 and says it takes standard capacity Glock 17 magazines or smaller. We card the right-hand Tan row whose orderable name starts with the Glock 19. 9 of the 11 reviews we could read recommend it. The costs: a small record, one reviewer found the wide straps comfortable but visible under some jackets, a longtime DeSantis buyer says corners have been cut, and one reviewer who ordered a different row (for the S&W Governor) says the holster and magazine straps did not match the photos.

Best for: a Glock 19 or similar compact carrier who wants a horizontal rig for less than the Galco. Skip it if you want detailed maker specs before you buy.

“Once you get it to your liking it stays in place without belt hooks which deterred me from other shoulder holsters.”

Steve M, reviewer (NY) via OpticsPlanet

Best vertical rig (small revolvers): Bianchi X15 Shoulder Holster, Size 1

3.7/5 our editorial score

4.0/5 from 51 reviews on OpticsPlanet (pooled across every holster size on the listing)

Vertical carry · card: BZ-HT8-X15-12356 (MPN 1015610), Holster Size 1, right hand, Tan · this row lists S&W J-Frame revolvers, Ruger SP101, Charter Arms Undercover, Walther PP/PPK and Sig P230/P232 · the listing sells 10 size rows

around $180exact price on OpticsPlanet

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The only vertical rig here: the gun rides vertically under your arm, held by a spring closure and a thumb break. The retailer lists a dual spring closure for retention, a leather-lined holster, a detachable retainer strap and a fully adjustable soft leather harness that adjusts to a 48 in chest. The listing is sold by Holster Size; we card Size 1, whose row lists small guns such as the S&W J-Frame revolvers (Models 36, 37, 60, 442, 640, 642, 649), the Ruger SP101, the Charter Arms Undercover, the Walther PP and PPK and the Sig P230 and P232. Reviewers like that one holster fits several guns, and a thin reviewer says vertical conceals better than horizontal for that build. It shares the lowest rating here (4.0/5) with the DeSantis and has the highest share of negative reviews: 12 of the 49 we could read are marked would not recommend. Three reviewers say the harness strap is too short or cut skimpy, two say it came with no instructions, one says the leather weave attachment pulled apart, and several could not fit their gun, including a Ruger SP101 and a Walther PPK named on this row, though they do not say which size they ordered.

Best for: a snub-nose revolver or small pistol carried vertically under a coat, by a buyer willing to check the Holster Size chart. Skip it if you want a rig that works out of the box.

“I'm thin and a vertical carry conceals better for me than a horizontal carry.”

Jim K, reviewer (FL) via OpticsPlanet

Best chest rig for scoped hunting revolvers: Galco Kodiak Hunter Shoulder Holster, Large Revolvers

4.4/5 our editorial score

4.7/5 from 40 reviews on OpticsPlanet (pooled across the 3 rows on the listing)

Chest-style crossdraw · card: KH130H, right hand, Havana · this row lists large revolvers such as the Ruger Redhawk and Super Blackhawk (with or without scope), Colt Anaconda 8 in and S&W Model 29 and 629 N-Frame · the listing sells 3 rows

around $210exact price on OpticsPlanet

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Not a concealment rig but a hunting one: it carries a big revolver across your chest, where reviewers say it carries comfortably for long periods. The retailer describes it as designed for scoped revolvers and also fitting unscoped ones, with a premium steerhide holster, chest-style crossdraw carry, a padded adjustable leather and nylon shoulder strap, an adjustable nylon torso strap and a retention strap with a glove-friendly polymer release tab, made in the USA. We card the right-hand Havana row, which lists large-frame revolvers from the Ruger Blackhawk, Redhawk, Super Blackhawk and Super Redhawk families (7.5 in, several with scope) to the Colt Anaconda 8 in and the S&W Model 29 (6 in) and 629 (8.375 in). 37 of the 39 reviews we could read recommend it; reviewers carry a scoped Redhawk, an Anaconda and a scoped S&W Model 28 for hunting and hiking. The costs: three reviewers describe stiff leather that is hard to draw from or to seat the barrel in at first, one says the front sight hangs up at the end of the holster, and one says it scuffed the end of a new Ruger's barrel.

Best for: a hunter with a large-frame or scoped revolver who wants it on the chest rather than the hip. Anyone carrying a pistol for concealment should pick a Galco horizontal rig instead.

“This holster situates the gun in the center of my torso which seems to be the best way to carry it for long periods while maintaining it at the ready.”

Misterprofessordoctor, reviewer (OH) via OpticsPlanet