Just wondering if anyone else has an issue with today's holsters. I now know why cowboys had a gun belt in addition to the belts which held their jeans up....quick and comfortable draw from the hip. I have some shoulder problems and virtually every holster I've seen for my 9mm Canik has the grip sitting about two inches above my belt. This creates an issue with drawing the pistol as it is painful to bend my arm back that far and that high. I realize that this is beneficial when carrying concealed, but I just want to carry on my property, not concealed. I did find a competition holster from Black Scorpion that looks like it may lower the grip at least to belt level and this would be a great improvement. It arrives next week. Is my problem unique, or are there others on here who would like their pistols to sit lower than their waist?
Semiautomatic holsters
- Thread starter vacman
- Start date
There are drop leg holsters. I would prefer them if not concealing and not worried about a paramilitary look.
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I have used drop leg holster for years and prefer it to a belt or IWB holster when not carrying concealed.
I have shoulder issues as well and high ride holsters don't work well for me. But thigh rigs are not my cup of tea, but they would give you the least problem. An IWB with forward cant is enough to alleviate my problem, for the most part. Trial and error will probably be needed to find out what works for you. Also, a straight drop worn at the 3 O'clock position works well for me for range or field use where concealment is not a concern.
I also do not like a high ride holster. The one I had made for my glock 43 with the rattle snake inlay rides too high so I don't use it a lot. Also if you have a bit of a spare tire the higher it rides the more it prints. I have started to look for mid and low rise holsters. I like the butt of the gun maybe 2" above my belt. I don't carry long barrel guns concealed so that is not an issue.
Look backwards.
Look for holsters from companies like Hunter, Brauer Bros or Bucheimer. They were well made and there is a design for most every make of pistol that exited at the time. Most will carry much lower than anything being made today.
Traditional holsters that do not ride all that high are very available.
The Nelson Avenger style can be configured to have a kind of medium rise.
Scabbard styles are also pretty common and are not that high rise necessarily.
Pictures shown here are from R. Grizzle, very high quality gear. He can also tweak stuff pretty well to fit your needs if necessary.
The Nelson Avenger style can be configured to have a kind of medium rise.
Scabbard styles are also pretty common and are not that high rise necessarily.
Pictures shown here are from R. Grizzle, very high quality gear. He can also tweak stuff pretty well to fit your needs if necessary.
If you don’t mind showing, a drop leg is the answer there.
I‘m not sure if your shoulder limitation is reach as well as lift related, but a cross draw will absolutely eliminate the shoulder lift. I carried that way for years, and only recently moved higher to a shoulder rig, which reduces the standing reach even further (for me).
Do cross draws generally ride a bit lower or at least canted more? I have never tried one.
They do...a cross draw is kind of an acquired taste though. One thing, they are a great option if you are seated for a long time. Like driving a long distance. Also....If you are large across the waist, a cross draw rig can be a tad awkward.
Right on the waist. There is zero shoulder lift. But the reach increases for sure. I have very long arms, but age takes its toll. If the reach gets too far, or too uncomfortable, then you move up to the shoulder rig. A shoulder rig can print less and can also be a better seated carry than a traditional cross draw.
It is an acquired taste. Cross draws were de rigueur among the sky marshals for years, although I don't know what they are carrying these days. It takes a blink longer to get to it, but you are already there for the second hand, and have a completed two hand grip by 10 o'clock.
A big gut is going to be an issue with most holster setups. More incentive for us old pasta lovers to stay fit.
A bad shoulder limits things. If the OP is going to be on his feet all day, I'd just opt for the drop leg. Easy, and not as much to change. If it's a mixed environment, and reach is not a problem, I'd at least consider the cross-draw options.
It is an acquired taste. Cross draws were de rigueur among the sky marshals for years, although I don't know what they are carrying these days. It takes a blink longer to get to it, but you are already there for the second hand, and have a completed two hand grip by 10 o'clock.
A big gut is going to be an issue with most holster setups. More incentive for us old pasta lovers to stay fit.
A bad shoulder limits things. If the OP is going to be on his feet all day, I'd just opt for the drop leg. Easy, and not as much to change. If it's a mixed environment, and reach is not a problem, I'd at least consider the cross-draw options.
Well, there is always this: 
You'll have to judge for yourself. I carried a full-size in a DeSantis, but there are others.
Depending on your belt loops, you can place anywhere between 10 and 11 O'clock.
Again, acquired taste. But easy on the shoulder and when seated.
I have never tried one as they look uncomfortable sitting down, everything I have read say they are not.
Andrews Custom Leather - Carjacker Crossdraw
www.andrewsleather.com
Another option.....
Go medieval. Try a baldric rig. What I'm using on my property this summer.
I need my hands free, not wearing a belt, etc. It's grab, sling and go.
AA
I need my hands free, not wearing a belt, etc. It's grab, sling and go.
AA
Oh my back...LOL. NO, my back isn’t bad but you do have to stoop and dig.
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With shoulder problems that prevents you from carrying high; and the fact that you only want to carry on your property, tells me, you might benefit from trying to carry your pistol in a cross draw holster?
In a forward canted crossdraw holster, worn towards the front of your body in open carry, Could be about perfect for a easy, fast and comfortable carry for the problem that you mentioned.
And then there is the Alaskan style chest rig, not or me, unless I was fly fishing in Alaska!
The only other thing I'll add about a cross draw ... and it's completely irrelevant to the present situation ... is that it is a ton easier to get to when wearing a suit jacket or blazer.
With a conventional side draw, you're pulling back your (hopefully) unbuttoned jacket with your draw hand to get to it. With a cross draw, you just reach under or through, even if it's buttoned.
I did wear a suit and tie for a lot of years, so it was a factor. That, and the sitting and driving considerations just made it easy for me. It's the same reason that the better executive carries are shoulder rigs.
With a conventional side draw, you're pulling back your (hopefully) unbuttoned jacket with your draw hand to get to it. With a cross draw, you just reach under or through, even if it's buttoned.
I did wear a suit and tie for a lot of years, so it was a factor. That, and the sitting and driving considerations just made it easy for me. It's the same reason that the better executive carries are shoulder rigs.
