shoulder holsters while riding motorcycles

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IRONPONY

New member
Got a question about shoulder holsters & motorcycles.
I recently took the chl class & I ride my motorcycle quite often.
I ride to my hometown which is about a 105 mile trip from Houston.
Sometimes it is night on my return trip back home to Houston & it has always been my habit of taking a firearm with me on trips as such.
I wear the basic cycle gear while riding , helmet,boots, jacket ....
Usually , my pistol is in my saddlebag ,but I purchased a shoulder holster recently & thought it might work well also.
Saw someone the other riding his motorcycle while his sidearm on his belt & it was showing due to the wind blowing his jacket up.
My shouolder holster seems pretty comfortable now ,but I have not ridden with it yet.
Just wanted some of your opinions if the shoulder holster is a good way of carry. :)
 
Hello Ironpony,,,

I've made several shoulder holsters for motorcycle use,,,
Nothing fancy, just basic functional rigs.

The feedback I have gotten has all been very positive.

Another thing I did once was a gentleman asked me to sew a holster to the inside of his leather jacket,,,
I thought that was a bit odd until he explained that he wanted to be able to take the jacket off and not reveal the fact he was packing.

We used rivets instead of stitching but it worked just fine,,,
At least he was pleased with it's functionality.
 
Sounds good.
I was just looking through a law enforcement mag & notice that they make a heavy t shirt that has an holster under the arm too.
Your friend has a good idea, becuase that was a concern of mine , that during the time I have to take the jacket off, the pistol would be expsoed. :(
Sounds like a good idea of having a pocket sewn into one of my jackets. :)
Thanks for some very good advice !
 
Safest place for a gun when crashing is somewhere on your beltline, forward of your hips. Crossdraw setup or fanny pack. You tend to "fold around" that area. Shoulder rig, real easy to break your upper arm against the gun and/or drive the gun so far into your ribs you puncture a lung.
 
Jim may be correct, I haven't crashed (yet) while wearing a shoulder rig. I'll let you know after it happens!

I've worn the following three handgun/shoulder rig options, with the following results:

* Bianchi shoulder rig for S&W Mdl 19 2.5" bbl snubbie, elastic harness, nothing on offside;
* Galco Miami Classic rig for Para P-12 .45 ACP (wide 'jackass leather' shoulder straps) in tan, 2 vertical mags on offside;
* Galco Miami Classic II rig for Colt Cmndr .45 ACP (narrow leather shoulder straps) in black, 2 horizontal mags on offside;

The Bianchi with the Mdl 19 was extremely comfortable and rode well during a 5 day trip (2 days down, 1 day there, 2 days back), in June in Georgia. Drawbacks were that it rained hard and frequently, the holster got wet and stayed that way until I could get a hotel with a hair dryer and dry it out. Since my Mdl 19 is blued, allowing it to reside in a damp leather holster for several days did not seem prudent. (Nylon would have dried far more quickly.)

The Para-12 in the Galco Classic did not work well at all. I was wearing a Joe Rocket Mesh jacket in August on a 7 day ride. I didn't realize it (at first) but the wide shoulder straps were visible at my neck line; the mesh jacket features a relatively open neckline. Wide harness straps are not advisable. The doublestack mags and pistol on both sides of my chest felt bulky and were quite noticeable, (at least to me,) and the pistol/rig combination was simply not real comfortable. Additionally, it was August and you couldn't remove your jacket. Temps hit around mid 90s to low 100s coming across Illinois and Ohio that summer. I'd do things differently if I were doing it again. ;)

The Colt in the Galco Classic II works great. Different cut to the straps and rig, single stack mags, different configuration, whatever, its totally comfortable and its what I wear now during Fall/Winter/Spring. It won't fit under a leather vest without showing, and for the hottest days of summer I'll no doubt go to a Kahr inside my riding vest, which (clearly) won't show when I need to remove the vest.

I'd prefer the shoulder rig style with no mags on the off side, (e.g. the S&W Mdl 19), except for the simple fact that if I ever were to get into a gunfight I'd rather be holding the Colt .45 than the Mdl 19 .357. Just a matter of personal training, ability to reload, etc. - 9 rounds of .45 with a quicker reload beats 6 rounds of .357 with a much slower reload (for me at least). Sort of a personal tactical conclusion.

Your mileage may vary.

(Whichever way you decide, black nylon might be a better choice of material than leather: even if it doesn't rain, you'll discover the holster damp from sweat from time to time.) And in the summer you won't be able to remove your jacket! Make sure you have a Plan B if you ever intend to wear either a mesh jacket or a vest... (On the other hand, with a shoulder rig versus a belt carry option, you can use the restroom while touring without screwing around holding the gun or setting it down somewhere inside the stall...)

Best with your decision, and if at all possible, try before you buy. Shoulder rigs are expensive, and the first one you try on may not necessarily be your best option.

Doc
 
Thanks , my shoulder holster now is nylon , so thanks for that advice. :)
Here in Houston & my hometown temps reach 100 degress often ,so if i am riding at that time, i usally have on a vest or mesh jacket.
Guess then ,the best place for my firearm is the saddlebags.
Forgot to mention that my carrying piece is a Bursa 380.
i weigh 140 plus lbs. & about 5 ft. 6 in.
 
Bianchi makes a great crossdraw...model 20 or 22...don't remember which it is offhand. Serves me on many trips very well.
 
It really depends on what you plan to carry. If you've got a full size handgun, it's just about going to have to go on your belt. Not a problem if you wear a waist length touring jacket.

If you carry something smaller (and I'd recommend it), there are more options. On long rides, I clip a left hand IWB holster to my left inside jacket pocket. If I have to go somewhere I can't carry, I just stick the jacket in a saddlebag and lock it. (Locking saddlebags are almost a must if you're going to carry on a bike unless you know exactly where you're going.) For short trips, sometimes I just stick the gun in my pocket and zip it closed. I ride about 15,000 miles a year this way with no real problems. I really like aaron's idea about riveting a holster to the inside pocket.

I wouldn't want a large gun in a shoulder rig, but I think a small auto or snubbie revolver would be fine. If you hit something hard enough that the gun breaks your ribs, you're in big trouble anyway. If you dump the bike, the chances are good it's going to be either the palms of your hands, your upper back, or your arse that hits the ground first. Don't even think about SOB carry or anywhere near your spine. Ankle holsters tend to snag on your frame and the things that stick out of it, so don't bother with those either, the last thing you want is your foot stuck to the bike as you're rolling to a stop.
 
Get a Miami Classic from Galco and be done with it!! I love mine and wear it all the time,but no motorcycling anymore, too old and slow!!
 
Leather rifle scabbard, with an unloaded AR in it. .... mags around your waist.
LOL

There are a lot of things out there to carry a gun in, from vest, pants, cc shirts, belly belts, packs, etc. I just carry mine in my cc holster and move on.
 
aarondhgraham said:
Another thing I did once was a gentleman asked me to sew a holster to the inside of his leather jacket,,,
Click to expand...

I've wondered about this myself. Do you still do this kind of thing? I might be interested.

I have a Barsony leather vertical shoulder holster for my G17/G22. Being vertical it doesn't show nearly as much as the horizontal. It's quite comfortable while riding my bike. But, like someone else mentioned, I have to keep my jacket on or reveal I'm packing.

aarondhgraham, I would be interested in specifics like price, shipping, time to do it, etc.
 
Hello JonnyP,,,

Actually, I don't take much work any more at all,,,
just for my range friends and local folk.

I never liked doing anything that was mail-order type work,,,
I had trouble relying on other people's measuring and such like.

Here is what I recommend,,,
Buy an Uncle Mikes nylon holster,,,
Take it to a Tandy/Leather Factory store.

They will sell you a pack of rivets and a rivet tool,,,
Total cost less than $10.00 and then they will help you do it.

Or if there is a shoe/boot repair shop anywhere near you,,,
They will probably do it for less than $20.00.

A shoe repair shop can sew it in very easily,,,
Wouldn't take them 5 minutes.

Sorry I can't accommodate you.
 
Check out web sites such as cheaperthandirt or some of the military surplus/reproduction stuff. I have found the best way to carry while riding my motorcycle is a helicopter pilot holster. Sort of like a shoulder rig but the gun rides more on your chest making it more accessible in a quicker fashion simply by unzipping your jacket just about 1/2 way.
 
I carry the keltec p32 in a leather pocket holster in the left inside pocket of my jacket (i'm right handed). If the front zipper is 1/4 of the way down from the top I can easily access it. The pocket snaps, so good enough retention if I biff. Not super quick access for me, but I wear gloves so it wouldn't be quick anyways.

I'd like to carry my larger carry gun (milpro 9mm) but I can't see how. I prefer too much to be able to take my jacket off at stops. There's always decisons and tradeoffs.

Happy miles!
 
For a number of years I never thought it was really necessary to have quick access to my gun while riding. Then one day while stopped at a light I had three guys jump out of a car and start wailing on me. My gun was in the tail bag. The only thing that saved me was the fact that I had a helmet on and that the bike was in 1st gear and I was able to run the light without being hit. I still don't know how I didn't manage to drop the bike while this was going on. People sitting in their cars just watched and I guess didn't want to get involved. I took one really good blow to the head that if not for the helmet I'm sure would have put me down good. Looking back it may have been a good thing that I couldn't get to the gun quickly, I'd probably be in jail now. Ever since that day I carry IWB on my right hip (I really don't care if the wind blows my jacket up and everybody sees it, it's legal to OC in this state)and watch people around me VERY closely. Be careful out there kids and watch your six. As far as shoulder holsters go on another day I was wearing a Galco Miami Classic rig carrying an L frame revolver and went down and I remember thinking before I hit the asphalt that my gun would unholster itself and go sliding down the road. The holster retained the gun perfectly and I was relatively unhurt as was the gun. Good holsters are worth whatever they want for them. Unfortunately I can no longer wear a shoulder rig for more than 30 minutes because of old neck and shoulder injuries. But they are a viable option for motorcyclists. Make sure you are able to adjust it for your comfort. And always wear your helmet. It could save your butt even if you don't crash.
 
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My only issue with a shoulder holster and riding is that when you get where you are going, you might have to stand around in a leather jacket that you would rather take off.

Tried it years ago, but it didn't stick.
 
IRONPONY - I ride scooter a lot, some times with a "Clip Draw" SOB, or in my vest that has a cc pocket on both sides. If you look around you can find a good ccw vest for about a $100. "Live To Ride" ;)
 
Another option are concealment vests like those sold by Coronado Leather and other companies.

Especially if you ride a tour bike in the summer, the vests are more comfortable than a heavier jacket. And you can always layer a nylon, denim or other jacket over the vest when weather permits.

This would solve the issue of exposing your rig if you stop and want to shuck a jacket. Peel off the jacket and have a vest underneath.

If you're carrying on a motorcycle, any holster you wear should be equipped with a retention strap of some kind. Once you separate from the bike you have limited control over the beating you'll take.¹ I'd personally not recommend wearing a firearm at the 3/9 o'clock on the waist or at 6 o'clock positions. Those areas can take a beating.

¹ My last accident involved flipping a Honda GoldWing at freeway speeds. I separated fast, tucked in and hit the ground rolling shoulder-to-shoulder. Hips, shoulders, one elbow and one knee painfully bruised for days. A gun at the waist may have fractured a hipbone, IMO.
 
IMO, it's much more likely that a rider will be in a crash than need to draw a concealed weapon while on the bike. With that in mind, I am very reluctant to carry a gun on my body while actually on the bike. What use all the armor if you put hard objects under it?

Also, as already mentioned, if you are on the bike, most times your best option to get away from a bad situation is to just twist the wrist. Rather than, put your bike in neutral, take your glove(s) off, undo your jacket, pull out the gun....how far away would you be by then if you just took off?

I'd be more inclined to keep it in a tankbag with a holster setup in it. That way it's still possible to get at while on the bike, but not attached to you if you crash. At a stop, if you leave the bike, just take the tank bag with you. I would anyway, gun or no. If you'll be stopped for awhile and would rather have the gun on your body, take the tank bag into the bathroom with ya and transfer the holster from the tank bag to your person.

Just my thoughts on it.

BTW, my current bike is a 2005 Yamaha FZ6.
 
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