My friend Steve Bumgarner, a mid-western gun dealer turned me on to this stuff a year ago and I’ve been quite impressed with what I’ve seen since. A number of students have shown up to LFI classes with High Noon Holsters, and all have been happy with the performance. I borrowed a couple of Steve’s, both for big guns: the Glock 21 and the M1911.
Slightly resembling the much copied Askins avenger design done for Bianchi in the 70s, the High Noon scabbard holds its color well and doesn’t scuff up easily. It’s not so rigid that it digs into you, and not so soft that you can’t easily and quickly reholster your pistol. like Momma Bear’s porridge, it’s “just right”.
I spent almost a week carrying the big 45 Glock and a high capacity Para Ordnance LDA P-14 45 in these holsters. My right arm was banged up, and I sometimes carried southpaw, occasionally with one gun on each hip. The High Noon design, unlike the classic Avenger, secures to the belt with semi-pancakes slots fore and aft of the holster. The rig bends just enough to make it comfortable, concealable, and functional. since both samples I used were open topped, “convertibility” was complete.
This is a useful feature on a carry gun’s holster. It seems that only the advanced professionals make a point of having a weak side holster (and an ambidextrous gun) not only on hand but grooved with practice. If your dominant arm is injured you want to be ready to strap something on and defend yourself and your family weak-hand-only the moment you come home from the hospital. Been there, done that. Pain, casts, and therapy make it a lousy time to prepare for weak-hand only personal defense after the injury has taken place. The ambidexterity of the High Noon scabbard is another excellent reason to buy one.
Michael King is a southwest Wisconsin Police Chief with a background in tactical operations and firearms training. He has been a member of the Illinois Tactical Officers Association since 1990
During the last decade, the trend in law enforcement firearms carry gear seems to be moving toward the use of high tech synthetics. While the synthetics are cost effective, durable and practical in most respects, I’ve never been particularly impressed with the stuff. Maybe my age is showing, but I still prefer to carry my pistols in a well designed holster built from quality leather. No doubt there are of custom holster makers who provide a superb product — but at a price and time frame that the average police officer may find prohibitive.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve located a manufacturer that satisfies my requirements for a quality holster at a reasonable price. High Noon Holsters is a relative newcomer to law enforcement leather. My introduction to High Noon Holsters located in Florida came a few months ago when I was in the market for a high ride thumb break duty holster for my Colt 1911. Since I rarely work in a uniform there days, I favor a pancake style holster that rides high and close enough to clear my desk (my office environment these days) and yet still offer a natural draw. The thumb break is appropriate for those times that I do work in uniform. During my search, I was thumbing through a national firearms publication when I noticed an ad placed by High Noon. The add included a photo of a well designed holster of exactly the type I was seeking. I contacted High Noon by phone and had my holster in short order.
The Sky High holster I received is well designed, well built and beautifully finished. It is fitted perfectly to the pistol and rides just right for a natural draw. The belt loops are triple stitched and the wet molding is just detailed enough to provide a perfect fit without hampering a smooth draw. Do I sound impressed? Well I really am. I was so impressed that I immediately ordered a similar one without the thumb break for off duty carry. While waiting for the second holster to arrive, I had a discussion with Michael from High Noon about various options that were available. I’ve been a real fan of suede lined holsters ever since Safariland introduced their green Orthopedic Elk suede lined holsters during the seventies. Not only did Michael offer to add this option to my future holster orders, but he eagerly agreed to exchange the holster I had already purchased for a similar lined model for only the cost of the optional lining. Talk about exceptional customer service!
The second model Topless holster was easily the equal of the first, and perfectly suited for concealed carry. Its been my daily companion for about three months now and I have yet to find any flaws. In addition to the duty holsters, I secured a Need For Speed model for IPSC competition. The Need For Speed model is reminiscent of the Bianchi Askin Avenger although, by my estimation, its a bit more sturdy and secure, with a molder sight track and adjustable retention screw.
High Noon also markets concealment type magazine pouches. I prefer a single mag pouch for both duty and off duty carry. The Tie Breaker carrier offered is first rate. It features a one way snap on belt tunnel, tension on the magazine is adjustable with the same type of screw retention device used on High Noon’s gun holsters. Magazine access is excellent and the fit and finish of the carrier is outstanding. High Noon offers the quality conscious buyer a series of extremely rugged and well designed holsters that easily is the equal of the far higher priced custom makers.
I bought a Taurus PT145. I’m still working on a better set of sights, but it’s basically running just fine now. Recently, I bought a pocket holster, the “Pocket Grabber” by High Noon, from our friend, Syd at “The Sight Quartermaster”. It is an ambidextrous design which has a pebble-grain rubber outside that grabs the pocket material and releases the gun on the draw-stroke. It works great.
Today, I had the opportunity to test the system. Since it was in the high 70’s, I didn’t feel like wearing a cover garment. I went shopping and had lunch. The Taurus and 10 rounds of 230gr. Hydra-Shok rode in my left front pocket. After I got used to the weight being there, instead of on my belt, it went quite well. Truck entry and egress was easy. I did some bending and poking at the Home Depot. After I got home, I did a little yard work, and the little gun is still in my pocket as I type. Pretty nice set-up, IMHO. I have a feeling that next summer is going to be a little more comfortable.
Draw Instruction for the Pocket Grabber:
Grasp gun in pocket.
Press gun and holster against pant leg.
At this point, the rubber exterior will grasp the pocket (it doesn’t have a choice) and if you keep pulling, the gun will come out of the holster. The holster should not move upwards more then an inch. If it does you are not pressing hard enough or the holster has to break in. This product was tested to work this way.
Of course, it is slower than from a Kydex IWB, but that is more than off-set by the convenience. I belong to the school that says if you’re depending upon the speed of your draw-stroke to save your bacon . . . you’re just not paying attention.
This is a holster that I particularly like. In general, “inside the waistband” (IWB) holsters provide some of the best concealment and security of any type of holster. In specific, the High Noon Down Under provides a superb combination of value, quality and features.
The Down Under is worn inside the pants and rides extremely low for superior concealment. It features rough side out for additional grip to the exterior, leather lining, and a reinforced holster opening that is crush resistant for one-handed re-holstering. Additional features include stitched in sight track, tension screw for adjustment of the draw and a slide guard which prevents the slide, hammer and sight from wearer contact. It is made to fit up to a 1-3/4 belt (1-1/2″ is optimum) and is available in right or left hand, natural finish. Optional 1 1/4” strap may be purchased separately. The Down Under is IDPA Approved.
High Noon Down Under IWB Holster (reverse view)
The feature that initially drew to the Down Under was the “ear” or slide guard which prevents the gun, and especially the safety, from rubbing against the body. The result of the ear is comfort and protection of the gun’s finish. This is appreciated during the hot months when sweat poses the greatest threat to gun finishes.
The combination of being an IWB and having the tensioning screw makes the Down Under ideal for those who like a very secure holster which grips the gun tightly. The only style of holster more secure would be one with a thumb break.
Stitched-In Sight Guide of the High Noon Down Under Holster
The stitched in sight guide is hard rubber which we have found to greatly enhance the speed and smoothness of the draw. IWB holsters which lack the sight guide can catch the back of the front sight during the draw stroke, depending on the shape of the sight. The sight guide on the Down Under eliminates this snagging for a smoother and quicker draw while nevertheless holding the gun securely. One of my friends who tested this holster switched to the Down Under for his IDPA matches from a much more expensive holster because he liked the smoothness of the draw with the Down Under.
Add all of these features and an extremely reasonable price, and you get a package that is hard to beat. I like this holster so much that I have three of them.
About a month ago I got a holster that is very differant from my normal IWB rig. I got a Hellweg “K” series plastic holster ($69). They can be seen at www.hellwegltd.com/
Hellweg makes four models in the K series with the “KSTC” being the one I got. It got picked because it looked the most usefull for carry as well as being IDPA legal. These holsters are avalible for Glocks and 1911s only (and only for right hand use I should add) and are of the belt slide type with an adjustable plate on the back. The other back plate, the “TBP”, holds the gun a little father out from the body and a bit higher then the “KSTC” does. The extra back plate can be had for $10 in case you want to use the holster for match or tactical use.
My experiance so far has been very good. The first thing I noticed when I started playing with the K was the speed of draw. Only my IPSC race holster is faster! The second thing I noticed was the amount of adjustment that can be had. There is some thing like two inches of vertical movment on the back plate along with the fact that the holster can be rotated around the adjuster screw. This lets the holster to be set at what ever angle and height the useer wants. I have even used it in a cross draw mode for driving! The adjustment for tension is just as wide. The holster can be adjusted from way to tight to sloppy, so the user can get just the amount of tension that is desired.
For all day use with a 5″ Kimber, I found the K to be as comfortable as any belt mounted holster I have tried. There was no noise from the holster when walking or moving and there was no required breakin needed like a good leather holster needs. One other thing I like is that the shape of the holster also allows you to get a compleat firing grip when doing the draw. The only thing I am not pleased with is the fact that the gun is held a lot farther from the body then a IWB or most belt mount holsters I have tried. The result is that it takes a heavier cover shirt or jacket to blend the shape of the gun in to your shape. So over all I am pleased with the Hellweg “K”.
The holster came REALLY tight. After a couple of applications of silicone spray, and pushing/pulling the gun in the holster a few hundred times, the fit is snug. The holster features a depression on the back side that protrudes into the trigger guard. As the gun is drawn past this obstruction, there is a sensation of the gun popping out. Rather than a smooth continuous pull, there is a kind of “break” like you get with a good trigger. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, just different. The Sport holster is of a similar design to the Bianchi Avenger, Sparks’ 55BN, etc. For a really small gun like a Kimber Ultra or Colt Defender, the FIST design is fine. For a gun with a longer barrel and/or butt, I’d opt for FBI cant – for me, a full-size 1911 conceals better in the Bianchi than my snubby Detonics does in the FIST. The matching FIST belt is very thick and stiff, well able to support the gun and two mags.
The belt is double thick in the load-bearing areas, while the front is a single thickness, so you don’t have a big stack of leather at the buckle – it looks like a dress or casual belt, but carries like a gun belt.
FIST holsters and belts are available in eight different colors – my holster is light brown, and the belt tan – as well as a number of add or delete options. I deleted the standard hand boning. My holster was custom modified from FIST’s Officers ACP pattern to fit my Detonics Combat Master at no charge. Available at extra cost are different belt loop/slot sizes, thumb breaks, shields for the body side of holster – just about anything that you could want. I have used the holster in a couple of IDPA matches, and it has performed fine. Matched to the belt, the holster doesn’t move around, and the gun comes cleanly out on the draw, while remaining secure.
Well, I did something today that I have wanted to do for a long time: I bought a Galco Miami Classic for the S&W 6906. I have become more and more oppressed with the feeling of weight on my belt with the 1911 and a spare magazine (plus knife, keys, change and billfold). The draw isn’t as fast as a belt holster but it is comfortable, especially for activities like driving or walking the dogs.
The matter of comfort is really a study in trade-offs – weight around your waist pulling your pants down or weight on your shoulders with gun and mag carrier slung under your arms. I find that when I walk a lot, a belt holster, especially an IWB, rubs and causes my shirt to work up. With many belt holsters, riding a long time with a seat belt on can get quite uncomfortable, and of course, it is impossible to get to the gun quickly when you’re sitting on it and the seat belt is strung across it. Pilots have long favored shoulder holsters for these reasons. The sensation of wearing a shoulder holster is definitely that of being geared-up, not unlike wearing a load-bearing tactical vest. You are conscious of it. You feel the gun and mag carrier under your arms, but it is not as bulky and uncomfortable as you might expect. I really anticipated that having the gun and mag carrier under my arms would feel awkward, but when you get it adjusted properly, the holster and carrier get out of the way and it doesn’t feel like carrying a lunchbox under each arm.
Galco Miami Classic Magazine Pouch
So why didn’t I get this rig for a 1911? There are a couple of reasons. One is weight. Another is the rear contours of the gun – the extended beavertail sticking out and printing on the front of the jacket. Another is the safety – even Galco advises a “lowered” safety on M1911 pattern guns for shoulder holsters because of the possibility of the thumb break pushing the safety off while it is being worn. The Kimber, my favorite 1911 for carry, has an extended and raised thumb safety. Last, this is one place where I still experience some “cocked and locked anxiety” and the thought of the cocked and locked M1911 pointing out laterally behind me bothers me, even though I know rationally that, with a properly maintained M1911 and a holster with the thumb strap correctly applied, the chance of an AD is virtually nonexistent. Still, it worried me. (I finally got over that and I have a Miami Classic for my 1911’s.)
How much slower is the draw? My best recorded time to draw and put two shots COM from a belt holster is 1.43 seconds. With the shoulder holster, I’m sure that time would go to at least 2 and perhaps 2.5 seconds. The grab is a little less certain; you have to break the thumb break and swing the gun out laterally, turning it a full 180 compared with the straight up and push out draw stroke from a belt holster.
Rear View of the Galco Miami Classic Shoulder Holster
One old warrior observed that if you’re forced into a fast draw, you’re not paying attention. Basically, I believe this to be true and those who have studied gunfights say that personal defense situations are almost never decided by a quick draw. Still, a quick draw is better than a slow one, and this issue is the biggest negative to me for the shoulder holster.
I read a bit by a South African security guy who said they liked the shoulder holster because it was quick to get on when they were called out. Gun, magazines and leather were all there in one parcel which could be grabbed and put on as they were running out of the station. In daily carry I notice this to be true. It is easier and quicker to slip your arms through the straps of the shoulder holster than to thread a mag pouch and holster onto a leather belt.
Advantages of the Miami Classic:
Pretend you’re Sonny Crockett;
Take a dump in a public restroom without removing your gun;
Carry 37 rounds of +p 9mm;
Pants don’t fall down;
Gun doesn’t peek out from under your jacket;
Excellent retention;
Easy draw while seated in a car;
Comfort, especially if your work involves driving, flying or being seated for a long time;
Easy to put on and take off;
And you can pretend you’re Sonny Crockett.
Disadvantages:
The draw is slower;
You have to leave your jacket on;
You have to endure jokes from your teenage offspring about Sonny Crockett.
This original shoulder system was first introduced by Galco in 1969 (then the Jackass Leather Co.). It was worn by Don Johnson (a.k.a. Sonny Crockett) on the television series Miami Vice, and that’s probably when I started craving one. Crockett’s rig always just looked so cool.
The Miami Classic is a beautifully rendered piece of equipment. The leather is molded well and given a deep and durable finish. Galco’s attention to detail is noteworthy. The thumb break has a metal reinforcement for positive unsnapping during the draw. The straps can be easily adjusted for fit. The mag carrier cover flaps have two snaps each which will allow you to carry either standard size or longer magazines. The tie-down attachment on the mag carrier will fold up and out of the way if you chose not to use a tied down. The holster and magazine carrier both have tensioning screws and fit like a glove.
A key component of this shoulder system is its unique spider harness. All four points of the spider harness can pivot independently and are connected by a clover-shaped swivel back plate. This allows the holster to adjust itself to your shape and movements. This system is constructed of premium saddle leather and includes holster, harness, and ammo carrier. Optional accessories such as ammo-side tie-downs and other holsters may be purchased separately. The Miami Classic is available for right-handed and left-handed shooters, in tan or black finish.
I have way too many holsters in my closet, some of them shoulder holsters. All of these holsters are meant to carry my ‘handgun dujour’. I have liked the idea of shoulder holsters for many years, but with the exception of the old upside down revolver rigs could not find one that was comfortable.
During the latter part of 1999 Galco ran a sale price of $99 in reintroducing their ‘Jackass Rig’. This was the predecessor of the ‘Miami Classic’ and was the rig first used on the TV show Miami Vice. I have finally found a comfortable shoulder rig! I bought the one for the 1911 of course and I use it to carry my Kimber Pro Elite. I even found a used left hand Galco holster that will fit in place of the ammo carrier and can carry my Kimber Ultra Elite as a second gun when I feel the urge. Of course a shoulder holster can only be used under certain types of covering garments such as roomy jackets. This shoulder rig conceals well and is comfortable for wear all day. Being from Galco, of course the workmanship is top drawer. I would certainly recommend this rig even though its price is now in the $120 range. It is worth the Bucks!
I picked up this holster for a specific reason. Those of you who read my snubby article will recall that I suffered a painful back injury in the spring of 2005. The pain in my back was such that I couldn’t stand any kind of pressure on my lower back, and I couldn’t bear much weight anywhere. Sorting through this uncomfortable situation, the carry gun that made the most sense was an Airweight snub-nose .38 in some kind of shoulder holster. I have two Galco Miami Classic shoulder rigs for large autos. The Miami Classic is an excellent rig but they are fairly heavy in themselves and they cost about $140. Since this snubby-in-a-shoulder rig was a temporary option that I hoped I wouldn’t need to use for more than a few weeks, I went hunting for a more economical option, since this rig would probably spend most of its life in a drawer somewhere. Surfing around, I
Galco Classic Lite Shoulder Holster with Smith & Wesson 637 Airweight
discovered that Galco had brought out a new model shoulder rig, “The Classic Lite.” This new model has two very attractive properties: it costs less than half what a Miami Classic does, and its spare ammo carrier is two flat pouches designed for loose cartridges or Bianchi Strips. Now, for a tactical reload on a revolver, I much prefer speed loaders, but the double speedloader pouch design of the Miami Classic for revolvers is like having a couple of tennis balls under your right arm. The flat ammo pouches are more comfortable to wear. I would recommend that you carry a couple of speedloaders in belt pouches or pockets if you were to use this rig.
I have some issues with shoulder holsters. I don’t think the draw is near as smooth and fast as that from a belt holsters. You have to leave your jacket on all the time when you’re wearing a shoulder rig and that can get hot in warm climates, although an oversized shirt over a T-shirt can cover the shoulder rig when it’s hot. Also, your covering garment needs to be fairly loose or the gun will print.
Galco Miami Classic Shoulder Holster
The shoulder holster also has some benefits. It rides in a way that is similar to a cross-draw holster, and it is a good solution for people who spend a lot of time seated or driving in cars. I have found that I like the shoulder rig for long car trips.
So why didn’t I just get an outside-the-belt holster for the little snub-nose? The answer to that is pain. The pain in my lower back was so bad that simply tightening my belt enough to hold up my pants could trigger nausea. It was bad. Wearing anything on my belt was just out of the question.
I’m happy to report that the back has largely healed up and I’m back to wearing my IWB and OWB holsters that I prefer. Since my back healed up, I have used the Classic Lite once, and that was for a car trip. As I projected, the holster lives most of the time in the drawer.
So how does Galco build a shoulder rig for half the price of the Miami Classic? Well, it’s really pretty easy. The holster is leather, fairly thin, at about 1/8″ thick. The construction is “floppy.” It’s not molded and boned to fit the gun closely in the way the Miami Classic is, but the dimensions are correct so that the gun is held quite securely. The finish is suede on both sides rather than the polished finish of the more expensive holsters. It has all of the same hardware as the other Galco holsters. It’s a nice little holster. I’d say it is $60 worth of work. If you only wear a shoulder rig occasionally, or maybe want to try one without investing a whole lot of money in a top shelf rig before you know if you’re going to like it, the Classic Lite might be just the ticket for you.
For me, it fulfilled its mission: it was light enough and kept the pressure away from the painful areas of my back so that I could carry until the injury healed up.
When I saw the ad, I called John Rugh. John had earlier sent me one of his Woodsman’s Pals to test and review in my column so I was familiar with the quality of his craftsmanship. Considering that the Pal he sent has been abused severely and hasn’t lost its edge or rusted out, I was confident that the Clipdraw would perform as advertised.
I wasn’t disappointed. Installed under the rightside panel on my Springfield Armory 1911A1 in less than a minute, the Clipdraw adds nothing to the weight or feel of the gun. Being nothing more than a bent piece of very-thin metal, this was expected.
What I didn’t expect was the versatility the clipdraw afforded. I’ve been searching high and low for a holster that fits my body style (I was called plump by a coin-fed scale at the health food store); even most shoulder rigs don’t fit my 57″ chest. Anyhow, being what I like to think of as masculinely proportioned, the majority of holsters just don’t fit.
The Clipdraw does. The simple spring-steel clip fits where most holsters won’t. Strong-side carry…Small of the Back…Crossdraw…Seatbelt…you name it. All you have to do is stick it down the waistband and go. Hear a noise in the night? Grab your pistol and the “holster” comes with it.
The only downside to the Clipdraw, and it’s a slight one, is that it doesn’t prevent the gun from twisting. With a 1/4″ gap between the slide and the mouth of the clip, you need to wear a thick belt to insure a tight grip or you’ll find yourself with a muzzle-forward rake one minute and a butt-forward rake the next. This allowance of rotation is necessary if you want the spring clip to last a good while, but it does make a dedicated grip position hard to get. You can develop muscle memory to some degree but there is still a bit of fumbling because the handle is never exactly where it was a moment ago.
Having said that, I don’t have a serious problem with the Clipdraw and recommend it highly. Skyline is a top notch company with a reputation for craftsmanship that is hard to beat. For the price ($20), you won’t find a handier, more versatile way of toting your iron.
