Galco Miami Classic Shoulder System

Initial Review: Galco Miami Classic Shoulder Holster...I guess that for me it's a little like owning a katana; no real need, but I just wanted one!I can tell you that it requires considerable attention and effort to break-in. But leaving it sit for three days with my Glock 17 covered with about six heavy-duty ziplock bags inside it (after working the gun in and out of and around the holster, maybe 100-times) seems to have done the job! I also had to grab the thumb-strap with a rag, and pulling very hard, twist it 90-degrees to the left and right, about fifty times... All this, plus tweaking the tension screw, and applying a full bottle of Draw-EZ to the unfinished inside, got it where it needed to be! My Glock 26 Sub-Compact slips in and out easily now; in fact, the cross-draw is very fast.I went with the Classic instead of the Classic II, because reviews of the Classic II indicated that the lower of the two friction-fitted magazines in the II's magazine pouch were tuff to remove without use of the tie-downs. The only difference between the Miami Classic and the Miami Classic II, as far as I can see, is the magazine pouch. And since I trust gravity and sturdy steel snaps more than "friction", I went with the original Classic...You'll definitely want to use the thumb-strap to secure your weapon. But the optional tie-downs are unnecessary with any kind of a jacket on (at least with normal civilian activities).The holster leather is a rich, caramel-colored brown--very impressive. The harness leather is spilt, flat-finished cowhide, very light and somewhat elastic. All hardware, a combination of plastic and metal, is well thought out and of superior quality. In fact, the quality in every aspect of this Galco holster is first-rate.I went with black tie-downs (even though I selected a "tan" holster) since all the hardware is black anyway. And black tie-downs would be desirable for a black Miami Classic, should I ever decide that I want one... As things lie, I'll rarely if ever use the tie-downs, since I wouldn't wear this rig without a jacket. In any case, it looks fine with the two-tone black and tan leather; in fact, my wife tells me it's "sexy!"I also ordered an additional package of system screws, since they're unique as fasteners go, and the rig is useless without them.And I conditioned the entire thing, despite its being new, with Galco's own leather conditioner.For best pricing on the whole works, all things considered, Amazon.com Prime was by far my best deal!Delivery from the seller (BigTProducts) was prompt and the item was packed with exceptional care. The seller even emailed me through Amazon.com to confirm that everything was satisfactory. I would not hesitate to buy from this seller again!As I've come to expect from Galco (this is my third Galco holster), my new Miami Classic Shoulder Holster was flawless.As a concealed carry rig this is not an optimal choice by any means. The pudgy Glock 26 prints beneath all but heavier cold-weather coats and jackets. Of course, a professional person can always have suit coats and sport jackets fitted and padded to conceal a sidearm, by a competent tailor or seamstress. In truth, the selection of a slimmer firearm would ease matters... And frankly, a more physically fit wearer (with a wider shoulder to waistline ratio) will have an easier time concealing a firearm beneath clothing with this type of holster, than a "rounder" individual will. But it works well enough for me beneath my winter jackets, coats and vests (yes, my shoulders are "still" wider than my waistline).With regard to comfort, as a man that tolerates zero jewelry--not even a watch--I find that this rig takes more getting used to than any other carry option I've tried to date. Then again, as a man that preferred braces (suspenders) to belts, back in the day when my daily attire required a jacket and tie, the concept isn't entirely foreign to me. Still, in wearing the holster for everyday tasks, like typing this review, say, I find that the rig induces considerable neck and upper back fatigue, but that's me. Conversely, standing, driving, walking & shopping, while wearing this rig is entirely doable, though I've never failed to be readily conscious of it for the entire time I've had it on. No, doubt, it takes some getting used to.In terms of carry capacity, the available round count while wearing the Miami Classic is outstanding. For a plain-clothes professional likely to encounter a "situation", you can readily see the appeal!And I'll be honest--it is all kinds of cool! Properly adjusted, with the right clothes, it just looks awesome! It's easy to see why this rig was selected for Miami Vice's James "Sonny" Crockett! How do you think it got its name?UPDATE 05/25/2014: Still loving it! And I have gotten used to wearing it, and find it comfortable! With summer FINALLY! here, the rig will get a well-deserved rest, as my summer attire won't conceal it; but we knew that, right?This is one finely made, well thought-out product! You won't be disappointed!By the bye, this holster also accommodates my wife's 3rd Gen G19, and my 3rd Gen G17, should I choose to carry either of those weapons... And I now carry my G17 magazines with the appropriate XGRIPs Magazine Adapters (also available at Amazon) as backup, when carrying either the G19 or the G26 with this rig.--RB

I have been using Galco shoulder holsters since I was in college. I went to college in an environment that was cold at least 8 months out of the year so I wore a jacket every day. I used a Jackass rig during college for a full sized 1911 and loved it. Top quality. I also used the vertical shoulder holster form Galco for a 1911 for a while after college as well. I bought this Galco Miami Classic II shoulder holster 11 months ago and after owning three different shoulder holster systems from them, I can confidently say that their quality control is always consistent and well done. I have a Glock 19 gen 5 MOS in it right now with the medium back strap installed. When I first put the weapon in the holster it fit like a glove. The snap definitely needed to be broken in especially with the medium back strap installed. However, after about five days of snapping and unsnapping in front of the TV after work (I work in LE) it was nice and broken in. After a 11 months it still looks new with the exceotion of the snap stretching from the back strap.As far as value for the money goes you definitely get what you pay for with the high price tag. At around 200 dollars it came steep, however it has held up very well and will continue to do so. I did give the value for the money 4 stars simply due to the high price tag. However if youre able to afford one or save up to buy one, I recommend doing so.

Although I really liked this holster I wasn't able to use it the way I wanted to so I returned it. The main reason I bought this rig was because the open ended design allows you to use several versions of the same type of gun, in my case the Glock 17, 19, 26 and 34. Instead of buying 4 different holsters that just fit a specific gun I could save money by buying one holster that could fit them all. While the holster did fit all of the guns the problem I ran into is that because the gun is held horizontally, the muzzle of all except the smallest gun stuck so far out the back that I wasn't able to conceal them. For a skinny guy like me, trying to hide the longest portion of the gun across the shortest portion of the body is going to be very challenging and even when I had a thick jacket on you could still see the protrusion from the muzzle. That unfortunate matter aside the straps were thin enough to not be seen even when a thin button up shirt was the only concealing garment and they supported the weight of the the gun plus extra magazines comfortably. I also liked that it comes in a black color to make it less noticeable whenever you're wearing it over a black T-shirt. Adjusting the straps was tricky because there is a lot of excess material and a bunch of different holes so getting the right fit can take a long time. I discovered that following the directions and having the excess material on the inside while you're trying to determine the correct fit makes it difficult and sometimes might mess with getting to that just right feel. Instead, if you just reverse it so the extra material is on the outside you can fit it properly before you trim the excess material and put the straps in the correct way. The holster and mag pouch both had a good fit to them and kept the gun and mags from falling out even when I had them unsnapped and shook them a bit. If you want a tighter fit there are adjustable tension screws on both components. The horizontal orientation of the holster also made drawing the gun easy and natural. All those features made me like this rig a lot but since I couldn't conceal the larger guns I reluctantly sent it back and got a full refund.