OK for those of you familiar with shoulder holsters......I need your input....
I am thinking of getting one for my Taurus 24/7 Pro .45.... The input I need is what one works better......vertical or horizontal .......for the most part it is a medium frame.....measures 7'' front to back......any entries as to experience and why you like it....thanks...

I can speak from experience, but don't assume that I like it...

If you are going to go shoulder holster and the gun has a barrel of 5 inches or less in length, go horizonal. If it has a longer barrel, then go vertical. Longer than 5 inch barrels will protrude out past our body and print from the rear, unless you are an extremely large person. Horizontal also has a more natural grip, especially with autos and they seem to 'hang' more comfortably under the arm when doing any activity past just sitting there....

Now, with that said, let's talk about the plus/minus of shoulder holster carry...

Plus:

The 'CDI' (Chicks Dig It) factor is high.

The comfort level can be good with the right holster as long as the gun isn't real heavy.

The seated draw is very easy and fast.

Allows for concealment of a larger handgun than would otherwise be capable in other form's of carry (think Dirty Harry and his 6 in model 29 .44 mag)

Usually allows for spare ammo to be carried on the 'off side'.

The amount of adjustment built into most modern shoulder holsters is great, allowing for a very customized fit. (once you figure out all the straps, loops and chicago screws)

Minus:

You have to wear a coat/jacket to conceal... Unless you live in Nome or portions of Maine, this is not a year 'round CCW solution.

If covered with a zippered/buttoned coat/jacket, the draw can be slow....

If carrying a heavy gun, the comfort factor can be severly decreased as the weight will give you a sore neck/back in short order.

Re-holstering requires two hands. (this is often under appreciated, but until you have had to holster while going 'hands on' with some sh*t-bag, whom hasn't raised the bar high enough to allow you to shoot him, you can't really appreciate how important being able to holster with one hand actually is. Trust me on this one, I have the scar to prove it.)

When carried with spare ammo, they can get heavy fast. (See above)

They are adjustable six ways from sunday.... this can cause you to go mad trying to get the gun to wear 'just right'.

IF I were to recommend a shoulder holster (not saying I do, but IF), I had my best experience with the Galco Miami Classic. It was the most comfortable and broke in well. They are not cheap, but quality rarely is.

Just my dos centavos... Remember, my opinion is worth every penny you paid for it.

-Tac

Don't do like I did and go really cheap on one. You will be at square one all over again.

I was telling my wife I wish I had my old one....I bought it way back in the 80s (late) when I had my first 92 FS, bought it at a pawn shop....it was a custom on.....the holster was on the right side and inverted, you drew it upside down with the right hand....it was pretty sweet....but I was also alot thinner then to....more coat, less belly....

I like Tac's post.

Tac and Splat,

Great posts. Take the cool factor out of the equation and there is no need for a shoulder holster on most civilians. The one exception might be motorcycle carry if your bike has high foot pedals and requires a forward lean. And that is a stretch.

Now, I'm not saying I don't own one for those nights out at the opera with the princess or for the brandy and cigar get togethers to talk about the stock market. Then, by all means, gather around the Galco Miami Classic II. That's shaken, not stirred, mates.

It depends how you are built and what you want to carry.

Saying that a civilian shouldn't use a shoulder holster is like saying a .22 LR pistol is the only one for concealed carry because you can hide it anywhere. It just doesn't make sense.

There are very good reasons to use a shoulder holster and if set up properly it is no slower than a belt holster. Unless you use a pocket pistol, you are going to have to use a cover garment so that argument is kind of silly in my opinion. You will have to move the vest/shirt/sport coat out of the way to access your inside the pants carry pistol and it may take you longer to get that gun out. With the shoulder holster, you don't even have to move the vest out of the way if it is set up properly. Just stick your hand in and pull out the pistol.

The main reasons to use a shoulder holster is if you want to carry a full size auto and if you want to be able to access it from all positions. A shoulder holster can be easily accessed sitting in your car, sitting in a restaurant, in a church pew, laying on your back in the parking lot, bellied up to the urinal (I have had 3 friends who were assaulted at the urinal), and a lot of other positions. Try those positions with a behind the back or rear right hip inside the belt carry and you will wish you were wearing a good shoulder holster.

The main reason I have found people don't like shoulder holsters is they have owned something like an Uncle Mikes nylon rig. If you get a good LEATHER rig, like the Galco Miami or the Bianci Agent (the one I have) and set it up for you, it can be a great option. I carry my P229 in it and it is very well balance with the extra ammo on the off side.

I just want to say one thing in closing, a civilian should never go hands on after a critical incident. It is not up to a civilian to apprehend the bad guy. Shoot the bad guy and get to a safe place. Having the ability to put a gun back in the holster with one hand is more important for cops than it is for civilians. If a civilian is wounded and can't put the gun away with one hand, stick it in your back pocket until the cops arrive. They are going to take the gun when they get on scene as evidence anyway and you can't take it in the ambulance even if they don't.

Good points REM, I carry in my Miami rig only in the winter, usually when I'm sitting around the house in sweat pants and need to run to the local stop-n-rob for milk or smokes. I just throw on some shoes, my shoulder rig and a medium weight coat. It's just a laziness thing for me.

I bought my first Miami Classic with my first auto, a stainless PT99. It went with the gun when I sold it off. When I bought my G27 I got another Miami Classic. I usually modify them to make the mag pouches ride horizontally as they should have been in the first place. I could never reach the back magazine in the vertical position. Being stocky, the horizontal pouch works well for me.

If I ever buy a G23(C) I may just buy the a left handed holster for the Miami Classic and carry two guns and no spare mags. ;)

Don't forget Cross-Draw as an all around option either. Can be reached by either hand and reached easily while driving. In cold weather I just leave a coat button or two open and draw similarly to using a shoulder rig.