This is the Blackhawk Concealed Shoulder Holster, #40SH02BK. It’s a universal design and will fit medium-to-large auto pistols and has a dual mag pouch. It is advertised as being  fully adjustable to fit any torso. I’m not a big fan of velcro closures on anything and one of the features that drew me to this holster was the snap retentions on both the mag pouches and holster.

I’ve tried a couple other brands of nylon shoulder holsters in the past but there always seemed to be some sort of compromise with them. IMO, there wasn’t a reasonably priced model that provided comfort AND a good retention system. My work requirements at that time didn’t allow the use of a shoulder rig so I abandoned them in favor of belt carry.

Now that my job duties have changed, I wanted to try carrying in a shoulder holster again. A good leather rig is simply too expensive so the search was on for a top-notch nylon rig. This Blackhawk holster caught my attention when I saw that at least one gov’t agency had put it on their “approved” list. No stores in my area stocked them so I had to order online. I had some concerns about the harness since there were no photos anywhere showing the entire system. It turns out that my concerns were justified. There are only two stock photos of this holster online so I hope that the photos below can be some help to anyone thinking about purchasing this rig.

PROS

• Quality: Top notch! I’ve always liked Blackhawk’s workmanship.
• Retention: You can see in the photo that is has a nice hold on the G17. There is a stiffener sewn into the holster that gently grips the firearm and keeps the holster stiff for easy re-holstering. The thumb strap is fully adjustable and the snap holds firmly.
• Belt Straps: These are probably the best I’ve used. I appreciate the snap closures and that they are not elastic.
• Mag Pouch: Very nice. Fully adjustable, they can be used with lights or mags. Snap closures.

CONS

• Velcro adjustments across the back. I was extremely disappointed to see the wide velcro straps on this harness.
• Fit: The weight of the pistol kept pulling the back-strap to the top of my shoulder and dropping the pistol to a downward angle of carry. The adjustment buckles tended to slip as well.

I wore this holster for 2 days and fought with re-adjustment the entire time.  There were several times when the back-strap bit into the top of my shoulder. Concealment was very poor, even while wearing a mid-weight insulated jacket. By the end of the second day I was anxious to take it off. I can say that it is the most uncomfortable shoulder rig that I have used.

This hasn’t ruined my opinion of Blackhawk’s products, I still think most of their products are excellent. This holster is built very well and I have no doubt that it is rugged enough to withstand years of use. I have just come to the conclusion that, for me, inexpensive nylon shoulder holsters aren’t an option.

This holster is available thru Amazon:

Justus