Disregard all previous praise of Galco holsters UPDATE

[randy]

Having an issue with my Miami Classic holster thumb break. Sent the following letter:

Hello I have a Miami Classic I purchased in 2004 or 2005. I carry a
Browning Hi-Power in Condition 1. Recently I noticed that the thumb
break can slide up and allow the pistol to slide out of the holster. I
there something I can do to remedy this? Is there something you could do
at your shop (short of a new holster of course)? I have been very
satisfied with this rig. It's my primary rig for cross country driving
and often for around town. I have recommended it highly to anyone I talk
to considering a shoulder holster. Thanks for your time and attention.

Received the following reply today:

It does not surprise me that you are experiencing this, all of our
holsters whether it be shoulder or otherwise that have a retention
straps are designed to carry hammer down. So the only way to rectify
this is to carry in the hammer down position, because we do not do one
of a kind custom work like that. We do thank you for the kind words and
support though.

Thank you,

My reply

I am very sorry to hear this as I have been pleased with Galco's products and will now have to shop elsewhere.

I realize that your lawyers probably had you put that nonsense on your website about carrying hammer down on an empty chamber.

But in the real world, as I am sure that any actual shooters in your company know, the only realistic, dare I say correct way, to carry a Single Action Automatic (such as my Browning Hi Power) is in Condition one, loaded chamber, hammer cocked and safety on. Any other way of carrying a Single Action Automatic as a defensive firearm is, quite simply, insane.

I hope that your product developers will take this to heart and alter the design to meet the needs of serious users in the real world, and not Hollywood posers and gun range commandos.

If common sense prevails I will be happy to once again consider purchasing one or your products.

Best regards

[randy]

So, any ideas on how to stiffen/shrink the Thumb Break to secure my BHP when carrying Condition 1?

Other than that little thing of weapon retention, the Miami Classic is really a very good rig. But I'll be damned if I'll switch to a Glock or other plastic fantastic crunchen-ticker just because they don't design holsters for the real world.

[308Mike]

Please post any response since I was actually considering buying that specific holster to carry a 1911 (full-sized, but I also have a Combat Commander). For now, I'm holding off my purchase, especially since colder weather is coming and it makes it easier to CCW along the waist (where I prefer). You shouldn't HAVE to consider shrinking your holster strap to accommodate carrying in Condition 1. OTOH, is the strap so loose you can't REASONABLE carry at the next factory holster setting adjustment? I'm only asking because I don't know how much slack they include in their holster settings adjustments.

I realize there are certain things they need to respond to & satisfy the lawyers, but if you have no business, you have no need for lawyers either.

If you have any further correspondence with them, please feel free to include my comments in your reply. When I carry my 1911's, I ALWAYS carry ready to fire (hammer back, chamber loaded) with the safety on. AFAIC, you'd be crazy to not to carry a single-action auto that way (as long as it has a reliable and multiple safety system).

Reading this just pisses me off and I'm considering making any & ALL other holster purchases elsewhere (particularly from certain forum members).

[blackeagle603]

Any experience with Lou Alessi's? This review caught my eye a while back.

Lou Alessi's Bodyguard horizontal shoulder rig

Finally, IMNSHO the simple zenith of shoulder holsters, at least for horizontal rigs. I've had seven of these to date, for different guns, even including one example of the double Bodyguard rig, so I certainly like them! Somehow, Lou manages to produce rigs that use thin flat supple leather strapping for the harness, wider over the shoulders, easily adjustable, non-bulky, and provides a workable and rather unusual "folded" leather offside mag pouch (one or two mags, your choice), with a top-notch horizontal holster, for a "whole is more than the sum of the parts" rig, at a truly bargain price. Lou Alessi is a master leather craftsman of the Old School, and truly knows his stuff. He's also
a real gentleman, a prince of a guy to do business with, and will work with you to produce what you need, assuming you can't find what you need among his existing designs. If you don't like what you get, he cheerfully takes it back, even if you decide "you just don't like shoulder holsters after all", as happened with one individual I referred to him. Lou makes two types of releases for his shoulder holsters, one a traditional thumb break, with the strap going around the rear of the slide, the other a pull-through snap affair which retains the gun by a snap within the front of the trigger guard. This latter design allows one to simply grasp the stocks of the gun and yank. No straps to open or springs or elastic to have to circumnavigate. It's very simple but very clever, and it works. It isn't unsafe at all, and you can't inadvertently seat the gun more deeply in the holster, so there's no way that the snap will contact the trigger. Unfortunately, it isn't available for all guns, since Lou's a little uneasy about making a holster with a retention device inside the trigger guard of guns with single-action triggers without safeties, including the Glock "Safe Action" trigger design, though he worked out an alternative solution to that for the Glock 30 for me on a special order basis. He produced a pull-through type of snap at the rear of the holster (which points toward the front of the body, since this is a form of horizontal-carry rig), with the snap lying against the chest so as not to stick out and interfere with concealment beneath the cover garment. The rig is very secure, and the snap won't open accidentally, yet it releases the gun instantly when pulled.

[Denis]

So, any ideas on how to stiffen/shrink the Thumb Break to secure my BHP when carrying Condition 1?

Ask our own Evyl Robot if he had modify your Galco?

[JAG2955]

I got my shoulder holster from Andrew's Leather. He calls his the Monarch Rig.

http://www.andrewsleather.com/

Very well made, nice and comfortable. A bit hard for me to conceal in the summer, but a great rig for driving or in the winter.

[blackeagle603]

what you carry in that rig JAG?

[308Mike]

I got my shoulder holster from Andrew's Leather. He calls his the Monarch Rig.

http://www.andrewsleather.com/

Very well made, nice and comfortable. A bit hard for me to conceal in the summer, but a great rig for driving or in the winter.

A very nice looking rig! Something I might like would be the ability to attach a belt-anchor strap to the gun-side, like the one they have on the magazine side (OOPS, that's NOT a belt anchor but a knife - DOH!).

[JAG2955]

what you carry in that rig JAG?

Mostly a commander 1911, occasionally a full-size. I got a 3 mag carrier for the other side, so it balances well, but it does feel a bit like overkill. Mind does not have a knife sheath on it.

Check out his Firepower Rig.

[308Mike]

what you carry in that rig JAG?

Mostly a commander 1911, occasionally a full-size. I got a 3 mag carrier for the other side, so it balances well, but it does feel a bit like overkill. Mind does not have a knife sheath on it.

Check out his Firepower Rig.

Have you ever anchored it to your belt?