Galco "Miami Classic" Holster Review.

[AegisGunsmith]

Price: 167.95 Plus shipping
Ordered Through: Brownells

First Impression:
The general appearance and look of this holster inspired me to obtain one. Upon the arrival of the product, I quickly opened it and was very pleased with the quality of the product. The general craftsmanship of this holster is very high quality. It comes standard in three different parts assembly of the holster is rather easy, though the lack of directions leads to a negative when it comes to strapping the leather through the loops. (Hint to any future buyers, save yourself some time and put the straps so that the excess is on the inside of the strap, and not on the outside, as it will catch on clothing.)

Wearing the Holster:
The holster fits a bit low, even after adjusting the strap to the tightest level on the weapon side, it rides mid rib level. A bit lower than I typically like in these style of holsters. It does however have lots of space available on the straps to either lengthen or shorten using a bit of leather tools and some time. The chem dyed leather though is done a bit too soft and as a result the underside of the straps leaves a lot of leather particles on your shirts. With proper wear and time these tend to stop. Though the first few days it was abundantly apparent that I was wearing something leather under my jacket. The fit of this holster is VERY tight on my 1911. I had to wear it in and even still cannot get any mag other than a standard 8 rounder into the magazine pouches.

Concealment:
As I stated above the abundance of leather particles from the back of the leather create an issue for the first few days. After that it becomes worn enough to try for a concealed holster, provided you wear a jacket or sports coat continuously throughout the day. THE ONE major issue I have with this holster is the lack of belt straps to secure it. This creates a lot of chances for you to print, when you are having to adjust the holster throughout the day. Also when leaning over, the back of the straps tends to push up on the coat, making it obvious you have something on underneath.

Pros:
Good quality leather, mixed with good craftsmanship mean this holster will last quite awhile. It has a good fit on 1911's after a few weeks wear. It is rather stylish, and I received several compliments on it.

Cons:
NO belt attachment. Magazine holder does not fit ANY extended clip mags, it barely fits most 1911 mags with any type of plastic at the bottom. Standard clips fit snug but require quite the effort. Concealment issues spawn from straps, and from "low riding". Any adjustments to eliminate low riding requires minor leather work. Slow to draw due to tight fitting leather. If your looking for speed drawing, this is not the holster for you.


Overall:
Too expensive in my mind. The holster is nice don't get me wrong, but it has a lot of cons, plus being an extended round mag lover, this holster just simply is not for me.


Alternatives:
A good alternative to this holster would be the Gould and Goodrich version of the Miami Classic. Which is both cheaper and a bit more for concealment. You sacrifice a bit of quality in the straps, but not in the holster itself. Extended mags will fit in it, and it has belt attachments to steady it up.

[The DRis]

Something about a holster like that and a suit and tie. Boy oh boy.

[AegisGunsmith]

Originally Posted by The DRis

Something about a holster like that and a suit and tie. Boy oh boy.

I know. This purchase was due to watching Dexter too much and seeing Doakes wear one all the time. lol.

[chupacabrachus]

I've yet to find a shoulder holster that conceals worth a ****.

[REDTAIL]

Galco came out a year or so ago with their Classic Lite shoulder rig for about under $100.00 bucks I bought one for my XD40 Service model NICE for the price and compfortable to wear etc check them out on their web site

[M2XD]

Yeah, but I got one almost just like it in Sarajevo for $20...

Cheers! M2

[Heathen-Yak]

Originally Posted by REDTAIL

Galco came out a year or so ago with their Classic Lite shoulder rig for about under $100.00 bucks I bought one for my XD40 Service model NICE for the price and compfortable to wear etc check them out on their web site

I did not like the classic lite. I don't think I would like any of their shoulder holsters though since they all seem to have that plastic thing in the back that rides up through out the day and ends up chafing my neck.

[fredj338]

A shoulder rig is fine for cold weather carry, under a jacket, especially while driving. For general carry, I'ld rather go IWB.

[fredj338]

A shoulder rig is fine for cold weather carry, under a jacket, especially while driving. For general carry, I'ld rather go IWB.

[M2XD]

Originally Posted by fredj338

A shoulder rig is fine for cold weather carry, under a jacket, especially while driving. For general carry, I'ld rather go IWB.

You forgot one...carrying while riding a motorcycle! But I will agree for everyday use an IWB holster works best for me!

Cheers! M2