The original shoulder holsters were simple pouch holsters suspended from the weak side. In late 1960s, Rick Gallagher in Chicago had conceptualized two neat ideas in one. His Jackass Shoulder System, later to be modified into the Miami Classic shoulder holster when his company expanded and became Galco, not only hung the handgun in an angled, semi-upside down position, but was the first "shoulder system" (Gallagher's term) that balanced the weight of the gun on one side with ammo pouch and perhaps a handcuff case on the other. The Galco shoulder holster system gained much popularity when it was used on the television show "Miami Vice".

Glorified in movies and literature, the shoulder holster is still a useful special purpose concealment rig. There are some people who routinely carry a shoulder holster and for whom the shoulder holster makes the most sense for. There are many more for whom, in certain times and places and under certain conditions, the shoulder holster is a special purpose item.

There are lots of different things consider when selecting a shoulder holster. You’ll need to choose if you’re going to need a vertical holster or a horizontal holster, material of the holster and quality. If you are going to wear the holster on a regular basis then I would suggest making an investment in a good quality holster that will hold up with continuous use.

The shoulder holster offers a number of specialized advantages including not having to wear a belt, firearm can be drawn in a quick and Inconspicuous manner and it takes the weapons weight off of your hip. Hunters like the shoulder holster because it keeps the gun under garments and safe from inclement weather and because it puts the gun in a place where it's less likely to snag on the brush. The shoulder holster is also practical if an assignment requires you to be in a seated position. Started from a seated position, it can be difficult to draw your weapon out of a belt holster, particularly if you're strapped in place by safety belts. This is why so many police, military pilots and bodyguards use shoulder holsters while on duty.