Galco Announces the Miami Classic 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Shoulder Holster System

The most famous shoulder holster rig ever designed is back…but you better move fast if you want one

by the Shoot On staff

When we visited the Galco booth at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Dallas last week, we couldn’t help but to let out a few “Ooooohs…” at the company’s most prominent display. There was an undeniable rush of excitement and more than a bit of nostalgia as we looked upon the original shoulder holster rig Don Johnson wore on the 1980s hit show Miami Vice. “Why this display?” was our question to Galco’s Media and Public Relations Manager Mike Barham.

“It’s the 40th anniversary of the show,” said Mike, “and we’re releasing a limited edition of this classic.”

Here’s the official release:

Forty years ago, a new NBC cop show redefined cool and came to define a genre. With its radical style, high fashion, and smooth vibe, Miami Vice changed police shows forever — and propelled one of its “co-stars” to worldwide fame.

Galco’s Miami Classic shoulder system, carrying Sonny Crockett’s Bren Ten, rocketed to popularity not just on TV, but among real-life gun carriers. Both police officers and armed citizens, seeing Don Johnson comfortably and concealably packing a heavy-duty handgun in the south Florida heat, clamored for their own Miami Classics.

A star was born.

Four decades later, to celebrate and commemorate both Miami Vice and the now-famous Miami Classic, Galco is releasing a limited run of shoulder systems. The Miami Classic 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Shoulder System is serial numbered, with only 40 of these systems made through our custom shop — ever.

The holster system hearkens back to Galco’s shoulder systems of yesteryear. The design replicates the system worn by Don Johnson on the TV show, with the original muzzle-up/butt-down diagonal positioning. The premium leather is aged at the factory, providing a distressed look to match Sonny Crockett’s well-worn original. The 1-inch shoulder straps are easy to conceal, even while wearing an Armani suit.

It’s available for 1911s only. While the Bren Ten hasn’t been made for decades, Colt’s Delta Elite 1911 was a contemporary pistol that also chambered the then-new 10mm cartridge, and 1911s in general were very commonly carried by knowledgeable pistoleros of the 1980s. You can buy a Colt Delta Elite today, and of course 1911s continue to be phenomenally popular.

As our president and founder Richard Gallagher commented at Galco’s 50th anniversary celebration, “When I designed that first horizontal shoulder system for a real Chicago police officer back in the early 1970s, I’d have never guessed that a fictional vice cop would make it famous.”

Now’s your chance to own a piece of television and holster history, as well as a highly practical carry holster. But place your order now. When these 40 holsters are gone, they’re gone for good!