Other Shield owners may have already done this, but here goes: I really like my Shield 9 with its Apex kit and CTC LaserGuard. I have several IWB holsters for it, none of which are really comfortable (I generally hate IWB, but it's necessary much of the time). Looking around, I became interested in the ultra-minimalist Versa Carry "holster" concept. So I ordered one with trigger guard to try it out. It's very comfortable, but (like many others have said) no way am I going to carry IWB with a relatively short/light trigger unprotected on one side. Additonally, I happen to believe carrying a semi-auto for defense with an empty chamber is borderline nuts, so what to do? Versa Carry is supposedly working on a generic dual-sided trigger guard, but I haven't seen it yet, and besides, I wanted something specifically designed to fit close and snug on the Shield, not some oversized generic hunk of plastic, which I fear Versa Carry's fix will have to be if they want it to cover a zillion models of gun.

So, on to the shop, a sheet of .090" Kydex T, and the trusty old heat gun. After an afternoon drawing up and trying out patterns, the final version turned out pretty good. Stiff, but flexible enough to easily allow snapping the muzzle onto the yellow stud. IMHO this wrap-around guard pretty much negates the possibility of an accidental discharge from hanging up on clothing or whatever, especially if I follow the "remove the holster to re-holster the gun" rule, which I do. Note: I superglued the "factory" trigger guard in place, to provide a foundation to rivet the wrap-around guard to. And before anybody asks, no, the rivet heads don't even come close to touching anything on the gun when drawing or re-holstering.

I have 8 or 10 photos of the finished product, but will post five of them here (if the system will let me).

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That looks great! How does it feel? I've been spooked by that part of that system as well.

Am I reading right, did you make that holster?

Nicely done!

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M&P40c/15-22/SD9VE/Mossy500

No, I bought the basic Versa Carry "non-holster holster" with the optional right hand trigger guard from Versa Carry. All I did was dream up an additional wrap-around Kydex guard for the LEFT side of the trigger, which is totally uncovered and unprotected on the original, a fact which made me extremely nervous and was the only thing I didn't like about the Versa Carry. In the second photo you can clearly see the piece of Kydex I added. It is riveted to the original right-hand guard, and wraps around the front of the gun to completely cover the left hand side of the trigger.

I'd post my Kydex cutout pattern for this thing, except I'm sad to say in this day and age of lawsuit insanity, there would be some obvious legal concerns about doing that. If anybody else chooses to make one of these they are on their own, and I specifically do not recommend others modifying any holster of any kind in any way, especially where trigger guards or other safety features are concerned. There.

It feels fine when worn, actually more comfortable than the original because the left side guard makes the left side of the weapon pretty much flat (see the photos). The .090 material is very stiff, but retains enough flex so that re-holstering is no problem -- as long as you unclip and remove the VC before re-holstering, which you should always do anyway. Very "minimalistic", not un-noticeable but nearly so after you wear it a little while. About the only gripe I'd have with it is the single narrow clip allows the gun to rock back and forth some (not a lot), and that means the gun's cant tends to change as a result of movement, squatting down and getting back up, etc. I'm thinking a clip at least twice as wide but made from a bit thinnner material (for more flex) would be more stable in the fore and aft directions, compared to the thick, stiff narrow clip that comes on it. Maybe I'll try to come up with something like that.

You did a fine job here with the add on trigger guard. Why don't you sell the design to them I doubt they could do better!

A. As others have said, you did a great job with that.

B. I am glad to hear versa-carry is actively planning on addressing this issue and I hope they do as good of a job as you did.

C. You did a great job with that.

D. I have never worked with Kydex, but I might need to try what you did.

E. You did a great job with that.

F. Have you considered producing and selling the add-on kydex part to people that don't want to wait for Versa-carry or don't want to do it for themselves? The part could be the exact same every time so it shouldn't be too hard to duplicate. All people would need to do is attach it via super glue, rivets, or Chicago screws.

G. Did I mention you did a great job with that?

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M&P Shield 9MM

I should have listened to my initial instincts on the versacarry for my S&W SD9VE. Trigger guard on one side only? Plug in the barrel? I used it maybe 20 times before it occurred I think the waistband of my underwear snagged the trigger. Wounds still healing had to have pieces of the device surgically removed form the largest wound. Over 25 years of carrying concealed and I am seeking legal recourse. Doubt I will get any satisfaction there but gotta try. DO NOT USE THESE DEVICES! After the incident I realized how many safety rules are broken using these devices.

That looks great really nice kydex work.

use the versacarry dock thing, that I put a couple of screws in and attached it to the bed frame (I found the between mattress and box spring moved around too easily). But I found the holster itself too minimal for me. Partly what you have fixed, and partly for comfort, I actually need the spread of the contact over a larger area, so minimal was not the answer for me.

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Something really smart

I bought the 9mm version with the mounting bracket for my bedside. It seemed to be the best & most affordable option for my FS M&P with a light mounted on the forward rail. It's adequate for this purpose, but not outstanding.

As far as using it as an IWB carry option, I can't believe anyone would even try it. Ridiculous. Dangerous. Uncomfortable. Cheap. Unsafe. Stupid. Freaking scary.

But that's just my opinion.