Shot the Shield, Love the Shield, shoulda' listened to the Doc
- Thread starter gunny4053
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gunny4053
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Thanks, recovery seems to be going well, just not as fast as I would like. Patience, patience, patience.
I've never used the Nemesis, so my opinion on that one is of little use.
The Sticky and Remora holsters, being very similar, work well depending on how you want to use them. If you're looking for pocket carry, either of these work well, especially if you're carrying one of the small .380's. For the Shield, carried in larger pockets or cargo pockets, they are equally up to the task. They both stay put once in place. Remora offers one option that Sticky doesn't, a tuckable model. I've tried one of those before, it works, but in my opinion, requires a lot more procedure to get it in place than I found convenient. If you're thinking of getting something like this, Remora has a deal going right now, buy a holster and get a free Remora mag pouch.I just got back from a two day road trip to pick up my Granddaughter in New Mexico. The Shield road in my waistband at about the 3:30 position for two days straight, and was barely noticeable, but always available.
Something else you might look at, if you prefer leather, check out Talon holsters. Good looking holsters for just about every situation, including wallet and cargo pant holsters. Prices seem fair. Talon Training Group
I don't work for or represent any of these guys, so all you're getting is my opinion, based on my personal use or research.
Good Luck and good shooting.
Thanks for your informative, detailed response, Gunny.
I have been considering the Sticky, but also the DeSantis Pocket-tuk for the Shield, because it serves similar use, both IWB and pocket.
I really prefer pocket carry, so first will see how I feel with my new Shield (waiting period) with a Nemesis, and a UM #4 pocket holster, before spending more on either the Pocket-Tuk or Sticky holster.
I have been considering the Sticky, but also the DeSantis Pocket-tuk for the Shield, because it serves similar use, both IWB and pocket.
I really prefer pocket carry, so first will see how I feel with my new Shield (waiting period) with a Nemesis, and a UM #4 pocket holster, before spending more on either the Pocket-Tuk or Sticky holster.
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fbcmrjrtykr
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I have the pocket-tuk and it works well as a pocket holster. I'm not as happy with it for IWB. Seems to print more than I'd like and it's tricky to get clipped on.
I can understand the sentiment but when one is left-handed it is an annoyance, so if the gun is overall safe with thumb safety OFF, that's how it will be for me and other southpaws. I really hate having to reach over to activate/deactivate it. Sigs s*ck, so do 1911's, if you are a left-handed shooter.
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OP
gunny4053
US Veteran
If it were a 1911, oh yes, on the Shield, no, not really. The only real difference between the Shield with the safety and the one without, the one without has a plastic block filling the void where the safety lever would normally reside. The trigger safety and striker block are still in place on both models. With the safety disengaged, there's no difference between the two models and a Glock. Keep the "booger hook" off the "bang switch" until it's time to engage a target and you'll be fine.
Good Luck and good shooting.
Shield 9c new owner
Just picked up a
Shield 9mm and have
put test rounds thru it
and am throughly surprised
at low perceived recoil for such
a small gun, may consider an Apex
trigger job at some point, to early
to tell, glad to be aboard the forum
Just picked up a
Shield 9mm and have
put test rounds thru it
and am throughly surprised
at low perceived recoil for such
a small gun, may consider an Apex
trigger job at some point, to early
to tell, glad to be aboard the forum
OP
gunny4053
US Veteran
Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the Shield. Great little firearms. Shoot it a bunch before you change your trigger, as they do smooth out on their own. You might be surprised, and the money you save will help feed its' ammo needs for a while.
Good Luck and good shooting.
M&Pmeister
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I too am left-handed, but I look at the manual safety a bit differently. On a CCW like the Shield, which I typically carry in an IWB holster tucked tight against my side. The safety on the left side is actually where I want it. Because of the trigger safety, firing pin block and the longish trigger pull, the Shield is inherently safe without the manual safety. The only time I engage the safety is normal handling & storage when it's outside the holster and especially when reholstering the firearm, when the greatest danger occurs for an Accidental Discharge. Once it is holstered, I click off the manual safety, which for a leftie is on the exposed side of the firearm and easily accessed.
In fact, I can discretely check the manual safety by clicking it ON/OFF through the shirt I'm wearing just by feel. I instinictly do this when my situational awareness alerts me of potential danger... just to make sure it is absolutely ready to go, if necessary.
Still the Shield's manual safety is well-recessed and unlikely to be bumped out of position. Same applies to the Bodyguard. The Compact and FS, OTOH, have large protruding manual safeties that are too easy to flick ON/OFF. Thankfully, they are full ambi, so I can easily thumb sweep regardless of which hand is holding the weapon.
M&Pmeister-
I really hate safeties or decockers that are solely on the left side of the firearm.
Would've preferred one without the safety for that reason, despite their inherent benefit mentioned by you and that one can chamber round and clear weapon with it ON.
In any event, do you use your left hand to manipulate the safety on/off and if so- what finger(s)?
Mine is still in 'jail'.
Thanks.
I really hate safeties or decockers that are solely on the left side of the firearm.
Would've preferred one without the safety for that reason, despite their inherent benefit mentioned by you and that one can chamber round and clear weapon with it ON.
In any event, do you use your left hand to manipulate the safety on/off and if so- what finger(s)?
Mine is still in 'jail'.
Thanks.
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Gunny...When did you have your surgery? I had open heart on July 2nd but haven't been back out to the range. I had an aortic aneurysm repair and aortic valve replacement. It took me a good month to shake the anesthesia. Felt groggy-foggy. The biggest thing was no appetite. Literally had to force food down. Most food had an extreme salty taste.
I'm going to wait for a little while longer before I hit the range. Main reason is the road out there. Have to drive a couple of miles down a rutty-bumpy-washboard dirt road, a lot of bouncy-bouncy. That's not good for a healing sternum!
Glad you like your Shield. I love to target shoot and do reloading. Take her easy and glad to hear you're on the mend! We've both been through the ringer!
I'm going to wait for a little while longer before I hit the range. Main reason is the road out there. Have to drive a couple of miles down a rutty-bumpy-washboard dirt road, a lot of bouncy-bouncy. That's not good for a healing sternum!
Glad you like your Shield. I love to target shoot and do reloading. Take her easy and glad to hear you're on the mend! We've both been through the ringer!
M&Pmeister
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tedburns3, don't get me wrong, I don't like "rightie-only" controls on firearms either. But the reality is that not every pistol I shoot is going to be leftie-friendly, so I always try to keep my Methods of Operation as neutral and universal as possible. That means a few things:
1. Magazine release always kept on left side, even it is reversible. I use trigger finger, which in many instances is actually quicker and causes less change in grip than using thumb... mostly because I have small hands.
2. Likewise, I almost always use trigger finger to release slide in a "combat reload" situation, regardless of whether there is an ambi release lever on the right side or not. That, or "slingshot" with right hand. I don't want to have to "think" which gun I have and react differently in a stress-filled situation. For normal handling, sure, a right-side release lever is nice.
3. Manual Safety. This is a big can of worms. About 1/3 of my pistols have ambi manual safety, but upon drawing from holster, I always sweep with my left thumb regardless of which gun I am shooting and whether there is a safety there or not. It's a habit I consciously developed.
Okay... what happens if the gun has manual safety only on the left side? This goes back to what I said in my post#31 above. Pistols like that, I only buy if it can be carried safely in a holster without the safety engaged. As soon as the pistol is holstered, I click OFF the manual safety. Since holstering is usually done in "peace time", I can take my time and do it with whichever finger that is convenient. So then... the gun is ready to fire directly out of the holster.
This can be a striker fired either with a long, heavy DA trigger pull (Bodyguard), or with a trigger safety (M&P Shield). Or hammer fired DA trigger that I can decock or otherwise lower the hammer.
If a pistol must be carried Condition 1 (1911), then I would only buy one with ambi manual safety. The left thumb sweep habit then takes care of it. My P938 is like that.
All this might sound convoluted, but in practice it's actually very straight forward, once I drilled the MO into my CC routine. And it works with virtually any pistol. The only exception is, say, a 1911 with no ambi safety, which to me is about as good as a brick.
1. Magazine release always kept on left side, even it is reversible. I use trigger finger, which in many instances is actually quicker and causes less change in grip than using thumb... mostly because I have small hands.
2. Likewise, I almost always use trigger finger to release slide in a "combat reload" situation, regardless of whether there is an ambi release lever on the right side or not. That, or "slingshot" with right hand. I don't want to have to "think" which gun I have and react differently in a stress-filled situation. For normal handling, sure, a right-side release lever is nice.
3. Manual Safety. This is a big can of worms. About 1/3 of my pistols have ambi manual safety, but upon drawing from holster, I always sweep with my left thumb regardless of which gun I am shooting and whether there is a safety there or not. It's a habit I consciously developed.
Okay... what happens if the gun has manual safety only on the left side? This goes back to what I said in my post#31 above. Pistols like that, I only buy if it can be carried safely in a holster without the safety engaged. As soon as the pistol is holstered, I click OFF the manual safety. Since holstering is usually done in "peace time", I can take my time and do it with whichever finger that is convenient. So then... the gun is ready to fire directly out of the holster.
This can be a striker fired either with a long, heavy DA trigger pull (Bodyguard), or with a trigger safety (M&P Shield). Or hammer fired DA trigger that I can decock or otherwise lower the hammer.
If a pistol must be carried Condition 1 (1911), then I would only buy one with ambi manual safety. The left thumb sweep habit then takes care of it. My P938 is like that.
All this might sound convoluted, but in practice it's actually very straight forward, once I drilled the MO into my CC routine. And it works with virtually any pistol. The only exception is, say, a 1911 with no ambi safety, which to me is about as good as a brick.
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'No-go' use of thumb safety for me (left-handed shooter!)
Thanks for your comments. I can assure you that if you holster with safety ON you will more than once forget to disengage it before your next gunfight, and as a leftie, you will be out of luck.
I now only purchase firearms that are user-friendly for lefties, with one compromise- the Shield. And I may sell that too if it p*ss*s me off.
I've sold the Bersa Thunder, Sig SP2009, Polish P-64 for that sole reason. The Shield will be my one and only pistol that has a non-friendly (left-sided only) thumb safety. The only issue will be whether I use it at all, because I do like to chamber round, field strip, and clear weapon with safety ON.
However, since the CA Compliant version has the requisite magazine disconnect, I see even less reason to touch that darn safety, so I am going to use it, if at all, re holstering issues, and with pocket holsters I don't even bother.
I tend to favor the Beretta 92FS as my ideally suited firearm, but it's too big for pocket carry. With that firearm I always chamber round with safety ON, as well as clear it and field strip with it ON. Why? Because it's safer in my view. I do it because the safety/decocker is ambidextrous.
Thanks for helping me come to my decision NEVER to use the manual safety on the Shield. I would carry it only in a pocket holster and mine is coming with the mag disconnect safety feature. The leftie part of me says 'don't use the effen thing'... just keep 'finger off the trigger'...'treat me like a revolver'...
Thanks for your comments. I can assure you that if you holster with safety ON you will more than once forget to disengage it before your next gunfight, and as a leftie, you will be out of luck.
I now only purchase firearms that are user-friendly for lefties, with one compromise- the Shield. And I may sell that too if it p*ss*s me off.
I've sold the Bersa Thunder, Sig SP2009, Polish P-64 for that sole reason. The Shield will be my one and only pistol that has a non-friendly (left-sided only) thumb safety. The only issue will be whether I use it at all, because I do like to chamber round, field strip, and clear weapon with safety ON.
However, since the CA Compliant version has the requisite magazine disconnect, I see even less reason to touch that darn safety, so I am going to use it, if at all, re holstering issues, and with pocket holsters I don't even bother.
I tend to favor the Beretta 92FS as my ideally suited firearm, but it's too big for pocket carry. With that firearm I always chamber round with safety ON, as well as clear it and field strip with it ON. Why? Because it's safer in my view. I do it because the safety/decocker is ambidextrous.
Thanks for helping me come to my decision NEVER to use the manual safety on the Shield. I would carry it only in a pocket holster and mine is coming with the mag disconnect safety feature. The leftie part of me says 'don't use the effen thing'... just keep 'finger off the trigger'...'treat me like a revolver'...
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ca survivor
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funny I don't buy MPs unless it has the thumb safety.
Are you a right or left-handed shooter?
Question for CA Compliant Shield owners: If you've measured trigger pull with the CA Shield, what are your trigger pull findings with the stock firearm?
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erj_pilot
Member
Gunny,
Just wanted to write this post more about your health than your Shield. Get well soon, amigo. My mom had open heart surgery almost a year ago for a benign tumor in her upper right atrium.....a year next month. She is doing GREAT and I call her my "Miracle Mama".
Follow the doctor's orders, get well soon, and get back out there on that firing line!!
Just wanted to write this post more about your health than your Shield. Get well soon, amigo. My mom had open heart surgery almost a year ago for a benign tumor in her upper right atrium.....a year next month. She is doing GREAT and I call her my "Miracle Mama".
Follow the doctor's orders, get well soon, and get back out there on that firing line!!
OP
gunny4053
US Veteran
Wow, there seems to be a lot of this going around.
I had my bypass on June 25th, and was released from the hospital on July 4th, so I'm closing in on eight weeks. Don't rush it, I got out a little sooner than I should have and, although I didn't shoot but about 10 rounds, I felt it for a couple days. I may try again toward the end of September as I don't want to start over.
This is definitely one of those baby steps kinda things. I can relate to the lack of appetite, mine didn't really return until I'd been out of the hospital for about a week.
Get healed up yourself and take it easy. Shooting is fun, but not so much so when it causes you have to start healing all over again. Good Luck, good shooting, and get well soon.
OP
gunny4053
US Veteran
Gunny,
Just wanted to write this post more about your health than your Shield. Get well soon, amigo. My mom had open heart surgery almost a year ago for a benign tumor in her upper right atrium.....a year next month. She is doing GREAT and I call her my "Miracle Mama".
Follow the doctor's orders, get well soon, and get back out there on that firing line!!
Thanks my friend, will do.
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