New CCW?

[cd228]

Another advantage of the pocket holster is that you can get one that breaks up the outline of the pistol. Now, most folks probably can't tell the difference between a Glock buldge and Wallet buldge but, a little camoflague dosen't hurt.

I've also found that a pocket holster helps the gun sit more comfortably in the pocket and presents the grip in a good spot.

I used the desantis ones.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My Sticky "feathers" the gun's outline and keeps it oriented.

It also keeps gummies out of the muzzle.

 

[max503]

Stick with your Glock. External safeties on a SD gun will get you killed if you fumble with them in a high stress situation.

Yes. Read the Wikipedia entry about John Dillinger. At one point a cop had Dillinger dead to right, but the cop fumbled with his safety, and Dillinger killed him as a result.

 

[max503]

^^^^^^^What all these guys said. I would never pocket carry without a holster.

Never say never.

 

[Doug M.]

The pocket holster also keeps the pistol oriented correctly all the time. I pocket carry about 95% of the time and would not deem of doing so without a holster except in some kind of emergency.

 

[Buford57]

When I pocket carry my Shield I engage the safety when reholstering and disengage it as soon as it's holstered.

 

[haywood]

This may be just me but, if the stuff hits the fan I don’t want to need to flip off a safety. I know it’s training. I’m not ready to trust myself to flip off a safety. The 1911 was always a favorite but, remembering the safety scared me.

 

[Heinz]

I would bet that there are a lot more people shot by accidentally pulling the trigger than there are people shot by others because they could not find their safety in time.

 

[Truckman]

This may be just me but, if the stuff hits the fan I don’t want to need to flip off a safety. I know it’s training. I’m not ready to trust myself to flip off a safety. The 1911 was always a favorite but, remembering the safety scared me.

When presenting a 1911 (two of which are still in my EDC rotation) my thumb instinctively goes to the safety as the gun clears leather...It's just an ingrained response......Ben

 

[GerSan69]

Several years ago, a local was (coat?) pocket carrying a Glock. While sitting in the car, the gun discharged, bullet struck the femoral artery and he bled out in front of his kids while the wife was in the grocery store. Don't recall the speculation on what caused the discharge.

I do believe there's a moral or two here.

Yup. First, don't carry anything metal with a "G"on it.
Beyond that,the poor guy must have put something else in his pocket (beyond his hand) that interacted with the trigger.

I'm not big on carrying anything bigger than a J-frame or very small .380 in a pocket,and then only if the pocket is easily accessible while sitting. It's surprising how few meet that criteria.
I stick with in or outside waist holsters. They are made for the purpose, and if used as recommended will allow the gun to be deployed easily without any extra steps.
The Shield 45 is one of the best shooting 45s I've run across for the size. Size,weight, ergonomics are superior to just about any other compact 45 on the market. Even if you just use it for plinking or informal target shooting, you will like the way it holds in your hand and the "comfortable" recoil with standard-velocity ammo.
Good luck with your quest for your next gun.

 

[sigp220.45]

Chiming in to say I dearly love my Shield .45, which I carry in my waistband.

Its a little big for me to carry in my pocket, but it wouldn’t bother me to carry it in my pocket w/o a holster if I had to. People carried guns in their pockets long before there were pocket holsters.

You’ll be fine.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Lots of great advice for OP here. The consensus seems to be:

1. Pocket holsters are cheap and there are soft options out there that work great such as Desantis and Sticky. These all cover the trigger which is the biggest concern with pocket carry without a holster. Safety or not, pocket carry with an autoloader does not seem advisable without something covering the trigger. Heck I wouldn't do it with a J frame which has a much heavier trigger pull.

2. In addition to an added layer of safety, they add a layer of material designed to reduce printing and prevent movement in the pocket. You want the grip to stay vertical consistently and a pocket holster (while certainly not perfect) will more consistently keep the gun oriented the way you want it. You don't want to be fumbling for the grip on the draw if you need it fast.

Ultimately the choice is yours. If you want to carry without a holster, nobody can stop you. Many people have carried that way for years without incident. Depends on your risk assessment and training, what you end up doing

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Been carrying a Glock 43 with +2 mag for several years in a stiff pocket holster. Thinking about moving up to a 45 Shield with a safety. Thus I could pocket carry with out the holster. How safe would that be? Or should I just stick with my Glock

Stick with the Glock.

 

[Oldsalt66]

Always carry in a holster.

 

[Shibadog]

Been carrying a Glock 43 with +2 mag for several years in a stiff pocket holster. Thinking about moving up to a 45 Shield with a safety. Thus I could pocket carry with out the holster. How safe would that be? Or should I just stick with my Glock

Use a decent pocket holster-always. Otherwise the firearm will shift positions and “move” around the pocket. Holster should also completely cover the trigger and guard. Any piece that’s truly pocketable will fit in a pocket holster.

 

[ladder13]

Chiming in to say I dearly love my Shield .45, which I carry in my waistband.

Its a little big for me to carry in my pocket, but it wouldn’t bother me to carry it in my pocket w/o a holster if I had to. People carried guns in their pockets long before there were pocket holsters.

You’ll be fine.

I pocket carry a Seecamp all the time without a holster. Been doing it for years.

 

[Onomea]

Stick with your Glock. External safeties on a SD gun will get you killed if you fumble with them in a high stress situation.

I respect this point of view, and believe it has considerable merit.

I am a revolver accumulator and shooter, but I went for the manual safety in making the choice for my new Sig P365X which I plan to use for EDC. My point of view is that while I try to follow the four gun safety rules diligently, I am more likely to have a negligent discharge than to intentionally shoot someone in self defense

I can draw from the holster at my club's action range, and plan to never draw without releasing the safety and never holster without having put the safety back on. Hopefully this will become muscle memory with practice.