I got a Sticky Holster as a lighter weight alternative and thought I would share my experiences.
My other carry rig is a single-clip Kydex. I'm drawn to lighter weight and simpler configurations, so these are kind of the main options. I'll compare to my kydex holster.
Carry is a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm. I carry at 4 o'clock. I went with the MD-4 to cover the rear sights and don't have any issues with the sights snagging on the holster on draw... the draw issues are elsewhere, but I'll discuss that later.
This thing is slim and light. It meets my expectations in that regard. No clip, no kydex body- it's just the sleeve. Reholstering would pretty much require removal of the holster, which is the tradeoff. Retention is fair, it's pinched by your body.
The thing is pretty damn comfy and conceals better than my kydex. It stays pretty well- it didn't ever threaten to fall down or out. I've worn loose waistband sweatpants and it'll hold up to everything short of jumping jacks. But in daily use it DOES float around a little bit because it sticks to your clothes and your clothes will move around- it sort of "finds" where it will stay nicely and stays there. I appreciate this.
The problem is that on my body it tends to ride low, and the draw would be more difficult. I also can't really seem to get it to hold the higher cant angle that I try to move it to- it resets itself to the more natural (and comfortable) 10-degree-ish cant that fits the contour of my body. Again- great fit and comfort but function suffers.
My fiancé is my test subject for concealment, and agrees this conceals far better in summer clothes. I'm skinny- 5'8" and 135lbs, and can conceal the Shield well in shorts and a medium t-shirt (preferably dark). Part of this is how low it rides- it rides low and the grip hides itself near the small of my back. It just sort of finds where it fits against your body and stays there-- you don't get to choose the best place and angle, but it works.
This is my new summer rig. The downside of of a poor draw and reholster are outweighed by the fact that I can easily conceal this- the kydex simply prints too prominently in most of my summer clothes. Better to have something that will take an extra second to draw than nothing at all.
My other carry rig is a single-clip Kydex. I'm drawn to lighter weight and simpler configurations, so these are kind of the main options. I'll compare to my kydex holster.
Carry is a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm. I carry at 4 o'clock. I went with the MD-4 to cover the rear sights and don't have any issues with the sights snagging on the holster on draw... the draw issues are elsewhere, but I'll discuss that later.
This thing is slim and light. It meets my expectations in that regard. No clip, no kydex body- it's just the sleeve. Reholstering would pretty much require removal of the holster, which is the tradeoff. Retention is fair, it's pinched by your body.
The thing is pretty damn comfy and conceals better than my kydex. It stays pretty well- it didn't ever threaten to fall down or out. I've worn loose waistband sweatpants and it'll hold up to everything short of jumping jacks. But in daily use it DOES float around a little bit because it sticks to your clothes and your clothes will move around- it sort of "finds" where it will stay nicely and stays there. I appreciate this.
The problem is that on my body it tends to ride low, and the draw would be more difficult. I also can't really seem to get it to hold the higher cant angle that I try to move it to- it resets itself to the more natural (and comfortable) 10-degree-ish cant that fits the contour of my body. Again- great fit and comfort but function suffers.
My fiancé is my test subject for concealment, and agrees this conceals far better in summer clothes. I'm skinny- 5'8" and 135lbs, and can conceal the Shield well in shorts and a medium t-shirt (preferably dark). Part of this is how low it rides- it rides low and the grip hides itself near the small of my back. It just sort of finds where it fits against your body and stays there-- you don't get to choose the best place and angle, but it works.
This is my new summer rig. The downside of of a poor draw and reholster are outweighed by the fact that I can easily conceal this- the kydex simply prints too prominently in most of my summer clothes. Better to have something that will take an extra second to draw than nothing at all.
