Choosing a holster for your M&P Shield
The Shield is a pistol people wear every day, so before the holster, think about your clothes and your day. Shirt tucked in or out. A desk, a car seat, or on your feet.
Two holsters lead with our Shield customers, ordered just as often as each other. The Open Top New Generation Holster is the simple one: open top, metal clip. The Model 38 Kydex Holster is molded Kydex with a clip you move to set the angle and the height, so it sits where your clothes and your chair let it.
If you tuck your shirt in, the Tuckable Leather Holster has tuckable belt loops and a reinforced, double-layered opening. For a belt holster with a lock, the KNG Thumb-Break & RetenScrews High Ride Holster adds a Level II thumb break.
Holsters for the Shield also fit the Shield Plus.
M&P Shield holsters side by side
| Holster | Carry | Retention | Material | Attachment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Top New Generation Holster | Inside the waistband | Level I, open top | N.G. | Metal clip |
| Model 38 Kydex Holster | Inside the waistband | Level I, open top | Kydex | Polymer clip, adjustable angle and height |
| Model 38 Kydex Holster with Slide Protector | Inside the waistband | Level I, open top | Kydex | Polymer clip, adjustable angle and height |
| Tuckable Leather Holster | Inside the waistband, tuckable | Level I, open top | Leather | Tuckable belt loops |
| Open Top Kydex Holster | Belt, outside the waistband | Level I, two retention screws | Kydex | BFL belt loop or paddle |
| KNG Thumb-Break & RetenScrews High Ride Holster | Duty belt, high ride | Level II, thumb break | KNG | BFL belt loop or paddle |
Concealed carry (IWB)
For everyday carry inside the waistband: Model 38 Kydex Holster, GOVT. ISSUED Leather Holster, Open Top New Generation Holster, Standard Thumb-Break Leather Holster and Model 38 Kydex Holster with Slide Protector. The Model 38 Kydex has a polymer clip you adjust for draw angle and ride height.
Open carry and range (OWB)
Belt holsters for a fast, clean draw, including Service Holster, NG Compact Holster, Open Top KNG Holster, Open Top LKC Holster and Open Top Kydex Holster.
Duty and retention
Level II holsters add an active lock: a thumb break with RetenScrews. Level III is the HDL™ Head Lock: a natural dual-thumb motion lifts the head cover and releases the lock, with two adjustable retention screws. Available high ride, low ride and drop leg.
Shoulder, ankle and drop leg
Also for the S&W M&P Shield: shoulder holsters (Thumb-Break Shoulder Holster, Leather Hinge Model Shoulder Holster and Leather Thumb-Break 5-Way Shoulder Holster), ankle holsters (Elastic Ankle Holster, Thumb-Break Ankle Holster and Safety Strap Ankle Holster) and a drop-leg holster with a magazine pouch.