Black Arch S&W M&P Shield IWB Hybrid Holster with Adjustable Retention, Holsters ACE-1
Product ID: 80814221
The ACE-1 continues to be at the top of the market after years of faithful service. The ACE-1 features an advanced backer we call the VSB, or variable stiffness backer.The VSB features an incredibly tough leather front, a polymer stiffener insert, and a comfortable, genuine suede backing. Increasing the benefits of the VSB, the polymer stiffener functions as an impermeable moisture barrier to protect your gun from corrosion, rather than allowing sweat to pass through the holster and onto the inside of the kydex shell or onto the gun directly. Further, thanks to the consistency and controllability of the polymer stiffener, it's designed to bend exactly where you need it to most, and be supportive where it needs to be, making it amazingly comfortable.Adding to the comfort, all of our holsters feature a full sweat guard, meaning the backer protects you from all of potentially uncomfortable protrusions of your gun, such as safety levers, and beavertails. While it protects your from discomfort, our backers are also cut to allow a full grip on your pistol when you draw.The ACE-1 now features more adjustability than ever before! With retention adjustment screws all around the holster, you can fine tune the fit and draw weight of your holster to exactly what you want. Additionally, with six different clip positioning holes, you can adjust both the angle and height the holster sits at to find the ultimate crossroads of comfort and concealability.All of these features and more, such as a flared opening for safe and easy reholstering, complete coverage of your gun up to the muzzle, and a beautiful finish, combined with its long, impeccable track record make the ACE-1 one of the most trusted holsters on the market today!
W**G
It makes up for it with better fit and finish
Yes, it's a bit pricier than Alien Gear. It makes up for it with better fit and finish, and a faster turnaround time from ordering to getting it to your door. This is easily the best holster (and most comfortable) I've ever owned. I like that I can tuck in dress shirts without revealing that I'm carrying, and I'm not raring to remove the holster the moment I get home from work out of discomfort.With other holsters I was constantly checking to see if I was printing, this holster has never given me a second worry in that regard.My only two quibbles would be that for the first two weeks, I was constantly adjusting retention as the holster broke in. Like, a lot. Pretty much every day I had to tighten or swap out retention screws and washers. The other thing that irked me was that about 3 weeks into wearing it, the clips' screws suddenly seemed to completely fail at staying tight. They were constantly working loose. A dab of locktite fixed the issue, but seriously. They were fine for several weeks, and then one day BOOM... they just couldn't quit working themselves loose.EDIT FOR A SIX MONTH FOLLOW UP:I'm still very pleased with this holster. It's still the most comfortable holster I've ever used. Still at a four star review, because for whatever insane reason, the screws still try to work themselves loose over time. It may have more to do with my shifting and sliding it into place as I put it on. Second, it's wide. Really spread apart, from clip to clip. It limits where I can comfortably clip it on, but it spreads the weight very well so it doesn't feel like it's pulling my pants down in one spot. A decent gun belt will mitigate that feeling even more. Lastly, this holster will quick up all your body moisture in the summertime and hold it against the gun. I started having a bit of surface rust on the side of my gun, which irritated me some. Now, if I've sweat a bunch while wearing the holster, I remove the gun from the holster at the end of the day and give it a quick wipe down with a rem oil rag and let the holster air out overnight. Rust has no longer been an issue.
M**M
Great IWB Holster But Poor Retention
I really like this holster for my Shield 9. It is comfortable and since I typically have an undershirt on I can't say sweat has been a big problem. I also don't carry consistently during hot months due to thinner shirts so that reduces the sweat issue for me.My only complaint is retention. It is probably not a big issue since I don't try to do flips at wedding receptions like other YouTube failures. However, if retention is a concern for you I would suggest UpperHand Holsters custom Kydex holsters. Each of their holsters is made one at a time and test fitted for performance. I tried tightening the retention screws and even swapped out the rubber washers with thinner ones on this SHFT holster but since the leather backing is not rigid I will never achieve the results I'm looking for. I was able to get a little improvement by heating the Kydex on the front side, around the trigger guard, and pressing it in so it pinches the trigger guard a little better.It is a really nice holster and the clips keep the holster attached to my belt. Being able to tuck in my shirt is very handy in some situations. You won't be unhappy with this holster! Even though I have a OWB UpperHand Holster for my P365 I will probably get another one of these due to the comfort and great concealment.
M**S
Only one flaw
I own three of these "hybrid-style" inside the waistband (IWB) holsters, from three different manufacturers. I am extremely impressed with the SHTF Gear, much more than the other two brands.The name SHTF Gear almost drove me away from buying this holster. My thinking was SHTF Gear was a sort of cheesy name, and they were probably poorly made holsters. I was absolutely wrong in that the quality of this holster is head and shoulders above the rest. All hybrid holsters are essentially the same shape and perform the same function. What sets the SHTF Gear Hybrid apart are the following:PROS1) The steel belt clips are stronger / more robust than the others.2) The fasteners have a hex/Allen-head, instead of a Phillips head. This prevents stripped or marred fastener heads.3) They provide an extra fastener, just in case one gets lost or damaged.4) The fastener near the trigger guard is a weapon retention adjustment screw. Clockwise for a tighter retention, ccw for less retention. Not all hybrid holsters have a retention screw. It's best to avoid the ones that don't.CONThe only con of this holster, compared to my Stealth-gear Onyx, is that it only comes with a leather backing. My Stealth-gear Onyx, though twice as expensive, is made of a breathable material found on the shoulder straps of high end backpacks. This high-end breathable material used by Stealth-gear is called VentCore. The Stealth-gear is much better suited for use during hot summer months than the SHTF Gear. The fasteners and clips on the Stealth-gear are much lower quality than the SHTF Gear though.If SHTF Gear made a hybrid holster out of VentCore, like Stealth-gear, they would drive them out of business. However, for spring , winter, and fall use this holster is the best.
D**E
Well made, but didn't work out for me, too wide, didn't like the dual clip style.
This holster was well made, as that type of outfit goes, I'm guessing. But for a very thin person, it didn't work out for me. I'm a lefty, and carry at 7:30 position, this holster to too broad for that, too stiff to bend around my pelvic bone, and felt uncomfortable. I returned it. Had I carried at 10:00, it might have worked out better. I returned this and bought a CYA single clip Bolteron holster that was much better, but it showed up as a right-handed holster, and I had to return it also. Still using my single clip mesh reversible holster at this time. It's pretty awesome, but hard to quickly re-holster...impossible actually, takes two hands. I plan to re-order the CYA in a Lefty.UPDATE: I did order the CYA left-handed, and it is perfect, perfect. Small footprint, easy to mount and remove, stays put, solid grip on the pistol, adjustable cant and fit. Flat Dark Earth is a beautiful color. The best of 4 holsters I've tried.
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