Smith and wesson shield grip rubbing/scratching while carrying

[Brando1992]

So I have started carrying my smith and wesson shield 9mm in an aliengear cloak tuck. Its a great set up and carry rig. My only issue is when I'm not wearing an under shirt the grip rubs in an uncomfortable way and scratches my skin slightly. I carry at 3 o'clock and never had this issue with my glock 19 gen 3. I tried slightly sanding the areas I thought were causing the problems but hasn't helped. Has anyone else experienced this/any suggestions?

 

[TunnelRat]

Honestly, I just wear an undershirt. It gets hot and I sweat but it's the only true solution for me. The Shield has a pretty mild texture compared to a number of pistols out there so if it's bothering your skin I'm not sure what I would suggest. You could try the rubber option from Talon Grips and maybe that will somehow alleviate the scratching but I'm not sure.

 

[g.willikers]

You realize that folks who don't wear underwear are looked upon with suspicion, especially in Texas.

 

[Worc]

You could always go with a different IWB holster that pads the whole gun. I have a N82 and they are very comfortable. https://www.n82tactical.com/products/holsters/

 

[eos]

I had the same problem when I started carrying, ended up with an N82 as recommended above. I'm not a huge fan of the retention system (make sure you practice jamming your thumb behind the slide), and I prefer a double clip holster over a single clip, but the full grip coverage comfort can't be matched by any other IWB holster IMO.

 

[burrhead]

Duct tape. Either on the grip or on you.

 

[Rangerrich99]

Another vote for N82 Tactical. I have a couple of these now, and at least for comfort, they may just be the best IWB available at that price point.

I've got both the Professional and the Original versions. The Professional allows you to re-holster your gun and has a retention feature. The Original will not allow you to re-holster after you draw your gun, which isn't a problem for me during a normal day.

But when I went to a defensive handgun class I had to get a different holster. I ended up with a Galco Kingtuk, which I use for classes, but as it also allows the butt of the gun to contact bare skin, it doesn't see daily duty.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I've seen grip tape that was a soft surface, that may help.

 

[eos]

Rangerrich99, why did you have to get a different holster when you went to a defensive handgun class?

 

[Rangerrich99]

@eos;

The N82 tactical holster I have for my S&W Shield is the Original, which has a neoprene(?) holster; think soft side, so the moment you draw your weapon, it collapses. This makes re-holstering impossible without either pulling the entire holster out of your pants or trying to hold the mouth of the holster open while you try to re-holster. Of course if you attempt the latter, you cover your weak hand with the muzzle of your gun every time, which is not ideal.

So, for EDC it serves very well (I don't draw my weapon for any reason during the course of a normal day). However, for instruction, when I usually have to draw and re-holster a hundred times I needed something with either a hard kydex-type shell or a hard leather holster that would stay open after a draw.

N82 Tactical does make a kydex holster (called the Professional), but I didn't get one yet for my Shield. It would've taken a week or two to get one ordered, and the class was in a few days so I just went to the LGS and bought a Kingtuk for the class.