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LaTour Custom Holsters: Kydex Holster for M&P Shield - Review

6K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  bigbob2322 
#1 ·
I recently picked up an M&P Shield since my carry gun has been a full size P220 in an Old Faithful Holster. After lugging the P220 around for a while I came to the conclusion that I required a much smaller and less bulky carry rig. I still love the combination of my P220 and Old Faithfull holster and I still plan on carrying them when the weather gets cooler and I feel in the mood to carry a full size .45.

I waited for the Shield for about two months and picked it up about three weeks ago. During the three weeks that I’ve had the Shield I’ve been scouring forums and reviews for holster recommendations. At the beginning of my search I was dead set against a holster made entirely out of Kydex, despite the fact that it might add the least amount of thickness to the Shield/holster combination. I finally decided that I got the Shield to reduce the size and weight of what I carry and started to look at holsters constructed solely of Kydex.





I’ve been wearing my LaTour Kydex holster for about a week now and have expelled any thought in my mind that Kydex holsters are uncomfortable. The holster hardly adds any thickness to the Shield and the pistol fits very well with a very positive ‘click’ when seated in the holster. It’s really not much different than placing the pistol between my waistband and my waist, with the exception that it doesn’t move around as much when the pistol is properly holstered. The only places where there is ‘extra’ Kydex are between the trigger guard and muzzle, where the belt clip is attached to the holster and above the slide to accommodate the sights when holstering and un-holstering.

The construction of the holster is fantastic. All edges are rounded with no snags to be found anywhere. The belt clip appears to be made of a thicker sheet of Kydex than the body of the holster and is approximately one inch in width, creating a good interface between the holster and the belt. The belt clip is also adjustable for cant which was a key deciding factor for me. You may be wondering how the hardware used to attach the belt clip to the holster is addressed on the inside of the holster. Mr. LaTour places a leather (or leather like) patch that is very well adhered over the hardware to prevent scratching the slide.







One thing that I have noticed while carrying my Shield in this holster is that the edge of the holster near the safety will sometimes push the safety to the off position. Now I know that many who carry the Shield prefer to always keep the safety off and this could be a desirable trait of this holster. For those who like to carry with the safety on (a topic that I’m sure has been discussed ad nauseam) it is a quick fix with a heat gun to remold the Kydex around the safety so it will not interfere with the safety lever.



A retention screw is located just in front of the trigger guard with rubber tubing used as a spacer. I found the retention to be fine when I received the holster and haven’t had to touch the retention screw yet.

At $50 plus $12 USPS Priority shipping, the LaTour Kydex holster is comparable in price to other IWB Kydex holsters; however, the turnaround is much shorter. I contacted Mr. LaTour on a Monday and received my holster on Thursday. Keep in mind that Mr. LaTour and I are both located in Connecticut so I would expect that folks located in distant lands would experience a longer ship time.

If you’re looking for an all Kydex holster that’s easy to put on and take off, is exceptionally well constructed and has adjustable cant then I would recommend you take a look at LaTour Custom Holsters. My only criticism would be the interference between the holster and the safety, but that’s easily remedied and may not even be a factor for some who like to carry the Shield with the safety off.

Mr. LaTour does not have a website and does all of his communication through email. His email address, along with many pictures of his products, can be found on his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/LaTourCustomHolsters

All of my emails were promptly replied and I found the ordering process to be very swift and pleasant.

Let me know if any of you would like more photos and I will gladly upload them as soon as I can.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review, I didn’t think I’d be able to write that much!

-Joe
 
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#2 ·
Nice review, I've been looking for something like this. So far I've been considering PJ Holsters for my wife's Shield seems to be pretty close to the same simplistic approach.

With the LaTour is it a tuckable clip?

Thanks for posting.
 
#7 ·
Man that rides way high! Thanks for the photos it definitely helped my decision.
 
#8 ·
It does ride high, but that's one of the reasons I find the holster to be comfortable. I spend my days at a desk and I've found that when I sit, the pistol doesn't hit the seat before I do while I wear this particular holster.

I believe Mr. LaTour can also modify or create a custom holster for your needs if you are unable to find something.

I'm glad the pictures helped!
 
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