Slim nines may be all the rage these days, but many of us still like our slim .45s. Not the slim .45 known as the 1911 — yes, there’s still plenty of adoration to go around for that 100-plus-year-old design — but slim .45s that include the likes of the S&W Shield. The Shield may be more popular in 9mm than in .45 ACP, but if you like .45, you’ll really like it carried and fired from a Shield. And if you’re going to carry a Shield .45, then you’ll want a slim and tuckable holster such as this DeSantis SlimTuk. Warning: This gun and holster combo may cause you to consider giving up on your slim nine as your primary carry gun…
The Shield (6+1 mag; 7+1 mag; 20.5 ounces; no thumb safety; MSRP: $479) has been out to the range with me on numerous occasions. It’s the gun I choose as a baseline for testing self-defense .45 ACP ammo. Besides absolute reliability in feeding, seating, firing and ejecting every .45 round I’ve pushed into its magazines, it is also accurate and tames the punch of the .45 very well. Credit the slide spring and grip texture, sure, but also the near perfect feel of the gun properly held in two hands. Minor gripes: A locked-back slide is difficult to release using just a thumb on the slide release; I usually use my weak hand to grasp the top of the slide and tug it back, releasing it. Also, the grip texture is very aggressive. While this obviously contributes to fantastic purchase, if it touches your skin when carried, it’ll rub it raw. Also, very few who shoot the Shield describe the trigger as smooth, with a clean break.
The SlimTuk (MSRP $39.99) has been on my side at 4 o’clock or 1 o’clock on numerous occasions. It’s the holster I choose when carrying the Shield. The holster’s plastic carrier can only be described as thin, but it is also very sturdy, applying tension around the gun’s trigger guard and the slide. The belt clip is strong and will not come off unless you pull it away from your belt, allowing the J of the clip to bypass the belt. While you can adjust it for depth of carry and cant, I prefer the higher carry and a straight drop. SlimTuk is, of course, tuckable, but I’ve never tucked it in. And since the clip is off-set, the whole package maintains a slim profile.
The Shield in the SlimTuk is a formidable combination for concealed carry, because gun and holster work in concert to safely and securely attach the gun to you while adding as little girth as possible. Depending on your build, you can get away with appendix carry of this Shield while wearing shorts (with a gun belt) and a t-shirt as a covering garment. The key factors are the Shield’s height (4.88 inches with the 6+1 magazine) and frame width (.99 inches, not including the slide release). Add the excellent shootability, reliability and accuracy of the .45 Shield and you might start wondering why you wouldn’t carry 6+1 or 7+1 of .45 ACP instead of the same amount of 9mm.
More info at:
www.smith-wesson.com
www.desantisholster.com
