M&P Holster question,9mm/45

[sapper36]

I would like to know if 9mm and 45 M&P's can use the same holsters. Thanks

[Allen]

In my experience yes, unless you have a frame safety on one of them.
Allen

[rathos]

the .45 is a tad bit longer, so if have a standard 9mm holster they tend to stick out the end. If you get a holster made for a .45 the 9mm will fit fine in it. Most safariland duty holsters will only fit the gun its made for, but I tend to find that is the story with most duty holsters.

[JSantoro]

The 45s are a skosh wider than the 9s.

The physical differences are enough that using, say, a Safariland holster for a M&P45 just doesn't work out, as stated.

However, I've used both Raven and PerSec holsters made for M&P45mid for my M&P9fs. The 9s will retain, though you may experience some rattle primarily due to the differences in width.

The differences in how the front of the slides are shaped means that you'll want to get 45 holsters for the full-length model. In a kydex holster made perfectly for a 45mid with an X300, my 9fs would get the slide pushed back slightly, out of battery, if I pushed it all the way in like it should be. It would get pulled back into battery on the draw, but I was unwilling to leave things to chance, and stopped putting 9s in it.

Hybrid holsters = less of an impact. The Comp-Tac Minotaur I got for the same 45mid carried a 9fs just fine. On it's own, it didn't retain as well, but being an IWB holster, I never felt any appreciable difference once I had the belt cinched.

Leather.... I've never owned any, so can't reliably say one way or another

I still think of it as an "in a pinch" usage. Given the opportunity and the means to get a holster made for the specific gun, go for a "bespoke" holster.

[sapper36]

Thanks, that all makes a lot of sense. I should have put this in the first post, the reason I am asking is that I currently have a couple in 9mm and am thinking about swaping one out for a 45. I have a few 1911's and am really thinking about dropping 9mm to have all of my handguns the same caliber. The holsters that I currently use for the 9mm's are an Atomic Dog and a G-Code, both for use with X300's.

[Sam]

Another way to look at it is, the 9mm M&P guns will fit in a holster made for the .45. But a .45 M&P will not fit in most holsters made for the 9mm.

You can always get a $10 Bagmaster gun show special holster that will fit everything from a Desert Eagle to a Baby Browning :)

[sapper36]

Thanks Sam, I would rather just throw them in a cowboy boot though!!:p

[Shorts]

I highly recommend having a holster for each gun. I don't advocate carrying multiple guns on one leather holster, although many people do. That practice accelerate the wear of a leather holster.

With a leather holster not utilizing a retention strap most of the retention is provided by the friction of the leather on the gun. The more tight the leather is molded to the gun, the better the fit, the better the retention and the longer the holster lasts. Leather stretches and conforms and if you are carrying multiple guns in one holster, that holster begins to loosen because of grips, thumb safeties, slide locks, mag release buttons - essentially all the small differences in the gun profile that push on the leather and stretch it. Eventually the leather fits looser and looser and now you've got a gun that wobbles around in there ("wobbles" is an exaggerated term to illustrate the point). That said, leather holsters do wear out. And they should be replaced accordingly (handling safety depends on it). But carrying multiple guns in one holster accelerates the rate of wear than if only one gun was used.

[sapper36]

Shorts, thanks, all of your points were valid, however as I wrote before the holsters in question are all kydex. The only guns that I still have leather for are a couple 1911's.

[Shorts]

Shorts, thanks, all of your points were valid, however as I wrote before the holsters in question are all kydex. The only guns that I still have leather for are a couple 1911's.


No problem sapper. I didn't mean to drag off-topic :o Apologies for that. I saw JSantoros comment of not owning leather so I thought I'd backfill that topic for any readership coming up behind us and wanting to hear a little more info.

:cool:

[decodeddiesel]

I have found that holsters a number of holsters from Comptac and RCS will interchange between an M&P9 and an M&P45.