M&P 9c vs Shield

[addie]

I know there has been a thread a year or so back about this comparison, but I wanted to get current opinions.

I am an average sized girl and am looking for something to hopefully carry eventually. I have never shot a Shield but have shot the 9c and loved it.

I'm wondering if there is a difference recoil wise. I think the 9c will be hard for concealed carry for my size so I am wondering if the Shield would be a better option for me. Any thoughts are appreciated!

[teflondog]

Call me crazy, but I actually think my Shield recoils less than my M&P 9C. Between the two guns, I would conceal carry the Shield since it's much thinner and doesn't compromise round capacity too much. The M&P 9C holds 2-3 extra rounds in the magazine but at the expense of being a bigger and heavier gun to conceal.

[Lead Waster]

Well, you have to try out a Shield to see if it suits you. I mean try shooting it, maybe it sucks and if that's the case even if it's concealable, it might not be for you. Personally, I think they shoot pretty nicely.

[Albs]

I love my shield, functionally I've had 0 malfunctions with it. Added talon grips to mine and loved it even more. I've shot the M&PC once, but I won't get into detail with it cause I don't remember what I liked or didn't like about it. But you can't ever go wrong with a shield imo . It took me awhile to get use to the gun itself, but if you can catch on easily then more power to you. It's thin like someone mentioned, so it's much more comfortable to conceal. Many people don't like the trigger, I've grown into it, so test it out, find out what you're comfortable with because if you plan on carrying it, best bet you better know how to shoot with it. Good luck!

[imbryanxxx]

my gf loves my shield and for cc you cant go wrong with it

[viet4lifeOC]

Best thing is shoot the shield first before deciding. Holding a gun and dry firing can't answer
your question regarding recoil.

Secondly, consider your method of carry. On body shield wins because it's so much lighter. People mention size, but I feel the weight is a bigger factor to comfortable carry. It's the reason why I got a glock 42. It weighs much less but is about the same size as a Shield.

[Legasat]

The 9c is easier to hold and shoot because it is a bit bigger (especially the grip). The Shield is easier to conceal. 10 shots vs 7 or 8 shots. I like my 9c, but if I could carry one, it would likely be the shield.

I put some talon grips on the Shield and it helps a lot with the grip.

For me, the 9c has a bit less recoil, but Shield is not bad at all.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

I have both. Well, okay, it is a 40c with a conversion barrel, but same thing. Anyway, as the others have said, try them out before you decide. I was not as much of a fan of the 40c, as the grip was small for me, and all of the recoil was transferred to the metacarpal of my right thumb. That sucked. When I dropped it down to 9mm, and used a standard sized M&P magazine with a grip extension, it fit me just fine. The Shield was thin enough that the recoil was distributed to the correct areas of my hand. It have been much more comfortable for me to shoot. My wife, who has much smaller hands, likes them both, and never had a problem with either.

If you like the 9c, I would say go with that. Even if you are planning on carrying it concealed. The difference in size really isn't that great. And the extra 2-3 rounds, and adjustable grip sizes can more than make up the 1/2 inch you gain going with the larger pistol.

-Mb

[Bud_Dub]

My gf did not like the shield 9 recoil. I have the fs9 and though heavier, she stated it felt better. I haven't shot the 9c. The real benefit of the 9c is more rounds and can use 10 rounders or if you 'find' etc standard caps, it will fit the 9c with a little extender x-grip. So it can serve a few purposes.

The shield took a few range visits to get it right and now I love it. Shield makes a great summer light clothes carry. But I occasionally do carry my 45c m&p in summer with no problem of conceal, slightly more uncomfortable but worth it. If I really had to choose, 9c offers more purpose although bigger but if you can accommodate your wardrobe to your specific carry method.

[slayer61]

My Mrs. has the 9c and I have the shield 9. My wife chose the 9c over a G19 after trying both at the range. She absolutely RAVES about her 9c to any other woman at the range that will listen. She also offers them the opportunity to shoot her 9c. Most to all have been impressed by it. Regarding my shield, she says "meh, it's O.K."


Of course YMMV etc...

[scootle]

I have both... I think I've posted in other threads but some things to consider:

• 9c is actually shorter in the grip (slightly) than the Shield if you hold them side by side. Depending on how you carry, this may or may not affect concealment.
• 9c is wider/double-stack, so again, depending on your method of carry, this may or may not matter. (e.g. the 9c feels better to me in its rig if I'm in size 34 pants, while the Shield works fine in 32.)
• 9c in CA is 10 rounds, Shield is 7 or 8... but realize going to 8 on the Shield will increase the grip length a fair amount.
• 9c shares magazines with the other full-sized M&P9 pistols, if you already have a collection of mags to work with... and makes the 9c a good back-up/companion to a full-sized carry, if you opt for that. In free states, some people run the flat/compact 12-round for carry and carry a spare 17-round full-sized mag with grip-adapter as their backup/reload.
• 9c has a 1913 rail... so if you want the option of a standard weaponlight, it's a bit more viable.
• 9c is off-roster, Shield is on-roster (for now).
• 9c feels like the recoil spring is "lighter" since the slide is bigger/heavier. some people complain that the Shield recoil assembly can be tight enough that they have trouble racking it... not an issue if you are using good technique.
• CA-compliant Shield has the thumb-safety button, which some hate.

I recommend shooting both extensively (a couple hundred rounds at least) and, if you have the option, to test out carrying both in various rigs to see which you like better.

Better yet, get one of each for different circumstances. Buy once, cry once.

[boopiejones]

i don't think you can go wrong with either gun, but i'd find a range with rentals and test them out.

i have a shield 40 with an apex trigger and i love it. i have relatively small hands and i prefer the thin grip of the shield and it is easy to carry. it doesn't have much more recoil than my full size M&P9, and i imagine if you ever had to use it in a defensive situation your adrenaline would be going and you wouldn't feel any recoil at all.

[MONAJI]

I know there has been a thread a year or so back about this comparison, but I wanted to get current opinions.

I am an average sized girl and am looking for something to hopefully carry eventually. I have never shot a Shield but have shot the 9c and loved it.

I'm wondering if there is a difference recoil wise. I think the 9c will be hard for concealed carry for my size so I am wondering if the Shield would be a better option for me. Any thoughts are appreciated!

Didn't read the comments but read your post, my wife is 4'11" and is pretty small with very small hand and loves her M&P9c, she is able to rack the slide a lot easier than the Shield and has no problems if she needs to conceal really, also she says the 9c fits her great and is easier to shoot than the shield

[SocomM4]

Shield shoots smooth and is Imo best in its class.

[boopiejones]

Didn't read the comments but read your post, my wife is 4'11" and is pretty small with very small hand and loves her M&P9c, she is able to rack the slide a lot easier than the Shield and has no problems if she needs to conceal really, also she says the 9c fits her great and is easier to shoot than the shield

good point about racking the slide. you definitely can't go half-arsed when trying to rack the slide on the shield. i find that locking the slide back is significantly more difficult with the shield than with my full size M&P. with practice i am sure anyone can do it easily, but you need to pull back with more authority than most guns and use significant force with your thumb to get the lock to properly catch the slide.