S&W Shield 9mm, considering one, any complaints or issues ?

[minermax]

As title says I am in the thinking mode on this in either 9mm or possibly .40, I am a 1911 and Glock fan as well as some others but this one is new to me. so far, however this single stack felt much better in my hands at the counter compared to the G26 or G27 that I thought would be my next one or two. The sights on the Smith seems very nice and the flatness and weight felt better than the Glocks I own or would like to own. Price point was $409- compared to the $529- Glocks , you do loose 1-2 rounds of capacity. My main concern is the proven track record of likes and dislikes if any that some Calgunners her might like to share. The counter salesman says it is and has been there no.1 seller. I look forward to any input here, thanks in advance.

[BoJackUSMC]

You can probably use the search button for additional information in here.

Shield is very popular gun in here when it comes to CC due to it's size and weight. I dont own shield, but tons of my coworkers carry shield or glock 43 for off duty.

[BoJackUSMC]

Also, hard to beat shield msrp price.. usually under $380 for brand new (before tax).

[Ant45]

Is the shield the only S&W M&P auto offered in Calif? That's how I'm reading the roster (new at this stupid list btw, been out of touch for a while. Why back in my day...oh never mind)

[JBoutfishn]

Just a few thoughts on the Shield. The Shield 9mm is my carry gun that gets 50 rounds a week put through it. It has never had a glitch using a light load of 4.7 Win 231/Hp38 under 115gr plated X-Treme at the range. When carrying it uses 115gr Hornady Critical Defense, never an issue.

The trigger is OK. I say OK because the 50 weekly rounds are after 200 rounds of practice with my Les Baer 1911 used in competition. But, I honestly feel that the Shield Trigger is better than the trigger in my M&P 9 Pro. Just a perception on my part.

[Cokebottle]

Great gun.
When new, the slide is tight... it's the stuff that embarrassment is made of during the safe handling demo
The mags are tight... you're going to want a mag loader.

As you shoot it, it loosens up a bit and the trigger smooths out nicely.
Don't plan any mods except maybe Talon grips until you've got at least 500rds through it.
My boss wanted the low profile LCI, I bought two and installed his, but honestly it doesn't bother me.

[BarrettM99]

I like the shield. It's surprisingly comfortable to shoot, has decent sights, and is very easy to carry with no printing.

[SDM44]

My only issue is that I don't shoot it enough.

I'd like to pick up a few more 8rd mags and take a pistol course with it.

[deephouse]

The pearce pinky grip is nice w/ the flush mag.

[bsg]

if i was going that way i'd want a 9mm; personal preference.

[10rounds]

If you haven't done so, shoot one before making a decision. I made a blind purchase on one. Took it to the range only once. I didn't like the way the gun vibrated in my hand when being shot. Needless to say, I couldn't shoot well with that gun.

[whipkiller]

Very happy with mine, I SSE'd it to get the off roster model mainly so the controls would match my full size M&P9 (No thumb safety) but I also don't care for mag disco's.

Not having the giant LCI billboard is just a bonus.

No issues with mine, (9mm) and for a small gun it's surprisingly easy to shoot. I don't know about Shield in .40, not much barrel there to soak up the snap.

The trigger on my FS seems to break a little smoother, but the Shield is not bad. Haven't shot the Shield as much as the FS, so it may smooth out in time.

[kmas]

Test it - over several days

Hi,

When I was shopping for a CCW, I really wanted the M&P Shield 9mm.

Here are my findings over 5 separate days at the range with it, over a 4-week period.


Small & light, Decent fit
Normal recoil, Normal Loudness
Accuracy - good
But had several FTE and weak strikes - the dreaded clicks.

The first time I sent a box of rounds through it there were no isses.
A week later it had frequent FTE and some FTF's.
Out of the 5 range sessions, 2 were good, 3 had issues.

Other guns I tried were great and reliable, but there were issues (for me) with the fit or vibration or hurting my pinky.

Despite wanting a 9mm, I finally ended up with the G42 which, for me, was the best all-rounder, and more importantly, as a CCW, 100% reliable - shoots every time.

[Griffdog]

I really like mine. It's a CA model and I left it 100% stock as it's one of my CCW guns. Mine has a very nice trigger but is a newer one and I read that they are better then the early ones. First very small gun that I enjoy shooting.

[boopiejones]

i've got a shield 40. recoil is very manageable and it fits my hand well.

i'd agree with the earlier post that the slide is VERY stiff at first. you'll definitely need to be forceful with it during the safe handling demonstration and during the first few trips to the range.