Help me with my M&P Shield, or suggest a replacement

[tbc]

From 5 yards your groups should not land 4 to 5 inches below the POA. It was neither the sights nor the trigger.

[Socratic]

I had considered a Shield for a concealed carry gun. But there are a lot of 'em on the used market, which is usually an indicator that their owners want another gun.

I went with a Sig P239 .40 S&W for a lot of reasons. While it is heavier, its weight is not a burden. In fact, it's weight is beneficial in keeping its muzzle pointed at a potential threat. Big cartridges in lightweight guns are difficult to manage, and recoil usually takes muzzle off of a threat, which is not good.

I'd like to try firing a Shield in .45 ACP to see if its recoil is manageable.

[PatC415]

LOTS of great feedback in here, thanks guys! Is replacing the trigger really as easy as the youtube videos make it look? I'll focus on training a little different with the Shield as far as the sights go, also looking into replacements.

The Apex kit requires the removal of the rear sight, which is a PITA. They usually get buggered up in the process. Good time to replace them if that is in your plans.
Apex kit is the only upgrade I did, and well worth it. Amazon sells them pretty cheap, and plenty of YouTube to reference.
If you plan to use for CC, make sure your IA is ok with a trigger upgrade.
Love my shield!

[Ranger20]

Replacement...

[BigPimping]

Just get a Glock 19. Problem solved.

[Jimi Jah]

Use bags to check. If it's really that low send it to S&W. Mine is super accurate for a mouse gun. I practice at 35 yards with it. None of my other 9mm can do that.

[Redneck Geek]

Use bags to check. If it's really that low send it to S&W. Mine is super accurate for a mouse gun. I practice at 35 yards with it. None of my other 9mm can do that.

Yeah mine shoots OK too, out to about 10 yards anyway.

[pklin1297]

After glancing over the comments, I don't think I saw this mentioned yet...

Not doubting your proficiency with pistol shooting, but have you asked another person to shoot it to see if they get the same results?

The shield is my main CCW pistol. The light weight, the slim profile, surprising accuracy out of such a short barrel and so far utmost reliability are the reasons why I continue to use it as my primary EDC. I cannot change the trigger per regulations from my IA, so I had to train to deal with it. I did polish some internal parts and that did smooth it up.

You can spend the money on trigger parts and different sights, but again, if you haven't let someone else (someone comparable to your shooting skills) shoot it yet, try that first.

Good luck!

[GlockN'Roll]

The G43 glock is the perfect replacement for a 9mm shield.

If you still want a better/different trigger you can do it yourself in 5 minutes without special tools or removing your sights...



However, I actually like the much improved factory trigger on my 45 shield and chose it to replace/upgrade my G30 for when .45 carry is indicated...

[checkmate]

Not doubting your proficiency with pistol shooting, but have you asked another person to shoot it to see if they get the same results?

This is so obvious that I can't believe I haven't done this yet. DUH.

After a little more research, i found this:



Traditionally I always shoot utilizing image 2, but everywhere I am reading on Smith and Wesson's forums is that for the Shield shooters should be utilizing image 3. Sounds like another trip to the range is in my near future.

[Subotai]

And try it with your hand supported on the bench, or left handed. Try to isolate it. I found I was shooting mine left and low, by shooting left-handed, I discovered it wasn't the gun. If you don't want the hassle of removing the rear sight to install the Apex kit, you can buy only the sear and it will reduce trigger pull.

If the grip is a little small for you, look into the new Hogue beavertail. It increases lop and the width, but not too much. I found myself pulling the gun down a tad while shooting, I've installed this and when I dry fire, I can hold it steady, or if it goes down, it goes down a whole lot less. I think with more training, I'll be good to go.

[559BearDown]

Glock 26

[Subotai]

Glock 26

Even with the Hogue Beavertail, my Shield is still thinner than the 26. I prefer this for CCW.

[pklin1297]

This is so obvious that I can't believe I haven't done this yet. DUH.

After a little more research, i found this:



Traditionally I always shoot utilizing image 2, but everywhere I am reading on Smith and Wesson's forums is that for the Shield shooters should be utilizing image 3. Sounds like another trip to the range is in my near future.

No worries, I was surprised I was the first person to mention it in this thread also... Everyone is an enabler in pistol upgrades...

Regarding sight picture, I use primarily image 2 as well and I'm dead center between 7 - 10 yards (21' - 30'). During CCW qualification I'm only using image 3 for 3 and 5-yard targets.