Why the Shield?

[Jimmybacon43]

So, judging only from all of the posts I'm seeing about the M&P shield right now, it seems to be an extremely popular handgun in very high demand.

Is that just because it has been previously hard to find?

Is it a really good gun? What gives? I mean I just don't really see what's so much cooler about the shield than like, an LC9 or similar conceal carry options.

[Bullitt01]

Yes, i believe part of it is because it has been so tuff to get in Ca. I have a M&P9c and the Shield is thinner/smaller. And the M&P series overall has been a good gun.
Thats my take.

*not saying there is not other nice/dependable small 9s out there*

[drtyhands]

Thank-You for this thread, I wanted to ask the same thing being all the fuss everyone is giving it. And it's touted in 9mm. Seems like the newest icon to soon be by-gone till the next one comes along.
Hey I get the addiction, just a few weeks ago I could not breath unless I owned a 10mm. Now I got the 29 in house and 20 in jail while I lurk Calguns for my next "gotta have it"

I guess my curiosity comes from the 9mm thing

[fastdice]

Both pistols- (full size and Shield) fit the hand very nice. I have a medium sized hand and it's been hard finding a pistol that is comfortable.

[morrcarr67]

Does nothing for me.

I have a S&W M&P 40 FS and like it. Fits the hand nicely but I'm still getting used to the trigger. It will come with practice.

But then I also don't get caught up in new gun feeding frenzy. I also don't get caught up in it X brand so it has to be the best thing since sliced bread. I buy what I like and i don't care too much what others, especial some here, think about what I buy.

Plus I bought a gun that is smaller than the Shield and I like the way it looks much better.

[Jimmybacon43]

Does nothing for me.

I have a S&W M&P 40 FS and like it. Fits the hand nicely but I'm still getting used to the trigger. It will come with practice.

But then I also don't get caught up in new gun feeding frenzy. I also don't get caught up in it X brand so it has to be the best thing since sliced bread. I buy what I like and i don't care too much what others, especial some here, think about what I buy.

Plus I bought a gun that is smaller than the Shield and I like the way it looks much better.

What did you buy that was smaller than the shield?

Yeah I sort of thought it was mostly hype. Just like a "want it because we can't have it" kind of thing.
I totally understand wanting the newest and coolest CC gun though, I just don't think it's thatcool for all the hubbub that's being made about it.

[morrcarr67]

What did you buy that was smaller than the shield?

Yeah I sort of thought it was mostly hype. Just like a "want it because we can't have it" kind of thing.
I totally understand wanting the newest and coolest CC gun though, I just don't think it's thatcool for all the hubbub that's being made about it.

Well, I actually didn't buy it. I got it as a gift from my Mom when she moved back to CA.



The one on the left is a Taurus 738 TCP in .380acp and the one on the right is a Taurus 709 Slim.

[sholling]

So, judging only from all of the posts I'm seeing about the M&P shield right now, it seems to be an extremely popular handgun in very high demand.

Is that just because it has been previously hard to find?

Is it a really good gun? What gives? I mean I just don't really see what's so much cooler about the shield than like, an LC9 or similar conceal carry options.

Not only is it a great little CCW pistol that's been almost impossible to find, it's slimmer and substantially cheaper than a Glock 26/27, it's less than half the price and easier to find than a Springfield EMP, has a much better trigger than Ruger's LC9, and has a better warranty than Kahr - all excellent little pistols. In other words for many of us it's the current Goldilocks of small 9mm/40S&W CCW pistols. Some of us refuse to stake our lives on anything less than a very- very reliable 9mm handgun.

[highpower]

I bought one strictly due to it's slim profile. I just didn't like the thicker double stack grip frames of the other sub-compact guns. The hardest thing to conceal on a gun is the grip frame. Now this may be heresy among the "bigger caliber is better" crowd, but I like 9mm for a concealed carry piece. Nearly all of the very small guns are in .380, which I consider to be a marginal man stopper. There are several decent defense loads out there in 9mm.

I tried a shield in .40 and while I didn't consider the recoil to be a problem, however, I have a couple of thousand rounds of 9mm on hand and I see no reason to switch to .40 for the relatively slight advantage it may give me.

[hundreddollarman]

Tempted to pick one up myself. What's the going price for a non-CA model vs. a CA-compliant one? I see quite a few of them (both non-CA and rostered versions) listed for sale in the marketplace, but I'm wary of making an offer because I don't know how good a deal I would be getting compared to buying one new.

[MrElectric03]

The size and price appealed to me but after shooting one I decided it wasn't for me. I went with a sig 239 instead. I like the grip better and prefer sa/da plus the 239 is still rostered with no lci, which I can't stand. The only thing that makes me want a shield or lcp is the fact that if you ever use your ccw gun you more than likely won't be getting it back. Much easier to buy another $350 lcp than an $800 239.

[MrElectric03]

Tempted to pick one up myself. What's the going price for a non-CA model vs. a CA-compliant one? I see quite a few of them (both non-CA and rostered versions) listed for sale in the marketplace, but I'm wary of making an offer because I don't know how good a deal I would be getting compared to buying one new.

Turners are right around $399 + tax, dros, and other BS turners fees.

[Jimmybacon43]

Not only is it a great little CCW pistol that's been almost impossible to find, it's slimmer and substantially cheaper than a Glock 26/27, it's less than half the price and easier to find than a Springfield EMP, has a much better trigger than Ruger's LC9, and has a better warranty than Kahr - all excellent little pistols. In other words for many of us it's the current Goldilocks of small 9mm/40S&W CCW pistols. Some of us refuse to stake our lives on anything less than a very- very reliable 9mm handgun.

I see what you're saying. It's a good choice for CCW, and does some things better than a lot of the other current offerings.

I think it was really smart of smith and wesson to release this gun, it shows they are current with what shooters are demanding, single stack 9mm's for concealed carry.

It's just a shame that CA has to make things more difficult for everyone by creating FUD that influences purchases/prices.....etc.

[NickZag]

The shield had a nice slim profile, light weight, low price, and great ergonomics. Comparing it to the LC9 like you mentioned, the trigger on the shield is far from perfect but the LC9 in my opinion has one of the worst triggers I've pulled. The trigger alone is worth the slightly higher price.

[soulbyte]

I bought a 40 version. I was in the market for something lighter than my steal 1911 officer. I was honestly going to pick up a snub when I walked into my LGS but they so happened to have the shield in, so I bought it. The LCI and the mag safety doesn't bother me one bit. The trigger is no where near my 1911, but like the post before me, much better than the snubs I handled and the LC9. Also, I didn't buy blind, a friend of mine owns the "free state" version in 9mm, so I've had enough time to handle and fire it. I like the way it feels and shoots, it's very slim and disappears on me. The weight difference is the biggest plus for me. Also, if you want more info you can always visit youtube. There is a plethora of information there too, good and bad.