Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Smith & Wesson M&P Shield

My sister is in the market for a handgun. I tried to sell her on one of the smaller glocks (G42, or even the G43...with preference to the G26). She isn't happy with the lack of a true safety.

My BIL has a G23, and her FIL has the same as me, G27, and she has shot both, so the .40 isn't a bad gun for her.

She recently went to a local gun store and really liked the shield in 9mm, and asked me about them. I know next to nothing about them, and figured I'd ask in here.

What's the good and bad on them?

Excellent CCW pistol. It's basically a mini-M&P (no, not exactly, but close enough).

Helluva pistol for what she wants.

We really do live in a Golden Age of handguns, and especially those for concealed carry.

Thank you sir.

I've only ever owned Glock and Ruger, so I don't have the 1st had experience to give her.

I have the 9c (compact double stack)

I've had no problems with them.

I've used a Shield in .40 for a couple of years now. It's not what I shoot most often, but a little over 1000 rounds through it with no problems of any kind. I think it would be even better in 9mm. Slim and compact, with the extended mag still long enough to get a full grip on. Great little gun.

Be aware they make it with and without a manual safety. Mine has the safety and it is just to small. I am a big fan of a manual safety but there is no way of reliably knocking it off during a draw.

Thanks guys.

I'll pass along the information

If she can lay hands on one, have her try the various Kahr models as well. They, too, are superb little pistols.

If she's sold on the external safety, perhaps the SIG 938 as well.

This is what I prefer to the Shield for the above reasons.

I have one and love it. The safety swipes off just as easily and naturally as the 1911 for me. Turning it back on is another matter, as it is kind of 'buried' by a plastic ridge.

As varmintsinc said, there are two versions and it sounds like she wants the one with a safety so she should make sure that is the one she looks at.

Like K1500, I have no trouble thumb swiping the saftey off even though it is small, feels natural. Getting it back on takes a more concentrated effort, but that's not a big issue for me.

Thanks guys. I'm going back home to visit on Thursday and we are going to go check out a couple of gun shops in the area.

I'd like to get her to a range, where she can "try" some guns out; see what she likes.

I really like mine in 9mm. Make sure she can rack it,that is the only down side to it, it is just as hard to rack as my 45 with a smaller area to hold on to.

+1 to Scott62

Really like mine and 100% reliable!

The Shield is compact, reliable and is rated for +P ammunition. Mine has never malfunctioned and I have never seen one malfunction. I like the thumb safety for IWB carry. Heinie makes a set of his excellent "straight 8" tritium sights for the Shield.

You won't go wrong with a Shield. The G43 is still an unproven quantity and has no thumb safety.

I recently switched from Speer Gold Dot 124 +P short barrel loads to Federal HST 147 grain +P, which shoot to the point of aim with the Heinie sights.

Love mine in 9mm. The safety is a non-issue for me. It's not a large or "in the way" safety. It sits in a dimple/recess if you will so it will not hang on anything. My safety is on as I load the gun and put it in the holster. Once in the holster the safety is switched off. I switch it on, and then remove the gun from the holster when I'm ready to put the gun away. Yes, I know just point it in a safe direction, and I do anyway, but having a second precaution isn't hurting anything. Most CC people that I hear of that have an AD have one when removing or replacing the gun in the holster.

The first Shield I bought went back to S&W 3 times before they finally fixed it. It would misfire every once in a while. I know that's hard to determine the cause but they did send a call tag each time and finally fixed it. I sold it due to lack of trust but eventually bought a second. It worked fine.

Then they offered one without the safety amid reports of the safety being accidentally engaged. My cousin who has two looked at mine one day and engaged the safety. Luckily I didn't need it before I found the safety on but I sold that one and replaced it with a no safety version.

I carry in a PJ IWB Kydex holster that completely covers the trigger so I have no worries. I like it enough that I put Trijicon HD sights on it. It has been perfect and I can't imagine a better CC pistol.

Mine in 9mm has been reliable and quite accurate. Not nearly the Spray and Pray type smaller compact pistol that are often produced for SD.

I like my Shield in 40 S&W never malfunctioned as of today and it was the perfect companion for the XS Big Dot Tritium Sight.

When looking to upgrade my PPK/s .380 I went with an M&P Shield in .40 S&W.

So far I am very happy with it in all respects. The trigger wasn't as smooth or light as I wanted but after watching a couple of videos I did the trigger work myself. It is now an excellent trigger.