Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Thoughts on S&W M&P Shield?

I think it's....Local Gun Store

I have the XDs as well as the M&P 9mm Compact. I like both guns, I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. I will still be buying a Shield when I find one. ..

I'm too lazy to type local gun store.

I'd put myself in that category, as that's what I'm carrying now, love it, and don't think I'd switch over to the Shield if I had one. Why give up a 12 round mag for a seven or eight round one? I guess there would be less chance of printing with the Shield, but so far I haven't been "made" to my knowledge, and it carries with perfect comfort in a Milt Sparks Versa Max II, so why switch?

For some, there is quite a difference when trying to conceal with certain clothing.
This, to me, is a big difference between M&P 9C and the Shield:

I understand, and it was comparisons like that that gave me pause when I was considering switching from the Kahr P9 (about the same proportions as the Shield) to the M&P 9c, but I was very much surprised at how little difference it made when carried in a quality IWB holster. Sure, like I said, there would be less a chance of printing, but surprising not by all that much.

Why give up 12 for 7? Well, you could do that all the way up, right? Why give up 17 for 12?

I have several standard size pistols like the regular M&P. Carrying in an inside the waist holster isn't too bad, but it isn't great.

The shield (and anything else with like dimensions) is in another comfort class. The single stack grip and slide really make a difference.

If your comfortable carrying the standard, by all means continue- just don't try a shield...or else you'll want to buy it. Combine the shield with a comptac minotaur, king tuk, cross breed or similar? Carry perfection.

I thought one advantage of the Shield is that it has a better trigger- new design. Is that correct? I am considering getting a Shield if I can find one, partly based on the size and trigger improvement.

Yes, that's correct. The trigger on the shield is very good. I've heard that S&W was going to put the same trigger in all of their M&P's, but I can't confirm that.

Here's a vid I made on the shield a while back that might help you out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tw24ed46rI

I've tried carrying it with the 17 round in there with the grip adapter (which reproduces the look and feel of the standard grip frame), but found that the extra length causes it to print pretty badly. With the 12 rounder installed, it doesn't print.

I had a 9mm Shield for a few months. I ended up deciding it really wasn't the one for me so; I just sold it yesterday.

It's a good gun and all but, for me, the pros just didn't outweigh the cons.

What were the cons?

Thumb safety, smaller mag capacity approaching that of a Colt Detective Special/Agent/Cobra, for two off the top of my head. The latter is made up for in being slightly less likely to print than the double stack M&P Compact. Whether that slight improvement in that department is a sufficient compensation for loss in capacity would likely depend on potential consequences for being "made" in a given jurisdiction.

Actually the thumb safety was a pro fo me, though I certainly understand why, for some people, it is a con.

For me the cons were:

1. The gun wasn't quite small enough. It is smaller say, than a Glock 19 but, it wasn't enough smaller that I could wear anything different. I still needed a jacket or some other covering garment. The idea that it would disappear under a t-shirt the way the commercial portrays just isn't accurate. Now keep in mind that is from the perspective of a rather small man. I'm only 5'6" and 130 lbs "soaking wet."

2. The spacer that accomodates the flush fit on the 8-round extended magazine constantly rode up on the magazine body, which could prove catastrophic should a fast reload be required. Sure I could have carried this mag as the primary, "in the gun" magazine, but then the gun would have lost even more of its concealability. I actually wish this gun had been sold with a couple of the 7 round magazines. The extra one round on the extended one just seems a little gimicky to me.

3. The trigger, while definitely better than most others you will find on striker-fired guns, was still terrible. Anyone who tells you that the trigger on their striker-fired gun is "crisp" is either lying or they have never actually experienced a truly good trigger. Mush, Mush, Mush.

(I have been told that with aftermarket "Apex" parts you can greatly improve striker-based triggers, but I've yet to experience that and I doubt they can be made into anything truly excellent. The design just isn't conducive to such.)

in regards to trigger, I actually really like the glock and shield triggers, are they perfect heck no. but they are really shootable out of the box. to me the problem isn't so much pull weight but instead the ability to stage the trigger, pull back quickly and hit what I call the wall, then add more pressure and the break is decent. is it ever going to be a DA/SA revolver fired in SA mode NOOOOO! glock, shield and PPQ have the best striker fired triggers I have tried.

the shield is a great gun however for me its less than 1 oz lighter than a glock 26 and I am giving up 3 rounds of compacity.
yes the gun is thinner, but its not really any lighter. the way I carry thinness isn't really going to help me much. I personally would have rather the gun have been designed around 9mm and 9mm only. and not sized to chamber 40 S&W. this just added size and weight to the gun. the XDs is even worse its sized for 45acp and there isn't a 9mm specific model sized accordingly.

The Apex kit will indeed make the M&P trigger smooth as hell. It's still the long 5# DA pull of a striker fired gun but there is absolutely no mush or grit and the trigger reset is much shorter and much more positive.

At least in the 2 I own and 5-6 others I have fired. Mine have the DCAEK kit and the RAM. I wish I still had my Full size M&P as it had the Apex forward set sear and trigger which was an absolute joy, almost 1911ish trigger but as such it's not for carry use.

Amen to this. If the Shield were just a tad bit smaller, I would have been able to very comfortably and efficiently carried it in a pocket holster without the pocket bulging out unnaturally. As it is, it's just ever-so-slightly too big.

Also, I agree with you on the Glock and Shield triggers (never tried the Walther) they are the "best of the breed" but, even so, they leave a lot to be desired.

I found a Shield, pick it up this week. Gonna be fun to run this lil dude.

Dober

I picked up a Shield today and by reading some of these comments, I wonder if we're talking about the same pistol. No, it's not a pocket pistol but it feels nearly half the size of my full size M&P.

I think I'll get along fine with it.