S&W Shield Plus Decisions

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Bedfordtec

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I am in the process of deciding what Performance Center Options I want on a new Shield Plus. Is the 5” Ported barrell with Optics Ready slide worth it? Understand that it’s a bit larger. Also is the Thumb Safety a good move. Will it activate if cocked or not cocked with a round in the chamber? I have a couple of Performance Center revolvers and they are worth the money. Thanks
 
Can't speak for the Performance Center Options but I do own, carry and shoot a Shield Plus w/ safety.

I'm not a fan of optics as I prefer open sights. I tend to focus on the front sight and can't see any big gain by adding expensive dot optics. I prefer a fiber optic/tritium like the Tru-Glo TFX Pro Day Night Sights.

I understand the primary reason for barrel porting is to help mitigate recoil. The Shield Plus's recoil is surprisingly mild and manageable. I put it on a par with my Sig P365XL and my P30SK for recoil absorption.

The manual safety on my guns are reserved for administrative handling and are set to the off position once holstered for carry. The safety on the Shield Plus is a positive on and off requiring some effort to to activate either way. I don't feel it can switched on or off accidentally.

That's all I got...hope it helps some
 
There is a 4 inch Shield Plus and the regular 3.1 inch Shield Plus, but I am pretty sure there is no 5 inch Shield Plus.
The full sized M&P 2.0 is available with a 5 inch barrel though.
 
There is a 4 inch Shield Plus and the regular 3.1 inch Shield Plus, but I am pretty sure there is no 5 inch Shield Plus.
The full sized M&P 2.0 is available with a 5 inch barrel though.
I didn't go to S&W to look, but it ran through my mind that it would seem odd to have a Shield - a subcompact concealment gun - offered with a 5" barrel which is what S&W would normally offer on their target/competition M&P's.

An M&P with a 5" barrel would be great. A Shield with a 5" barrel would be odd.
 
Like others, I have shot the SW MP 2.0 with all you have asked for as options on it. Don’t think the barrel was exactly 5”, but I know it was longer than the standard full size pistol. Excellent shooter, and always liked the way SW does their safeties on their M&P double stacks.

Like others, also, I don’t think SW would make a pistol with such a long barrel that was meant for concealed carry or off duty carry. And I make this assumption from their lackluster sales of the 4” Shields. I liked them, and so did those that shot a lot. I though it really balances the pistol out, especially with the 8 round magazine. Gave it a very 1911 Commander-ish feel, like the 4” XDS and G48. But I could be wrong. And those that literally would carry a Hi Point over anything Glock might want such an offering to appease their G48 wonderlust, LOL or it was Glock that saw the popularity of the 4” single stacks and brought out the G48. Glock has been known to drag its heels on “new” designs.

Lefty
 
I think it may depend on your proposed use. For CC, I'd stick with the 3.1" barrel, .... probably. I have a Shield Plus (3.1") and a PC Shield 45 (4"), both intended for EDC. I still haven't deemed the PC Shield 45 'qualified' for carry, but the Shield Plus has run like a top so far. With all of that said, I've considered adding a red dot sight to a Shield, but for EDC, I think I'd prefer to stick with my night sights.
 
I handled them all, I'd prefer the 4" Shield Plus with no porting and no mounted optic. The optic is mounted forward of the rear sight, and I just feel like its placement would markedly increase its bulk for IWB carry and complicate holster choices a great deal. The recoil on a Shield is pretty minor, so I'd rather avoid the increased apparent noise and concussion from the porting and the minor velocity loss.

My big hesitation is that the Sig P365 series come stock with night sights I would use, while with a Shield Plus I would need to find some preferred night sights in stock someplace and then pay to have them swapped, so then the Shield actually ends up being the more expensive gun. Although then I would have my favorite night sight setup rather than just the Sig Xray sights, which I consider decently usable but not really my favorite setup.
 
....My big hesitation is that the Sig P365 series come stock with night sights I would use, while with a Shield Plus I would need to find some preferred night sights in stock someplace and then pay to have them swapped, so then the Shield actually ends up being the more expensive gun. Although then I would have my favorite night sight setup rather than just the Sig Xray sights, which I consider decently usable but not really my favorite setup.
FWIW, my gunsmith swapped the sights on my Shield 1.0 and put them on my Plus in about 15 minutes. Even swap, no fitting required. I'm pretty sure that all of the sight options for the Shield will fit the Plus.
 
FWIW, my gunsmith swapped the sights on my Shield 1.0 and put them on my Plus in about 15 minutes. Even swap, no fitting required. I'm pretty sure that all of the sight options for the Shield will fit the Plus.

They will, it's the same slide cuts, it's just that with the Shield Plus being released, it's been pretty hard to find Shield sights! Plus then I gotta order them separately, wait for them to get here, take them into the gun shop... hope that the gunsmith is not super busy and doesn't want me to drop off my gun for a week until he can get around to the ten-minute job... and then my favorite sights are typically $125-$150, so any savings by going with the Shield went right out the window. I do really like the trigger, though.
 
Im such a cheapskate …Im waiting till the prices drop a bit on the Shield Plus and GX4 .. I figured this fall or maybe next spring… from the reviews the Shield Plus is a keeper
 
Im such a cheapskate …Im waiting till the prices drop a bit on the Shield Plus and GX4 .. I figured this fall or maybe next spring… from the reviews the Shield Plus is a keeper

Honestly I'm a bit bearish on the prices of anything dropping soon. The 1970s called, they want their stagflation back.
 
I have handled the Shield Plus. MY EDC is a Shield 9x19mm with the (8) Rd capacity magazine. After a period of consideration I've decided to stay with what I have.
 
Porting is never a good idea for a carry pistol, IMHO.

I bought a Shield Performance Center 9mm a few years ago and it came with a bump in the barrel...

Rs5xNiBQRWW39hMsP6EAug.jpg

Sent it back to S&W and it took them 2 months to replace it. The porting was unnecessary, and if you have to fire your defensive weapon at the low-ready position, you may just blind yourself.
 
If I was buying new and looking for a CC, the 3.1" Shield+ (with thimb safety) would be at the top of the list over the regular Shield.

But for me, it's not enough to replace a regular 3.1" Shield already owned.

However, I'm very interested in a Shield+ 4" or even a 3.5" if they offered it with a thumb safety to take over the role of a M&P9C.


Actually, a 3.5" Shield+ with thumb safety would take the spot of my 3.5" M&P9C & 3.1" Shield 1.0 and be about perfect.

I've never tried CCing a 4" so I can't say if I'd like it but if it didn't work out it would still be a sweet for OWB. But a want a thumb safety to stay consistent with what I've shot since forever.
 
Porting is never a good idea for a carry pistol, IMHO.

I bought a Shield Performance Center 9mm a few years ago and it came with a bump in the barrel...

View attachment 1007313

Sent it back to S&W and it took them 2 months to replace it. The porting was unnecessary, and if you have to fire your defensive weapon at the low-ready position, you may just blind yourself.

I think the risks of porting are overrated, personally. I don't think it's necessary for a 9mm per se, but if the different flash pattern was a concern, most quality defensive ammunition is using flash-suppressed powder anyway.
 
I think the risks of porting are overrated, personally. I don't think it's necessary for a 9mm per se, but if the different flash pattern was a concern, most quality defensive ammunition is using flash-suppressed powder anyway.

I suspect you are correct. It is similar to the odds of facing negative repercussions from using reloads or having a custom trigger job in your carry gun.

However, since one of the three times I've had to present a firearm in self-defense would have been awful with a ported pistol, I avoid them. I was seated in a vehicle with the driver's window down and a man came rushing towards me, agitated and cursing, reaching into his jacket. I brought my pistol up, just below the window, pointed directly at him. If it had been ported, the ports would have been about 18" directly below my eyes. If I would have fired, it would have been bad.
 
I have had the original size Shield for a while. I used to have 2, later sold them. Missed them, and got one again about 18 months ago.

I did just order the 4" 7/8 round Shield, and I should have it soon. Everyone had been out of stock of them online for months... Assuming they quit making them in order to make the Shield plus and the 4" Shield Plus. I cannot wait to get it in hand.

As to the original poster - there is no 5" Shield... Just a 4" version.
 
I have the Shield 1.0 and like it very much. When the current craze ends I hope to try out a Shield plus in 9mm.
 
I've just about worn out my Shield 1.0. I think it is approaching 15k rounds through it and is giving me problems. It's just plain worn out.
I'm looking at the Shield + for my replacement, I would like a precision center model this time without the Red Dot.
We'll see when the time comes, I may look for a hammer gun also this time around.
 
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