Thoughts on the S&W M&P Shield

I bought one about 6 months ago and it is my favorite 9mm to the point it's the only one I will take to the range anymore. I leave my more expensive 9mm at home in my safe every week now.

Mine shot low when I first got it but it was because of the trigger pull. I did a little work on the trigger mechanism and it broke in beautifully.

They do have a stiff trigger compared to some and you have to learn that trigger but they are really well built and to me was worth every cent I paid for it.

Mine was recalled for the trigger safety mechanism but I never sent it in. I never felt the need. I have shot full mag groups with it unsupported with my ammunition at 7-10 yards and had one inch groups, not speed shooting but shooting at a pretty brisk rate.

Apex makes trigger kits for them but if you are carrying it for a CCW with no safety, you don't want a light trigger. I swear by mine.

Two words: Apex sear

Had it in 40, wasn't impressed with it other than size and thickness, mine had mag drop issues. Would try a 9 again with no safe. Honestly there are just so many similar guns, that it's really a matter of if you get a good one or a bad one.
By that it could be as simple as a burr on a slide rail, they mass produce these things so fast nowadays that it's easy to get a good one on Monday, and a bad one on Tuesday.
I think most of the midrange guns are good enough for carry, Although if I had to pick one it would be my Glock 26.

Love mine. Added a hogue jr grip sleeve and polished the striker safety plunger and trigger bar and the trigger is smooth as silk. Shoots very well for a short radius pistol.

I just ordered one in 40 s&w. We'll see how it goes. I'm not a Glock fan when it comes to every day conceal carry, so that wasn't an option for me. Yes, you get more rounds, but it's a $200 more thick plain Jane heavier block that I personally would end up leaving at home because of it. The XDs was nice, but was more than I was looking to spend. For me, it came down to Kahr cm9, cm40, cw9, and cw40, but I decided on the Shield. For one, the Shield ships with 2 mags (kahrs come with only 1), but the biggest deciding point was that I can have the best of both words with the Shield 40. The 40s&w is the same price as the 9mm, and all I have to do is to buy a $65 or so Shield 9mm barrel and a mag, drop it in my 40cal Shield, and I can then shoot 9mm out of it as well.

All of that for a $345 Smith & Wesson handgun.. It was a no brainer for me.

I've got a 9mm Shield with 520 rounds through it. (I really need to get to the range more.) Here are some impressions:

Trigger: Mine isn't the best example, apparently. When I first bought it, it was so hard to break that I called S&W to check the serial number to make sure I didn't get a MA compliant version. It has improved, but after 520 rounds, it's still not as good as most M&P triggers I've tried. (Shields are supposed to have far better triggers than older M&Ps; newer M&Ps are supposed to be getting more Shield-like triggers.) I'm seriously considering getting the Apex kit, but I want to take it to 1000 rounds first, and see if it wears in better.

Recoil springs: The slide does take some effort to rack, but not nearly as much as on the similar-sized Kahrs, which are real bears. I haven't had any real issue with it so far.

Reliability: I've had three FTEs. Three different brands, all 115 grains. I'm fairly certain it was the ammo. Of course, I'm far too manly for it to have been limp-wristing. (Actually, I've never had a FTE while shooting weak hand unsupported, so that's why I'm ruling out limp-wristing.)

Accuracy: Seems to be very accurate, though in my case a bit hampered by the trigger.

Recoil: The one thing I don't like about the 9mm is the slide velocity. It makes the recoil seem more snappy than on a .45 acp. The Shield, though, feels much more like a Commander-sized .45 -- more like catching a softball than a baseball, is the best way I can think to describe it. Very comfortable, and bucks the general advice about a compact gun not being suitable for longer range sessions.

Carrying: I pocket carry it . . . in a front jacket pocket. Works great in my Columbia fleece with zip up pockets. IWB or OWB on the belt, it's also very nice.

Modifications: I put a Hogue Handall on it. The gun's very flat, and tends to twist a bit in recoil, and these help with that. Nothing else has been done so far, but I'll likely install the Apex kit and night sights on it at a later date.

I like the Shield. It's size is great for IWB with the hot weather shorts and tee shirt weather. Plenty of after market mods if that's your thing. More than enough holster options. Functions reliably. I've considered running mine through a weekend IDPA match just to get some more trigger time with it. Need to buy more mags first

Shield is a great gun. All the good things people have said about them on this thread I've found to be true w/ my friend's shields that I've shot. However, the gun weighs the same as a glock 26. For me, Weight has always meant more than thickness when it came down to ease of carry.

beeb173 said:

Shield is a great gun. All the good things people have said about them on this thread I've found to be true w/ my friend's shields that I've shot. However, the gun weighs the same as a glock 26. For me, Weight has always meant more than thickness when it came down to ease of carry.

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The shield weighs less than the Glock 26, is thinner, and is $200 less. Weight doesn't always mean more thickness. It could simply mean a metal part was used instead of a polymer part consisting of the same dimensions ...

My apologies. The G26 is 21 oz and the shield is 19. I thought they were both 21 going off memory.

Also, the Shield is a single stack, so even if the empty weight was the same, it'd have a slight edge on the loaded weight. That said, it does have a bit of heft to it. It feels much more substantial than you'd expect from a single stack polymer compact.

We just picked up our second one in 9mm - my wife got her CCW, and found her 9c a bit thick. Wonderful EDC pieces.

I own one and like it but:
I will be installing the Apex trigger spring kit - to lighten the pull a bit and make it a bit smoother, make it more repeatable and move the break closer to the grip. This is a must do for me.
I may also install the trigger kit itself although that may not be necessary. It also moves the trigger break point to be a bit shorter.
And I would buy one without the safety, which was not an option at the time I purchased mine - particularly since I am left handed.
But it's a great gun. You will be happier. Just can be happier with these simple and low-cost mods.
B

If you want to lighten your gun, use the Liberty 50 grain 9mm rounds, they cut the weight by 50%, and work fine. Also the Corbon 100 or 90 grain round, you will be shocked at how light the gun becomes, the Glock will be lighter than the shield, and the Shield will be so light you will forget you have it.
I have the Liberty in my 7 round mag for my PM9, and for 3 years I still have to occasionally brush by my pocket to see if it's there.
They make it in all 3 popular calibers now, 9, 40 and 45. I think the 45 is 75 or so grains, ridiculous weight. But it runs at 2000 FPS in the 9mm

It's going to be the compact semi auto throw down of the century, M&P Shield v. Walther CCP

For a male, i'm not really sure what niche is trying to fill. Its too big for pocket carry so why not just go with a doublestack? For IWB or OWB, the extra thickness is negligible. I suppose it might be a good size for purse carry. Maybe small enough for an ankle holster, if anybody actually still uses those things.

The thickness isn't quite negligible if you don't run with looser fitting clothing. Every bit of extra width can add to a potential "printing". And if you are relatively thin, that can be a problem. The only double stack that I know of that is thin-ish is the Glock 19 and I'd prefer thinner than that. Of course, YMMV.

Updated to add: I carry IWB an XDs and it hides nicely.

It makes sense to carry the XDS, in 45, I carried it prior to the recall, and switched to the lighter Kahr, but the 45 really makes more sense if you think about it. A 45 is still optimal for stopping a man if need be. Hole for hole.

JustinJ said:

For a male, i'm not really sure what niche is trying to fill. Its too big for pocket carry so why not just go with a doublestack? For IWB or OWB, the extra thickness is negligible. I suppose it might be a good size for purse carry. Maybe small enough for an ankle holster, if anybody actually still uses those things.

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I know people that pocket carry those every single day.

I owned an M&P .40C for a while. The stock trigger was mushy and way heavier than necessary. I had many ftf's and fte's with it. I ended up moving on to Glocks and was much happier. I don't recommend S&W M&P's for that reason.

I have both a Shield and 9C. They've been 100% reliable for over 1000 rounds each and they shoot where I point 'em. That's good enough for me.

huskybiker said:

I have both a Shield and 9C. They've been 100% reliable for over 1000 rounds each and they shoot where I point 'em. That's good enough for me.

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I bought my Shield 9mm before Christmas, and due to rain, and very cold weather, (the range I belong to is outside) I have only shot 30 rounds through it. I put 30 rounds through the target and my hand would cover all but 2 or 2. Pretty good I think being this is my first semi auto gun. My slide also was very hard to rack, but I have been working with it, dry firing, and leaving it racked all night long since I have had it, I find it is getting easier to operate it. Also the mag springs are tight, and I load them and leave them all night, and then unload and do dry fire work. They are getting better. I have a Blackhawk Serpa CQC holster, an IWB holster that is just thick material which I can use as a pocket holster. I also got a Mag Lula Universial Mag Loader. It helps to load the last round into the magazines. I am satisfied with the Shield, and will be getting my CCW this month. Good luck on your choice.

I like my Shield in 40

Its the best striker fired CCW IWB weapon that I have came accross, and
I think I tried or owned them all

The trigger is decent now that I did a light "Burwell Trigger job" on it

It has never hiccupped on any ammo, except reloads that I didnt resize properly.

Its VERY reliable.

It fits into a remora on my hip, and I dont know its there

I would add that the buck on the 40 is very tough for some younger shooters

If I had to do it again, I might have purchased this in a 9mm


For those that pocket carry this or the Kahr..... you are BRAVE

I tried pocket carry on the Kahr CM9, and it was VERY slow.......

I practiced and practiced..... I wanted it to work, but the reality is,
under stress it took much more time to draw than IWB

Nanoseconds count in some cases

Look up the "21 foot" rule, or Tueller drill



Also...... if you are in a tussle (grabbed from behind) and the fight is on the ground, FORGET digging in your pocket.

If you are sitting down, (many of us spend 80% of our awake time sitting)
because of the bend...... you are NOT going to be able to easily get to the CCW piece deep in a pocket.



I would agree, the Shield is not a pocket gun, but to be honest, the only pistol I would EVER think about for pocket carry is a snub 38 (LCR)

They pull much easier than a semi auto

Dean, which Remora did you get?

I went with the 9mm Shield after downsizing from an S&W 5943 and a 4516 for CCW. I'm extremely happy with everything about the Shield and find it much more comfortable that the larger options I had carried previously.

George P.