First Gen Shield .40

[Jonesy814]

Even though the second generation has been out almost 2 years, there still seem to be a lot of places trying to unload the 1st gen Shields, and at a decent price to. A buddy of mine finally got around to getting one the other day. An area shop has them for $279.95. He is planning to come try it out with me this weekend. I have had the 9mms version since 2012 and a friend just got one 4 or 5 months ago but we have never fired one in 40 caliber. My friend got a 40 because his house gun is a Glock 22 and he likes the round. Maybe I'll get out other friend to bring his XD Mod2 subcompact 45 so we will have 9,40 & 45 to choose from
They sure must have had a lot of those first generation Shields in the supply chain. If the price drops again before they dissappear, I may have to grab another

 

[Robbins290]

My shield is pretty old. and has seen alot of rounds. Only thing that broke on it was a recoil spring. Which needed replacement anyways. It was a daily carrier for a while. Now its a deep concealment pistol, which i rarely do anymore. For that price, you should pick one up.

 

[JTQ]

They sure must have had a lot of those first generation Shields in the supply chain. If the price drops again before they dissappear, I may have to grab another

I don't follow the S&W line-up that closely, but I'm pretty sure the Shield 1.0 is still in the line-up.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/mp-40-shield

Much like Glock is still making Gen3 and Gen4 guns even with the introduction of the Gen 5.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I have the Shield45 and enjoy it, it shoots better than me at 25yrds and under, I've never tried it farther than that. When new the mags are Hard to top off after leaving them loaded for over a year I can now top off the mags without a loader. I've shot the 9mm version and found it a pleasure to shoot also. 40 is one of my favorite calibers but all mine are full size, you might try 165gr instead of 180gr in the shield40. I reload and have loaded some that are light shooting for my wife and daughter that are accurate.

 

[FL-NC]

I am 100% satisfied with my gen 1 shield 9. I think a gun that small in 40 would kick more than I would like.

 

[IdaD]

I am 100% satisfied with my gen 1 shield 9. I think a gun that small in 40 would kick more than I would like.

It feels about like a +p load out of a 9 Shield in my experience. I haven't had a chance to shoot a 45 version to see how it compares.

 

[slide]

I've shot the 9, the 40 and the 45. While there may be a difference, I found it to be too small to note but I wasn't looking for it. I did not shoot them back to back but rather one at a time with weeks in between. My bottom line is that I found the design of the Shields to be so good that the recoil wasn't uncomfortable or even worth commenting on with any of them.

To me, recoil in handguns is bothersome with large muzzle rises. For example, shoot a 454 Casull in a single action style revolver. Upon firing, the gun goes up almost to vertical and also twists perhaps 30 degrees depending on your hold. There isn't anything even mildly resembling that in any of those Shields I tried.

I may be less recoil sensitive than others. For example, I find my Glock 29 in full house 10mm loads to be a pleasant shoot.

 

[critter]

I have two, one in .40 and one in .45. Nice carry guns, shoot great. IMHO great guns for the price.

 

[Spats McGee]

If I had an extra $279 laying around, I wouldn't wait for another price drop. I'd grab another now. I paid more than that for mine, but it was worth every penny.

 

[Jonesy814]

Shot my friends new Shield 40 yesterday. I was surprised with the not too bad recoil. It wasn't much different than shooting plus P, 124gr ammo in my 9 mm Shield. We shot a variety of ammo and even some hot 155gr hollow points he had were controllable and not painful to shoot. My only previous experience shooting 40 caliber was his Glock 22 which is full sized

 

[Buckeye63]

I found my S&W Sheild 40S&W very manageable... The Sheild is not a lightweight when compared to other small single stacks ( actually it is a staggered stacked)
In fact , thats one pistol, I wish I kept ...
Tbe 40S&W is a fine cartridge... and those 180gr HST pills are a great choice for SD ... , its what I carry in my 27 ..

 

[jdc1244]

I have had my Shield 40 going on five years now – not a single failure, what a self-defense pistol should do.

 

[Cornhusker77]

I've got a .45 Shield and also the first gen 9mm and .40.
The .45 shoots the best for me, maybe because its slightly bigger.
The 9 and 40 both shoot well, but the trigger on the .40 seems a little better.
I enjoy shooting the .40, but a box or 2 is enough for one trip, at least for me.

 

[kcofohio]

For $280ish, I don't think you'll go wrong with the Shield. They're a fairly solid gun. The only minor negative I have had is with the trigger. I haven't had a polymer S&W yet, that I didn't do something to smooth the trigger some. But they bang every time.

And for about $150, you can find a 9mm conversion barrel with a couple magazines if you shop around. Alpha Wolf is the one I got. Also, TR-Sports has a 357 SIG barrel for the Shield 40.