S & W Shield safety question

[Quincy12]

I am interested in maybe purchasing the Shield in 9mm. I've shot a rental unit at my local range and was quite impressed with it. I have a few questions that I didn't see and answer to on their website or in searching here. Does the pistol have a passive firing pin block; in other words, unless the trigger is pulled fully back, the striker can't hit the primer? Is the main spring kept only in partial tension when cocked, similar to Glock's? And lastly, are there any differences between the model with and without the external safety, (besides the safety, obviously)? Thanks.

Q

 

[RustyShackelford]

Safety questions.....

I recently purchased a NIB S&W Shield 9mm with the no thumb safety format. It shot well & I had 0 misfires or jams with Winchester factory made 124gr FMJ 9x19mm.
I would highly suggest the no thumb safety style Shield. The small manual safety may break or go on/off by accident, .
Youtube.com gun channel host; The Yankee Marshal made a video about the problems he encountered with his own manual safety Shield. He later bought a NIB M&P Shield without a safety & liked it much better.
I use a OWB/Blackhawk SERPA CQC Sportster left hand holster. I may get a new pocket holster; www.stickyholsters.com & a magazine holder later.
For ammunition, Id look at Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P JHP(short barrel), Ranger T/T Series 124gr +P JHP, Ranger T/T Series +P+ 127gr JHP, Federal HST 124gr +P HP, Corbon DPX, Hornady Critical Duty +P 135gr 9mm, Winchester PDX1 +P 124gr JHP.
Some gunners and CCW holders suggest frangible or pre-fragmented ammunition like Magsafe, DRT Ammo, TAP, G2 RIP, Glaser Safety Slugs, etc but those rounds are best for back up guns, home protection, limited uses. Out of the Shield's shorter barrel, the ballistics may be far different.

 

[Quincy12]

Thanks for the reply, but I still have a couple of unanswered questions. Does the Shield have a passive firing pin block and is the main spring only partially compressed when a round is chambered?

 

[Gordon]

I believe the Shield does have a passive firing pin safety and the stryker is only partially cocked until the trigger is pulled .

 

[mongoslow]

the set up is a little different than Glock but it functions the same, it will not go bang until you pull the trigger.

 

[thefish]

Yes, it has a firing pin block. Until the trigger is pulled, there is a plunger that blocks the firing pin. I tried to find a exploded view but it's hard to attach from an iPad. But if you search, you can easily find one.

As far as the safety, I have one with the external thumb safety, and it's never engaged or disengaged itself. It has a very positive detent, and is very small but sturdy and very easy, for me anyway, to disengage. I can't see it ever breaking off.

There's a much more likely chance of the trigger breaking itself off than the safety tab.

I personally prefer a thumb safety, and train to swipe it off, so if in the million to one chance that it somehow disengaged itself ( which I can't ever see happening with a proper holster), it's a non issue anyway.

I'm pretty sure the striker so fully cocked when a round is chambered, but I'd have to check mine to be sure.

The only difference between models with or without the safety is the safety or lack thereof.

It's a fantastic ccw and I've read of guys on this forum and others that have thousands of rounds through theirs with no FTF. I have a few hundred through mine with not one single FTF or jam.

Highly recommend it.

 

[Normandy]

My two Shield 9s have the safety, and I don't really want one without a safety. I carry condition 1. I'm a lefty, and the safety is a bit awkward, but I train to use my right thumb to disengage the safety, reaching over as I form my 2-hand grip. Not an issue. I have never had any issue of the safety setting itself, or releasing itself.

 

[340PD]

In my opinion there are lot's of plus to having a safety on the Shield and few if any negatives.

 

[thefish]

Just looked at mine. Yes, the striker is fully retracted and spring compressed when a round is chambered.

 

[ritepath]

Almost 4000 rounds over a year of carrying my safety equipped shield. Not one issue function wise or with the manual safety. Never broke, never moved itself...take a shield apart, look at the simple bent piece of metal. It's beefy, doesn't bend easy, clicks in and out of position crisply.

Believe it or not safeties have been around for decades on pistols, and don't make the pistol more or less dangerous.

For me it doesn't matter, safety or not, DA/SA, DAO, or Striker I have and use them all.

 

[stevekozak]

Do you swipe the safety down to fire like a 1911 or up like a M9?

 

[thefish]

Down to fire.

 

[DT Guy]

Like a 1911.


Larry

 

[Quincy12]

Thanks for the replies. I was more interested in the internal, passive safety devices as opposed to the external safety. I have no trouble carrying a pistol without an external safety as I've had a couple of Glocks, a Sig DA and a revolver.

 

[TarDevil]

Perhaps i would change my mind if I actually spent time on the range with a Shield, but for now I wouldn't buy one with a safety. It's very small and I had to work at getting a good purchase to swipe it off.

As far as the safety accidentally moving, another forum member who owned the safety equipped Shield and carried it in a Crossbreed holster testified that he drew the gun in timed drills several times to find the safety on after holstering the gun with it off. It has happened to me numerous times with my SR9c. It can and will happen. It may not have happened YET to some people, but I'd never trust a safety equipped gun enough to ignore the safety.

 

[Shipwreck]

I have pocket carried my Shield for over 2.5 years. Not once has the safety ever activated itself by accident. It is stiff enough to make it an action done on purpose.

 

[gc70]

Youtube.com gun channel host; The Yankee Marshal made a video about the problems he encountered with his own manual safety Shield. He later bought a NIB M&P Shield without a safety & liked it much better.

If other stuff in a fanny pack bumps around enough to disengage a safety, the obvious solution is a gun without a safety ... and finding out whether the other stuff in the fanny pack bumps around enough to engage the trigger.

A friend of my son can engage the safety on his Shield when drawing. Scrapes on the holster's sweat shield make it obvious that his draw motion puts the safety in contact with the sweat shield near the edge of the holster. The same problem does not arise with other holsters or other people using that holster.

The Shield's safety may present an issue for some people with some gear, but not for others. Luckily, S&W makes Shields to satisfy both preferences.

 

[RustyShackelford]

True....

Gear, holsters and clothing are factors.
The late author and gun authority; Robert Boatman advised carrying Glocks(he used a Glock 36 .45acp in his later years). His reasons were that the pistols didn't have levers, buttons or stuff hanging off them. The shooter/owner had to be proficient & compenant with it, .
A Shield no thumb safety 9mm or .40 is only as unsafe as it's user.

 

[gc70]

A Shield no thumb safety 9mm or .40 is only as unsafe as it's user.

Truth - and not just for the Shield.