My wife likes the M&P Shield

[Hokiefyd]

We went to the LGS last night to look at both the Walther PPS and the S&W M&P Shield. She really likes the shield; the slide was easy for her to rack and she likes the ergonomics. She did not like the (blocky) looks of the Walther, although I kind of did. My own impressions.

Shield: larger than it looks in pictures. Still very thin (good for us). I thought the trigger was excellent. Little bit of take-up, then a wall, then a very crisp break. I understand that Smith will be incorporating this new trigger in the rest of their M&P line soon. I don't like the manual safety; I understand they're starting to build them now without the manual safety. Overall, this gun looks and feels more expensive than it is.

PPS: I really liked this one. The slide felt like it was riding on butter...VERY smooth. I liked the red cocking indicator on the back of the slide. I also liked the paddle magazine release. The trigger was a little more mushy in the PPS; I prefer the Shield's trigger. Both guns felt good in-hand, but the Shield felt a slight bit better to me.

The Shield probably has better aftermarket support as well (sights, holsters, etc) and the magazines are appropriately priced (Walther gets $50 for new mags!). Smith also has a lifetime warranty that transfers to all owners as I understand, so if I buy one used, I'd be fully covered.

A LGS has a deal on the Shield right now for $359, but it's the manual safety version. Will have to think about that. And will have to see what I can get for my like-new CZ P-07 that I just bought, but will sell.

 

[cwing6]

I too like the M&P Shield. Its my everyday carry. I also have a Glock 19 which is just an all around excellent firearm and a Ruger LC9 which feels great to carry but the trigger pull is way too long for me. I may do a trigger job on it someday. Thats my wife's carry pistol.

 

[Sierra048]

Originally Posted By: cwing6
I too like the M&P Shield. Its my everyday carry. I also have a Glock 19 which is just an all around excellent firearm and a Ruger LC9 which feels great to carry but the trigger pull is way too long for me. I may do a trigger job on it someday. Thats my wife's carry pistol.


That's my wife's choice for concealed carry as well. She never goes anywhere without it. She even bought a thigh holster for wearing with formal attire at a gun show recently.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: cwing6
I too like the M&P Shield. Its my everyday carry. I also have a Glock 19 which is just an all around excellent firearm and a Ruger LC9 which feels great to carry but the trigger pull is way too long for me. I may do a trigger job on it someday. Thats my wife's carry pistol.


I will probably have a Glock 19 one day, too. I really want to like it. I've gotten close to buying a few times, then always find a reason to not go through with it. Once I get comfortable with a short-but-stiff striker fired trigger, I think I'll be all over the Glock. As they say in dating, "it's not you, it's me."

My dad owned the LC9 briefly, but, like you, really couldn't get used to the super-long trigger pull. He had some trigger work done on it, but it was still pretty nasty according to him.

 

[fsdork]

I have an early M&P 9mm, and love the ergonomics. Different gun than the shield, but I imagine a lot of the design elements are similar. Also, S&W took care of a corrosion problem on my slide with no grief, other than me eating one-way shipping. Good after-sale service, especially 5+ years down the road, means a lot to me.

 

[bubbatime]

I've had one for several years as well. It is a good pistol.

If you like the new model without the safety, you should wait a bit and buy one of those. I HATE safeties on guns so I will be trading my current Shield in for a new one without safety.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I'm thinking that I should wait for the new one. I'm sure that it will be hard to find. They were supposed to hit stores this month I understand.

 

[ironman_gq]

I picked one up a few months ago for $365. The more I shoot it the more I like it. I will probably get the Apex sear to improve the already decent trigger.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Local gun store will have the new models without thumb safety for $380. I'm on the wait list. I did sell my CZ last night, also for $380. This money's burnin' a hole in my pocket, waiting for that tasty Shield.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I'm on the wait list.


The wait will be short. Gun expected in on Tuesday!

 

[PR1955]

Maybe I am missing something..? I don't see the big deal. I have a Shield, hundreds of rounds through it, and love it. It is my daily carry piece. The safety doesn't bother me..I just don't use it. I don't see any disadvantage to having it there

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: PR1955
Maybe I am missing something..? I don't see the big deal. I have a Shield, hundreds of rounds through it, and love it. It is my daily carry piece. The safety doesn't bother me..I just don't use it. I don't see any disadvantage to having it there


Just another thing that can activate when you REALLY don't want it to. Many of us that religiously train don't like safeties on our guns. I'm one of those guys. All my gun has to do is go bang when I pull the trigger and not go bang when I don't, its that simple. Simple is more reliable and better for a defensive firearm.

My Shield 9mm is a fantastic gun and has been 100%, but I always had a problem with it because it had a safety. I will trade it in for a new model without safety.

 

[PR1955]

I understand your reasoning, one of the reasons I chose the Shield over other choices was that the safety took an intentional act to engage/disengage. I can't imagine it "accidentally" engaging, but then I have never needed to access a pistol in an emergency situation. I suppose it could happen, I just don't see it....if the non-safety model was available when I purchased mine, I would have gone for it. But I have no plans to trade because of it.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I went ahead and bought the model with the safety. My wife and I talked about it at length, and she was more comfortable with it, with it potentially being a purse gun for her. And I'm used to 1911s and am used to flipping off a thumb safety, so a safety isn't necessarily a big change for me. If it was my gun and my gun alone, I probably would have bought the safety-less version...but this being a shared gun, I want all to be comfortable with it...just takes good training to develop that flip-it-off muscle memory. My CZ P-09 has a decocker for the DA/SA hammer, but I might install the manual safety that came with it and try cocked-and-locked some.

Doing some practice last night with a Tipton snap cap in the tube, it was quite easy for me to draw from my side, flip the safety down during presentation, and press out. Once I get the holster I'll use for carry, I'll likely practice getting my thumb on the safety and switching it off as I draw. I've also read a lot of guys who safety during holstering, then flip it off. One still has to train and maintain that muscle memory of flipping an already-off safety off during draw, but in this case, the likelihood of it having turned itself on is about as likely as having to draw the gun in self defense in the first place.

On the gun itself, I'm highly impressed with its build quality and ergonomics. My dad has a few 9mm S&W 1911s, one being a very nice Pro Series that runs like a clock. My brother has an M&P 22, which was the first pistol he ever bought. I know S&W doesn't make any junk, but man, for the $359 + tax I paid for this thing, it feels like a real bargain. It feels great in the hand...not like a mouse gun at all (because it's not one). I had looked extensively at Glocks about a month ago, and liked the 19 and the 26, but would have preferred something a little thinner. I like their .380 model 42, and understand they may come out with a 9mm version, but that'd be a pretty small 9. I'd like to see them do something like a 26S...a slim single stack 9mm, but not necessarily a pocket gun.

We looked at the Shield, the Springfield XDs, and the Walther PPS. We liked the Shield the best, and are happy that it's made in the USA.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I shot the Shield yesterday and quite enjoyed it. I also had along my CZ P-09 and my Kel-Tec P-32, and my buddy had his CZ 75 PCR D. The two CZs shot the best of all of them, and the Shield was a close second, though to be fair, it was the first 4 or 5 magazines through it and I haven't yet learned how it likes to be held. I put up a 6" group (with 2 fliers) with 2 magazines (15 rounds) at 7 yards. I can live with that...it's certainly "combat accurate". I can do a 4" group at the same distance with either CZ, though my P-09 seems to shoot slightly straighter than his PCR due to the longer barrel.

I painted my CZ's sights with some Testors model paint yesterday. The rear two dots are bright white and the front dot is a fluorescent red/orange. Highly visible outside...I'm pleased with that. Almost looks like a fiber optic. I also added a Hogue Handall grip glove, and that really improved the feel. I'm thinking about a Handall Jr. for the Shield now.

I'm going to order a Nate Squared Original holster this week for the Shield. Nate Squared holsters are hand-made in North Carolina and are a completely different take on the traditional IWB holster.

https://www.n82tactical.com/

 

[zerosoma]

I've got one in gun jail as we type. I've always thought it was an "okay" gun overall but probably the best in its class and price range. It's primary purpose is carry, if it wasn't I wouldn't be getting one. As far as the safety goes my reaction had always been that the safety on this pistol was pretty stiff - maybe more so than the slide release (a weak point in my opinion). Engaging it would require effort unless it is seriously broken in. Besides I feel safer with a manual safety in case I'm doing some laborious things such as lifting, or close contact with kids playing around or whatever, and there's a possibility it could go off. Precautions..without them you're just asking for trouble.