Thank, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I cover events like SHOT Show and the NRA show, so I get to see things fairly early on. It takes a lot to impress me. The new XDS for example, I'm just not excited about it.

When I handed the Shield I was impressed more than I usually am. I've been a fan of the M&P for a while. The one thing that I thought would kill it for me was the manual safety. I was ready to write it off (for my own personal use) and stick with my CM9 for a pocket carry 9mm.

It didn't take long for me to realize I could easily sweep the safety off (being right handed makes this possible of course) on the draw. Since I carried a 1911 for many years, this is a relatively familiar task and I fell right back into it with the M&P. That little lever is surprisingly well placed and designed. I can brush it off easily every time.

I fell in love with the Shield. I think S&W hit this one out of the park.