Originally Posted by Lesane

Apex does offer an improved firing pin block (safety plunger). It has a larger radius edge, for smoother engagement by the trigger bar. The Performance Center guns use a more rounded firing pin block as well. You are correct in that this is where a lot of the trigger feel comes from. The Apex firing pin block also comes with a lighter spring for it, which further reduces how much you feel it, but it's only recommended for competition.

Apex striker block on left.


Also, a big part of the Shield trigger feel is the design of the sear. Compared to a full size M&P, the shield sear has a more blunt engagement angle, greatly increasing the pull weight. I have a few FS M&P's that I have upgraded to Apex sears, and I've taken the old sears from them and put them in my Shields (and my brother's). It did wonders for the trigger pull, and with a part that was just going to go unused otherwise.

If you are feeling really bold, or you are handy, there is an online tutorial video on how to modify the shield sear with a file, in order to reshape it to more of a ramped vs. blunt edge. This is obviously risky in the area of reliability, however, I have done it successfully and tested it extensively with no problems. Having extra sears laying around, it was worth the 20 minutes to see what I could do.

See the pic below for examples. The top sear is from a Shield, and is what mine and my brother's sears looked like from the factory. Not sure if these are the same in newer production Shields, as ours are at least a couple years old.