Prior to becoming a revolver guy, I carried a FS M&P .40 Pro Series. Then I bought a Shield in .40 and loved it! Though I much rather carry a j frame these days, I still practice with my Shields, (I have two in .40) on a regular basis.

I don't think I'm very recoil sensitive so the snappiness doesn't bother me. Shields are very soft shooting, as are most M&P's, and I don't think a .40 has all that much more recoil than a 9mm Shield. Hope this helps!