Figure this is the place for ideas . I have a few S&W's in different calibers ( 9mm,.38,.357,.45 )and would like to add a .40 . Looking for a smallish carry frame . So...?

Might try an M&P compact. I would HIGHLY suggest you find a gun range that rents them and give it a try before buying. I have a 4013TSW and it is a little snappy with recoil. A polymer gun, being lighter weight, would have even more felt recoil. You might not like it so well, but then again you might.

Shield .40?

I have a M&P 40c that I bought a 9mm replacement barrel and magazines for. You can also buy a .357Sig barrel that will enable you to shoot 3 different calibers out of the same pistol as long as you use the correct barrel and magazines. For the .357Sig, you use the same magazines that you use for the .40S&W. I know that some have used the .40S&W magazines and loaded them with 9mm ammo while shooting the 9mm barrel with varying degrees of success. To me, it's not worth the risk, so I purchased 9mm magazines and haven't looked back. I don't know if you can do the same thing with the Shield, and I think someone who does know will be along shortly to advise you. By the way, I haven't checked recently, but the .357Sig barrels were a) pricey, and b) unobtainable when I was searching for one several years ago.

Good luck,

Dave

I did the same for my M&P 40. Works like a charm for me too.

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M&PC FS BG Shield+ 642 686+

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!

I have both a 40c and a Shield 40 and my preferred daily carry is the Shield, for weight and size. The 40 in the Shield is a very nice shooter. I'm a RLEO and I use it for my annual LEOSA certification and have to shoot right/left hand unsupported and don't find the 40 too snappy.

I think .40 is a nice carry caliber despite its bad reputation for being snappy. I carry a HK USP40c and love it. The MPc in .40 with the option to change barrels is the same option I have with my Sig P224, which is nice.

The M&P compact is the way to go IMHO. It's got the same footprint as the shield . It's just a little wider and heavier. I'n my experience, it's shoot- ability (in ANY caliber) is head and shoulders above the like chambered shield.
That said, the shield is a decent choice if you are really looking to trim ounces and are OK with the greater felt recoil.

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Dave

I have both, though the Compact is in 9mm, and I wish, like the others I had gotten the .40 in compact. A new 9mm c barrel is only $65, so you get the best of both worlds. The shield with proper grips is very comfortable to shoot a few hundred rounds through. The compact I can shoot all day, especially with a v-grip and full size mag.

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40ShieldCT 9c SD40VE 637ct

When I get back to work, one of my planned purchases is a Glock 23. I consider it about the ideal size for a double column auto, and already have a Glock 19. I won't own a conventional double action auto for any serious purpose. I've never seen one with a double action trigger that I could stomach. I greatly prefer the Glock trigger. Both of my Glocks have Ghost 3.5lb. connectors.

One thing you should consider if you get a Glock is to get a heavier recoil spring. I have a Glock 22 and found it very uncomfortable to shoot due to the abruptness of the recoil. When I changed to a 22lb. recoil spring, it became an entirely different gun, far easier to shoot quickly and every bit as reliable.

The other nice thing about Glock 23s is that they're often available police surplus for VERY attractive prices, often under $400.

I have two .40 calibre handguns, Glock 27 and a Beretta Cougar 8040. I have nothing in Smith for that so I can't speak for them.
The two I own I speak very highly of and enjoy shooting the .40 round. May be a little more expensive then 9mm. but then again I like the .40 better
I do use my Glock 27 as a CCW.

I am no great fan of .40SW but I do like the 3913/3914. A few years ago I bumped into a 4040PD and it interested me enough to give it a try. I've been very happy with it. Recoil is not intolerable, and I have never had any malfunction issues when using a wide variety of factory loads. I noticed it is especially accurate with 155-gr Silvertips and Federal 155-gr Hydra-shoks.

Of the .40SW carry-size autos, I prefer the 4040 to the plastic guns. Unfortunately, they are not the easiest to track down, but they are out there and can be found with a little patience.

Although my S.O. switched to .40 glocks, I still carry a S&W .45, and always will. My opinion is to leave the .40 alone and get a generation three .45.

I carry a shield 40 and it works for me. But my question to you is why would you add a caliber when all the ones you have are pretty good for carry? A 9mm shield is a great carry choice.

Friends don't let friends buy Taurus.

What is this double column you speak of??



Friends don't let friends buy Taurus.

S&W Model 59 versus S&W Model 39

Glock 19 versus Glock 43.

Like a couple others here, I like my .40 Shield too. It carrys nice and have had zero issues with function. And these days, Shield is a real bargain! Heck, I might grab another one.

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America First

Retired RLEO here. Carried S&W 686 and a 60 as a backup until our dept switched to Glocks. Carried G23 on duty with a G27 as a backup for many years. Still carry the G27 (extended mag) as my daily, on ankle or waist. Never had a failure. 10+1 rounds ready to go. Don't go cheap, you are betting your life on the outcome.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Can we ever have TOO many guns...?...

Thanks for all the choices...might go for a ' plastic ' gun as I don't have one yet...

I didn't say anything about guns. I was talking about adding a caliber.

Still not sure what you mean by column.
Think your referring to the two stacks you get in a double stack magazine.

Friends don't let friends buy Taurus.

I have the M & P 40. c its not that snappy and I shoot it very well

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Spin The Wheel

PSA selling 40 Shields last week for $204. Check 'em before you buy.

Who's PSA?

I traded in my KAHR CM9mm for a CM40cal same size, weighs couple ounces more, 6 rounds, one shot less. Not a fun gun to shoot but a powerful derringer for me 93 years old ------>

1. Does the M&P 40 have the same issues with abrupt recoil that the .40 Glocks do, and can this be fixed with a recoil spring swap like in a Glock?
2. What if any difference is there between the M&P trigger and the Glock trigger, and are there aftermarket triggers that work as well as the aftermarket Glock triggers?

1. About the same, as far as I can tell. Wouldn't know about the spring changing thing.
2. Both are terrible, IMO. Aftermarket parts do seem to make a considerable improvement in M&Ps with particularly lousy triggers. Couldn't compare with tricked-out Glocks as I have only fired stock guns. Apex parts for M&Ps "ain't cheap!"

I'll have to do some research.

After changing to a 22lb. spring, you wouldn't recognize that Glock 22. It's actually pleasant to shoot, more like an M1911 with self-defense loads.

You can get a pretty decent (for the type) trigger on a Glock for not that much money.

1. Replaced the connector with an aftermarket item. I used the 3.5lb. Ghost.
2. Do the "$0.25 trigger job", polishing the wear points with Flitz and a Q-Tip.

I love the trigger pulls on my Glock 19 and Glock 22 now. Obviously they're nothing like a good M1911, but they're MUCH better than box stock, and INFINITELY better than the despicable "New York trigger" that the Glock 22 had when I bought it.

I'll stay with my statement that both brands have terrible triggers, and elaborate on it a bit to say that it pains me to admit that generally I can manage the stock Glock trigger much better than the stock M&P trigger.

The actual shape of the S&W trigger "feels" better to me, and I have never been pinched by an M&P trigger like I get by Glocks, but the action of the trigger is very tough to manage. I find the Glocks a bit easier. I find the "trigger dingus" of the Glock to be "despicable."

If you started with the NY trigger, I can well understand that anything seems like a huge improvement.

I've never live fired an M&P. I'm not sure I've even dry fired one.

Since you stated a smaller frame and not a pocket pistol I would go with the 40 Compact if you are looking strictly at a S&W.. you can get a 9 mm barrel and shoot practice in 9 while carrying S&W 40 makes it a little cheaper if you don't reload .. You might also look at a Beretta PX4 Sub-Compact it has a better trigger then the Compact and comes in several models whether a safety is desired or not .. if open to any brand ..

The Compact also has 3 size adjustable back straps which will give you a better chance at a proper hand fit .. I've tried the Shield several times at the range and the feel just isn't there for me like it is when shooting the Compact ..

The Shield is the softest shooting non-full sized .40 I have ever shot.

I like the hammer fired, compact DA/SA Sig P229. I carried one in .40 cal. for nealy 20 years as my duty handgun. I must have fired in excess of 20k rounds through that handgun during training and qualifications over the years. I changed out springs every five years. Off duty, I carried my personally owned single-stack P239 in .40 cal. I never found the recoil "snappy" in either model. Both were reliable and accurate for defensive use. Sig offers kits to allow you to interchange calibers.

Where can I get a 20lb recoil spring for my gen4 glock 23?

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Stay protected my friends.

I don't have a Glock but I use these spring in my S&W 3rd Gens.

They have 20# or 22# springs. I'm sure there are other places but this is the one I know & use.

ndzperformance.com/ISMI-For-Glock-Compact-Recoil-Spring

.

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Waiting for the break of day

I got a Kahr CM40 a few months ago. Compact .40 5+1. OAL of 5.47". About 17 oz. great pocket carry for around $320.

Amazon, Glockmeister and a bunch of other places. I forget where I got mine.

I too have a SIG P224 in .40. It is reliable and about the same size as a Colt D.S. I don't find the recoil all that bad. In the summer it's usually a J Frame so I can pocket carry but come cooler weather, out comes this SIG.

Hello, great question, I have a 9 shield, MP9c, glock 19, MP40c, glock 23, I mainly carry the glock23, the reason is the mag capacity and the reliability of the gun and mag. I purchased full sized magazines for the MP and the glocks, the mps have the little spacer that fits the mag to the frames. I did that to the 9mm also.
Good luck
SEMPER PARATUS

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NRA Life Member
CPO

The only .40's I've owned are Glocks.

My Glock 23 is my favorite...or at times my 27

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C & L

Had I been afforded the opportunity to choose the .40, as opposed to it being thrust upon me by my employer, I would have chosen a different caliber. I never purchased my own pistol in .40, and never will. A solution in search of a problem . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Glock 23. Hides like a compact but handles like a full size.

You can also convert it to both 9mm and 357 sig for fairly inexpensive

M40 a great carry weapon, 640 and/or 940 too. ;-)

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Certified Curmudgeon

The 4040PD is a great choice for a .40 S&W carry gun. The only Scandium frame 3rd Gen earns it the AirLite tag, just like my 360PD AirLite .357 revolver.

My Shorty Forty is also a great carry gun, but generally to nice for everyday carry:



I like the extra power the .40 S&W offers and the extra recoil that comes with it doesn't bother me.

digiroc

Is that a Mk.I ?? If so, can you tell me how tall your front sight is? Mine shoots low. Thanks.

.

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Waiting for the break of day

I love my SD40VE. Before I got it I had a .22 caliber S&W that I used to get me CHL. As I was taking my shooting test, I noticed some were shooting 9mm and .40 caliber so I asked if I could try them. I didn't think that either was too snappy for me, this after I had a stroke that severely impacted my right side. I ended getting a SD40VE and shoot it very well. Normally use 180 gr or 165 gr HST.

If you want small and with the rebate being offered, the Shield is your answer.

I happen to like the .40S&W caliber, and I own 2 pistols chambered in it - a M&P 40c and a Sigma 40F. Unfortunately, I also have arthritis in my hands and wrists, so recoil is a definite consideration for me. I've found that I tolerate the recoil better in a polymer framed, rather than a metal framed pistol, and the heavier bullet weights (180gr.) than the lighter weight bullets.

Regards,

Dave

Cmort666 PSA is Palmetta State Armory

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

40S&W, 40S&W everywhere but not a 40S&W to shoot!!! When I was active LE, I carried and shot the Glock 23, the USP 40, and the Sig 229. I liked the Sig 229 the best. Never had an issue with snappy. Now retired, I use a 40 Recon. I also have a 4013 with an extra barrel bored out to 10MM. It handles the 10MM with little increase in recoil. And then there is the 4013TSW and the CS40. I like them all but prefer either the 40 Recon or Sig 229 for carry because they are set up with decock only, no safety. They are ready when you are.