I just happened to spot 2 Sheilds on a dealer's table at the local gun show yesterday. He had one 9mm and one .40 @$449 each. I did not even know this gun existed 1 week ago. I just happened to start researching my next purchase, a CC 9mm that my wife would like to shoot also. I had stopped at a few shops and asked to see the Shield and they all said the same thing - "yeah, if I only had one!" So, I bought the 9mm at the show.
This is my first purchase of a brand new semiauto pistol. I read the manual last night but I still have a few questions:

What is the proper way to break-in this new pistol? Should I worry about how many rounds I put through it before cleaning the barrel?
When will I know the gun has been sufficiently broke in?
These may be novice questions but I have never bought a new semiauto before.
Thanks in advance,
Larry

Congrats, and you sure are lucky!

In the manual it never said anything about a break in period. Personally I feel this gun (at least mine) needs to be broken in since everything is very stiff and rigid.

If you are going to carry this pistol for SD make sure you run some (50 rds or so) of your hollow point carry ammo to ensure functionality.

You should clean it prior to firing it (per manual) also again if for self defense after every range outing I would clean inspect and lubricate it.

There's no definitive way to tell when it's broken in but you will feel a difference in the moving parts as they will get easier and feel smoother.

Safe shooting

Clean the barrel before you shoot it. I always clean mine totally after shooting. Might be old school,but it works for me. You should at least wipe it down with an oily rag after shooting.

It "should" be broke in around the 500 rounds shot. Most people trust it after 500 rounds and no FTF,FTE's or any other problems.

I prefer 200 rounds, but that's subjective. If I have that number through a pistol without a bobble, I consider it broken in.

Some have more money than others ;-) Just to clarify I was referring to carry ammo JHP's.

You lucky dog!

The more you shoot...the more you feel comfortable with it. Shoot it as much as your wallet can stand. And always shoot your SD ammo to be sure it functions properly. Also consider buying a .22 cal firearm (hand gun or rifle) cheap to shoot...bring your 9 mm along and just shoot a few rounds to keep proficient and have some fun. Just my opinion...

So was I.

I also don't feel it's necessary to spend $1.00 to $1.25/rd for adequate SD ammo, but that's for another thread.

I shot 100 FMJ and 100 JHP through the shield. I also needed to shoot my new to me M27-2 .357 so I didn't want to bring TOO much ammo... All told it was 500 rds in 3 different pistols today. I did not shoot any high test SD ammo. I brought some Federal Hi Shok 124 grain JHP but did not have time.

I had 1 FTE and another surprise as well. I'm starting a new thread since it doesn't really pertain to "break -in".