I have recently come upon an M&P Shield 9mm. I noticed that it is does not have the caution warning on the right hand of the slide printed on it. Is this normal? Every Shield I have seen in pics and on videos has it so it makes me wonder what the deal is. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I think you are talking about the warning that the gun will fire if the magazine is removed.
You may have come across a version that has a MAGAZINE DISCONNECT which will prevent it from firing if the magazine has been removed. If you have a manual check page 29 to be sure.
S&W website shows the CA compliant Shields have a magazine safety, so the warning is not necessary.
Bob
If the OP does have a CA compliant model, it will also have the pop up red shark fin at the top of the slide with a "LOADED WHEN UP" warning etched into the top if the fin.