i just purchased a shield .40 on black friday. all and all im pretty impressed with the gun except the trigger. going from a glock 23 to this i feel the trigger is kinda sloppy. i feel that the glock is a better shooter but im sure its cause im accustom to shooting it.

im looking into trigger kits. i know theres a alot of kits out there and am looking at some feed back on some of the kits out there. one of the kits ive seen on youtube is the apex trigger. looking at a video and hearing someone that actually has one install is 2 totally different things.

Please post ur comments and brand of trigger kits.

thanks in advanced

I own Glocks, XDs and the Shield. I'm probably in the minority here, but if it's a carry pistol, I simply learn the platform I'm carrying, rather than spending more money on trigger kits... and I shoot all three brands equally well at 30ft (as far as grouping goes).
If you really want to get a trigger kit, most here go with Apex.

its my first s&w. its alot better then a Beretta nano. i do need some more time behind her for sure. im not satisfied with the trigger.
thanks for ur input rob

Have Shield 9mm. Love it. It is my everyday carry. Im sorry I don't know much about trigger jobs. All I know is when I pull the trigger of a Shield, it goes bang 100% of the time!

i put 50 rounds into the pistol and it did fire everytime. at times my glock gives me a light fire strike. the shield was 350 and couldnt pass it up. for a gun to be my carry weapon it needs to be set up how i like it. overall the trigger is its only down fall in my eyes. travel is to long and feels crunchy/spungy.

I hear good things about the Apex triggers.

If you'll do a search, there are quite a few threads where Shield owners have gotten rid of the spongey/crunches with some judicious polishing of parts and perhaps a spring change. Might want to check that out prior to springing for the Apex kit.

The trigger will smooth out with use. If you want to hasten the smoothing a bit, Burwell Guns has a great DIY PDF for smoothing M&P triggers.
http://www.burwellguns.com/misc/M&Ptriggerjob.pdf

i have no issue with mine. In fact i never notice the trigger on a gun unless its unusually heavy. If you train with your pistol you get used to it. I would not call the trigger heavy on the shield.

I couldn't agree more. I say learn your pistols but if you just have to go with the Apex.

I have the Shield .40 and have no problem with the trigger, that's one of the reasons I bought it. A 30 year L.E.O. here in Utah told me that
it's best to keep your CCW stock as a defensive weapon. If you ever have to use it in a defensive situation, there will be a lot less questions about your firearm from the Courts.

My advice ? Leave the trigger alone, especially on a SD handgun. It's not a competition/range gun. The trigger is fine.

Want some legal reasons ?
Read this… Gun Modifications, Light Triggers and Reloaded Ammunition

Good advice here. I have used the Apex kit in an M&P9L. It now resides in my daughter's 9c. She likes it but to me it was a waste of money. The parts do work, not saying they don't, but remember the M&P triggers do get smoother with use. Put 500 rounds through the gun before you spend the money. Then let us know what you decide. I was not concerned about it with the 9L (a range gun) but with the Shield, I prefer to keep the gun as stock as possible. JMHO.

I have a Shield 40 and the trigger on mine seems to be fairly smooth and crisp. I don't think that I would want to change it, because action jobs may reduce reliability of ignition. I have several handguns that have had trigger jobs and I have to think about which ammo works in which gun. Not good for a self defense gun.

I worry that a gun may be seized and inspected and I wouldn't want to give a prosecutor any more ammo than he already has against me....

However....

My M&P45c had such nasty trigger I was contemplating selling it. After reading some excellent posts on this forum, I looked at the trigger bar under a magnifying glass and I could easily see the poor machining or stamping marks on a number of mating surfaces.

These are the surfaces that wear when firing a gun.

I chose to accelerate their 'wear' by polishing the rough finishes using a stone and polishing compound on a felt wheel.

The trigger on my 45c is unbelievably smooth now and a joy to shoot. I did not change the trigger weight except for removing some friction added resistance, but I did make the take-up disappear.

Now the trigger pulls smooth to the breaking point, then stops until about 6 pounds of pressure is applied and then it snaps clean.

You can run thousands of rounds through your gun struggling with a poor trigger, or you can improve the trigger and run thousands of rounds through quite happily.

Your choice, but I don't believe cleaning and polishing will ever be fodder for a prosecutor.

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Kirk / Spock 2020

Here's my take on it as a 33 year law enforcement firearms instructor. My Shield is a EDC gun, and fills the defensive pistol role quite well. Mine is stock, and I haven't even thought about putting an after-market trigger in it.

I say that because unless you are going to use your Shield as a match gun, then as a defensive handgun, the stock trigger will work just fine. Under the stress of an armed encounter, you are NOT going to be worried about the perfect trigger reset. You are going to do like even well trained military operators, and LEO's do, you are going to put rounds down range.

There was a recent study conducted by NAVSPECWAR using (SEAL) shooters. It was discovered that even highly trained operators are not using trigger reset. They have coined the term as a "Tactical Slap" of the trigger. In other words these operators under stress, tend to shoot their pistols with little or no regard for finding the trigger reset. Of course these operators shoot many more rounds than most of the rest of us, so practice does help.

My point being that if you are carrying your Shield as a defensive handgun, and the need arises for you to shoot in your own defense, you probably will not even think about a trigger reset. So my advise is to save the money on the match trigger, and spend it on range time and training.

The Shield trigger isn't perfect but it's the best I've found on a compact 9mm. I tried a LC9 but gave it away to my son after I found I couldn't live with its long heavy trigger. Then I bought a Sig P290RS; it wasn't any better and it now sits in my safe unfired. I haven't tried a Kahr yet but I have a CW380 on the way to see what it's like.

Congratulations on a great deal, on a great pistol. I would chime in with everyone else, just shoot the dang thing and enjoy it. I haven't noticed any sloppiness on my Shield, its my EDC, but I don't have a glock to compare it with. I'd shoot another box, just to see if it gets better. Its a great carry gun, again, congratulations!

Keep in mind all triggers are not the same... I have 8 M&Ps, including three Shields.

Two of the Shields are similar, one is very different.

So we can't tell a guy his trigger is fine and just learn to shoot it. Some M&Ps come with just rotten triggers!!

.

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Kirk / Spock 2020

Good legal advice about NOT modifying an EDC weapon in any way -- a short Google search will soon point it out. My Shield trigger pull is a tad longer the my Glock 27 trigger pull, is just as smooth, but not as crisp as the G27. Any gun could come with a bad trigger, might let a S&W armorer look at it.

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PC Shield 45
NRA Life Member

I'm now at 550 +/- rounds through my 9 mm shield. Trigger is much better than it was on round #1. Only thing I plan to do is put a CTC laserguard on it to help in a panic situation.

thanks for all the advice and the links. i never really thought about the prosecution taking the gun and looking into it. trigger kits r not illegal right ?

im going to put a couple hundred more rounds in her to see if it clears up. i did see online that theres machining marks that r causing trigger to feel crunchy. also did see on youtube quite a few people complaining about the trigger. im not about to take apart a band new gun yet.

thanks for all the links.

Trigger kits can be illegal if you lighten the pull below what your state mandates, or is that only for manufacturers? Kind of like removing the blocker in a magazine in New York so it carries 10 rounds instead of 7.

You don't have to take your gun apart to stone off those rasping machine marks. The trigger bar is quite accessible with the slide off.

If you are getting the grinding trigger from the USB hole, you must remove the rear site, the spring and USB plunger, and the striker to polish the USB bore.

Mine was bad and had some kind of burr in the USB bore. I wish you could have felt how bad that trigger was. There isn't anyone here that would shoot my 45c and tell me to get used to it.... It was that bad.

I don't know if you are polishing your parts after 500 rounds with a rotten trigger or if you are building your finger muscles....

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Kirk / Spock 2020

thanks for ur input lost. i got to dry fire it a few times but that doesnt really do much. my brother in law has the 9mm shield and was praising it. i just went with his advice. overall i like the pistol. for a .40 the flip isnt that harsh and is very controllable. i love the way it fills my hand.

im not trying to lighten the trigger. i just wanna get rid of some of the over travel.

i kinda thought i was going crazy cause it seems like i was the only one with a issue about the trigger on here lol glad to see im not crazy lol
gonna call s&w tomorrow and see where i can take it to get it looked at

+1 for Apex Tactical

M&P 40Pro, 40-357-9 FS, 40-357-9 C, 40 Shield, SD40VE
All perfected with Apex Tactical.

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M&P 40, M&P 40C,

I've never had too many complaints on my shield's trigger. It does get a little smoother after some 500 rounds or so. Imo, I've never been fond of the idea of modding the internals of a carry gun too much as even trigger mods will be looked into in court if one was ever to use a handgun in self defense.

I put 300 rds thru my 9mm before the trigger wasnt gritty. Believe me you will re fall in love with ur .40 when it happens.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

I wonder how much of the M&P trigger business is for real or just so much urban/internet legend. Guys read about it and assume they need a trigger job right out of the box. I transitioned from a 1911, which was/is apples and oranges from an M&P or any other striker fired pistol. I got used to the M&P trigger the way it was. That said, my Shield trigger is crisper than my FS, but since I don't EDC the full size I'm not gonna horse around with it. It puts rounds in the black as long as I can hold it on target. That's good enough for me.

Shoot it a lot and it will polish itself. Or get the Apex carry trigger.

My shield 9mm trigger SUCKED!!! it was around 8lbs and really gritty. Now it's about 4lbs with smooth take up and crisp break. I didn't modify the reset. I need to get the correct file to do that.

I do my own trigger jobs. It cost less and is really easy. If you screw up you can always buy one of the off the shelf kits people have listed above. Or you could take it to a professional gunsmith. There are lots of videos on Youtube that show how to do your own trigger job.

This is really a good post that should be read. Please be aware that changing your trigger in your carry gun can be a no-no if you ever have to use it for self defense. I would leave my carry gun pretty much stock.

Let me say this one more time.

Some triggers coming from the factory are really bad. All you guys telling the OP that he should live with his trigger have no idea what his trigger is like. (And don't even try to compare a single action 1911 to a double action trigger, no comparison. )

My first 7 M&P's I lived with the triggers. They were a bit gritty. They were anywhere from 6lbs to 8.5lbs pull. They are defensive guns and I left them alone. They do smooth out after hundreds of dry fires and live fires.

I am repeating myself here, but my 45c trigger was a nightmare. A real train wreck. Gritty like it was full of sand. A hard pull at break that I couldn't even measure.

I thought either I'd sell it or try to improve it because I know that most M&Ps aren't as bad as this one.

I should have taken pictures of that trigger bar. Where it rides against the USB looked like a saw blade under a magnifying glass.

Is anyone saying I shouldn't stone that rough edge smooth? It would become smooth after 10,000 rounds of firing anyway.

The USB felt like it was full of sand. When I pushed the USB in the hole it scratched in and out. It was obvious there was a burr in the hole scraping on the plunger.

Is anyone saying I should leave a machining burr in the USB hole?

Repairing those two problems completely changed my trigger. Yes the pull is less because I'm not riding the USB over a metal burr anymore. And the take-up is as smooth as a pat of butter skating across a hot frying pan because I removed the saw-edge on the trigger bar.

Any one of you would have grabbed my 45c and pulled the trigger and said 'Oh man.... something's wrong with your gun.'

If it was my first M&P and I logged in here and asked what I should do, I keep reading that the consensus is to just shoot it and live with it.

Well, I'm telling the OP that not all M&Ps are the same, and I know for a fact that some have horrid triggers.

Now you can do whatever you are comfortable with, take it to a gunsmith, send it back to the factory, or look at your trigger bar under magnification and see if that's what is causing you trouble. A few minutes with a polishing stone and your trigger can go from crud to wow!

Let me know if I can help, there's a couple good videos I recommend from folks on this forum that show just what to do.

It is NOT difficult or involved. It really is just removing factory defects and cleaning things up.

One more thought: I agree a modified trigger could be fodder for a prosecutor. But what if you had to stand in court and tell the jury you weren't a very good marksman with your carry gun because the trigger was gritty and had an unmeasurable pull? That's probably just as feasible as defending the fact you polished two mating surfaces to make you a better marksman.

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Kirk / Spock 2020

One other thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post. People complain about an 8 pound trigger pull, that is should be a lot less. Well I totally disagree for a defensive carry handgun.

Under the stress of an armed encounter, you are going to have ZERO problems in pressing an 8 pound trigger. And I actully like a heavier trigger pull for a defensive handgun. With a lighter trigger pull, under stress it may very well cause you to have a unintentional discharge.

In a CCW situation, you also have many things like your concealment garment, that can get into the triggger, and cause an unintentional discharge. I would much rather have a heavier trigger pull, and reduce the chance of an unintentional discharge.

Like I said earlier, if you are shooting your Shield in a match setting, then lighten the trigger. If not, you won't notice either the reset or the heavier trigger pull if you have to use it to defend your life.

i don't think anyone is talking about polishing to improve the trigger etc... i was merely saying an aftermarket trigger that reduces weight of the pull would be something that a DA would like to have in his corner if he/she wanted to prosecute someone. Just like its not a good idea to carry handloads with a large sticker that says "make my day" on the side of your gun. Just doesn't look good.

How did it go from a spungy/crunchy trigger to the trigger being to heavy? My complaint is with the over travel and the way it feels before it goes bang. Not how hard I go to pull it.

so i took my shield .40 to the range again today. put 100 rounds in it. after the first 50 my trigger finger was hurting. im like damn i must be a wussy. so i decided to ask the gun store if they had a tool where i can check how heavy the trigger pull is. they referred me to a gun shop not to far. i go and asked them if they could please check the weight of the trigger for me.

8.63 lbs!!! he even tried a mechanical one and showed 8.6. he said he could fix it with a trigger kit but since i just got the gun not to long ago to contact s&w and let them know.

Please define USB. I have a feeling the S is for striker but cant figure out the U and B.

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40c FS,9Shield(2)40,9Pro

Common misunderstanding.

The "Ultimate Striker Block" is APEX's replacement part for the standard Striker Block that comes with the M&Ps.

Us in Mass get the horrible 10+ Lb trigger.

We have to do trigger jobs on any S&W M&P's because the trigger sucks.

Here's a post that I did about the APEX Kit and what I have found.

APEX Kits, what I have found...


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NRA & GOAL LIFE MEMBER

Im at 350 rounds in the gun and I cant tell that the trigger isnt gonna get any better. When I get home im going to email s&w to see what I can do. Gun is advertised to have a 6.5 lb trigger +/- ...... what 2 lbs plus. I would like to deal with it but im not. I need something that works for me. Almost a 9 lbs trigger is not acceptable imo.

I bought a 9mm Shield shortly after they were available. Love it! Only issue I have is there is no parts list for it. I use for IDPA (during BUP nights) so dropped an Apex trigger kit in it, but would like more spares.

I placed over 350 rounds thru my shield The trigger was around 8 pounds. For those that understand, it broke like arsenal repaired garand trigger break but without the same pull. . .

I put in apex kit. The local gunsmith is former lawyer and told me how to not tear up the pins or rear sight...

On my target M&P guns, for IDPA, I send the guns to S&W for an enhanced trigger job. But the difference between a trigger job, and putting a couple thousand rounds down range is hardly worth the cost. They really smooth out with use on their own.

Also, on my CCW M&P guns, primarily a Shield, I really don't mind "feeling" a gritty trigger. A little trigger resistance in a combat situation might be a good thing.

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Pete T.