Now I know this subject has been talked to death, however I am new to these guns. I am going for my ccp. My father bought a shield m&p .40, but due to arthritis he has issues pulling back the slide. So this is the gun I am going to aquire for everyday. I hear mixed reviews on this gun vs the 9mm version. As to everything practice and knowing your fire arm is important next to safety. Really is this a good gun to own or
is the 9mm better.

I have shot both, and own a .40. The .40 is a bit snappier as far as recoil, but I have had no issues with FTF, FTE. Its not a gun I would want to shoot all day, but I have no issue firing 100+ through at least monthly to stay proficient with it. Nothing irks me more that to see guys get a small carry piece, but never practice with it, because it has too much recoil..... If you don't have a lot of experience with firearms, especially smaller autos, you may want to get the 9mm instead. It will be a bit more comfortable for you to shoot enough to stay proficient and gain confidence in your ability to use it if needed. Should you reach that point, you can always step up to the larger .40....

Thank you for your input, I do have some experience with hand guns, however most of my life has been around rifles and shotguns. My father in law has a variant of this model, I can't remember the brand but in a 9mm. And that gun fired very well with me hitting the target each shot, not dead center but inside the circle. The 9mm really didn't snap that bad, however never firing a .40 I was just a little concerned about how snappy it really is.

The .40 will definitely be a little whippier than the 9mm. maybe not objectionable, but definitely noticeable.

I own both, a Shield in 9mm and 40 S&W. I shoot them both very well and both are very accurate for me out to 10 yards. I carry the 9mm daily, and as soon as I find a SD load for the 40, I'll put that into rotation as well. I have several years training/experience with handguns, so I don't find the Shield 40 uncomfortable or hard to control/manage. You may want to try the 40 before you buy it, to see if you like it. The 9mm will be slightly easier to shoot and ammo will be cheaper as well. Best of luck on your decision. :-)

I owned and carried a 40 for a year and put around 20 rounds through it a week. Shot it good to 10 yards but never enjoyed shooting it. It was hard to rack the slide the first 6 months but I got so I could rack it with my thumb and index finger and I am 69 years old and have arthritis in my hands and right shoulder so the snappy recoil was a pain. Sold it and got a 9 last month and love it. Rapid fire is a lot easier and at 7 yards I can keep 5 rounds in a 4" circle as fast as I can shoot. The 40 wouldn't do that for me. I am thinking in SD 2 or 3 good quick shots will be better then 1 good shot.

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

Thank you all for your input, the .40 will be a gift is why I asked. I do enjoy shooting a 9mm think I will ask my old man about taking it to the range and running some rounds to get a feel.

I guess my last question is, what about all this I have seen about changing the barrel and clip and doing a 9mm convert on the .40. How safe is that really going to be?

I bought the Shield 9 as my first gun. I have put 650 rounds through it and have to say while I still need work on trigger control and resisting the urge to flinch on the shot I really do enjoy shooting it. The recoil on the 9 is manageable and not all that snappy.

For a SD gun shooting 10 yards or less the trigger is fine. You are not going to find a barrel to convert a 40 to a 9 at least for now so don't worry about it. I have the Pierce grip extensions on my mags and like them as with my hands the pinky finger has a place to be comfortable. Don

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

I like my 9mm. Never have fired the .40.

I am also new to CC. A friend of mine has the .40 cal Shield and was kind enough to let me go through about 150 rounds. I wanted to try it out as I was considering the Shield as my first CCW. When I was through testing it out I had NO QUESTION that I would be comfortable with the .40 cal Shield as an edc.
I did end up ordering a 9mm Shield just due to the lower cost of ammunition.
I am sure if you practice with it even once in a while it will be great for the task at hand. Being a gift, I wouldn't bother swapping it out, but thats just me.

I've been carrying my Shield 40 for a little over 2 years now, and it has been reliable since day one. Since its a SD gun and not a range gun, and I don't have anything in 9mm to compare it to, the recoil is what it is, and is not uncomfortable for my usage.
Just my experience, so to each his own, that's what's nice about having choices.
Good luck.

the Shield in .40 is not bad at all, now the Walther PPS in .40 is a different matter

There have been a few that have put in a 9mm barrel in their 40 Shield's and haven't had any issues but...good luck on finding a 9mm barrel, they're scarcer than hens teeth! Last year I saw 2 different Shield 9mm barrels go for over $250 each on Ebay...for that price you might as well buy a whole 9mm Shield!

Here are my two cents. I did a little research before picking up a no thumb safety 9 Shield, and a found quite a few posts from people who had fired the gun in .40 S&W and not liked it due to recoil, including those who had actually bought the .40S&W version and sold it due to this discomfort.

It's tough to judge people's experience level and sensitivity to recoil over the Net, but I know for a fact that I prefer shooting, for example, a Glock 19 over a Glock 23, and I own or have owned multiple samples of each.

The 9X19 kills them just as dead, ammo's cheaper, ammo's smaller and therefore magazine capacity is increased, and on shooting, it recoils less. To me, the decision was a no brainer; really.

I haven't read one single complaint about recoil on a 9 Shield; ever.

Even if the pistol was a gift, you can always sell it and buy what you really want. The gifter should be that much more understanding in your desire to swap the gift, if he gave it to you because it recoiled excessively for him.

Don't get me wrong I can well handle the recoil of the 40 but I shoot my EDC gun a lot. I go to a indoor range almost everyday and plan on shooting my 40 CORE or 9 Pro or maybe one of my 1911 45 ACPs so when I finish I do some practice with EDC and did not really enjoy shooting the gun. I love shooting my 357 mag.

Shoot what you like and if it is EDC shoot it a lot. The gun needs to feel like part of you.

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

I had 2 glock 19s, sold them & bought a 23 that I still have & love.
I never felt too much difference at all between the 9 & 40.
I have the Shield in 9, never shot the Shield 40 but am assuming the difference would be close.

The FBI has recently reverted to 9mm pistols. They haven't decided on which company yet. One reason is recoil and another is that 9mm ammo is no very versatile for carry. "Nine is fine." I have a 9 Shield and it serves the purpose. Smith came out with a Performance Center 9 Shield, which is ported, has fiber optic sights and a worked trigger. I would've like that one since it would be less "snappy" but I still like my Shield. I may just add to my EDC rotation with an XDS 45 Mod. 2 but my "jury" is out so far.

I have both a 9mm and 40S&W shield.

The felt recoil is about the same using 165gr 40S&W loads and 9mm 124gr +P loads--to me. The regular 124gr is a bit less snappy.

The felt recoil is less on the Shield 40 than on my Glock 23 gen 3--at least to me.

If this is an issue, there are some devices which can be added to the frame to help.

Also, the Push the grip forward while just holding the slide still method works pretty well.

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-Ric
Keep Calm and Carry

I own and carry a Shield 9. I have gotten to fire a Shield .40. For me the .40 is slower and less accurate in rapid fire especially when firing strong- and weak-hand only. In my opinion the 9mm is an all day shooter, but the .40 isn't.

Try them both yourself.

I have both, the 9mm and .40 Shields. Let me start by saying both are great guns. Both are reliable and accurate. That being said, I carry my Shield 9mm. And this coming from a tried and true .40 fan. With the 9 my follow up shots are noticeably faster. My 9 is just a lil more accurate, probably because I had it first, shot it more, and that caused trigger to smooth out better.

That being said, the .40 version is a great shooter too. The decision of which one was a tough one for me. The extra round that the 9mm holds was the tie breaker for me, but I wouldn't cry if all I had was the .40 to carry. I will definitely never get rid of the .40 because it is a great pistol too.

I suggest keeping the .40, if for no other reason than for the fact that it is a gift from your father. Carry and shoot it till you can get a 9mm version. They are both good enough to justify having one of each!!!

Until I bought my wife a shield 9mm, We had only shot 40s&W(a 40c and a sigma 40). I liked the shield 9 so mucht hat i bought myself the 40 version two weeks later. That day we went to the range. We BOTH shot the 40 version better(quicker, more accurate follow ups). I am guessing that this is because the slightly snappier 40 is what we were used to. After that, she carried the 40 and I carried the 9. Last summer, I sold off the shield 9 to buy the kryptec shield 40. We' are back to one caliber.

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SDMF

All good comments. For those who really like the idea that you get one extra round in the 9mm Shield which means 7+1, and 8+1 with standard Smith mags, may I suggested getting hold of a Magguts spring kit arrangement which will add even one more round to the standard S&W magazines. I increased my 7 round mag by one round more. The pistol now holds one round less than a Glock M26 and is more compact. You can do the same to the 8 round mag and increase the capacity of the pistol to 10 rounds. I did find it very difficult to get that extra round into the pistol. Eventually I did get it seated with the use of an XDS mag loader. ProMag does have a ten round mag which cannot be expanded but with a compact 8 Round Standard S&W mag and Magguts springs, who needs it? BTW I still can only get 9 rounds into the MagPro 10-round mag.

I have two .40S&W handguns. One is an M&P .40 and the other is an XD40. I don't find the recoil objectionable in either.

Several years ago while practicing as an ER Physican, I researched one shot stops with three cartridges: .45 auto, .40S&W and 9mm. Since, today, the chances of a potentially life threatening encounter would likely involve a perp that is high on some substance, my choice was for a cartridge with good knockdown ability as well as acceptable recoil. The .40 was my choice because I came across too many reports of individuals that kept on coming after taking a couple of rounds of 9mm.

Thankfully, I haven't yet had to use the weapon in a life threatening situation and hope I never do. But I'm confident that the cartridge will have the power to stop a perp with one well placed round.

Just another thing to consider when you are selecting an SD weapon.

The report I saw said bigger is better, but the new FBI report states that with the much improved bullets and powders the9mm is more effictive than a .40. A fmj 9mm will make a small wound channel that seals up, which is most likely what the ER docs are seeing.

I see you were or are a LEO, most large depts. and most State troopers are given their duty weapon by their agency, which is mostly in 40 cal. however, some depts. allow their men to choose the cal. weapon because they have to buy it themselves,
however, these are small depts. usually in rural areas. My question is what cal. duty weapon did or do you carry ? Also what cal. do you like the best as a duty weapon ?

Ok so I decided to have a father daughter day and took my 17 year old out shooting. I borrowed my parents two shields the 9mm and the .40, after shooting both guns I have realized that the shield m&p .40 is more to my comfort level. For some reason I can't hit the side of a barn with the 9mm. But with the .40 it was a little snappier but not by much. However I hit the target almost every time with it. Maybe it was the added recoil, maybe it is in my mind but I told my dad since they don't use these guns we will take them to the range once a month for practice. I appreciate all the input from everyone here.

Don't know if you have a gun club in your area, but I've always found it helpful to try shooting different guns (preferably with different sights than the typical 3-dot sights on most guns) to see how they shot (and how good/bad I was). Most, if not all of the members in my local gun club are happy to have other members try out their guns. As far as I'm concerned as long as I can hit a paper plate at 10 yards and the gun goes "bang" every time I'm happy. If I go shoot rental guns at my LGS it typically costs me $10/10 shots...much cheaper (free) at the range/gun club. BTW, I just purchased a used 3rd gen S&W 5906 from one of my fellow members and it is oh so sweet! Good luck shooting!

My department issues GLOCK 40'S. The 22, 23, and 27. I am issued a G23 since I am plain clothed, but I am also authorized to carry my personally owned G27, so those are the 2 I carry on duty and I like them both a lot. I have carried Glock 40's for 22 years now and they have never let me down. IMO the .40 is the best law enforcement round. I has the weight and power for barrier penetration and certainly has enough power to put a BG down quickly and effectively which I have seen personally several times. We use 165 HST's and we are very satisfied.

The FBI can whine all they want about 9mm effectiveness. Yes, the 9mm is more effective than it used to be, but the .40 was always effective! And if bullet technology has finally made the 9mm adequate (with the right ammo), then that same technology has made the .40 more than adequate, since it was adequate to begin with!!!! Don't get me wrong, the 9mm is OK, especially in a small platform, but it cannot outperform the .40!

That being said, my usual off-duty carry is my Shield 9, and my Ruger LCR .357.

The full size S&W MP40 can use a 9mm or 357sig conversion barrel made by Storm Lake using the appropriate magazine. No such barrels are available for the Shield.

The manufacturers - not the FBI - were the ones who originally said that, yes, all service ammunition had benefited from improvement. But they also said that, of all the calibers, the 9mm benefited much more than the other calibers. Nothing magical about that other than, with the majority of service pistols being 9mm, that's where most of the R&D money went.

If somebody thinks a tenth of an inch extra expansion diameter and half an inch more of penetration is the difference between "adequate" and "superior" - well then, that person should buy a .45 ACP, not a 40. Or a 40 instead of a 9mm if they can't handle the 45 to get that difference.

In the real world, tenths of inches in difference in diameter and half an inch more penetration is going to be the very last factor likely to decide a gunfight. And the 9mm is more than just "adequate". This kind of discussion almost always devolves into somebody who carries a .45 explaining to .40 fans that the .40 is just "adequate". For whatever it's worth, Dr Gary Roberts has probably tested more service ammunition, reviewed more OIS reports - and is also a reserve LEO - than anybody out there. He has said that given all of that, his choice is a 9mm with standard pressure 147 gr HST. Although if he worked highway patrol, he might choose a 40 instead. Maybe. This is a guy who carried a .45 ACP before transitioning to a .40, and then finally, the 9mm.

Sounds pretty close to me.

I carried a 40. I carried a 9mm. I started out with a .38 Spl Model 10. I wouldn't lose one second of sleep to be armed with any of them as long as they were loaded with modern service ammunition.

I guess everyone has their favorite weapon. I bought the .40 Shield and carry it IWB. As many state it has a strong recoil which you no doubt know from your experience with your father's pistol. It is not a pistol that I enjoy shooting because of the recoil. It is jarring. In qualification for former and retired LEOS we are required to shoot around 35 rounds or more. Toward the finish I can't wait to complete the qualification.
One point that might help would be using a lighter .40 SW round a 135 or 165 than the 180. This should reduce the recoil. Carrying a lighter HP defensive round also makes sense to me.

Another point is that the 9mm is not only a lighter round but in most instances allows your magazine to carry a larger capacity. 9mm rounds have also came a long way from when they first came out. Recently the FBI announced that they were looking into going back to the 9mm. Whatever I wish you success. I do like the SW MP Shield.It is a great concealed carry.

The 40 and 9 frames are the exact same.
Take the 40 from your father and if you don't like it, pick up a 9mm Shield barrel AND magazine and you now have a two caliber handgun.
Problem solved.
FYI: this only works for a 40 Shield frame. If someone purchases a 9mm Shield you cannot easily convert it to 40 the same way.

Do you need to worry about the ejector lining up with the smaller diameter casing of a 9mm when converting from a 40cal to 9mm?

Good luck getting a 9 Shield barrel. If you can find one on EBay you will pay about as much as buying a new 9. This has been discussed on several threads on this forum. You used to be able to get them maybe with the more demand Storm Lake or someone will start making them.

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

I believe the original post was concern over someone having trouble pulling back the slide on a pistol. When I give instruction to people who have trouble pulling back the slide, I tell them not to pull the slide. Hold the slide steady with the weak hand and push the frame of the pistol forward with the strong hand. Along with this, I have them concentrate on having a good grip on the pistol (finger off the trigger) before chambering the first round. Of course, there are variations between pistols on how much force is required to chamber a round. For instance, I have found that the 3rd generation Glock 19 pistol requires less force than the original Springfield XD-9. This is one of the reasons a Glock 19 is among the pistols recommended for a new shooter.

Remember one thing - The M&P .40 was built ground up as a .40 Whereas some other manufactures ( Glock being one that I know of ) started with a 9mm and then adapted to the .40 in the same gun. As a retired machinist I can tell you that when you build something from start to finish as one thing but make another by changing only some of the parts can make for unseen problems , some that are huge and others ( like here in this discussion ) that make only a small difference , but enough to make that difference when your life depends on that change.

"..due to arthritis..."
Look, do NOT buy a .40 cal anything if your Dad has arthritis. As a doctor and shooter I will advise the 9mm. I have handled both calibers in this model and, while the grip is very comfortable, you will find:
1. manipulating the slide, 'racking' a round, about the same, perhaps a bit harder with the .40

2. recoil is significant in the .40. The 9mms terminal ballistics are excellent. Less recoil, probably a bit easier to chamber, same grip, same size, a bit lighter when loaded.

Go with the 9mm, you will be happier.

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An Armed Society is a Free Society

Retired LEO here with 38 years OTJ and 4 years as a USN Aviation Ordnanceman ('68-'72).

My suggestion: As a number of public ranges that sell firearms also "rent" them out for range time, or allow you to shoot one free for nothing more than the cost of ammo they sell (in the hopes that you'll buy from them), take time to fire both, the 9mm and the .40, then decide which one feels most comfortable, and provides the greatest degree of control and accuracy.

Hitting your target with one or two well placed rounds always beats the "Spray and Pray" method. Good luck and let us know what you decided.

I'd have to "second" the good doctor on this one.

I own, and/or have shot multiple calibers in various configurations, and I find the .40's (while exhibiting very good SD ballistics potentials) to be tolerable shooters, but sometimes a bit too much if my "itis's" are acting up in my finger/hands/wrists (which varies from time to time). I feel good confidence shooting/carrying the 9's when weight or bulk are issues due to certain dress modes, but more recently have been shooting and carrying a Glock 30 (.45 acp), which is a great shooter (I shoot one as well or maybe better than some of my 9's) and is not as snappy to me as many .40's. Not "pushing" Glock on our S&W forum ("heresy!!"), but I don't believe Smith builds a compact .45 autoloader, so maybe the idea does have some merit for someone else reading this who likes the idea of big bore SD weapons.

All that being said, though, the 9's are comparatively inexpensive to practice with (.45 acp ammo more expensive than .40's, even), and are more than adequate, ballistics-wise, with careful ammo selection.

I have 2 of every caliber M&P full size & both a 9 & 40 Shield for EDC. I am discontinuing use of .40 in everything. I find the .45 M&P more comfortable, less felt recoil and more accurate to shoot that the .40. When I take a friend to the range to introduced them to the M&P full size pistols I line up a three M&Ps. 9-.40 &.45. Everyone either picks the 9MM or .45 over the .40. after shooting a few mags out of each.
I used to use the .40 shield for EDC in the winter months (heavy clothing). Now it's the 9MM year round for EDC. Keep a M&P .45 or a 1911 in my cars console if the need presents itself. Just my .02

I also own both the 9 and 40. It's the most comfortable 40 I've ever shot. It's amazing how well it handles the recoil. I'd concur with the person who said 165 gr loads are about the same as 124 +P in 9mm. I'd also say it's harder to rack the slide on my 9mm and I've had that one longer.

Perfect reason to start reloading. You can download the 40 to recoil like a 9mm, or download a 9 even lower so it will function (for practice) with a weaker spring, thus allowing weaker hands to work it easier.

While it is not as carry friendly, I find that the longer magazine goes a long way toward taming recoil in both the 9 and the .40. I have one of each in the Shield. My preference is the 9, but if all I had were the .40 I wouldn't be too upset.

9mm: Cheaper ammo, more practice, faster and more accurate followup shots, more capacity

40sw: Adds to internet chest hair

Depends on the shooter. Me personally i shoot my .40 better than i shoot the 9mm. But thats probably because I shoot my .40 more often because thats what i carry.

Then again, i know women who shoot their .45 better than most grown men shoot a 9mm.

Beware irrelevant sensationalist anecdotes.

After the decision to buy a Shield was made, the ONLY reason I went with the 9mm was price of ammo. I am earnestly saving up for a second Shield, so that my wife will be as familiar with my gun as hers, and 9mm so I can keep shooting and still get her the roses on our anniversary....

Oh, and I apologize for the irrelevant sensationalist anecdote....Heh heh...

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Eric