Why would a much older women need a performance 9mm shield over a original 9mm shield??? Only using for self defense and carry gun. Help !!!

No real need....I read an interesting article about ported barrels last night and how they are a terrible idea on self defense guns because of the muzzle flash

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I've been reading the same thing too. Most say NO ported barrel ever for self defense. So I'm thinking the better choice would be to purchase the orginal 9mm shield with tritium night sights. I hope I'm thinking correct on this. I had rather put the extra money in something that I really need or will really need one day as I get older and my eyes get older.

Ported Barrels

Yeah I would just get the shield with night sights.

Or I like the bodyguard 380....never shot one and it's probably too small for my hands but it looks nice and gets good reviews

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We already have the bodyguard with laser and I for myself can't stand the gun but my husband absolutely loves it. The long trigger pull is too much for me so my aim is always so off. The shield for me is just perfect. Love love love the 9mm shield.

I have not heard this.

I bought the plain Shield with thumb safety; the Shield with night sights does not come with a thumb safety and I wanted one. I am very happy with the gun as is but will probably get some fiber optic/night sights at some point.

Most reviews I have read state there is not much difference in muzzle flip between the Performance Center and regular Shield so for your purposes the regular should be fine; easier to keep clean too!

I did not like the Bodyguard either; too small!

I bought a Shield 9 because it offered a thumb safety and was reasonably priced . I was not comfortable with "one in the chamber" without a safety . I wish Glock would come out with a thumb safety models . To me spending time learning how to shoot is the most important part of owning a gun , because if something ever happens odds are you wont be aiming down a sight when things go bad .

I agree with this; training is everything!

Emalone, I believe that you would be extremely happy with the standard Shield 9, complete with the safety. YOU WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO EMPLOY THE SAFETY, but I believe it is comforting to know that It is there if you wanted to use it. I carry a Shield 9 with safety and I find myself using it most of the time, but that's just me. I can see no advantages in spending more for the performance center version for a carry weapon. Keep it simple.(just an 80 year old man's opinion)

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JAREDSHS
LEO(retired)

Consider getting the "plain" Shield and then add the night sights of your choice. The factory night sights are of the 3 dot style.

There are many different styles of night sights, I prefer the 2 dot Pro i-Dot's made by Ameriglo. You can get them with luminescent green outline or orange around the front tritium insert. Also you can get a U or Square shaped rear sight, with a tritium insert or plain.

I'm a couple ticks over 60 and love and have the LumiGreen front sight and tritium rear on my Shield and my M&P Hybrid, they are very easy to see in day light and low light. I'm replacing all of my factory night sights with the Pro i-Dot's.

Just a couple of my thoughts.
You will Love the standard Shield. I have the Shield 9mm Ported. Why the PC Ported, just because I just honestly really liked the looks. The muzzle flash is a non issue. In fact you do not even notice it during the day. From what I have read even at night it is a non issue. If I ever get the chance I will probably replace my ported barrel with a standard barrel. The ported barrel allows the inside of the slide to get extreamly dirty.
As far as the night sights. I have had night sights on several of my pistols over the years. In the dark they are still very hard for me to pick up and take time to do so. In a self defense situation the time will probable not be there and if it is you probably should be trying to put distance between you and the subject. If it is in you're home (threat) I prefer a Streamlight Laser flashlight combo. But that is not my carry gun.
I really like the Fiber optic sights for all my pistols. I like them for the range, and my PC Shield came from the factory with them installed.
I have had 4 of the BG380 pistols and have always traded them away thinking I needed something a little bigger. I have even had the Ruger LCP 380. I ended up ordering the new M&P BG380 with the removable green laser that is factory installed. Love it and it is staying around with all my other M&P's. I agree though. Women hate the Bg380 for the most part. It is not a range gun at any means. Men tend to really like it. I like it because it is made better than most of the other 380's out there. It actually feels like a real gun in you're hand. Not like a toy or cheaply made. I really like it because I can throw the safety on throw it in my pocket with nothing else but the gun and no worries. Safety is easily taken off like a 1911 (by thumb).
Just a couple of mixed up thoughts on the whole ported , sight and BG380 thingy.

Thank you all. I finally purchased my new 9mm shield yesterday. I chose the 9mm shield with tritium night sights with NO safety. We already have a 9mm shield I knew that's was the gun for me for carry/home defense. Where I bought it the orginal shield was $422 and the one I purchased was $480 with the tritium night sights. The gun store/range where I purchased it also gives me a lifetime warranty with them and I also get one with smith and Wesson. I did see the orginal 9mm shield on sale at another store for $350. Our daughter was just recently robbed and beaten in daylight at a shopping center while I was in the store exchanging something and I got out of the car and my 19 year old daughter was in the drivers seat with the car on and the minute I get out of the car before she can lock the doors a guy jumps in and demands her to drive while he holds a gun to her head. She refuses and refuses so he pistol whips her horrible. He kept damanding and she kept refusing so he wanted money she didn't have any money and she told him that well he beat her again. He sees her purse in the backseat and he grabs that and beats her somemore then gets out of the car and walks. She was barely able to call 911 but the police came and they searched and searched and they never found him. This all happened so fast that if she had had a gun she could have used it the second he got out of the car but he beat her so bad she wouldn't have been able too. The police got there in 3 mins and by the time I was almost walking out of the store an officer came in and ask if I was soing so and I said yes and the officer said your daughter has been robbed and assaulted. This was horrible horrible horrible and we our thankful she is alive. The police and dectective have told her she handled it the right way bc of her outcome. They have praised her for fighting back and not letting him have his way. Please share our story with others can see this does happen when we think oh it won't happen to us. Where we were shopping I've shopped there for 20 years and parked in the same parking place for 10 years. We pray they catch this horrible monster but as of now they have NO leads and it happened in August.

That's horrible...glad she's OK! Carrying a concealed weapon is fine, but only if you get a chance to pull it...most likely she didn't or wouldn't have had the chance in this case and the outcome could have been much worse if she tried. In my case even if I couldn't pull my gun....I don't think he would have been successful getting in my car...unless he wanted his ears/face gnawed off by my 80 lb German Shepard.