I'm trading for a Shield in 40. Anyone own one? Tell me about it please. Good ammo, bad ammo, reliability, accuracy, all that stuff.
I have a Walther PPS in 40 and enjoy it. I'm hoping this one will be as much fun.

I have one. Recoil is snappy. I suggest that you put on a Hogue grip sleeve. It makes a big difference.

Recoil in a .40 S&W is vastly over-rated...no big deal like so many exclaim.
Randy

I've owned a shield 40 for 2 yrs as my EDC and even used it in a few IDPA matches. It is just as accurate and reliable as any other M&P pistol.

However.... it is my opinion that although 40s&w is a great caliber, it's not for new or inexperienced shooters in a small polymer carry gun. Recoil can be stout. Like I said, I used it in a few IDPA matches where you're scored on your time & accuracy and it was clear from the get go that I shot faster and more hits on target with a 9mm than 40.

I had All three flavors of Shield. The 1.0 was snappy due to the thin slippery grip, much better with rubber Talon grips. The 2.0 grip texture should fix that problem. I sold it to a friend, keeping the 9 and 45. I really like the 45, it’s the most accurate IMHO.

I can always spot the IDPA shooters that have learned proper grip, and probably couldn't "limp wrist" if they wanted to. A police instructor from a nearby town shoots nothing but .40, and was bothered by the change in recoil time when he tried a 9mm.
On the other hand, I have disposed of my .40 loaner, and only use 9mm for beginner and '"unknown" students and visitors, because what is no big deal for you and me can be overwhelming to a neophyte. A few quickly developed a flinch THIS BIG, that I moved them to a M&P .22 to settle down and learn the basics.

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Science plus Art

.40 S&W cartridge fan here, and Shield 40 fan, too, when it comes to concealable self defense.

Why .40? Because Underwood .40 is as energetic as 45 acp +P. More rounds per frame grip size, and the .40 S&W is loaded to optimized pressure efficiency, as opposed to other larger caliber cartridge which is loaded oh so cold, so inefficient. Also more oomph than 9mm +P.

Why 40 Shield? Because it has a nice compact size for the number of rounds that have a nice energy level. There are smaller nines, but 40 yields more power per round.

The 40 S&W is the answer to the problem of too low muzzle energy of a smaller cartridge, and the problem of insufficient magazine capacity when using large cartridge that is very underloaded. When the Modernization Fairy created the 40 S&W, she did good.

On some days, when I feel like a more energetic cartridge, I carry Underwood 10mm platform. Recoil Schmecoil. In a self defense situation that was thrust upon me at ultra short ambush range, I felt no recoil. My adrenaline level was too high. Recoil of the .40 is strictly medium level, and the Shield will not punish you with Underwood loads. If you want to go to the range and shoot tons of ammo, any popular factory ho-hum loading will be watered down enough to yield a pleasant experience.

My first pistol was a 4" barrel 40 (d'oh). And the Shield in 40 isn't as bad. The Shield really is a soft shooter, regardless of the caliber.

Love my 40 PC Shield. My 1st gun was an M&P40FS. I carried for almost 2 years. I own all of the Shields, 9,40,45. I like carrying the 45 for the larger round, but like Rich said above, lots of variables with loads. It's lighter to carry than my 45, more rounds, and plenty of stopping power.. Love my 40's!!!

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Jack C

Over a 10 year period I carried four different .40 platforms, sequentially. Owned about 7 .40 handguns and a compatible .40 carbine. It is a good caliber with some calculated advantages over 9mm and .45ACP.

I have kept one .40 for nostalgic purposes. As I investigated pistol caliber wars, I concluded that modern loadings of modern 9mm bullets will perform as well terminally as any other pistol caliber bullet, in some cases better because of uniform expansion, retaining weight, and tracking straight and deep. That given, I want capacity and shooting speed. Taking also that I want reasonably priced training ammo and choice and supply for defensive ammo. A good fast, controlled burst with a 9 by a trained shooter is just as likely to deliver the desired terminal effects, but sooner and for potentially more recipients compared to .40 and .45, IMO, and I can shoot both these latter calibers well. Their recoil does not bother me, but it does slow me down shot -to-shot and reduce capacity. This is especially true if you shoot a DA/SA Trigger vs a precooked (not Glock) SA trigger.

Grip, aim, trigger pull for accuracy and manage recoil for speed. That’s my mantra, and good 9mm comforts me, especially in a small concealed gun.

Test:
Three average random shooters. One warm up round of 5 each on paper target 15’ away.
Then compete, 8 rounds each, 20’ to target, under timed pressure, headshot only. Score & time. Switch pistols. Do it twice more once each with a different pistol on new targets. Record and compare static shooting hits & times per caliber.

If there is no clear winner in accuracy or speed, 9mm wins because of capacity and ammo cost.

If you can, repeat the exercise while moving, drawing, aiming, firing at the head, 8 shots at 8 yards, timed.

If you’re the single shooter doing this six times, you will come to appreciate better the advantages of 9mm for self defense. The recoil impulse of .40 and .45 are definitely easy for a trained shooter. But they are not as fast back on target as using a small gun with 9mm rounds. Therefore accurate hits are slower, especially when moving or firing one-handed.

The perceived ooomph terminal advantages of .40 are neglible on balance with all other prioritized decisions as to what caliber and configuration are most likely to save your life in a death scenario.

The 40 & 45 Shield both hold the same round count, 6 & 7. I don’t understand why people are saying the 40 has a higher round count. The 9 holds 7 & 8.

I have extended mags that hold 9+1 on my 40 …

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Jack C

Thanks guys. I'm looking forward to getting out to the range with my new pistol.

I have one

It does do better with a rubber sleeve
(I used a piece of innertube)

it DOES make a difference

I emailed MagGuts asking about a +1 or +2 for the Shield 45. They said it was in the works but so were other projects so no ETA. Hyve has a +1, might have to go that route.

I'm waiting too …. I use the HYVE Technologies base..

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Jack C

What brand extended mag


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A Shield 40 is on my gotta have list.

HyveSent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Jack C

Anyone familiar with the extended mags offered on a site called "Shield Accessories"? If I read it right, they have 9 round extended mags that they make. I'm not plugging the site, I just found them on a Google search. There were good reviews on the 9mm mags, but none on the 40.

BTW, I picked up the gun this afternoon. It has factory night sights and is a 2016 model, according to the box. I'm happy. I can't get to the range until Wed. Hurry up Wed!

I have the new M&P 2.0 Shield and love the gun and the trigger. Very accurate and hasn't failed yet. Only problem I have is the mag release. My hands are probably little bigger the most, not huge though, and trying to drop the mag out I have trouble getting my thumb on the release button. I have to change my grip and I'm actually more comfortable doing it with both hands on the gun.

I did the same thing. It really rakes the edge off