Took my new S&W Shield 2.0 with green laser to the range today.

Shot some excellent groups with the iron sights, used range ammo 115 gr. some 125 gr range ammo and some Federal 147 gr HST and Winchester Ranger T-series 147 gr as well, not a hiccup, impressive!

I have previously owned several S&W automatics going back to the Model 39 and 59 which I owned and carried when I was on the Chicago Police Department.

While those were impressive pistols in their day, their day had come and gone and I had moved on to Ruger P89M and a Berretta 92 as a carry weapon. Chicago Police Department doesn’t issue you a duty weapon, you have to buy your own.

I have now moved on from those weapons as well, upward and onward as the saying goes. In recent years I have went through a plethora of other 9mms, Springfield Arms XMD, Glock 17, Glock 43, Ruger LC9s pro, Walther PPQ M2, Walther PPS M2. Sig Sauer P365

Well after shooting this Shield today, I can say without a doubt, it is the finest single stack sub compact striker fired pistol I have ever shot. Outstanding, fits my hand perfectly and even the flush fit 7+1 mag only left ½ of my pinky hanging off, making it more then doable, even more doable when I install the Maguts +2 mag on the flush fit which will give me 9 in the mag and is only 1/4" longer, so it should fit my hand perfectly then!

The wide trigger beats the hell out of any of the others, save the Ruger LC9a pro which has a smoother take up and crisper break (albeit gives me a blood blister from the dreaded dongle bite). All the others can’t come close, none are as smooth and have as crisp a break, although the P365 does have a wide, dongle-less (the little inner trigger safety) trigger which I liked also.

Accuracy using the iron sights at 3, 5, and 7 yards was outstanding , at 15 yards a little less and at 25 yards not so swell. Could be these 72 year old eyes.

Next 25 or so rounds I used the laser after first dialing it at home, and then readjusting it at the range, here is a photo of my target at 25 yards using the laser, the rounds on the bottom of the target where from my first few shots, then I over adjusted and those are the ones on the top of the target, the one’s center mass from the final dial in.

All these shots were from chest high using both hands, but not bringing the weapon up to eye level using the sights. These targets are small and the entire silhouette, is the size of the “kill zone” on a regular full size target I do my LEOSA qualifications shoot with. In Arizona I have to qualify using the same exact course that active duty officers have to fire. I always have problems with the first string of fire which is at 25 yards using a 4 round and 3 round timed shooting. Usually on a good day I will make 5 out of 7 in the kill zone. This using my full size Walther PPQ M2 with 4” barrel.

With the laser, not even bringing up to eye level I was able to hit the zone with every shot, and when dialed in, even in the 10X ring bulls eye. I could never do that with Iron sights.

Anyone who says that lasers are useless or don’t improve your shooting, hasn’t ever used one. I would take this pistol out to qualify with next year, but unfortunately it’s an outdoor range and even with a green laser, in broad daylight I don’t think I would be able to see it at 25 meters.





25 yards with laser

Agreed. Lasers are fantastic. I shoot themjust like I do w/ sights except I hold the pistol maybe 1-2 inches lower so I am looking over the top of the sights. It's nice to know you could see what a bad guy is doing w/ his hands before you pull the trigger.

Agreed, that is another advantage of the lasers, you can keep better situational awareness since you're not tunnel visioned on the iron sights.

My wife's SD guns have green CT's on them. But she has started to shy away from using them because some of the feedback she gets from folks in her "well armed women" group and from some others that don't use lasers. Stuff like "it's a crutch" or "what are you going to do if it fails?". We had a chat about that yesterday, actually. I told her I get those arguments and that she should practice using just the iron sights, too. But since the laser is almost for sure going to work every time, that is what she should practice with at least 90% of the time. I think it sunk in, but we'll see next time she goes to the range. She shoots okay with just iron sights, but clearly shoots better with the laser.

Anyway, congrats on the new gun again, and I'm glad you like it so much.

Great.

Nice report.

I've got a green laser for my LCR, but haven't tried it yet.

Chicago Police...I grew up in the 15th District North Austin...that was a long time ago. I have a 9mm Shield 1.0 with a green Crimson Trace laser. I laser bore sighted the Crimson laser sight for 50 ft. The Crimson laser was factory installed...it was off quite a bit. Much better now!

oh yeah...at least put a Pierce extension on the 7 rd mag...if your not going to extend your mags...much better grip

Never shot a laser so am just curious. Can it be difficult to go between focusing on the front sights in a standard setup to watching the laser’s end on a target? Especially if using multiple guns in a range visit or for defense.
I have watched others at the range with a laser, and seemed it took them more time than usual between shots as they looked to be watching that laser bounce around until ready for their 2nd shot. And of course the may have been learning so could mean nothing lol.

Before I made Detective, when I was first on the job I was n Area 6 Task Force, and we used to be out in 015 on a regular basis, don't know how old you are and when you grew up there, but it was really rough even back in the early 70's

Took me about two minutes to adjust to using the laser, in an emergency situation I would probably sill use the iron sights from about 10 yards in, but try doing that from the hip, I can hit a target from a hip shot with the laser, with no laser and not being able to use the iron sights in that situation, probably a no-go!

I'm 64...grew up near Central Ave. and Division St. Saw the area change over my life...left in 75 (age 21) when I went in the Navy. Back then you either grew up a Good Guy or a Bad Guy if you were from that area. What years were you there? Everyone was either Irish American or Italian American. Hahahaha Good times tho. I think about half the guys I know either went into the Military or became either Chicago Cops or Cook County Sheriffs....the other half either dead or incarcerated. I wanted to be a Chicago Cop but didn't make Height standards back then...I'm 5' 8" They built Area 5 back in the early 70's...I learned how to box upstairs in the 15th, they used to have a ring on the 2nd floor. Dennis Farina used to be a 15th District cop when I was a teen...I knew him...on good terms. Stand up guy, funny as hell. I went on to join the Navy in 75 and retired in 95...did two years at Great Lakes Naval Brig as a Corrections Officer and later as an Accident/Mishap Investigator for the Navy during Desert Storm and beyond....I now live in Crete IL.