My take is simple- use what works for you. Period. I’ve had a Shield 1.0, G43 and now carry a 365. It simply works better or as well as the others did for me.

None are “bad” and one or the other may work better for one given differences in hands, shooting styles, risk acceptance, etc.

As long as the guns are reliable and reasonably accurate, it comes down to preferences and “fit”. In this case I had all three until someone wanted my shield and G43 more than I did. I don’t miss the shield nor G43

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Guns + Dogs= Bliss

My experience is almost the same.

I chose the Shield over the G43 and never looked back. Then, I got my 365 and made the change.

I pocket carry and there is a significant difference. I still have my Shield and like it a lot, I just prefer the 365.

I’ve owned several different Shields and loved them all. I currently have a 43x that works well for me for a few different reasons probably only applicable to me. I will probably recommend a Shield to most shooters over a 43 or 43x. The P365 is just a little different it is larger but with a reasonable trade off. The Shield shines in its economic value and combat duty reliability in a small platform. The P365 just costs 20% more to own with initial price and accessories.

The attraction to the P365 to me is the modular platform. You can custom a grip without “destroying” the firearm.

First, my current carry gun is a 642. I haven't shot a striker gun that I like. I did find out by accident that a Shield EZ is hammer fired and the trigger pull ain't the mess that a striker is. The Shield has a grip safety, does not eat my trigger finger the way a Glock does. My EZ is back at S&W, hopefully they will regulate the sight, it hit about 4" low at 7 yards.... I may carry the EZ, will have to get a holster, carry the 642 in my pocket.

I carry a gen. 1 shield 9mm, have for years. Its my go to. I bought it when they first came out, so it has a thumb safety, which I can live with if I bought it again I would buy one with-out. I've up graded the sights with a front fiber optic and black for the rear. polished the trigger components and added an Apex enhanced trigger.

My reserve deputy duty weapon 40 years ago was my now 60 year old 19 (forced to carry 110 gr 38 Silvertips). Being reserve I could only carry on duty. My Bullseye and defensive autos are full-size 1911s. So naturally when I got CCW my EDC was 342 and/or 642 in pocket and/or on ankle. Wanting a little more power and easier reloads I searched in vain for a 940 I could buy. So first compact was Shield 9 PC. New to 9s I shot it with Win 124 Nato rds! Sold it and tried several different 9s. Liked R51 but could not reasonably reassemble it. Bought Sig 938 but could not reliably draw (from anywhere) and release safety. Now have 365XL. Like that it is thin, but don't like flared magwell. So keeping XL for OWB. Going to buy 365 SAS for IWB and pocket/ankle backup to XL. Whew! Hope this is not longest post in this thread.

here you go...Sig is slightly smaller with a higher grip axis, which many prefer. With 12 round mag and 15 round mag for backup, lotta HST's for such a compact package. Need more than that, better bring the AR...

Sig Sauer P365 vs Smith & Wesson M&P 9 M2.0 Shield size comparison | Handgun Hero

I own both of them. My 9mm Shield is a 1.0 bought in 2013. I’ve carried it for a great many miles with no modification and with great satisfaction. (I also own a Shield .45 which I like very well.) I have fired both a great many rounds with no hiccups.

I bought my gen 3 P365 in early 2019 mostly out of curiosity. Again, no complaints. The two pistols perform the same function for me but fit slightly different niches and do that very well. I’m glad to own both, and I have no desire to replace them as carry guns. If I feel like doing so, I may carry my model 640-1 or a model 642. I’ll usually carry whichever one of these choices for a month or more, but I find that I carry the two semi autos these days more than either of the two revolvers. The transition between the two requires very little conscious thought for me.

I haven’t been able to shoot or carry any of them for over a year now due to the debilitating effects of the Gillian Barre that came upon me in October 2019. For one thing, I don’t have the strength or dexterity in my hands to press the trigger correctly or to properly grip either one. I can tell you that this has been a very difficult situation for me to accept. Been in therapy for what seems like forever, but I’m glad to report slow and steady progress. One of these days I’ll be shooting and carrying again as well as standing up and walking. Thank goodness for a good wheelchair but I’ll sure be glad to park it!

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So long ... Ken

OP says he doesn't need more than 8 rounds to "break contact."

How does one know that? What if you've expended 8 rounds, and the fight's not over?

That's the sole reason I sold my Shield and got the 365. I don't know how many rounds I'm going to need. The answer might be "all of them," in which case 11 in the gun plus 15 in the reload is better than 8 in the gun and 8 in the reload.

It's why I sold my 1911 EDC and got an M&P. 18 and 17 beats 7 and 6.


Relying on things going your way, or conforming to a pre-existing scenario, can get you killed.

Ken, I am new to forum but know that we all will be cheering you on when that day comes. And I will be praying for your speedy recovery.


Dave

I carried a Shield with 8 rounds, needed the pinkie rest, for a long time.

The P365 had 12 rounds, and was thinner and lighter. Also, a lot easier to rack with my arthritic thumbs.

No slight on the Shield, but the P365 is better.

People gotta live where they gotta live. I worked in a high crime precinct for years and carried a 5 shot snub off duty and felt fine. My experience, thugs are cowards and run when met with resistance.

But as I said, the 365 is a game changer. 11 rounds of 9MM in that small a package is awesome. Just not awesome enough for me to take a loss on selling two perfectly capable weapons and accessories to start all over again with a new platform and having to replace mags and holsters. If I was a first time buyer, the 365 would very likely best the Shield. Only thing it doesn’t beat it in in price, but the standard night sights mitigate that.

I don’t mind a striker fired gun in my duty holster...but for CCW, especially appendix carry I opt for a hammer....and since I’m at it, why not a cylinder...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Have a shield in 45. LOVE IT. Have a p365. LOVE it. Have a 337 LOVE It. Have a 638. Meh...
What do I carry every day........................wait for it
My M&P380.
Go figure

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Forum consigliere

Here are some comparison photos: M&P Shield with standard and extended magazines vs my P365X (P365 with the XL grip module). As you will note the standard shield magazine makes it very close in size and the extended magazine clearly makes the shield larger. Slightly thinner in the grip, but larger.

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I found it too, Shield can be shot surprisingly better than I'd expect from such a small gun, though my hands are not in the medium size. But the recoil and snappy are comparable to a g19 and definitely better than g26. Not sure what magic SW pulled into the Shield, other than the capacity it's an amazing gun. Could be just I naturally grip Shield better.

It's all in the bore axis. M&P Series pistols have a lower bore axis than some other pistols, so more of the recoil force is transferred into the shooter's palm/wrist rather than the web between the thumb and forefinger, which in turn allows the shooter to keep the pistol more under control.

A pistol with a high bore axis is more prone to muzzle rise, which causes the beavertail to smack down into the web between the thumb and forefinger on the back of the hand.

The snappiest pistol I own is a Smith & Wesson PPK/S chambered in .380 ACP.


Despite being chambered in .380 ACP, being of all steel construction, and weighing in at over 23oz unloaded, the pistol becomes downright painful to shoot after a few magazines because the extended beavertail just keeps on hammering the back of the hand. I once shoot a mere 100 rounds of ammo through it at the range and went home with back of my hand bloodied, bruised, and swollen.

Oh, and before anyone goes thinking that I'm being overly dramatic or exaggerating, I'm not.

I also shoot this...

And yes, it has LESS felt recoil.

How, you ask? It's simple, because the PPK/S is straight blowback operated, meaning the only thing holding the action closed is the combined mass of the slide and weight of the recoil spring. The barrel is fixed in place and doubles as a guide rod, it doesn't lock the action, and the bore axis is rather high, so all of that recoil is transferred directly into the web between the thumb and forefinger. The Taurus Judge Magnum also has a fixed barrel and a high bore axix, but being a hefty 37oz Revolver which has been fitted with a nice pair of aftermarket grips, the gun just rolls back a bit in the hand under recoil, so the recoil doesn't hurt. Yes, it's certainly a handful, especially with 3" .410 000 Buckshot Shells, but there's no steel beavertail smacking down into the hand.

So yeah, felt recoil is a crazy thing like that.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.