That's funny, because the old fart teaching the concealed handgun course I took last year told us that it was a GUN, and not a WEAPON. He also insisted that we say "shell case" and not "shell casing".

This attention to detail was indeed ironic (and probably misplaced), as during the safety portion of the course he showed us how to unload a semiauto but never once told us to actually look into the chamber and down through the action to verify with our eyes that the gun is unloaded.

I consider this one of the greatest oversights I've ever encountered in training of any kind.

Concerning the Shield, I'm sure it will loosen up. If you think the slide stop is difficult to release, try the takedown lever and/or safety on a Bodyguard 380. You'll think the Shield is heavenly.