For it's design spacifc perpose of easy CC, over all fit and finish, accuracy, trigger, and value for it's price I would vote it a 9 because the Shield is IMHO EVERY single inch equal to and again IMHO superior to the top of the line Kahrs and they cost almost DBL the Shield. I feel this way because FOR ME, I simply could not worm up to the Kahrs triggers, waaaay to long and vauge, and I tried well over a dozen total of the CW and the CMs combined at three different LGS including BP and Cabelas. I did not give it a 10 because for me the safety requiers more effort than I like to engage, but it disengages very easly.
This is coming from a Sield owner who looked at EVERY LAST semi-auto in 9mm/40S&W under 20oz unloaded & W/O a clip I could get my hands on.
Including Kahrs, Rugers, Berrettas, Walthers, Taurus, all VG CC guns, but I simply did not like any of their long vauge Lawyer triggers.
The selling points for me on the Shield were two: #1-The trigger gave me all the FB I could want was smooth and broke the same every time for me. #2-It was USA made & a superb value for the level of quality I was getting.
Having said all that, there is still a strong possability for true ultra light weight pocket carry in all weather, I strongly suspect a Kel-Tec PF-9 will end up in my possesion sooner than lator.
Arthur.
Oh, and BTW the Sield is DEFINATELY pocket carriable. At this time because I have not yet found a IWB holster to my liking, I have exclisivly carried mine in my front RT pocket contained and hidden in a Desantis "Superfly" pocket holster. It works very well and while holsterd in the Superfly my Shild simply apears to be a nondiscriped flat object in my pocket. There is no "Printing" or otherwise tell tail indicator that there is actually a gun in my pocket.
And I could not have said it better myself, in that ANY review that places a Hipoint above a Shield is obviously written by a author who is blaintantly biased against S&W firearms and making no effort to conceil it from anyone, or is simply talking BS in hopes to strir up a sh!t storm of I/net confrontation.
Is the Shield the best CC semi-auto out there? no, but FOR THE SAME COST I chalange anyone to find its superior while having the same level of quality, weight/deminsion, shootablility and conceilability.