Shocking Results of Shield vs steel Springfield 9mm Shootout

[shakyshoot]

I'm taking a CCW class 2 weeks from Saturday. I was leaning toward using my Springfield P9C for the qualifying shooting, even though I have no intention of carrying it. I've had it for 20 years, it's bigger and heavier than the Shield, and i was pretty sure I could score better with it. I decided to do a dry run with both 9mm's. The course of fire is 10 shots at 15 ft, 10 shots at 25 ft, and 10 shots at 50 ft. 5 shot strings in 15 seconds. Surprise, the Shield won hands down. With both guns I put all 20 in the 9 ring at 15 and 25 ft, but surprisingly did better with the Shield at 50 ft. I think the main disadvantage of the Springfield is the all black sights, which don't lend themselves to semi-rapid fire. I jerked 3 low out of the rings at 50 ft with the Springfield, scored with every shot on the Shield. The way they score it, the 9 ring counts the same as the 10. With the Shield I hit 146 out of 150, and only 134 with the bigger gun. Only need 90 to pass the qualifying. Also, today I passed the 500 round mark with zero malfunctions, after having a couple early on. Focusing on the positive by only showing the Shield target.

 

[GunLovin'Fireman]

Sounds like a good decision. Now with the confidence, can we expect a perfect score? Have fun & best of luck.

 

[Superorb]

Only thing I don't like about the Shield is the thumb safety, I wish they made it without one as an option.

 

[Phantom210]

The Shield 9mm is what I'm making my next purchase. I need a good carry weapon, and it looks like it will fit the bill perfectly.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Only thing I don't like about the Shield is the thumb safety, I wish they made it without one as an option.

I don't ever flip mine up and it doesn't bother me just being there.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

The Shield 9mm is what I'm making my next purchase. I need a good carry weapon, and it looks like it will fit the bill perfectly.

Buy the .40 and a 9 barrel and mag. You'll be glad you did.

 

[Superorb]

I don't ever flip mine up and it doesn't bother me just being there.

How must force is required to put the safety on?

 

[Dayvid23]

Love the Shield.Shoots everything I've fed it. I'm stealing this quote, but it fits: It is such a great gun, if you could put a primer in a dog ****, the Shield would fire it, and it would probably hit the target too.

 

[shakyshoot]

It's not a lot of force, but the safety has a very flat profile, i.e. doesn't stick out very far. That makes it unlikely to get flipped on accidentaly, but also makes it a bit cumbersome to flick off with your normal grip. It can be done, so i've been practicing flicking the safety off before shooting. (even if it hasn't been flicked on)

 

[Superorb]

It's not a lot of force, but the safety has a very flat profile, i.e. doesn't stick out very far. That makes it unlikely to get flipped on accidentaly, but also makes it a bit cumbersome to flick off with your normal grip. It can be done, so i've been practicing flicking the safety off before shooting. (even if it hasn't been flicked on)

I wonder if there are any safety delete kits floating around.

 

[rock doc]

I wonder if there are any safety delete kits floating around.

My safety delete kit is to not engage the safety.

 

[Superorb]

My safety delete kit is to not engage the safety.

Well yeah... But if my life is depending on it I don't want any possibility of the safety engaging.

 

[Lockback]

How must force is required to put the safety on?

A fair amount.
It's highly unlikely that the safety would flip on or off without a relatively determined push with a thumb.
I have read of instances where the safety has flipped on while in a holster. I find that difficult to believe, although I don't wish to cast aspersions on the veracity of those who make that claim ...

 

[AGoyette]

How must force is required to put the safety on?

Just about none on my 9c. It is just muscle memory.

 

[Crab 945]

Only thing I don't like about the Shield is the thumb safety, I wish they made it without one as an option.

I really can't understand the issues people have with the thumb safety.

1. Didn't you know it was on the Shield before your purchase?

2. Take it to a Gunsmith and have it removed.

3. Take a dremel and grind off the little lever that bothers you so much.

4. FORGET it is even there.

5. Sell it quit complaining about it and buy a Springfield XDS9.

Sorry for the rant but I get so tired of this issue... if a thumb

safety bothers you that much...... why oh why didn't you

simply buy something else.

 

[Smitty357]

I really can't understand the issues people have with the thumb safety.

1. Didn't you know it was on the Shield before your purchase?

2. Take it to a Gunsmith and have it removed.

3. Take a dremel and grind off the little lever that bothers you so much.

4. FORGET it is even there.

5. Sell it quit complaining about it and buy a Springfield XDS9.

Sorry for the rant but I get so tired of this issue... if a thumb

safety bothers you that much...... why oh why didn't you

simply buy something else.

Its funny they complain about the safety on the Shield. Yet no one is telling them that they have to use it.

I have the same safety on my Shield and trust me it never gets used. No problems and no complaints here.

 

[Superorb]

I really can't understand the issues people have with the thumb safety.

1. Didn't you know it was on the Shield before your purchase?

I have not purchased one due to the safety. Do people really buy things without doing their own due diligence?

 

[Crab 945]

I have not purchased one due to the safety. Do people really buy things without doing their own due diligence?

My apologies to you Superorb I assumed you purchased a Shield.

But I agree with you.....if you don't do your due diligence then

live with the consequences .

I just wish people were as smart as I THINK I am.

 

[K1500]

Love the Shield.Shoots everything I've fed it. I'm stealing this quote, but it fits: It is such a great gun, if you could put a primer in a dog ****, the Shield would fire it, and it would probably hit the target too.

I like my Shield, and I carry it quite frequently but there are some false statements floating around. I had a failure to fire with the shield that I attribute to a hard primer on some cheap Russian ammo. It went off in my Glock. Not a condemnation of the shield, but not quite "a primer in dog ****" either.

A fair amount.
It's highly unlikely that the safety would flip on or off without a relatively determined push with a thumb.
I have read of instances where the safety has flipped on while in a holster. I find that difficult to believe, although I don't wish to cast aspersions on the veracity of those who make that claim ...

I had the safety turned on on my Shield while. I am not sure how it happened, as the gun lives in a CompTac IWB holster that completely covers the safety. It may have happened during an administrative loading. The point is, it can get turned on and if it does and you practice assuming the safety will always be off (as everyone advocates) you will be hosed if this happens to you. I can see the need for pinning or otherwise deactivating the safety if you choose to carry with the safety off. It is the only wart on the gun I can see. I class in IDPA with mine with exactly the same times as I do a G17.

 

[RobzGuns]

In the 19 Months I've been carrying my Shield, the safety has never unintentionally engaged itself, or disengaged itself.

For me, it seems to take more force to engage it, than to disengage.
While I would have preferred that it didn't have the thumb safety, like others here, I simply choose to leave it in the 'off' position and pretend that it doesn't exist.