S&W shield triggers

[gsparesa]

Why does S&W place garbage triggers in their shields?
I prefer not purchasing foreign pistols but S&w does does not have the answer for me. Is the problem with their engineers or their bean counters? It's only the old revolvers that S&w has a name. I'm surprised that they are still in business. For the record, I own S&w revolvers and a S&W shield.

Ps. I should not have to rely on a third party to make a marginally better trigger.

 

[Wavygravy]

Learn to shoot and the search for "perfect" triggers isn't needed. Aftermarket triggers aren't needed on any generation Shield imo. Just learn how to shoot 'em.

 

[GerSan69]

Hmmm.... The Shield design has been around for a while now, and the M&Ps even longer. There don't seem to be all that many complaints. Usually, a little polishing is all they need. After all, like any of the bigger gun makers, these things are mass-produced. The other majors aren't any better, and if you go by the number of aftermarket parts for Glocks, they're worse than S & W.
The companies that fit every part by hand to get the smoothest action possible charge 2 to even 4 times what a Smith and Wesson semi costs. They also make far fewer guns and have far fewer employees and far fewer stockholders, too.
Bottom line is that yes, there could be improvements made, but it's likely that it would cost the company more than it's worth to them. They're using the best possible manufacturing techniques and the best designs they can within the limits of patents (they can't infringe on another company's patents in order to improve their own product without buying the rights to it, not a cheap proposition) in order to sell the best possible guns on the market. Do they succeed? Well, millions of satisfied customers is a good indication. That, and the fact that even though they've been around for 150 years or so, they've managed to keep up with the times (unlike Colt, for example.) Sorry if they aren't "perfect," but IMHO at least, they're pretty darn good.
i get what you're saying, I just wanted to present another side of the story. Have a good weekend, Go Cardinals!

 

[equin]

I don't know about the other Shields (1.0 and 2.0) as I've never shot one. But the trigger on my Shield Plus is fantastic.

 

[gsparesa]

I don't know about the other Shields (1.0 and 2.0) as I've never shot one. But the trigger on my Shield Plus is fantastic.

Compared to a ppq or pdp?

 

[Telecaster]

Yes, the Plus trigger is outstanding.

 

[pantannojack]

Hmmm.... The Shield design has been around for a while now, and the M&Ps even longer.
The companies that fit every part by hand to get the smoothest action possible charge 2 to even 4 times what a Smith and Wesson semi costs.

Whom wood that be? I might want one, or seven, or twelve.

 

[gsparesa]

Like I said, I own a few S&w revolvers which I absolutely enjoy. However, I purchased a shield many years ago and thought the trigger was horrible next to my Glock. I even tried replacing my shield trigger with a third party which was marginally better. Since then I have purchased a ppq and then a pdp and found what a good stricker should be for a stricker pistol. I just want to purchase American, if I can.



B

 

[armorer951]

Seems to me that the simplicity and reliability of the current M&P platform suits it's roll very well. "Tuning" M&P pistols simply feeds the aftermarket industry, and is neither necessary or desirable when the gun is used in the roll implied by the name itself.

It is, after all, an M&P.....and has proven itself to be a very good one.

 

[sandog]

Like I said, I own a few S&w revolvers which I absolutely enjoy. However, I purchased a shield many years ago and thought the trigger was horrible next to my Glock. I even tried replacing my shield trigger with a third party which was marginally better. Since then I have purchased a ppq and then a pdp and found what a good stricker should be for a stricker pistol. I just want to purchase American, if I can.



B

You find Shield triggers horrible but Glocks are fine ?
O.K.
If you say so.

 

[CajunBass]

I just want to purchase American, if I can.

I guess sometimes you just can't apparently.

 

[Marshal Tom]

I guess it is no different than doing trigger jobs on the S&W's and Colt's of yesteryear. Many of the older revolvers benefitted from having an action job. I have a gen-1 Shield that has an Apex kit and an M&P 2.0 Compact with an Apex forward set, flat faced trigger, both are far better than stock. That is what I was trying to achieve so I spent the $$. Once you have fired a nicely tuned 1911 it is difficult to be satisfied with any other trigger and certainly not with a mass produced plastic fantastic.

 

[dirty & hairy]

I don't know about the other Shields (1.0 and 2.0) as I've never shot one. But the trigger on my Shield Plus is fantastic.

Ditto. I really like the flat trigger.

 

[RobzGuns]

Thinking back to before the Shield was released, when someone ordered an M&P, they ordered a new trigger at the same time. I could not bring myself to buy a new pistol which would require a trigger swap in order to make it acceptable. The 2012 (Gen1) Shield was the 1st M&P that people didn't NEED to buy an aftermarket $150+ Trigger Kit for. Yes... some still wanted to, but they didn't need to.
About a Year after the Shield came out, S&W started putting the Shield trigger into ALL the M&Ps.

So, if you think the Shield trigger is Cr@p, imagine how bad the triggers were BEFORE then.
and... If you think the Shield trigger is Cr@p, perhaps the Shield (or M&P line, in general) is not for you.

And yes... I remember stories of people working the actions on their S&W wheel guns too.

 

[Well Armed]

People who lack fundamentals and can't shoot worth a darn have to use, depend on, and require short pull, light weight, target/competition like pistols to make up for their shortcomings as a shooter. I shot long heavy DA revolver triggers as well as DA/SA hammer fired guns on a regular basis. I can pick up just about any of the popular semiauto striker fired pistols that that some are whining and complaining about trigger wise, and shoot them no problem. They are duty and self defense grade guns. The triggers aren't supposed to be target gunish. Learn the trigger and how to shoot.

I have owned several shields in different calibers and trims as well as a hinged trigger M&P Compact 2.0. I do not see an issue with the triggers, and I am pretty accurate with them all.

 

[LVSteve]

People who lack fundamentals and can't shoot worth a darn have to use, depend on, and require short pull, light weight, target/competition like pistols to make up for their shortcomings as a shooter. I shot long heavy DA revolver triggers as well as DA/SA hammer fired guns on a regular basis. I can pick up just about any of the popular semiauto striker fired pistols that that some are whining and complaining about trigger wise, and shoot them no problem. They are duty and self defense grade guns. The triggers aren't supposed to be target gunish. Learn the trigger and how to shoot.

I have owned several shields in different calibers and trims as well as a hinged trigger M&P Compact 2.0. I do not see an issue with the triggers, and I am pretty accurate with them all.

Mongo truth in this. When I came to the US I had no experience of shooting handguns, and one of the first guns I shot was an early gen Glock 23 complete with all the "sproing" you could handle. I shot it OK, because I had no preconceived ideas (and certainly no muscle memory) about a "good" trigger. It was simply a case of adapting to how the machine worked. Sometimes you cannot shoot a gun in a particular way, so don't try. Would you attack corners in a loaded Ram van the same way you would in a Corvette? Not for long.

 

[swsig]

...Learn the trigger and how to shoot...

I can endorse this point of view as well. I had a 1.0 M&P 40c (.40/.357 SIG) in which I'd installed an Apex DCAEK. The Apex was wonderfully smooth, but after 3,000 rounds, I started to have failures to fire. I sent my 40c back to S&W, and they replaced the trigger system and all other moving parts except the extractor. My rebuilt 40c's trigger was stiff and gritty, the worst I ever pulled, worse even than its original factory trigger. I since have fired over 6,000 rounds, and I have experienced NO loss of accuracy due to the newer, crummier trigger. (I score every target and keep detailed accuracy records.) No more failures to fire, either.

I also own a 1.0 Shield 9 and a Shield 45. Both triggers are fine, and I've never felt the need to replace either. My best striker-fired trigger is the SIG-upgraded trigger in my SIG P320 (9mm/.357 SIG) compact. It has minimal takeup, a short reset, and is as smooth as silk. Despite my P320's better trigger (and a longer barrel), I'm more accurate with both my 40c and my Shield 45. So, learn the trigger...

 

[jjmIII_Ruger]

The 2012 (Gen1) Shield was the 1st M&P that people didn't NEED to buy an aftermarket $150+ Trigger Kit for. S&W started putting the Shield trigger into ALL the M&Ps.

Makes sense. I've only had Shields 1,2,+ and loved all the triggers. Easy gun to be accurate with.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I like the pivoting triggers in my original Shields. I don't like triggers with a swinging dingus in them.

 

[Dino1]

My dad told me the difference between a good shooter and a great shooter was the the great shooter learns to adapt to the weapon they are shooting.

Back in the olden days they aimed rifles by placing them on a bench and smacking the barrel with a wooden hammer. My grandfather showed me this with an old .22LR with an octagon barrel, and it actually worked after doing it a couple times. Rifle had fixed sights.