My Shield 9 is angry, I brought home a Shield 45

[donmontalvo]

Long time Shield 9 owner, bought a Shield 45 and I'm happier than a pig in s**t.

My original intent was to put the Shield 9 on consignment...but I can't bring myself to do it.

I shot both the other day at the range. There's more kick on the Shield 45, but after 100 rounds, was able to get 6" groups at 50' standing. I get slightly tighter groups with the Shield 9.

Curious what you guys do when faced with deciding on your primary self defense pistol. Is it a good idea to alternate carrying them? Of should I stick to the plan and get rid of the Shield 9 so I can focus on the Shield 45?

[Zebra War Wagon]

I also have both Shields in 9 and 45 and I was faced with the same thought of getting rid of the 9mm, but I am keeping them both. They both have unique specific uses.

[Bozz10mm]

I kept both of mine and enjoy shooting them at the range. If I had to give up one, I don't know which one it would be. I'll edc the 45 for a while, then carry the 9mm a while. So I say keep the 9.

[Univibe]

.45 has fewer rounds, more kick, ammo is more expensive. Does the same on bad guys as 9mm. Why bother?

[GerSan69]

I don't have a "primary" gun. I prefer to keep a few out of the safe and grab one depending on the vibe of the day. Some days it's a 9, others a .45. A couple .38s and a .380 are in the mix, too. .44 Special for "Special" occasions, of course.
Seriously, I'm comfortable with a wide variety of handguns and I don't feel awkward or inadequate with any. That's why I accumulate them!

[Mike, SC Hunter]

I bought the 9 first. Liked it so well I bought the 45. Then I bought the 40 to have all 3. To me the 45 is the most accurate of the 3. I ccw the 9 most because its smaller. This was my first venture into " plastomatics" because before the Shields NOTHING plastic was worth looking at.

[swsig]

I have both. I've put 5,800 rounds through my Shield 9, and 6,600 rounds through my Shield 45, so I've got an abundance of data on which to make my preference: I prefer the 45. It is far more accurate past 10 yards than the 9, and I figure the greater accuracy along with the extra 90 ft-lbs of muzzle energy from my 45 ammo is worth giving up a round. The difference in size for carry purposes, IMHO, is negligible.

[Texas40]

If your worried about rd count get the hyve extension.
Mine is 8+1 with a spare 8 on my weak side
If 15 rds of 45 is not adequate for a sd situation well then I am probably somewhere in something I should not be in.


No opinion on the 9 dont own any. Never got on board that wagon.
All my hand guns are
22
38/357
40
45
Calibers.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MyDads38]

Keep both! I started with the 40, added the 9 a few weeks later and when the 45 came out; got it too! I have several handguns, revolvers and auto's; I won't own anything I can't carry/depend on. My shields are the smallest auto's I own, a 2 3/4" Speed Six/38 Special is my smallest revolver. Everything else 4" or bigger (FS 45 acp).

If you like the 9, keep it-you'll regret letting it go...

[Not Getting Any Younger]

I absolutely LOVE my 45 Shield! It fits my hand very well.

I started my 9mm journey with a Sig P229 because the price was very good and I like DA/SA pistols (I love my USP 45).
Now I have the 3.6" 2.0 Compact, which fits my hand better than the Sig and it has made me want to get the M&P 2.0 Long-Slide AND the 2.0 9mm Shield.
9mm is cheaper to shoot and reload, so you should keep the 9!

But I'm NEVER going to get rid of my 45 Shield! It's just too good!

[StephenWhoDat]

I carry a Shield 45 Performance Center every day. Absolutely LOVE it! I also have a Shield 9 and Shield 40. I find the 45 to be the most accurate and easiest to shoot, for me anyways. Don't let the 9 go. Use it for practice.

[rwt1405]

I certainly would keep both (and do have both).

The way I see it is, I most certainly remember the ammo shortage, of a few years ago, and remember how difficult it was to get certain caliber's of ammo (prior to that time, I don't think I EVER thought I would be unable to find/buy .22), and I will NEVER be in the position of having only 1 caliber of handguns, EVER (and luckily, at that time, I did have a good supply of handguns in various calibers).

So yes, I know, that makes me paranoid, but I can live with that, and I have NO doubt that situations like that will very likely happen again in the future.

YMMV

[Jdavis]

I also have both and intend to keep them. I will say that the .45 has become the favorite of the two. It has always had a much better feeling trigger than the 9mm and gets the most range time. The 9mm gets carried more due to it’s smaller size and the light weight clothing that I wear daily here in FL.

[donmontalvo]

Originally Posted by Univibe

.45 has fewer rounds, more kick, ammo is more expensive. Does the same on bad guys as 9mm. Why bother?

I originally wanted the 45, settled on the 9.

Now that I have both, I like having the choice.

[donmontalvo]

Originally Posted by Mike, SC Hunter

I bought the 9 first. Liked it so well I bought the 45. Then I bought the 40 to have all 3. To me the 45 is the most accurate of the 3. I ccw the 9 most because its smaller. This was my first venture into " plastomatics" because before the Shields NOTHING plastic was worth looking at.

I had a Glock 19, and while it was reliable, it was ugly and not very comfortable in my hand. I realize everyone is different, but I agree, the Shield (any caliber) is the finest concealable pistol I've ever tried and now owned.

[donmontalvo]

Originally Posted by swsig

I have both. I've put 5,800 rounds through my Shield 9, and 6,600 rounds through my Shield 45, so I've got an abundance of data on which to make my preference: I prefer the 45. It is far more accurate past 10 yards than the 9, and I figure the greater accuracy along with the extra 90 ft-lbs of muzzle energy from my 45 ammo is worth giving up a round. The difference in size for carry purposes, IMHO, is negligible.

I found the same, holding them side by side, weight included, the difference is not that much.

After reading your post, I think I might focus on the 45 until I'm shooting good groups.

[Groo01]

Groo here
I am NOT a fan of the "shoot what you carry" club...
You build muscle memory when you shoot [like any other "sport"]
A lighter/easier load/round can do this just as well as "full power".
So as the shields are the same in so many ways ,,, Pratice with
The 9mm [cheaper and kicks less]
Carry the 45......
Ps As to round count ,,, Hits count misses don't...
So the number of rounds carried is of less import than
the number of hits you get..
And with a fast loading clip almost ,not a factor....

[donmontalvo]

Originally Posted by Jdavis

I also have both and intend to keep them. I will say that the .45 has become the favorite of the two. It has always had a much better feeling trigger than the 9mm and gets the most range time. The 9mm gets carried more due to it’s smaller size and the light weight clothing that I wear daily here in FL.

I found the Shield 45 2.0 trigger is better than the Shield 9 (pre-2.0) trigger. Trigger is so important, thinking I might replace the trigger on the Shield 9, since I decided to keep it.

[donmontalvo]

Originally Posted by Groo01

Groo here
I am NOT a fan of the "shoot what you carry" club...
You build muscle memory when you shoot [like any other "sport"]
A lighter/easier load/round can do this just as well as "full power".
So as the shields are the same in so many ways ,,, Pratice with
The 9mm [cheaper and kicks less]
Carry the 45......
Ps As to round count ,,, Hits count misses don't...
So the number of rounds carried is of less import than
the number of hits you get..
And with a fast loading clip almost ,not a factor....

Great advice, I plan to shoot the Shield 9 more, and carry the Shield 45.

The Shield 45 makes me wonder if I should get an IWB magazine holster to complement the gun holster.

[cadmike]

Keep the 9. Then go buy the .40.

[Popeye77]

I have the .45 and just bought the 9. The 9 goes in my range bag, the .45 is my carry. The .45 is more accurate than the 9.

[donmontalvo]

Originally Posted by Popeye77

I have the .45 and just bought the 9. The 9 goes in my range bag, the .45 is my carry. The .45 is more accurate than the 9.

I found that to be the case as strange as that may seem. For some reason the kick isn't as bad as I thought, and not sure why but I'm able to get tighter groups with the 45.

[BigDog48]

I have both and am inclined to sell the 9, but they're not worth all that much now. I have a Kimber Micro 9 which is slightly smaller, and easier to conceal and shoots better than the Shield 9. I also have a 3" Kimber 45, but it is heavier than the Shield 45...I like them both, but the Shield 45 is easier to carry (lighter) and the Kimber shoots better and I can carry it in the winter, so both will be kept.

I think the Shield 9 will be going on the market sometime soon. It's an original but has an Apex sear, Talon grips and night sights. Maybe it will fetch enough for part of another toy!

[joeintexas]

Its good to have a choice. The grips on the 45 seem pretty aggressive, I carry it in the winter and fall here in Florida with an undershirt, however in the summer here the undershirt is not so good so out comes the 9, less scratching on the skin. The 45 is my favorite and most accurate to shoot. I reload so ammo cost is nearly the same.

[sdarc]

I bought the 45 as my carry a few years back. Loved the feel in my hand. it now has night sights.

Recently I got the 9 1.0 because it was cheap brand new. It now has a Viridian laser, Talon grip tape, and a polished trigger to help. I am carrying the 9 more mostly because I've found a holster that works a bit better.

Love them both and don't plan getting rid of either. Besides my FS 9 1.0 would get lonely.

[kannonvaggon]

I liked my early Shield 9mm a lot. Carried it daily for a couple years or so. It worked fine and I was happy with it.

Then I tried the Shield in .45 and liked it even more. Perfect. Got one, and it broke in even better than the demo pistol I had used.

I thought I would keep the 9mm Shield and use it for range practice cuz it's a hair cheaper to feed.
I ended up selling the 9mm to a buddy and got back maybe 60 percent of what I paid for it. Almost never used it and always carried the Shield in .45.

Still happy with the .45 for daily carry. Fits me great, very accurate, no operational problems at all, functions when wet or dirty out in the boondocks, just a sweet shooting little pistol. Still my favorite.

[Univibe]

Originally Posted by Groo01

Groo here
I am NOT a fan of the "shoot what you carry" club...
You build muscle memory when you shoot [like any other "sport"]
A lighter/easier load/round can do this just as well as "full power".
So as the shields are the same in so many ways ,,, Pratice with
The 9mm [cheaper and kicks less]
Carry the 45......
Ps As to round count ,,, Hits count misses don't...
So the number of rounds carried is of less import than
the number of hits you get..
And with a fast loading clip almost ,not a factor....

I disagree strongly. Do ballplayers train with a radically different weight bat from what they swing in competition? No.

Do race car drivers practice with underpowered versions of what they run when they race? Hardly.

Lawmen used to practice with .38 wadcutters in their Model 19s. They carried full house .357. How smart was that?

Shoot what you carry, and carry what you shoot.

(It's a magazine, not a "clip.")

[Wavygravy]

I "heart" my Shield 9 2.0.
My next purchase will be the Shield 45 2.0.
I'll keep both.

[Mike, SC Hunter]

Originally Posted by Groo01

Groo here
I am NOT a fan of the "shoot what you carry" club...
You build muscle memory when you shoot [like any other "sport"]
A lighter/easier load/round can do this just as well as "full power".
So as the shields are the same in so many ways ,,, Pratice with
The 9mm [cheaper and kicks less]
Carry the 45......
Ps As to round count ,,, Hits count misses don't...
So the number of rounds carried is of less import than
the number of hits you get..
And with a fast loading clip almost ,not a factor....

I totally disagree.

[kbm6893]

The resale value for used plastic guns is just not enough to justify getting rid of it. A month from now you won’t even remember what you did with the $200 you got for it. I only bought my M&P 2.0 .45 full size because I got one of those CMP 1911’s and started reloading .45 to feed it, but wasn’t gonna shoot a 75 year old gun that often. I like the M&P .45 very much. It’s a full size range gun only. My carry guns will always be 9MM, with the occasional .38 j Frame or .380. But I wouldn’t buy a Shield .45 to replace my Shield 9MM. Just don’t see the benefit. Less rounds, more expensive carry ammo, and more recoil. Slightly more powerful but a quality 9MM hollow point will get the job done in the extremely unlikely event I ever need to use it.

[CajunBass]

A few months ago I bought a 2.0, 9mm, with the integral red laser. I liked the gun quite a bit. Light, flat, good shooter and so on.

Then last week I bought another one, but this one has the green laser. I figured I'd sell the "red" one, but figured, what the heck. It doesn't eat anything. Might as well kept it.

[triaxle]

I have a new Shield 2.0 L/E package , night sights and 3 mags 9mm , I saw a mint Shield 45 for 300 used at a shop also one for 249 at a show in PA I passed , more weight and less rounds . I will keep the 9 stuff .

[donmontalvo]

I've been practicing once monthly with my Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 45. Haven't taken the 9 out much, pretty sure it's mad at me. I'm right handed but for some reason my left hand shoots significantly tighter groups. She's all clean, about to get dirty.

[biku324]

My wife have identical shields in 40 and 45 so we can both be well-armed.

[donmontalvo]

Another reason I have both a 9 and 45 is sometimes its impossible to get my grubby mitts on Hornady Critical Defense 9/45 ammo. Hornady still has a notice on their site about a temporary hold on nickel plated ammo.

So if I find a place with stock, I buy enough to be prepared personal attacks and then some. I feel like I’m becoming a prepper. I also started buying FMJ for
pew pew sessions too.

Heading to the local range with a small bucket of FMJ for practice with my 45. Haven't found any small buckets of 9 ammo. unfortunately I missed the recent local gun show. #sigh

[sousana]

What your shield 9 is crying for is a brother. Go buy it a Shield 40.

[donmontalvo]

I updated my sig to show I am in PA now but for some reason my posts still show FL.

Testing 1,2,3...

[dirty & hairy]

Store them together and maybe they will spawn a .40 to complete the family.

[sousana]

Originally Posted by dirty & hairy

Store them together and maybe they will spawn a .40 to complete the family.

I tried that once with a Llama and a Rossi, all I got was a Hi-Point.

[Buzzzer]

I think you'll like the 45. I only bought it (first year they were out) in 45 since I reload 45. If I didn't reload I would probably have a 9...