I took the Shield plunge today...WOW!

[accessbob]

I picked up one for $400 from a guy on a local forum. He was wanting pocket carry and it just wasn't small enough for that. But that failure is my gain as I bought it for my wife, who currently has a full size SW9F. She needs something smaller for normal carry as the full size is just too heavy for the pants she wears.

So I met the guy and got it and when I got home my wife and I went to the range at our gun club. My wife wanted me to take the first shot since she used to have a Kel-Tec PF9 which is fairly similar in size and it hurt her wrist and hand to fire. So I fired the first shot and I think I actually swooned for a second. I put it down and told my wife immediately that she was going to love it. The recoil was so little compared to the PF9 and it had a great trigger pull (not a long one).

She now has told me that she
1. Loves the gun (she didn't say that about her other 2)
2. Wants to go back tomorrow to shoot again (she hasn't ever told me that)
and that this is finally the gun for her.

And I told her that I want one too. My full size M&P45 is great but I'd love to have the small Shield when I don't want, or can't carry, the bigger gun.

So - WOW! What a joy to shoot!

[Dohmein]

It has quickly become my favorite pistol. I love it and I take it with me daily

[Shielded]

Congrats

[Fercho64]

So let me understand this. You buy her an used SHIELD, you fire it first, let her watch and after she shoots it, falls in love with it and now you can justify to her buying for yourself a brand new SHIELD with 0 miles.

Hell, I am going to have to try that one at home.

Congratulations!!!

[accessbob]

Originally Posted by Fercho64

So let me understand this. You buy her an used SHIELD, you fire it first, let her watch and after she shoots it, falls in love with it and now you can justify to her buying for yourself a brand new SHIELD with 0 miles.

Hell, I am going to have to try that one at home.

Congratulations!!!

Well, to be fair, the "used" Shield had not been fired (except at the factory). The guy I bought it from hadn't gotten around to firing it, just trying it out for pocket carry. (not what I would do, as I would want to know if it fired reliably before carrying).

Also, I gave her the option of being the first to fire it. But she chose (on her own) to let me do it first. She just wanted to see it fire before doing it on her own, due to the horrible time she had with the PF9.

But yeah, it was an easy sell after she shot it as to me getting one.

[RobzGuns]

Congrats on the new Shield. I currently pocket carry the PF-9 and you're dead on about the recoil difference. Once I get more rounds down range, I'll be swapping over to the Shield as my EDC.

I'm kinda surprised the original owner didn't check Pocket-ability BEFORE buying it. That's kinda like buying a large SUV, only to find out that it's too tall for the Garage AFTER buying it. I sure tried it 1st and it does work (for me).

[kris7047th]

The Shield was designed by a woman. So I was told by Don a S&W CS rep when I called last week to check on the status of my mag order. We had a lengthy conversation about the Shield.

What I Call Superb S&W CS

[Shielded]

I'd venture to bet that pro shooter Julie Goloski Golob had her hand (so to speak) in on it. She does sing it's praise's in a video from Shooting USA.

[shipwreck]

I took it to the range today myself. Put almost 450 rounds thru it. I REALLY like this gun. I normally use Gold Dot 124 and Hydrashok 124 gr. I tried Critical Defense in it today - like a laser. That's my new carry ammo in that 1 gun.

I'm still searching for Shield #2

[Shielded]

Originally Posted by shipwreck

I took it to the range today myself. Put almost 450 rounds thru it. I REALLY like this gun. I normally use Gold Dot 124 and Hydrashok 124 gr. I tried Critical Defense in it today - like a laser. That's my new carry ammo in that 1 gun.

I'm still searching for Shield #2

S&W shows that ammo in their promo pics. Probably on purpose, as it may do very well with it.

[shipwreck]

Yes, I am now looking for more of it - as it seems to have sold out locally in the past week (I bought some last week). I have just enough for 1 mag after shooting several rounds of it today. But, I wanna ad some to the stash now.

[jackjr]

My wife has decided on Gold Dot 124 gr. also but she has only shot that and Guard Dog 105 gr. I'm out of Hydrashok or I would have let her try that too. I do have some Critical defense but it is the Zombie model and we don't intend to shoot it. I'll be picking up more Gold Dot and some others to try but so far she likes the gun and will carry it now.

[Fercho64]

Originally Posted by kris7047th

The Shield was designed by a woman. So I was told by Don a S&W CS rep when I called last week to check on the status of my mag order. We had a lengthy conversation about the Shield.

What I Call Superb S&W CS

YEAH and she was right handed!!!

[Fercho64]

Originally Posted by kris7047th

The Shield was designed by a woman. So I was told by Don a S&W CS rep when I called last week to check on the status of my mag order. We had a lengthy conversation about the Shield.

What I Call Superb S&W CS

YEAH and she is right handed!!!

[accessbob]

Originally Posted by RobzGuns

I'm kinda surprised the original owner didn't check Pocket-ability BEFORE buying it.

Yep, me too but I'm just happy that I was the ultimate recipient of the pistol. Works for me.

[RussC]

[QUOTE=accessbob;136523567]I picked up one for $400 from a guy on a local forum. He was wanting pocket carry and it just wasn't small enough for that. But that failure is my gain as I bought it for my wife, who currently has a full size SW9F. She needs something smaller for normal carry as the full size is just too heavy for the pants she wears. [QUOTE]





I have no problem pocket concealing my Shield in slacks/Dockers and when I am standing you can't even tell I have a gun. I am 6'2" 195 ibs and wear 36x32.

I carried a Beretta Nano for 5 months and honestly I feel no difference between the Nano and Shield in my pocket.

[clarkstoncz]

Can a person run the Shield to full capacity?

One in the chamber and a fully loaded 7 or 8 shot mag?

Some guns won't run like that, so I thought I'd ask.

[RobzGuns]

Originally Posted by clarkstoncz

Can a person run the Shield to full capacity?
One in the chamber and a fully loaded 7 or 8 shot mag?

Some guns won't run like that, so I thought I'd ask.

Yup... Page 17 of the manual mentions topping off the mag so you have +1 capacity. If you don't have a shield yet, you can still download the manual from the S&W site.
(The 1st thing I did after hearing about the Shield was D/L the manual and read up on it)

Right now, being new, it's tough inserting the fully loaded 7 round mag, but that should ease up. The fully loaded 8 round mag inserts nice & easy though.

[Shielded]

Right now I have my 7 round mag loaded with 6 rounds just to get the spring to ease up a bit, they are about a stiff a mag as I've fooled with.

[Bikemobile]

My wife has decided that my shield will be her new carry piece. The short mag seems to load better 6+1. 7+1 is so stiff it almost makes me nervous loading it.

[Marshal tom]

Too bad they didn't put ambi controls on it for us lefties. I would not pocket carry it being lefthanded without the safety on so I am restricted to holster carry.

tom

[MIST]

Originally Posted by Bikemobile

My wife has decided that my shield will be her new carry piece. The short mag seems to load better 6+1. 7+1 is so stiff it almost makes me nervous loading it.

After having my Shield for a few weeks and shooting only a few hundred rounds through it, the magazine springs have loosened up to where full capacity is no problem to load.

The magazine springs for my 45C were actually much stiffer than those on the Shield. It took loading to -1 capacity several times before I was able to successfully load to the full capacity of the magazine.

[RobzGuns]

Good to hear that the mag springs are loosening up.
I was starting to wonder if I'd be needing to file a bit off the bottom of the follower.