M&P Shield comparison to similar 9mms

I am asking, not telling.....

Who has experience with the Shield and the following guns:

Walther PPS M1 and/or M2

Walther CCP

Glock 43

SIG P320 compact or subcompact

or any others of similar size and structure.

My only SIG is an SP-2022, it is also my only polymer handgun, and it is way bigger than the ones listed above - nearly the same as a 6906, which I also have and carry from time to time. So I am considering a lighter, somewhat more portable 9mm (as you can see from the list above) and I JUST KNOW there are enough of you out there on the Forum with such experience that I can get a wealth of comments.

Happy New Year and thank you very much!

I own both a Shield (9mm) and a Walther CCP. I've put about 1300 rounds through the CCP since getting it in late November. Other than a handful (8 or less) issues, the gun has been flawless. Shoots very well and I seem to be fairly accurate with it. The gas "softcoil" system does get the pin in the front as well as the dust cover quite warm (almost hot at times), so thumb placement of my off hand has to change sometimes if I'm running a lot of rounds through it in a short amount of time. Sights are not that great, but I added some paint to the dots to make them a bit larger and it's better.

I picked up the Shield in mid-December and only managed to get about 80 rounds through it before having to take it back to the LGS - who then sent it back to S&W. The slide locked back - hard - about 10 times during those 80 rounds. The armorer at the LGS thinks the recoil spring is bad, and I've seen a thread around here about possible issues with the barrel not fitting properly where it doesn't allow enough "wiggle room" for the barrel to move while the slide recoils, causing the barrel to wedge the slide back. It usually took a few good raps to get the slide back in place and the last dozen or so rounds fired without issue. Based on a few test shots before buying, I think the Shield will be close to the accuracy of the CCP, won't get hot where my thumb rests, is definitely slimmer and smaller - so I assume a bit easier to conceal. The sights are also a bit better on the Shield with larger dots that I don't anticipate needing to augment.

The CCP magazines hold 8 rounds, where the Shield comes with a 7 and an 8 round magazine... so the CCP has one extra if you need it. The CCP also fits like a glove in my hand, but the Shield has a little bit of wiggle room when I grip it - obviously because of the thinner grip. Once I get it back and confirm the problem is solved, I'll be looking into grip sleeve or a set of Talon grips which I think will address that issue.

Hope that helps.

My EDC has been a Colt Defender in 45acp for years. When I retired 3 years ago I knew my lifestyle would lean to wearing more shorts so I bought a KelTec PF9 to use when casual and kept carrying my Colt when wearing long bottoms. Last fall I bought a Shield in 9mm and it has become my EDC. It fits my hand better than the KelTec and is comfortable to carry in any clothing for me. I also like the trigger much better on the Shield than the KelTec though I shoot both equally well. The Colt is still my favorite to shoot, but that may be more nostalgia and 40+ years of 1911's.


Alan

Anyone else?

ISCS Yoda said:

Who has experience with the Shield and the following guns:

Walther PPS M1 and/or M2

Walther CCP

Glock 43

SIG P320 compact or subcompact

or any others of similar size and structure.

Click to expand...

I own a 9mm and .45 Shield, had a PPS M2, shot a Glock 43 many times and am considering buying a Sig 320 I shot a CCP one time, don't like the tool-takedown method. My favorite single-stack 9mm is my Sig 938.

That being said, the Walther PPS M2 has a very nice trigger but heavier and somewhat bigger than the other single-stack choices. The Glock 43 is a little smaller than the others but needs trigger help and no thumb safety available. The Shield wins in value but also needs a trigger job.

Both the Glock and the Shield have a long list of performance upgrades, the Sigs and Walthers have few.

Priced a few dollars less than the Shield, the Ruger LC9 is a reliable little pistol.

My suggestion is find a range that rents guns and try various single stacks. Me personally I carry the Shield 9 because it had a thumb safety and made me feel more comfortable (for loaded carry). I tried the Glock 43 the trigger pinched my finger but seemed accurate . The Ruger LC 9 felt smaller than a Shield and harder to control and I had some fte . The Shield so has so far been very reliable and more or less accurate for a subcompact. If Glocks had safeties maybe would go for it as a carry gun.

I have a shield 9, a 9C and an XDM 3.8C .45
One of my coworkers just picked up a P320Cin 9. It's bigger than my XDM.
hardly a compact, the subcompact would be the closest and even that is closer in size to a 9C than a shield.
I was taken aback at how large the 320 is for a supposed 'compact"
Spring Field XDS 3.3 would be closest to the shield (I know it's not on your list but I thought I'd throw it in the ring)

S&W really did hit it out of the park with the shield. I'm not a trigger snob by any means but the shields trigger seems pretty good to me. Now the sdve line trigger now that's a hideous trigger imo.

I have a SIG P320 Compact that is both both 9mm and .357 SIG, thanks to SIG's Caliber X-Change Kit. It is not really comparable to the Shield. As kmanick has pointed out above, it is much larger and heavier, carrying 15 rounds of 9mm in a double-stack magazine. It also has a relatively light trigger, and no external safety, not even a trigger safety. I love my P320, and shoot it often, but I won't carry it because I prefer an external safety on my carry pistol.

I also have a Shield 9mm that I originally purchased as my carry gun. It had some prolonged break-in issues related to the infamous RSA problems of 2015. While all of that has been sorted out and my Shield is now the reliable gun that I expected it to be, I don't often carry it. While I was working out the Shield's RSA kinks (and its RSA was kinked), I started to carry my M&P 40 Compact on a "temporary" basis. I got used to the extra heft of the 40c, and it has become my permanent everyday carry.

My 40c was 100% reliable right out of the box, and now has 7000 trouble-free rounds through it. It is also more accurate than the Shield beyond 12 yards. Some have complained about the 40c's trigger, but I never had a problem with mine until I developed some arthritis in my trigger hand. I added an Apex DCAEK, and now it's perfect. So you might want to add the M&P Compact to your list. Unfortunately, I've never fired an M&P 9c, so I can't advise you if that's a viable alternative.

I hope you find something that works for you.

I have 2 Shields and a Glock 43. Both are excellent. I like the 43 for a CCP a tad better than the Shield as its abit smaller . BUT I like to shoot and the feel of the Shield better. Plus I seem to be more accurate with the Shield. I also use the Shield as a CCP not just the G43. But both weapons are extremely fine weapons. If you were close by I'd let you try them out. Best way to find what you really like.

I have had a 2 Shields, still have a Walther PPS M2 and a G43. Depends on what you want to do with the gun. I primarily pocket carry... so the G43 was the one choice for me between the 3. Unbelievably, mine has a better trigger than either of my Shields or the Walther. The Shield and Walther have longer grip options and available factory higher capacity mags if waist carry is your thing.
Changing the sights on the PPS M2 was about as easy as it gets and it has the advantage of being able to thumb the striker when holstering. I had to send my Shield slides off for sight install and I was able to use my pusher and adapter to do the rear sight on the G43.

I prefer the 9mm Shield, my wife carries the Glock 43. I've never got use to the grip angle on Glocks. As to sights mentioned in the previous post, I've changed them on the Shield & Glock, with appropriate sight pushers.

LAA said:

As to sights mentioned in the previous post, I've changed them on the Shield & Glock, with appropriate sight pushers.

Click to expand...

Which sight pusher works for Shield?

I have a 9mm PC Shield and a Glock 43. I carried the glock for a few months and switched to the Shield. Main reason, I shoot the Shield better and very consistently. For me the Shield has much better ergonomics. I carry at 3:30 IWB, and the chunkiness of the Glock is not as comfortable as the lines of the shield.

Bonephish said:

Which sight pusher works for Shield?

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I had never done any sight work before, and had no trouble with this one. I used the cut up credit card that they recommend between all surfaces, except the sight itself.

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Handgun-Pusher-springfield-others/dp/B016R4DXJW/ref=sr_1_2?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1483714892&sr=1-2&keywords=sight+pusher[/ame]

swsig said:

I have a SIG P320 Compact that is both both 9mm and .357 SIG, thanks to SIG's Caliber X-Change Kit. It is not really comparable to the Shield. As kmanick has pointed out above, it is much larger and heavier, carrying 15 rounds of 9mm in a double-stack magazine. It also has a relatively light trigger, and no external safety, not even a trigger safety. I love my P320, and shoot it often, but I won't carry it because I prefer an external safety on my carry pistol.

I also have a Shield 9mm that I originally purchased as my carry gun. It had some prolonged break-in issues related to the infamous RSA problems of 2015. While all of that has been sorted out and my Shield is now the reliable gun that I expected it to be, I don't often carry it. While I was working out the Shield's RSA kinks (and its RSA was kinked), I started to carry my M&P 40 Compact on a "temporary" basis. I got used to the extra heft of the 40c, and it has become my permanent everyday carry.

My 40c was 100% reliable right out of the box, and now has 7000 trouble-free rounds through it. It is also more accurate than the Shield beyond 12 yards. Some have complained about the 40c's trigger, but I never had a problem with mine until I developed some arthritis in my trigger hand. I added an Apex DCAEK, and now it's perfect. So you might want to add the M&P Compact to your list. Unfortunately, I've never fired an M&P 9c, so I can't advise you if that's a viable alternative.

I hope you find something that works for you.

Click to expand...

I never really had any problems with my shield 9 , but I did pick up a 9C and carry it quite a bit. I find I'm more accurate with it and the additional width and weight of it over the shield IMO are minimal, so in a StealthGear 'Mini" it carries quite well.

Bonephish said:

Which sight pusher works for Shield?

Click to expand...

I used the MGW (Shield version), which is made specifically for the 9mm & 40 Shield. It's an exact fit, to the slider frame. When I bought a 45 Shield, I did a bit of filing on the sight pusher, since the 45's slide is slightly larger. If needed, I can always shim for 9mm. As I remember, I picked up the MGW from Brownells.

I own the G43 and a pair of XDS-9s. I'm pleased with both models. Accurate and completely reliable. The XDS is a bit more versatile with 7,8, and 9 round magazines. I've shot the Shield and believe that I would be pleased with one. I just don't believe it offers enough to justify getting another single stack 9.

A side note on a recent observation. A customer just bought a brand new CCP. He went into the range and about 100 rounds later, the entire slide went flying off downrange. Back to Walther it went. A datapoint of one, but interesting none the less. If I were getting a Walther, it'd be the PPS any day over the CCP.

I own a 9c, and have shot the 9 shield and 40 shield. I also own a m1 PPS.

In order I prefer

9c (mainly because its modded to my taste)
PPS
Shield 9
Shield 40

The PPS is such an awesome gun, its actually the gun I bought my wife, nice and slim, super comfortable for both our hands, and never had an issue with it. I even prefer the mag release in the trigger guard, its ambidextrous without having to switch parts around which is a plus because I shoot with both hands. The only downfall is after market part availability compared to M&P's. The shields just felt "meh" to me, they worked, but nothing stood out to me.

-B

LAA said:

I used the MGW (Shield version), which is made specifically for the 9mm & 40 Shield. It's an exact fit, to the slider frame. When I bought a 45 Shield, I did a bit of filing on the sight pusher, since the 45's slide is slightly larger. If needed, I can always shim for 9mm. As I remember, I picked up the MGW from Brownells.

Click to expand...

I've been using a blowtorch, punch and a bigass hammer.

My Shield 9mm was frustrating to remove the rear sight, the .45 was easier. I installed Ameriglo sights on both and my Glock 19 as well. They went on easily with a poly punch.