Hello All,

I just recently handled a new Shield Plus at my local gun shop, and I came away more interested in buying the original Shield “1.0.” Why? The new flat- faced trigger seemed something more appropriate for a target pistol than a concealed carry firearm. I’d be a bit nervous carrying a gun with such a light, short- throw trigger in my back pocket or behind my belt while walking on my land. In fact, I’m a little concerned about how light my 2.0 MP Full-size is with 5# over 1/8th inch pull versus 6.2# over 1/4” of my SD9VE (once I polished up the SD’s trigger bar, and clipped a coil off of the striker block spring.)

Has anyone else got some thoughts about this new Shield Plus? And why exactly do people complain about the original Shield’s trigger? As someone with considerable gunsmithing experience with trigger jobs without using aftermarket parts on Smith revolvers, I’m taking a new interest in the original Shield. Any responses appreciated.

I have used an original Shield 9 with no complaints. I have yet to see a Shield Plus but I think there is a generic concern with only a hinged or safety lever equipped trigger and no manual safety. I find the solution to be a holster and being very careful using it.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

While I haven't tried the Shield Plus I do have a Pro CORE with the reduced travel trigger and stop.

All I can say is single action plastic guns and back pocket carry in general don't go well together. A good quality holster that covers the trigger is almost a must.

I love the Shield Plus trigger and the Shield Plus is now my preferred EDC, but only in a holster that covers the trigger guard.

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His Universe, His rules.

Buy the one with a safety.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how can a semi auto pistol fire in your back pocket?
I have been carrying all different name brand and types of guns in my back pockets for decades, WITHOUT a holster, and not 1 has EVER fired. I even carry my SP101's in my back pocket sometimes. I also carry them in my front pockets as well. Now, don't get me wrong, I do have holsters for all of my firearms. But, some places I travel you need the fastest, easiest access to your firearm.

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How many guns are too many?

I know the Shield is a compact gun, but you must have some big pockets! Trigger finger discipline and a good holster will solve your problem.

Ruger Nut, I generally have had your experience, but imagine cocking the hammer back on your loaded SP101, putting it in your shirt or rear pocket, and walking a mile or two through your dense Mississippi woods with that single action ready to go. Would you do it? Only takes 2-3# force applied over maybe 1/16” to set it off. By contrast, the 10-12# double action pull over 1/2” makes it pretty safe in the pocket. That range of weights and pull lengths defines the safety dilemma for me. As I see it, the new Shield plus seems a good deal closer to the cocked single action scenario than the old Shield’s longer, heavier pull.

I think the Shield Plus’ trigger is fantastic. The 1.0 trigger, to me, had too much of a wall and I ended up jerking it too easily. An Apex sear helped. I do agree the 1.0’s trigger is very light for a self defense gun and very easy to fire before you’re quite ready. I prefer carrying a J frame for this reason. The Plus’s trigger is a different animal, I haven’t decided if it’s pocket-worthy, but it’s definitely holster-worthy.

I believe you're comparing apples and oranges.

Carrying a revolver in single-action, with no safety, with a trigger pull that is that light would be, in my opinion, extremely foolish. I would be hard-pressed to find anyone that carries a revolver in that condition, albeit there may be a group of people out there who do.

Now for the oranges part: you're talking of a pistol that is striker-fired, that has a trigger feature to prevent the trigger from inadvertently moving, which in turn pushes a bar that lifts a block while subsequently tripping a sear, dropping the striker, and discharging a shot. If you told me that you were looking to carry a SIG P320 with an ultra-light trigger pull and no split-trigger or hinged shoe, that could discharge a shot when dropped... then I'd say you might want to reconsider.

I would also agree with a majority of the people replying here, that a holster that prevents snags and inadvertent pulling of the trigger is a good move. I've never pocket-carried, never IWB-carried, or generally carried at all without some form of holster-type device. Everyone is different, and I can respect that everyone has different needs and requirements.

The flatter trigger is a change that people either love or hate; I like the flatter trigger style on my EDC, because I have a better feel for it than I did with the original hinge-style trigger that shipped with my firearm. The 1.0 trigger across the line was stated to be gritty and unappealing, and even after 2800 rounds I couldn't stand it. I went the APEX route and haven't looked back but I agree that someone with gunsmithing experience could most likely get it much better than factory.

Keep in mind, the trigger design for the striker-fired pistols is to prevent the trigger from moving without some finger-type device defeating the safety. If you're looking for more peace-of-mind, there is an offer with a safety as well to ensure another factor of safety on top.

Everything comes down to preference, but rest easy knowing the design ensures safe carry and mitigates "surprises". I love the lighter pulls on my pistols, but I know that's not for everyone.

$0.02, whatever that's worth nowadays.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

First of all, you insulted me by stating I'm in Mississippi. Read my location again. It reads L O U I S I A N A!
Second, why in Corn bread HELL would I want to cock my SP101 and THEN place it in my pocket? SERIOUSLY? You insulted my intelligence!
I use SAFETY and COMMON SENSE with ALL of my firearms!

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How many guns are too many?

So was grittiness of pull the main complaint users had of the original Shield? For those of you who’ve used it, what specifically needed to be improved?

I have a Performance Center M&P40 Shield 1.0, which has a 5lb trigger which feels extremely light/short to me because I'm used to heavy/long Double Action Triggers weighing 10-12lbs.
However, my Shield has a manual safety on the frame, so I just use that. I don't know if the Shield PLUS comes in a configuration with a manual safety, but if it does, then there's an option for you.


As you can see on the rear of the frame is a manual safety switch which sits flush. When in the up position, it locks the sear, preventing the trigger being pulled and the gun from firing.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

....has a great trigger and a manual safety which is a great combination. I wouldn't change a thing. I consider the manual safety to be essential, as the toggle trigger might not fire on hitting the floor, but if something pulls it.....

One thing that made me look at the Shield were the number of reviews that pointed out the trigger as being 'almost like single action.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I have the first gen shield and the trigger has always been rough in it's pull. And I mean that it was not consistent so you never felt were it was going to break. My Plus on the other hand has a smooth pull, release is right against the wall you come to when pulling the trigger back. To me it is a much easier gun to hold the front sight still when shooting it. And it fits my hand like an Italian glove.

You carry without a holster, so no, you do not.

Striker fired in general is "almost" like single action, from your finger's point of view, and how you would define "almost."

I own a 1.0 Shield and put the Apex Duty Carry Kit flat faced trigger in it. Much better than the stock one. I don't care for the hinged, curved trigger on the Shield. I have handled the new Shield Plus and it has a very good trigger as well. It is a training issue. You would like the flat faced trigger once you get used to it. JMHO!

If you're in Mass or California the stock shield and SD9VE triggers are like 10.5 pounds or 11 pounds. I put Apex kits in both my Shield 1.0 and my SD9VE with factory triggers, and I like the 5.5-6 lb trigger with long pull - My shield is a no safety, and I never feel "unsafe" carrying them.

"I’d be a bit nervous carrying a gun with such a light, short- throw trigger in my back pocket or behind my belt while walking on my land."

Which is why one should ALWAYS carry with a proper holster that covers the trigger. Then your concern is a non issue. Proper draw technique and basic safety principles 100% of the time with any firearm.

So you would have no problem carrying a cocked, single action, hammer-fired pistol with no manual safety in a proper holster that covers the trigger?

I'm always hearing about what **** triggers the 1.0 Shields have, yet I can't see any appreciable difference between the trigger on my 1.0 9mm Shield and the ones on my 2.0 Compacts, one of which is a 9mm and the other a .45. Maybe I just got lucky and have a better than average trigger on my 1.0 Shield.

I also have a Ruger Security 9mm, and if you want to talk about **** triggers we could offer that as exhibit A. Actually if we were talking about **** guns in general I could offer that one as an example.

I truly don't know what it is about this forum and the obsession with pocket carry. Everywhere else I go you'll hear about it every now and then with an LCP or J frame, usually in a jacket pocket, but always in a holster that covers the trigger. The weight of the trigger is fine, just get a proper holster that covers the trigger guard and wear it on a belt as is the intent. Shoot, I wear pants that fit well and I don't think I could ever carry something the size of a shield in a front pocket and have it not look absurd.

My Shields are for holster carry, only my Kahrs get pocket carry.

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His Universe, His rules.

Smith and Wesson established a clear precedent for safe pocket carry—heck, for pocket firing in an emergency—with their Bodyguard and Centennial revolver models. Pocket carry without a holster is no radical idea; it’s been done for decades and requires a safe trigger.

The great revolution of the Glock era, to me, is the creation of semi auto handguns with revolver-like simplicity and reliability, but with the advantage of much more thinness and compactness than even the snubnose classics referred to above. If the Shield plus has such a light trigger that pocket carry requires a manual safety, then the compelling simplicity of the striker pistol is defeated. Ironically Smith improved on most Glock models for compactness and thinness with the original Shield. And the SDT trigger of the SDVE pistols is really an advance in safety over the typical striker pistol. If only Smith could combine the two, we’d have a pocket carry wonder. I will try to find a new Original Shield 9 and substitute a heavier SD trigger return spring that I have, to simulate a bit of that SDVE safety advantage.

My Shield 1.0 that I bought for 200 bucks new after rebate was an excellent pistol regardless of the cost. The trigger was heavy for a target gun but what I considered perfect for a small self defense gun. Since the Shields are so small I would want a heavier trigger because in a hurry its harder for me to get a proper grip and my trigger finger properly located than it is with a full size gun.

SOMETIMES!
And, after DECADES of carrying like this SOMETIMES, I have YET to have one geaux off!
There are PLENTY of people in this world that carry without a holster, and, like me, they too have common sense and are safe.
Don't be a hater.

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How many guns are too many?

Plenty of people drive drunk and never kill anyone, or have an accident. Doesn't make it safe.

It's just like the trap morons that rest there shotgun barrel on there feet. It's "safe" until they literally shoot themselves in the foot.

The only people I see carrying without a holster are actors in movies, they are always shoving a pistol into their pants, then running around, jumping over walls, etc.
I prefer to have my pistol where I expect it to be when I reach for it, and that will only happen when it's in a holster specifically made for that pistol.

And that's not even getting in to the whole safety aspect of it.

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U. S. Army Veteran

Triggers come in lots of variations. On most guns, the S&W M&P lines in particular, one can adjust trigger pull to their desires.

On my striker fired pistols I like to have a 4.5 to 5.5 pound trigger. I have adjusted all my striker fired pistols to have this trigger pull weight. I have also been able to adjust the length of pull and over travel on most of them. This has given me a similar trigger pull on all of my striker fired pistols.

If one is too light or too heavy or too long or too gritty I adjust it. Springs, stones, parts.

S&W would not manufacture and market a striker fired pistol with too light/short a trigger pull. If some one thinks it may be too light/short, have it adjusted or buy something else. It’s a personal preference not a gun problem. It is certainly not inherently unsafe.

I just purchased the new Shield Plus 9mm. The 13 round magazine does not take 13 rounds of 9mm 115gr JHP!!! It'll only take 12 rounds!! When I tried 124gr 9mm round nose, it'll take the full 13!! Anyone have an idea why this is??? Thanks.....

You have weak thumbs?

Just kidding. As you already know, getting that 13th round in is pretty tight under the best of circumstances. I would presume that the profile of the 115gr JHP bullet is causing the rounds to stack just differently enough in the magazine to prevent the 13th round. Which ammo are you experiencing this with?

I've found the Shield Plus trigger to be fine, but I'm used to Glock pistols and the idea that the finger stays off the trigger altogether until you're ready to shoot and that any pistol carried in a pocket should be in a holster that covers the trigger guard.

I am amazed at the current trend for light triggers without any manual safety. Then again my SW9VE has had mods to lighten the original trigger. I suspect the lightest handgun triggers I have are the 4.5 lb. military minimum on my Colt S70 Mk. IV and early Springfield 1911. Both with manual and grip safety.
There are many incensed complaints on the net about the "Massively Heavy" trigger on the Kahr pistols. Compared to what, I wonder?
Geoff
Who notes triggers are a highly individual taste.

I agree completely; from my perspective, this is getting to be a problem. It seems that ever since the Walther PPQ trigger there’s been a “race to the bottom” with trigger pulls. If this now means safeties are mandatory with new striker mechanism guns, we’ve undone the advantages of revolver-like simplicity this mechanism offers for semi automatic pistols.

Depending on redundant mechanical safeties to replace safe gun handling is more of a problem than modern designs.

What gun company will purposefully sell a gun in today’s litigious world that does not meet safety standards? The answer is not one.

A trigger pull can be made too light for safety of masses of shooters, no doubt. It just won’t be done by the manufacturer.

The speed with which a self defense firearm may need to be put into action makes handling the gun different than a range/target gun. Adding a redundant safety is a personal choice usually offered by manufacturers. Buy it if you need it, but don’t criticize those who don’t. This is 2021, not 1921. Firearms have evolved. Some shooters have not.

I agree with the OP. The Shield V1 has about the correct trigger for the type of gun it is. I find mine to be just fine. It also has a safety. I do not carry with the safety on as I feel the gun is safe carried that way due to it's length of pull and resistance. I do use a holster but do carry IWB. For IWB I prefer to holster the gun and then stow the holstered gun inside the waistband. If I holster the gun with the holster already in place I engage the safety, holster the gun while confirming there is no added resistance (shirttail, etc.) and then disengage the safety for normal carry. I never carry that type of gun OWB like I would a duty gun where the holster will be more substantial and stiffer and less likely to have the complication of clothing interference, etc., providing the carrier is paying attention. That's why I'm comfortable carrying my light trigger G19 without a safety in a proper OWB holster, using care. Apples and oranges. Of course no gun should ever be holstered without conscious caution.

IMHO I feel such guns (and yeah I'll loosely use the term pocket pistol) should have a reasonably heavy trigger with a longer pull. If you want a target type trigger put it on your target gun.

Oink, I respect your years of police experience—and your service.

I was stewing on this Shield Plus trigger experience, partly based on the fact that the only concealed carry I do is usually pocket carry on my land in one of my old BDU jackets leftover from my time in the service. But I was also thinking about a night not too long ago when I heard a crash on the back porch in the middle of the night, silence, then another. I live in the middle of 100 acres in rural Mississippi, and the chance that a human could be causing such a ruckus at 3AM is near zero. Likely a raccoon, one of my dogs etc. But I got up after second crash with my Gold Cup in my hand, on safety, approached the door, went out, and realized my finger was on the trigger—a 3.5# trigger that moves only 1/16” if that, and breaks like glass. A clear error on my part. A training issue. Normally I keep the SD9VE near the bed with it’s ideal 1/4” steady pull trigger and that helpful stippled trigger finger pad on the frame to remind dummies like me how to remember the basics. A trained, experienced police officer like Oink will remember the basics. The half-asleep homeowner may not. Based on all of this I’ve been stewing about triggers lately and I really appreciate all the intelligent, thoughtful replies. Thanks.

I note the local low price of the Shield + is $499.99 for a Shield + with a manual safety.
Geoff
Who really should do trigger pull tests on all his personal battery.

I agree w/ the OP on trigger pull weight and distance. Forgetting the pocket carry part of the discussion, I prefer a 5-6# trigger w/ a fairly long pull on my carry gun. 7 yrs ago we moved to a state where we could carry. I got an M&P9c and wife a G19. I felt the triggers were too light on both. Apex duty/carry kit fixed my M&P and a combination of parts fixed the G19 so both are in the 5-6# range. Not only the final pull weight was increased but the pre-travel weight was increased some too. That weight also came w/ much smoothing of parts and hence the 5-6# doesn't feel bad at all. I think the manufacturers could do well to concentrate on smoothing their actions instead of just making them lighter. As a frame of reference for my comments we shoot our Beretta 92s a lot more than the carry guns. They have a 3-3.5# single action pull and 5-6# in double action. My idpa gun is at the bottom of those ranges and our HD B92s are at the top. We love the triggers in them but they are not our carry guns and the heavier DA pull, in my mind, allows for the light SA pull.

No accidents here to speak of.

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How many guns are too many?

Trigger snobs will call practically anything but a 1911 with a competition trigger job terrible. Seriously, most folks who complain about the Shield's trigger probably have very few guns with stock triggers they actually like, and everything else has custom triggers.

Honestly, there are just certain people who care more about how a trigger pull feels than the overall reliability of a firearm. No seriously, I've seen folks online who will post range reports of new guns with spotty reliability yet spend the whole time complimenting the trigger, writing the reliability off as a need for a break in or a fault of the ammo, but heaven forbid that a trigger need breaking in.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

If a striker-fired action is not to your liking, there are still plenty of long-pull double action autos out there. New models are available from Beretta (PX4), Springfield Armory, and others. As an aside, it is better practice to use a holster rather than a back pocket. You might also consider a single action auto like a 1911 carried unloaded (Condition 3), or a double action revolver of modern design. A single action revolver with an empty charge hole under the resting hammer also might be better suited. Always use a holster regardless of mode of carry.

from what i can tell the original shield trigger is the upgraded trigger that they put into the m&p 2.0 and all subsequent guns. i think it's probably the best duty trigger out there. the long take up is there, there's a defined wall, a clean crisp break, and a short tactile reset. the shield plus trigger seems like an appeasement of market place trends with all the people going out and buying apex triggers. the shield line is targeted more towards the civilian than law enforcement demographic so it makes sense that it uses more of an apex style trigger than a duty trigger. a light trigger that mimicks an sa pull goes together with a thumb safety imo

I just don't get it. Take a small, troublesome to operate pistol and put a trigger for a custom hardball pistol on it. 4lb triggers are for precision off hand pistol matches at 25 and 50 yards. The fact that it can be done doesn't mean that you should do it.



I'll make my trigger so light that I have to put it in a holster to carry it around. When I finally have to use this thing to save my life, I'm going to shoot some guy who is attacking me with a knife and is 3' away from me. I was so excited I don't know how many shots I fired or where they hit, but that 4lb trigger sure helped......I think.

So you carry your guns like a gangster without a holster? Heck I would be worried about carrying like that wit a ten pound trigger.


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The Op doesnt like the new lighter trigger. I can respect that.
I would suggest he get a version 1 Shield or a version 2 Shield with the older trigger design. They are for sale everywhere. I believe S&W is still producing 2.0 Shields for a little while longer?
The bickering about holsters & safeties is nonsense.

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S&W BG380, S&W 915 9mm

m&p is the best thing that happened to the gun world since 1911's introduction

mrmike

I am the OP and I did just as you suggested: bought a new Original shield, gently polished the internals with 2000 grit, and it has been perfect. Darn good little pistol for back of jeans pocket carry while walking my land. Accurate, very easy to control. Maybe one day I’d consider concealed carry in public but I’ve never been comfortable with that. In my mind that’s why we have our brave policemen. But in the middle of 100 wooded acres in rural Mississippi, it’s nice to have a little heavier trigger on this crisp shooting M&P.