3rd Gen 6906 vs Shield 40

[imarangemaster]

My 6906 with 14 rounds weighs 27.9 ounces, vs. my Shield 40 with 8 rounds at 23.9 ounces. That makes the 6906 just a tad over 4 ounces heavier.

What amazed me was that the 6906, while being slightly wider in the grip, was almost the exact same size as the Shield 40 with the extended magazine. Look at the images below:

With the 6 round magazine, the Shield 40 has an edge, and will fit in loose shorts pocket, but it is half the rounds. With the extended magazine, the Shield is no more concealable than the 6906 or it 40 cousin, the 4013.

 

[armorer951]

Caution....opinion follows: No comparison as far as accuracy is concerned. The 6906 is inherently more accurate than the Shield 40. (or any other Shield)

 

[imarangemaster]

I have to agree. My 40 Shield is a belly gun. Rapid fire (1 to 1.5 shots a second, my 6906 shoots a group half the size of the 40 Shield does, even with the 124 grain +Ps. Where I carried a 469 and 669 as duty (and off duty) LEO weapons, with no fear of being under-gunned. I would not use the Shield as anything except an off duty piece if I was still an LEO.

 

[stansdds]

Still carrying a 6946. Considered a plastic pistol, but other than a few ounces in weight, I see no overwhelming reason to switch.

 

[kbm6893]

Still carrying a 6946. Considered a plastic pistol, but other than a few ounces in weight, I see no overwhelming reason to switch.

The weight is the entire issue for me. I have had several 6906's and they are chunky guns. I have a 3953 and that is a better comparison between a Shield, but the Shield is still lighter. For me, every ounce matters, which is why my Ruger LC9S gets carried and my Shield rarely does, even though I like it very much and have no plans to get rid of it.

 

[BAM-BAM]

6906 is 12+1 for 13 not 14. ??????

I always say to each their own..... but I agree the 6906 is a great concealed carry gun and has been for me for the past 30 years. With a spare 15 round mag with a +2 adaptor in a Safariland 123 horizontal mag pouch.

I have tended to carry a 3913NL more in my peaceful Burb of the Burgh; thou often with 2 spare 8rd mags.

I started out concealed carrying things like a 2 1/2" 19 or a Colt Commander..... FEG Hi-Power clone, finally a Beretta 92 compact...... all were over 2lbs. My suit gun was a 25oz PPK .

That's the news from lake Wobegon, where all the women are good-looking, all the men are strong [enough to pack a real gun] and all the children are above average."

 

[imarangemaster]

My mag takes 13 + 1 in the tube. See my thread about using a late 59 follower.

VERY Interesting...A 13 round 6906 magazine!

 

[pharmer]

I had a Shield last year for about 10 minutes. I carry my 6906 with 12 rds Fed HST 124 gr. My 1st 20 years I got used to 6 in my revolver. Now I automatically (no pun intended) have 6+6. Any more needed than that, my handgun won't save me. Joe

 

[HE44]

M&P 40 Shield Magazines

I purchased an M&P 40 Shield. To my surprise the magazines were impossible to fully load. No one at the range, even the young twenty somethings could do it. I sent them as instructed to S&W Springfield. The factory for some reason had their parts place in MO send me springs for my mags, forgetting that they had the mags. Finally they sent replacement mags. After tremendous effort I was able to load them. I will leave them loaded for a year. If problem persists I will see if my gunsmith can modify the springs to make the mags operable.

 

[imarangemaster]

I find you need a magazine loader with the shields. Their mag spring is like an AK mag spring, twice as long as the magazine. They use the same spring in the flush and extended mags.