9 vs. 40 Shield

[eric-holmes]

I'm sorry I this has been asked before, but given the opportunity to buy either the 9mm or the 40 S&W Shield, which would you buy? The only thing leaning me toward the .40 is the fact to interchange the 9mm barrel.

Opinions?

 

[buckshotshorty]

Picking a caliber for a gun is a personal choice. The small guns I own eg.Kahr CM9, Ruger LC9 are 9mm. The reason: a gun under 20 oz is going to have you at a disadvantage because of size & weight. Follow up shots take longer, sighting is more difficult,, carry fewer rounds. So I feel, why add to the difficulty by buying a firearm that carries less ammo and recoils more?

 

[Smitty357]

Technically they can both swap barrels with one another (without changing the subject and getting into it). So i wouldnt let that be a big decision factor. The problem with barrel swap is, i highly doubt u will be finding any extra barrels for the Shield any time soon. With that said, its not going to matter if u can change barrels or not.

I believe u should shoot both weapons and decide which one u personally like better. Which one can u shoot better. And which one one u seem to be more precise at using. The one ur more comfortable shooting is the one that i'd be choosing if i were u.

My ole lady shoots her Shield .40 better than she shoots her Shield converted to 9mm. Oddly she shoots her converted .40 to 9mm better than she actually shot her factory Shield 9mm which she had before i bought her a Shield .40.

 

[contenderv07]

I'm in the same boat with this, but my deciding factor will be, how well can I get the gun back on target.. I've got an XDM 40 and it has a lot of muzzle hop. I would think with a 9mm its not going to be as "poppy" which means I don't have to really aim on the second, 3rd, 4th, etc.. shots... Thats just one observation but I'll probably go with the 9

 

[RETSMSGT]

My first CCW was a slim 40 made by one of the other guys. I sold it and replaced it with the Shield 9. As stated above, it was difficult to make follow up shots and only held 6+1. The shield 9 is what I consider to be the perfect IWB carry gun for me, 9c for OWB. Additionally, I have come to believe that .40 S&W is a caliber best suited to a full sized frame and love my 40 FS.

 

[feelinlucky]

If this means anything to ya, the 40 is a bit more potent round... and it shows in the recoil. The 9mm holds one more round than the 40.

I couldn't be happier with my 40, but I'm sometimes tempted to buy a 9 to go along with it. If the right deal comes along, I probably will.

 

[handgunner356]

I have several full sized 40s' and 9s' but I've sold off all my compact 40s'. I don't feel there is enough difference between the best 9mm and the best 40 out of short barreled guns to deal with the additional recoil.

 

[USAF385]

How long until this turns into a discussion on Shield .40 kabooms?

 

[WilsonFlyer]

How long until this turns into a discussion on Shield .40 kabooms?

Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock.

 

[robkarrob]

The shorter the barrel, the more the performance loss. With the short barreled carry guns, my choice is the Shield 40 with potent CorBon SD ammo (526 ft lbs of energy). Granted I would not want to get shot with a 22 LR, but a 40 is going to impart more energy that the 9mm. The trade off is more felt recoil, but if you do some simple exercises to strengthen your hand, wrist, and arm muscles, the recoil should not be an issue.

I shoot 9, 40, and 45, and even though there is recoil differences, I find the 40 and 45 to not give me any issues with quick follow up shots. I would estimate maybe an extra 1/4 to 1/2 second more, to get back on target, compared to the 9mm. And if you practice a lot, you could get like Jerry Miculek, who can accurately fire off 5-6 or more rounds in a second, with almost any high caliber handgun. That guy is amazing, check out his YouTube videos. Not only entertaining, but he also is very knowledgeable and explains and teaches a lot about shooting.

YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChk5eyAGuO3J4rV-CiMNkNQ

Shoot Fast website: http://miculek.com/


Bob

 

[CB3]

The ballistic difference between 9 mm and 40 Smith & Wesson out of the short-barreled gun is basically insignificant.

What is significant to me is the increased recoil and flash of the 40 over the 9 mm which makes it more difficult to shoot fast and accurately. As well the 9 mm gives you one more round capacity (+15%) which can be more important because of the lack of difference in ballistics.

Having owned, carried and shot Keltec 40's and a .357 Sig, Kahr 40's, and a S&W 642 .357 Mag as compact guns, I can say without reservation for me 9 mm shoots better in a small lightweight gun.

Capacity and shootability trump any perceived ballistic advantage. Science does not support the perception that one can shoot a small, lightweight .40 better than the same gun in 9 MM. Personal perception can be different than science though, just not for me.

Get the 9. You'll do fine.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I had the same choice to make when I bought my Shield. I chose the 9mm due to lighter recoil (Equals quicker follow up shots), slightly cheaper ammo, and a tiny bit more capacity. With good modern SD ammo, both are about equal in stopping the Bad Guys from doing what you don't want them to do.

 

[IndyTom]

Personally for a light weight carry gun I would always choose the 9mm over the .40 caliber round. More capacity, less recoil, easier to control, better accuracy. It's a no Brainer. In a full size pistol I would probably still choose the 9mm over the .40 since I really don't like the .40 caliber round. I shot several Glocks and Full sized M&P in .40 and am not impressed. If I want to shoot a larger caliber than a 9mm then I shoot my 45 Auto Colt Gold Cup. That thing is accurate at 25 yards like no other gun I own. Can't say that of any of the .40 calibers I shot to date.

 

[Khurrle]

I sold my full sized Taurus 24/7 G2 9mm to get the shield 9mm. What I find funny is even though the shield is just over an inch shorter than the Taurus I can barely feel the difference in recoil. The Shield shoots so smoothly and comparably to a full sized firearm that I am thankful I didn't go for the .40.

 

[Sharks06lly]

I hate 40 as a caliber so I have the 9 and a fs 45

 

[Florida J Frame]

I recently had to make this decision and went with the 9mm since it is easier to shoot, gives you an extra round, doesn't beat the gun up as much and the people that study such things say there is no real difference in terminal ballistics. If they both get the job done equally, assuming modern top end ammo, why put up with extra recoil and flash? It seems to me the .40 was a solution looking for a problem. I also understand the FBI is now starting a conversion to 9mm . . .This is obviously just my opinion as the choice of any self defense weapon is a very personal decision. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[The Sarge]

In a pistol that small it just makes more sense to go with the 9mm. Bill

 

[CB3]

Will it be a mistake to go with the 9MM? No.

Will it be a mistake to go with the .40 S&W? Maybe.

Your choice.

 

[Smitty357]

If they made one in .22lr. I'd get one and sell all my others.

Just saying.

 

[B3500]

I'm sorry I this has been asked before, but given the opportunity to buy either the 9mm or the 40 S&W Shield, which would you buy? The only thing leaning me toward the .40 is the fact to interchange the 9mm barrel.

Opinions?

I can understand getting one in 40 and follow that up by getting a 9mm barrel. I did the same thing with a Glock 23 a while back and it works fine. I only use the 9mm barrel at the range though. When it is back in it's HD form it runs what it was made for.

I would mention two things;

1) Thinking you can pick up a 9mm Shield barrel and have it in hand by next week. From what I read they are very hard to find. Maybe you won't be able to find one at all, does that change things?

2) If this is going to be used as a carry gun and you want to carry 9mm, then you should probably get it in 9mm instead of trying to run a conversion set up. You need a carry gun to be 100% and changes like a barrel swap might (or not) cause issues.


If it were me, I would get it in the caliber I want for carry and get the other caliber (or barrel or a bigger range or HD gun) later on when you want to. At least the Shield line is not a model that are prohibitively expensive to have two of them.