Advice on my Shield Plus Performance Center trigger

[DartonJager]

Went again to the range today. Shot all my polymer HGs that are designed to be carried concealed. Had about 100 more rounds fired out of my 4" Shield Plus PC when I notice three vehicles pull up and wound up putting and end to my range session. Thought who else is dumb enough besides me to go shooting at the outdoor covered gun range at my private gun club when its 93* outside and ZERO breeze.

Turned out to be one of the firearm instructors, a dad and mom and their four young adult children all new members looking for instruction on how to shoot handguns. They had all already been through the firearm safety course and handgun safety course offered by our club free to members. Unfortunately (for me) the other firearms instructor ran into a last minute problem and couldn't make it, so he asked me if I would assist. I said yes of course as new gun owners are the future of 2A in America and new members are the future of my club.

Now for the reason for my post. I now have 300 rounds fired out of my new 4" Performance Center Shield Plus and find the trigger to be gritty and have more than just a little creep but its not the amount of creep that bothers me it's how inconsistent the creep is. Some trigger pulls the creep is hardly noticeable other trigger pulls its very noticeable. Does anyone know if the trigger will become less gritty feeling and have less creep as it wears in say in another 200-300 rounds or should I go the APEX trigger upgrade route now.

I also put 100 rounds through my Gen-I 3.1" Shield that I installed a APEX Duty carry action enhancement kit upgrade on 12 years ago first year I owned it and to be honest no doubt in my mind the trigger on my Gen-I Shield is better than on my new Shield plus. And at 12 yards with iron sights I am shooting my Gen-I Shield with iron sights 65-70% as well as I am shooting the 4" Shield plus fitted with an RMR, I attribute most of this to the fact I have fired thousands upon thousands of rounds out of my G1 Shield and only 300 out of my Shield Plus, but the better trigger on my G1 Shield definately helped.

What I like so much about my G1 Shield trigger is there is a short take up to a solid wall then the trigger breaks cleanly followed by a very tactile and audible reset and no gritty feeling.

I have to fire 200 more rounds out of it before I will carry it anyhow so should I go ahead and see if 200 more rounds wears in and improves the trigger or go the Apex Duty/Carry Action Enhancement route to cure my trigger issues. Bare in mind I'm happy with how light the trigger pull is just looking to eliminate the gritty feeling and eliminate as much creep in the trigger as I can.

 

[Beju]

Usually the grittiness on M&P/Shield trigger take-up is a bit of roughness on the striker safety block face (and or the channel in the slide it rides in), and roughness on the stamped trigger bar where it interfaces with said striker safety block. My more recent M&Ps have had smoother striker safety block faces than the older guns did, but the trigger bars remain rough out of the box.

Enough trigger pulls will break them in, but I like to polish the trigger bar with ceramic knife honing rods to speed up the process. The safety block is a bit tough to polish without removing it from the pistol.

As far as trigger reset, my Shield 1.0 had a more positive reset than my Shield Plus or my M&P 2.0s. I wonder if S&W made changes to reduce the pull weight that also made for weaker reset.

My broken-in Shield Plus trigger is averaging 4.5 lbs on a Wheeler digital trigger pull gauge. It's a basic Shield Plus 3.1 OR.

Edit: If yours is a PC gun with the PC sear and striker block, you may not notice as big of a change with an Apex kit as a non-PC Shield Plus owner.

 

[dajogejr]

I have a Shield Plus PC Comp. I put an Overwatch trigger in it. I’m moving away from the Apex products as I’ve been having better luck with the overwatch kits.

I polished the trigger bar where it hits the safety plunger and where it contacts the sear.
I also polished the whole striker.

I have not tried Beju’s ceramic honing rod…as the only one I have it a monster that I use to hone my kitchen knives, a little too big for smaller, tedious work. But with a few polishing cones, a dremel, and some Flitz.. along with some very, very fine wet/dry sand paper (I user 3000 grit) and some oil, you can really smooth things out quickly.

Firing rounds.. could take a few hundred, or more…and eventually it will smooth out.
I just used a cheat code to get it there faster.

 

[TigerDude]

I would send it back for rework before dropping money into it. Mine is smooth and crisp, excellent for a striker pistol.

 

[Beju]

I have a Shield Plus PC Comp. I put an Overwatch trigger in it. I’m moving away from the Apex products as I’ve been having better luck with the overwatch kits.

I polished the trigger bar where it hits the safety plunger and where it contacts the sear.
I also polished the whole striker.

I have not tried Beju’s ceramic honing rod…as the only one I have it a monster that I use to hone my kitchen knives, a little too big for smaller, tedious work. But with a few polishing cones, a dremel, and some Flitz.. along with some very, very fine wet/dry sand paper (I user 3000 grit) and some oil, you can really smooth things out quickly.

Firing rounds.. could take a few hundred, or more…and eventually it will smooth out.
I just used a cheat code to get it there faster.

I use this mid-size rod and the tiny one that I think I got with a sharpening stone assortment.

I'll still break out felt Dremel bits and Flintz polishing compound for some other things, I just especially like the rods and mineral oil for stamped trigger bars.

 

[DartonJager]

I would send it back for rework before dropping money into it. Mine is smooth and crisp, excellent for a striker pistol.

What I have been thinking. My 4" Walther PDP Compact's trigger is so good you have to shoot the gun to not accuse me of exaggerating just how good it is. I was hoping all the reviews I read or watched about the S&W Performance Center trigger would put the trigger in the Shield Plus on the same level as my PDP Compact but unfortunately for my Shield Plus it didn't.

 

[dajogejr]

What I have been thinking. My 4" Walther PDP Compact's trigger is so good you have to shoot the gun to not accuse me of exaggerating just how good it is. I was hoping all the reviews I read or watched about the S&W Performance Center trigger would put the trigger in the Shield Plus on the same level as my PDP Compact but unfortunately for my Shield Plus it didn't.

Walthers are known for good striker fired triggers, as are Caniks.
Strictly my opinion.
Are the SW Performance Center Triggers better than previous gens? Yes.
Are they upper echelon of stock pistol triggers across other brands? No.
Can they be made better? Of course, pretty much anything can with time and $.
I had for a short time, catch and release, the premium Metal Series V HD Smith.
Probably had the best trigger, out of the box, than any SW I’ve had prior.
Still wasn’t overly impressed with it.
My best striker fired triggers is my X5 Sig Legion, it has a complete trigger kit in it from Sig Armorer. It is as close to a 1911/2011 style trigger as I’ve ever found in a striker fired gun of any kind.
My benchmark for an outstanding trigger is 19/2011 style.