FOR CCW IS M&P SHIELD BETTER THAN M&P COMPACT 9MM?

[Mushki]

If you intend to pocket carry and normally wear clothes with large enough pickes to fit the shield and holster, then it seems like a perfect gun for you. I sometimes carry either a bodyguard or a tiny lcp in my pocket and do see the convenience factor. That said I general prefer to carry my m&p 9c iwb. Overall if I were to have only one carry gun I wor choose the 9c

 

[marathonrunner]

a bit off topic

Are you talking because of spring tension? It's hard to load?

This baffles me a little.

First, the best way to relieve it is to go train with it so the spring gets softened by cycling it... and you get as used to the gun as you should.

Second... buy the UPLULA for loading the magazine. Best twenty whatever dollars you will spend.


If it's because it's hard to load until the springs soften, then load your gun full because you are not under pressure and have time to make sure it's right.

Also, you know... carrying maximum capacity in your carry gun is where you will most likely need it. Not carrying at full capacity makes no sense.

Then drop a round from your second magazine if you are worried about slamming it home under pressure because better you can consistently reload first time than have one less round to use.




Also... most encounters don't end in three shots. That's the average taken from numbers that are hard to compile accurately. If they are accurate, that could be thousands of encounters that end with zero shots and one that ends with three. Conversely, it could be any number of encounters ending with anything up to 30 shots that happen to end in three.

It could also be that most people train to shoot three shots at a time and that's what they do under pressure because they have been told three is the average. A self fulfilling prophesy... but how many people don't stop an attacker with just three shots?

It's also possibly that the most often amount of shots used to stop an attack is in fact zero, because chances are high they are massively under reported because who wants to call the police and tell them they pointed a gun at someone?

The actual answer to how many shots are needed to stop an attacker is:

As many as it takes.

This is a bit off topic but as a newbe carrying, my mindset if robbed is to only use the gun as a very last resort. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I hear is someone is trying to rob you and asks for your wallet, the correct response would be to reach for your wallet but really your gun and come out firing. Yikes! I think most robbers just want your money and if you give them that, they will most likely leave you unharmed. How do you know he just wants money and that's all or wants money and plans on shooting you anyways? Maybe you draw your gun but pause for a split second, giving him time to run or maybe decide to drop his weapon? Again sorry for the dumb question but my mindset is to comply with what the robber wants and only use gun as last resort. PUlling the trigger first is not my first option. Again please pardon this dumb question, it's just something that wasn't covered in class. I tell you again my mindset is to only use gun as last resort.

 

[mustangman]

I think I read somewhere it is like .95 as far as thickness. The shield is only 3 ounces lighter than 9c but the real difference is thinness.

Here's a pic of the difference in width. I carry OWB, and that is where the thinness of the Shield really works for me.

 

[PastureOfMuppets]

This is a bit off topic but as a newbe carrying, my mindset if robbed is to only use the gun as a very last resort. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I hear is someone is trying to rob you and asks for your wallet, the correct response would be to reach for your wallet but really your gun and come out firing. .... I tell you again my mindset is to only use gun as last resort.

Last resort is the right answer... but it's not a binary question.

Last resort is a perfectly good start... after all, what if it's a 10 year old girl waving a envelope opener at you demanding you wallet and cellphone? Are you just going to whip out your gat and start blasting?

No. No you are most certainly, unequivocally... not.

What if you are surrounded by six nasty looking bangers and you have a serious feeling you are going to get physically attacked if you hand over your wallet and cellphone anyway? At what point is last resort?

What if you are petite elderly lady and one pint size 20 something banger wants your purse?

It starts getting a little blurred.

In your class you should have been taught about opportunity, means and intent. You should also have been taught about disparity of force.

The 10 year old has opportunity and intent, but she weighs nothing and her weapon is about useless against a teenage boy and upwards.


Six gang bangers... they don't need weapons to hurt you. They have size and numbers...


A petite little old lady is going to be no match 20 something male with reasonable fitness level.


Layer that with...

If it's one guy and you think the guy is going say, stab you anyway vs. if you you are sure enough handing over whatever they want will end the situation without you getting hurt...

You should also have been taught about reasonable man doctrine.


If the class you took was the state mandated one, be aware that's not training and it's not enough - it's the bare minimum according to the state. It's our responsibility for training and understanding the law.


I would recommend starting with the NRA's Personal Protection Inside The Home and the Outside The Home Courses as solid foundations to self defense and include sections that have to be taught by specific firearms attorneys or Law Enforcement Officers.

There are of course many good instructors and schools out there that do comprehensive training so ask around your area, but the NRA ones are done nationally and are a very good start, so easy to recommend.

 

[marathonrunner]

Thanks everybody again! Great advice always! Really appreciate the contributions here. Love this site!

 

[PastureOfMuppets]

Thanks everybody again! Great advice always! Really appreciate the contributions here. Love this site!

I think you got more than you asked for

 

[marathonrunner]

I think you got more than you asked for

Will definitely have to share some of my lottery winnings when my numbers finally come through...lollll....but I think for now I will keep my Compact 9c as I just found through experimentation that my belly band holster works great.

 

[blkned]

I actually carry my FS 9 pretty much all the time. I carry it in a Cross Breed IWB and for me it's very comfortable. I bought a 9mm shield for the wife this past week and have been carrying it in a Blackpoint OWB and this thing is making me consider getting another one! The weight difference in insane. I carry it with the 8 round mag and one in the chamber. 9 rounds of 124 grain Golden Sabers should be plenty for most encounters. I would like to get am IWB holster for the shield but since it's for the wife I'll have to see what she wants to do.

As far as the 3 ounce weight difference between the shield and C, you also have to factor in the weight difference of the rounds. With the lower capacity the shields carry weight will be more than 3 ounces lighter.

 

[marathonrunner]

however

I actually carry my FS 9 pretty much all the time. I carry it in a Cross Breed IWB and for me it's very comfortable. I bought a 9mm shield for the wife this past week and have been carrying it in a Blackpoint OWB and this thing is making me consider getting another one! The weight difference in insane. I carry it with the 8 round mag and one in the chamber. 9 rounds of 124 grain Golden Sabers should be plenty for most encounters. I would like to get am IWB holster for the shield but since it's for the wife I'll have to see what she wants to do.

As far as the 3 ounce weight difference between the shield and C, you also have to factor in the weight difference of the rounds. With the lower capacity the shields carry weight will be more than 3 ounces lighter.

You bring up a great point in that less capacity will be lighter. However, what I don't like about the Shield is the butt of the gun is longer than the MP Compact 9 with the 8 round magazine making it hard to not print through T-shirt. The 7 round magazine is just a hair longer but with 7 shots I like the 12 shots I get in the 9c. I guess this is a matter of preference but I think what I will do is skip the Shield and buy another 9c or wait until Glock comes out with a single stack 9mm. I also have a glock 34. I love both my Glock and Smith. I also got a deep wyatt cover 38+p and that is fantastic.

 

[mark32812]

I am left handed so none of the controls on the Shield works for me.

 

[Donn]

I've got a 9c, love it, can shred the X ring all day. That said, it can get bulky and hard to conceal in shorts and tee shirt weather. Enter the Shield. I don't care what the stat sheet says, it's lighter, narrower, just a much easier carry. But more important, I shoot it just as well as the 9c, consistently better than my J frame. The Shield's become my EDC 90+% of the time, regardless of weather.

 

[rcp1936]

I think I read somewhere it is like .95 as far as thickness. The shield is only 3 ounces lighter than 9c but the real difference is thinness.

Full mags the 12 rd versus the 7rd will make it more than 3 ounces lighter

 

[TheMystro]

Once you add the bigger mag to the Shield that gives you 9 rounds, the Shield is a no brainer. The thinness makes a huge difference in carry. My Shield has even become a competent woods / trail gun.

 

[rcp1936]

After all these replies about the Shield you have to wonder if the MP9C will continue to sell and if so to what market

 

[GregoryJ]

After all these replies about the Shield you have to wonder if the MP9C will continue to sell and if so to what market

That is a very interesting thought. I have both and am "on record" that if I had to get rid of one or the other I would keep the Shield. I bought the 9C first and really hope I never have to make that decision since I have upgraded the 9C with an APEX DCAEK and TRUGLO TFO sights. It remains to be seen if the Shield ultimately replaces the compact models in 9mm and .40 or sales of both models remain high enough to warrant continued manufacture. Personally, I don't think the Shield would be discontinued in favor of the Compacts but I have been wrong before, just ask my wife.

 

[TheMystro]

If one had to be honest, the Shield made ALOT of guns obsolete if you had to choose only one handgun. For under $400.00, the Shield out "Glocked" the Glock. I hope they come out with a 45acp Shield just so I can buy more.

 

[bmb96mus]

I can see the shield taking place of the compact if they add more m&p features to it. Adjustable backstraps. Thumb safety choice. Ambidextrous mag and slide stop. Right now it only has the looks of the m&p. I own a 40 shield and a 40c. I have to say that I love carrying my shield more then the 40c. Its just soo much more comfortable on the hip!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

 

[Engine 21]

Shield is the name of the game for CC in 9mm or .40. With the 9mm you can have an 8 round mag and 1 in the pipe gives you 9 rounds to start with. A second 8 round mag gives you a quick 17 rounds. I don't know about anyone else, but if I have to use 17 rounds or even 9 rounds I'm not where I should be and this has gotten ugly fast. Time to escape and evade which is what I should do first, providing family is safe.

 

[RobzGuns]

While I do carry the Shield every day and don't personally care for the 9c, I don't feel that the Compact will be going extinct anytime soon. The mere fact that it can use the FS mag as well as the Compact mag makes it very versatile for home defense and other venues.

 

[marathonrunner]

range

While I do carry the Shield every day and don't personally care for the 9c, I don't feel that the Compact will be going extinct anytime soon. The mere fact that it can use the FS mag as well as the Compact mag makes it very versatile for home defense and other venues.

the other day I was at the range and had a chance to demo the shield. Comparing that to my 9c, I have to say the kick on 9c was less bite and softer. Accuracy wise the 9c also seemed to have an edge. But when comparing the recoil of both of these to my Glock 34, the Glock recoil seems so soft in comparison. But I love my 9c regardless but will not get the shield just because of the kick is a bit too much