Got the 9mm Ported Shield today. Range report & compared to regular Shield

[pyro]

There is no shortage of experts or "what if" scenarios. If I paid attention to all of them I would be on a thorazine drip bottle. I could get a face full of hot gasses if my gun went off while picking my nose. Being prepared and always being aware of your circumstances and surroundings will do more to protect you than anything else.

 

[skipper49]

First off, congrats to you, M5Rahul on your new pistol.
Completely unrelated to the OP, but I believe most any
experienced trainer is going to validate misterX's assertions in this thread. We might not like it, but the "danger" is what it is. I believe even S&W, in the back of the manual, agrees with him also. Plus, it states that you shouldn't even chamber a round with your hand over the ports. Kinda tricky on a pistol as small as the Shield.
We're all free(so far) to buy what we want, but we don't need to ignore
potential dangers associated with that choice. Ported pistols make dandy range and "fun" guns though.
Skip

 

[Smitty357]

First off, congrats to you, M5Rahul on your new pistol.
Completely unrelated to the OP, but I believe most any
experienced trainer is going to validate misterX's assertions in this thread. We might not like it, but the "danger" is what it is. I believe even S&W, in the back of the manual, agrees with him also. Plus, it states that you shouldn't even chamber a round with your hand over the ports. Kinda tricky on a pistol as small as the Shield.
We're all free(so far) to buy what we want, but we don't need to ignore
potential dangers associated with that choice. Ported pistols make dandy range and "fun" guns though.
Skip

IMO, the ported shield is a "hype" pistol. Meaning the sales were dropping on the shield. So they had to hype it up a little. Just like when they introduced the NS version of the Shield. Sales dropped, so they hyped it up a little more. Watch what happens next. After sales drop again, u will see a NS version of the PC shield......Its S&W idea of making more money off an old design. At least until they come up with something fresh from the drawing bored.

Why do u think they were quick to stop shipping out the factory 9mm barrel to distributers once they learned we were converting the .40 to 9mm. Obviously they knew the barrel would kill their sales on the Shield 9mm.

 

[notaliberal]

Simular to a mid model refresh in the auto industry.

 

[hexnut]

Opinions vary.

 

[CSB]

I'd rather not offer an opinion about the merits of a ported self defense handgun, myself never having owned or even fired one. However, I recently watched a You Tube review of the PC Shield by hickok45, whose opinion I would give a lot of credence to. His review of the PC Shield is actually a very solid review of the Shield platform in general:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7-nEpggMMw"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7-nEpggMMw[/ame]

 

[okiegtrider]

I'd rather not offer an opinion about the merits of a ported self defense handgun

oh thank goodness

 

[hexnut]

Yeah and mr x can quit worrying about me and my ported barrel and start sleeping again. I bought a Sig P938 SAS with night sights yesterday and if it works out at the range I will probably be carrying it. Life is good.

P938 SAS

 

[leadtag]

I shot my new shield 9 performance center 9 and melted my face off!!
But with 30 successful skin grafts I'm back to shooting again! Lol

 

[JackD]

I bought both a PC 9mm and a PC .40 cal. Have had no issues with the 9mm but had to send the .40 back to S&W with my notes on failures to feed. S&W cleaned up the ramp and tweaked some other things and I have had no FTF issues since.

I also live out in the country and have fired the PCs at night just to test the flash for myself. I could not tell a difference firing a regular shield and a PC shield at night with respect to flash.

Also if I have to ever use my carry PC shield in close quarters I believe that any flash burns will be soon forgotten if I live through the battle.

 

[hexnut]

Yeah there are too many hand wringers and the sky is falling crowd that want to dictate what other people should want in a gun. They would do well to manage their own problems in my opinion.

 

[notaliberal]

I bought both a PC 9mm and a PC .40 cal. Have had no issues with the 9mm but had to send the .40 back to S&W with my notes on failures to feed. S&W cleaned up the ramp and tweaked some other things and I have had no FTF issues since.

I also live out in the country and have fired the PCs at night just to test the flash for myself. I could not tell a difference firing a regular shield and a PC shield at night with respect to flash.

Also if I have to ever use my carry PC shield in close quarters I believe that any flash burns will be soon forgotten if I live through the battle.

Well said Jack. Too many people cling on the THEORY that flash has to blind you at night because it is light being forced out the ports of the gun. You have practical first hand experience to show that this is simply not the case. And I agree with you on the gas issue.

 

[Have gun-will travel]

I have owned two standard S&W Shields in 9mm. I really hated the triggers. So rather than pay to get better trigger I just traded one and sold the other. I tried out the P/C model at LGS and I was sold. As far as the porting goes I can't really tell the difference. I own 4 other handguns that at ported, one is magna-ported. A S&W model 629 Trail Boss. Highly polished stainless with 2 1/2 in barrel.

 

[hexnut]

I have owned two standard S&W Shields in 9mm. I really hated the triggers. So rather than pay to get better trigger I just traded one and sold the other. I tried out the P/C model at LGS and I was sold. As far as the porting goes I can't really tell the difference. I own 4 other handguns that at ported, one is magna-ported. A S&W model 629 Trail Boss. Highly polished stainless with 2 1/2 in barrel.

Yeah, I would say that 629 with the 2 1/2 barrel better be ported.

 

[Smitty357]

I'm still with my original shield .40 and a factory 9mm barrel. Both calibers in 1 weapon, cant beat it.

 

[okiegtrider]

I shot my new shield 9 performance center 9 and melted my face off!!
But with 30 successful skin grafts I'm back to shooting again! Lol

 

[Mister X]

Also if I have to ever use my carry PC shield in close quarters I believe that any flash burns will be soon forgotten if I live through the battle.

In all probability... yes, but then again, if it's the eyes, maybe not.

Burning gases are capable of inflicting severe wounds to any flesh that is nearby, and the jet that comes out of the compensator can contain small particles of combustion material. These particles can be forced into an unprotected eye, causing severe pain and sometimes permanent damage. For this reason, compensators aren't usually recommended on self-defense guns, where they might be fired in close-quarters.

- Grant Cunningham: Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Handguns

Guns that are magna-ported, hybrid-ported or otherwise compensated in such a way that they vent gases and gunpowder particles upward, The burning powder particles and hot gases can strike the shooter in the eyes, temporarily blinding them, disorienting them, and possibly causing permanent loss of some degree of vision.

- Combat Shooting with Massad Ayoob

 

[hexnut]

You really do have a great hatred for ported barrels don't you. Sad.

 

[Pointblank2U]

I wonder if they figured out something S&W hasn't?

Glock Discontinues "C" Models - The Firearm Blog

 

[vista461]

I wonder if they figured out something S&W hasn't?

Glock Discontinues "C" Models - The Firearm Blog

That their C models didn't sell? Lol