Well, if SW doesn't come out with something better than the shield soon, its gonna end up in my safe. Flame me all you want but the P365 and Hellcat are finally what i have always wanted. Small hi-cap 9mm.. The shield is heavier and holds less rounds but they keep re-releasing the same old gun. Rant over.
anyone shoot the hellcat yet?
In my opinion, and that's obviously all it is, the Shield shoots better and faster at speed than both those guns (likely because it is a little heavier). I have other carry guns like my SIG P229 and my Beretta PX4 Storm Compact that hold more rounds, are better shooters than any of these, and allow me to get a better grip and thus faster and more reliable draw than P365 or Hellcat. If increasing the magazine capacity adds even a fraction of an inch to the Shield's width, I don't want it.
Moreover, chances are if you don't win the gunfight in 8 or 9 rounds, you're not going to win it, and I also appreciate that—for me—the first 8-9 rounds are going to come out faster and more accurately using the Shield, and it's the first shots that statistically win gunfights.
The Shield also has a great track record. The P365 does not, and even though it's getting better, it's going to take years to catch up to where the Shield is right now. The Hellcat is similar to the P365 in that regard, but perhaps better since a 10k review has come out for that gun (something I don't see a current P365 fairly as well). As such, I just bought my Shield, and it's my second one, because I've learned through experience that track record matters.
Lastly, my Performance Center M&P Shield M2.0 was $328 after the rebate, and even after adding orange Ameriglo i-dot sights (my preference which is better than the ones offered on those pistols for me), it still came in over $100 cheaper than either of these pistols. It also has a minimalist manual safety that I use to holster the gun appendix, it has superior grip texture, and when I take capacity out of the situation, it really was easy to pick the Shield—again. I bought my first one in 2014 and it's the best pistol for me in the role I use it. Otherwise, I like full-size and compact carry guns. Again, that's just me, everyone is different. I've owned two dozen carry guns in the last few years, and I am done shopping. I like proven designs, and these all work for me.