How Many Shields is Too Many?

[fireshot]

I have a Shield 40, love it, but have been considering another in 9mm. Some day I hope my wife gets over her fear of guns and the 9mm would be an easier gun for her (less recoil)

The problems I see are this:
Both are identical in size and I would hate to carry one with spare mags from the other by accident!
As a photographer, I invest in identical camera outfits for the sake of familiarity and as a back-up in case of failure. The same philosophy should apply to my carry gun. However, since both are the same frame with different cal. barrels the fit & feel is the same except recoil.

Maybe a Bodyguard 380 would make a better backup and would fit her more easily when she is ready.

Decisions, Decisions.....

 

[Rastoff]

Some day I hope my wife gets over her fear of guns and the 9mm would be an easier gun for her (less recoil)

For those that are apprehensive about guns, the Shield, in any caliber, is a poor choice. Because of the gun's diminutive size, the recoil is quite snappy compared to any of the larger guns.

Believe it or not, my wife prefers the 1911 to the M&P. However, when it came time for her to pick out her own gun, she settled on a Browning Hi Power. She must have shot 20 different guns before she landed on that one, but now she won't let it go. As a 9mm the recoil is quite tame and the size helps tame recoil. Add to that the simplicity of design and my wife loves it.

I would recommend having your wife attend the NRA Basic Pistol course and shoot with a .22LR. The combination of those two will allay many fears about guns.

 

[speedyquad]

Roger S&W,

Here is my daughters Shield. Mine will be the same effect in OD Green but will not get it back for a month they say.

we have a saying at work when something is very desirable..."that's sex"...

it fits here...i'm picking up the households second shield this weekend...i may have to do this to differentiate the 2..

 

[forrestinmathews]

I'm with those saying that one is too many. I don't know, but I see no reason for it. It's just too small for me.

However, this......is faulty logic in my mind.

Unless your gun is truly a toy (read, never shot anywhere, but the range) or a collectors item, a back up is necessary. Especially if you use it for carry. Why? If you need to have work done on your gun for any reason, you're out of commission until it's done. For carry/competition, your back up should be as close to the same as the main gun as you can get.

I believe in a back up being a smaller gun that fits elsewhere on the body. I don't need nor want two of everything. I have two sets of vaqueros. Because I wanted matching guns to shoot at the same time on a stage and I needed backups. They are the only exact pair I own. Other than than I only have identicals in competition guns and even they are set up a smidge differently. A G19 to back up an M&P 9, a 5" 625 backed up by a 4". I'm just not rich enough to buy the same thing twice. If my carry gun breaks down, I'll carry something similar. I have a gun for most any apparel. The exact doesn't appeal to me especially when it's a too small plastic pistol with an extraneous thumb safety. Was the shield the answer to the question can we make a worse feeling pistol than a mustang or pony based on the M&P? No wait that was the sigma 380.

 

[Roger S&W]

For those of us that don't have grizzly paws as hands find the Shield a perfect fit. It conceals so well that it's realistic to be carried all the time. Larger, chunckier pistols are more likely to left at home unless you don't care about showing the world you're packing. Most feel the larger gun is just overall more burdensome to carry.
The Shield safety was so well designed, it's completely out of the way with a very positive on/off. It's a complete non-issue, even for those of us who do not like/use an external safety.
Sure, I've got a lot of other guns to choose from....but none are as comfortable, concealable and yet excellent accurate shooters as the M&P Shield. I'll take 3 of them.

 

[Engineer1911]

ONE, you asked . Steel is real and real steel is stainless.

 

[Senior1956]

A stainless Shield..... dang....now wouldn't that be cool!

Doug

 

[agksimon]

use them and those who can never have enough guns and therefore never will.

The above is so true:

I have an M&P9c, an M&P22 and my wife has a Shield9 and that's it.
any extra money goes into ammo, training and competing in IDPA and Steel Challenge. We have become very proficient with what we have.

 

[mprinceo24]

I have a M&P 40 and absolutely love it! I've got the wife convinced that the sheild is our next gun to be purchased, i should have it in 2 weeks. Can't wait!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I497 using Tapatalk

 

[Rastoff]

For those of us that don't have grizzly paws as hands find the Shield a perfect fit.

Well, I'm really glad you like your Shield. I have large hands, but I'm not Andre the Giant either. The regular M&P fits me fine. I've only held a Shield once and that was some time ago, but it felt really small to me.

Different strokes.

 

[Roger S&W]

Well, I'm really glad you like your Shield. I have large hands, but I'm not Andre the Giant either. The regular M&P fits me fine. I've only held a Shield once and that was some time ago, but it felt really small to me.

Different strokes.

No offense, my friend. Besides, most women tell us ''size matters."
In this context however, I'm glad the Shield happens to fit me well. Carries exceptionally well. Better still, I shoot it well.
Therefore, I'm less likely to be unarmed.

 

[forrestinmathews]

I have average sized hands and long fingers. I have finger strength from shooting revolvers, but I couldn't pull/squeeze/press the trigger on the shield without the sights being disturbed. I'm guessing that's part of the accuracy issues that are being expressed. I wish they'd done it a little less narrow and short framed. They were over reaching into the Keltec market and brand loyalty coupled with an inability to admit our mistakes has kept it alive. How many times have we heard, "I can't conceal a compact, but I can conceal a shield!"? Come on! There's no real difference except in shots before reload required.

 

[xcrdr]

I have no idea what some people are talking about. I live my Shield. I have damaged tendons in my shooting hand and I have no problem hitting nice groups with my Shield. The stock trigger is great. Before buying I looked at upgrade options but feel I have no need for them.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[goanra]

I find 1 shield 40 is enough for me as it is one of my many CC sidearm favorites.

My wife asks, "How many gun safes are enough?"

 

[mailman390]

I've added TruGlo TFO's.......new NDZ back plate.......NDZ finger extension....polished barrel and a Pachmayr grip. Color fill with silver Testors model paint.

[/URL]

 

[Roger S&W]

Oh hill yes, what a beauty. I understand what some are saying. Sometimes when dry firing, I see my sights move a little when the trigger breaks. Strange though, that really never seems to manifest itself at the range. All hits. Training issue, I guess.
So, I'm one that likes the stock Shield trigger. I think it's appropriate for an EDC pistol. The stock trigger on my 40c sometimes makes me a bit nervous as it seems a little too light.

 

[speedyquad]

I have average sized hands and long fingers. I have finger strength from shooting revolvers, but I couldn't pull/squeeze/press the trigger on the shield without the sights being disturbed. I'm guessing that's part of the accuracy issues that are being expressed. I wish they'd done it a little less narrow and short framed. They were over reaching into the Keltec market and brand loyalty coupled with an inability to admit our mistakes has kept it alive. How many times have we heard, "I can't conceal a compact, but I can conceal a shield!"? Come on! There's no real difference except in shots before reload required.

amazingly enough, i have carried a 40c for over a year...every time that i have left my house...i didn't think that i needed a shield...the 40c was perfect...easy to conceal, not too heavy to carry, etc., etc....

my wife wanted a carry gun but wanted smaller than the compact...two weeks ago, we bought her a shield...i cleaned it and we shot it that day...during the next week, i carried it and she carried the 40c for a few days...i'm buying a shield tomorrow...it's easier to conceal and lighter to carry...the 40c will still be carried once in awhile but the shield will be my edc.

 

[speedyquad]

So, I'm one that likes the stock Shield trigger. I think it's appropriate for an EDC pistol. The stock trigger on my 40c sometimes makes me a bit nervous as it seems a little too light.

i don't mind the trigger on my wife's shield...i had read they were better than the compacts, or better stated as after the compact trigger wears in, it is the about the same as a new shield...but after shooting it, then shooting the 40c right away, i realized it took "much more" to pull the trigger on the shield...it's still not bad though...

to answer the OP's question...one for every person in the house...

 

[rwsmith]

I think it's silly and wasteful

I think it's silly, irresponsible and wasteful for any one household to have more than a dozen or so Shields. Think of all the other guns you could buy for that money.

 

[jimjc]

Well I bought one about 1 1/2 yrs ago and I sold it because I was offered $150 more than I paid...Then I got a 40 and I just got another 9mm...

The new 9mm was test fired on Mar. 15 or 16th. 2014 and let me tell you what ever S&W did to the triggers they need to keep it up...It`s way better than my others...right out of the box my trigger scale says it`s just a shade under 6 lbs and very little grit and breaks clean...sounds good on the reset...I`ll sell my 40 because it just makes a nice shooter a little rough on recoil....the 9 is very nice to shoot....