It must be a really good gun

[Phantom210]

Love my Shield 9mm. As some have said already, has a big gun feel to it, shoots with a much more muted recoil than other compact guns. Only thing I've been working the slide to make it a little easier to rack, since brand new it's sort of tight.

 

[bufford]

I love my Shield 9mm, best of all worlds for EDC... small, light, thin, 9mm, goes bang every time, accurate, blends into my manly figure without looking like I'm trying to hide a brick...

 

[Decipher]

Shield has the perfect mix of price, compactness, caliber, capacity, that nice natural feel of the grip common to the whole line of M&Ps, a much better trigger than the Ruger LCs (arguably its closest competitor) and it's made in the USA.

Also don't discount the value of marketing and good branding. Using the name SHIELD probably helped... much better than if they had called it the M&P9Cs or M&P9Cx (reference XD, XDM, XDS) using the word SHIELD is just more badass.

Haha. The name Shield helps when I'm talking to people about the weapon, but it didn't aid me in my decision to buy. My other handgun is the CZ-75 Duty P-07. I didn't buy it because it says "duty" in the name.

I'm just poking fun. Insightful response nonetheless. You nailed all the points S&W did, which is why it's a big seller.

I just used grip tape on mine. I might have to try that grip wrap.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[EOD Guy]

Got it...love it. 100% reliable. It's only weakness, for some people, is the grip angle causes it to point high for some shooters.

 

[mafbloggerdanny]

yeah I see what you guys are saying that nobody is buying it just for the name, but take it with a grain of salt.

If we're being honest, I think some of us gun guys can sometimes suffer from a little bit of elitism when it comes to guns, trying to separate or distinguish ourselves from all the operator wannabees and mall ninjas out there. And why not? Those guys are tools, we obviously don't want to be associated with that but on the other hand I think it's just silly to take it to the extreme and claim that all we care about is specs and performance...brand & marketing doesn't play a role in our buying decisions ... y'know it does! It's not a dominant role.

As nutnfancy would call it ... 2nd type of cool - and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[ppfd]

It is a great pistol, I had a G26 that never left the plastic box it came in. Found it too heavy, too thick and too stubby. I know lot of people love the Glock, and Glock has sold thousands of the minis. If it were not for the public safety deal I wouldn't have bought it and I guess I still shouldn't have.

I relegated back to my G23, though bigger, it just felt and carried better.

Then I found the Shield 9mm, literally sold all my Glocks and replaced them with a full size 9mm, the Shield and a bodyguard 380. Looking at a compact M&P next.

 

[DigitalMD]

I thought about just not using it myself, but I wouldn't want to take the chance that it might be on somehow,when I really needed the gun quick.
If I was only going to use it for a range gun it would be fine, but I wouldn't use it for a carry gun, being left handed.
My SR9 has a safety on it, but it is on both sides. Every time I draw the SR9 my thumb automatically sweeps the safety whether it is on or not. I made sure I got into the habit of doing that, just in case.

Anything can happen with any device or human, but the safety on the Shield is stiff and has little chance of being on accidentally. I am a lefty and if I wanted to use the safety it an easy motion to thumb it. The mag release also works just fine for me with a easy tap of my index finger. So while the shield is not fully ambidextrous, I find no issues at all in operating it left handed. I have fired just about every kind of ammo through it at the range and never had any issue. It is just a great gun, period.

 

[OS-Wiz]

Shield 9mm my EDC for a year or so, nuff said there. I did put on Talon grips (skateboard tape-like surface) for a better grip, wet or dry. Previously carried LC-9 and G27, much prefer the Shield!

 

[maxcichon]

Shield .40 with Talon grips (rubber option) and Williams FireSights. I just love the feel and pointability of this pistol. EDC and I keep the SD 40 VE/flashlight for HD.
BTW-I installed TruGlo FO sights on the SD and they are not nearly as good for light-gathering as the Williams. Not even close. Next $30 and I'll trashcan the TruGlo's.
I chose the Shield after handling every bloody "Personal Defense"-sized pistol at Gander. And reading a bunch of reviews.
No regrets here-very happy. And I'd love to post some photos of my rigs, but I'm just too cheap to pay money for that "privilege".

 

[BassmanSR]

The Shield is an awesome CC and EDC. In all my experience - and in every review I've ever watched and read - the safety is a non-factor as far as accidental engagement. My wife and I extol the virtues of our 9mm Shield to everyone. There is definitely another in our future, as we both like carrying it.

 

[GTJacket]

Love my Shield 40. Easy to shoot and even easier to conceal. My father loved mine so much that he just bought one too. My brother will likely be next...

 

[NavalOps]

It appears just about everyone that I discuss firearms, ccw, home defense with, has just purchased a new Shield.
Many have been involved with firearms for many years, as I have, and many are just starting out.
Even friends who are ardent "steel and wood" devotees are somewhat enamored with the shield, and said they would entertain acquiring one.
Well, today, its snowing up here in New England. I think I'll jump in the F150, throw it in 4WD, and take a mosey to the LGS.

Absolutely love it. Nice, crisp trigger, great grip. I have the Shield 40, and my wife has the Shield 9. Love the way it fires. I got a Galco inside the waistband holster, barely feel it there.

 

[Booboo357]

The mag release wasn't a problem for me, just the safety.
I'm glad it works out for you other leftys, but it would be nice if S&W came out with a lefty friendly version.
As for me, I went with the M&P40C instead.

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[Captain Skippy]

Got my shield a little over a month ago to replace the crappy Ruger LC9 I bought while my Springfield XDs45 was in recall land. The Ruger's trigger sucked, kept it for about 1 week. After I got the XDs back the new trigger system on it sucked and it found a new home. I've carried weapons professionally almost 29 years now from revolver then Glocks and a few 1911's. I love the Shield and it is my concealed carry weapon. By the way I've heard left handers lament about the safety. Forget about it! Leave it off. For home defense it's a Glock 34 with happy stick and a Streamlight laser combo. OWB carry is usually a 1911 or Smith M&P 45 FS.

 

[bimmerland]

Have had my Shield since 2012 with many successful 9mm rounds through it. I was surprised how good of a range gun it is. Eats my 115gr round nose without any problems. It is so light and thin you hardly know it's there. My preference of carry is a owb kydex paddle. The advantage of the very thin size makes it easy to carry in almost all situations. The only upgrades I wanted was better sights and a lighter trigger pull. This was accomplished by installing a set of Tru Glo Tfo sights from an m&p compact with a slight trimming of the rear sight to eliminate the overhang. A company called Apex trigger puts out a kit called AEK that reduces the trigger pull to very smooth and crisp 4.25 pounds with a very audible reset. I have put several thousand rounds through it with absolutely no hiccups. It has enough safeties to make it an excellent CCW gun. You will not regret this purchase. I affectionately call it the 9mm single stack gun that glock should have made. Any good SD round will suffice. I carry critical defense and feel very confident that if needed I could handle mostly any situation that would arrise.

SA Loaded 9mm, SA Range Officer. Kimber Aegis, Kimber Pro Carry II, S&W Shield, S&W 442, Ruger Mark II, Mossy 500

 

[Papa Rotzi]

shield

Just picked up my new M&P Shield a few hours ago. I was very lucky to get it as most of the shops here in Rochester, NY have them on backorder with long waiting lists. ProGun in Victor, NY came through. What a great bunch of guys at the shop.

What a great feel to the gun! I have very small hands for a man and was worried how it would fit. Fits like a glove. Can't wait to shoot it.

Pat

 

[Shiloh Brown]

Yes..Yes...to all above. It is a very good gun. My .40 is equipped with an Apex Tactical spring kit, Ameri-Glo sights and Pearce grip extensions. For target I load lite rounds and the spring kit helped my ability to put a group in the red...even though I still have a couple of flyers. Sure feels good on my old arthritic hands...I'm 72 and it is my favorite CCP.

 

[ffmedic]

Amazingly consistent feedback above (and in other reviews). And I agree with the majority of it. I was fortunate enough to get my Shield 9 through Atlantic Tactical in PA with a good public safety discount. And, as I live in the not-so-free state of MD, I am happy to add a "low capacity"'single stack to my collection. I just added talon grips and am generally happy with the increased (percieved?) control for faster follow-up shots. Over 700 round through it without an issue. I also purchased a White Hat Holsters Micro Tuck hybrid IWB holster that is a great complement to this fine weapon. The Shield 9 is my new range gun!

 

[Russo2]

The build date of my shield is less than two weeks prior to my purchase of it. Definitely selling FAST.
Desantis sof tuck is working well for me.

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[AGB]

If you've tried any of the other Brands' Subcompacts (PF-9, LC-9, Nano, DB9, etc) you probably already know how 'harsh' their recoil is. The Shield, at roughly the same size as the LC-9 and PF-9, has the light/smooth recoil of larger Compacts like the M&P9c, or G26.

If you have a chance, definitely do more than just fondling one at the counter. Try to Shoot one before buying.

I have. I tried the Kimber, Shield, Sig small 9s, the Kahr, and chose the Beretta NANO as the most advanced of the breed. In a class by itself from an engineering and reliability standpoint. I still have some of the other guns, including the Walther PPS which is excellent - second only to the NANO. Between the Shield and Walther PPS, the NANO is alone that can be considered a pocket rocket.

But it is a stretch. I have the Smith 380 BG for pocket carry.

Later I added the Beretta trijicon night sights and the well-fitting LASERMAX laser...which looks as if it were part of, and not attached to, the frame.

Not a single failure with the NANO after a few hundred rounds.

BTW, I had just gotten a 640 Pro series SS revolver from Smith. Nice!

But then for most carry situations I like the 8 round + 1 Nano...snub nose... with DPX ammo, 400 ft/lbs at the muzzle. Makes sense.