M&P Performance Center Ported 9mm Shield

[TX-Badger]

I've been reading some great reviews of this new one from S&W, and was wondering if anyone here has any experience shooting it and what your impressions of it are? I'm considering it for my next purchase, so any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[CB3]

Use the Search feature, please. Many threads and opinions available.

 

[TX-Badger]

Use the Search feature, please. Many threads and opinions available.

I did, thank you. Given that this is a brand new pistol from S&W, I was looking for opinions from people that actually have this particular gun, not just pistols that may or may not have one of the features of this gun, but actually have this gun, have shot this gun, etc.

 

[JCase]

What will your usage be?
I was going back and forth between the ported and non ported core. I ended up going with the non ported version. I did not want to get started in competition and be put directly into open division.

I did consider getting the ported version and getting a standard barrel to start at the bottom but decided it would be more money then I wanted to invest in competition, having never competed in anything except BE.

 

[TX-Badger]

What will your usage be?
I was going back and forth between the ported and non ported core. I ended up going with the non ported version. I did not want to get started in competition and be put directly into open division.

I did consider getting the ported version and getting a standard barrel to start at the bottom but decided it would be more money then I wanted to invest in competition, having never competed in anything except BE.

Thank you for your input. My main usage would be for concealed carry and home defense. I like the size, and was curious about the other features. I have both the SD9VE and SD40VE and was thinking this would be a step up as well as a smaller carry gun for the summer months here in Texas, barrel length being shorter.

When I saw some of the videos of people shooting it, it looked like there was less barrel flip/kickback for quicker recovery and ability to get an accurate second shot off. I do not shoot for competition, and I know this may be overkill for concealed carry, but when it comes to protection, I would rather have more and not less.

 

[Vitoangelo]

I love my Performance center .40 cal Shield!

 

[JCase]

Thank you for your input. My main usage would be for concealed carry and home defense. I like the size, and was curious about the other features. I have both the SD9VE and SD40VE and was thinking this would be a step up as well as a smaller carry gun for the summer months here in Texas, barrel length being shorter.

When I saw some of the videos of people shooting it, it looked like there was less barrel flip/kickback for quicker recovery and ability to get an accurate second shot off. I do not shoot for competition, and I know this may be overkill for concealed carry, but when it comes to protection, I would rather have more and not less.

Something to consider...
In a home defense situation and you have to shoot, the bang will impair your hearing. With a ported barrel in low light you may also be blinded by the flash.
I would not want to be deaf and blinded temporally.

That was the advice I was given regarding a ported barrel in HD situation to consider

 

[Smitty357]

Something to consider...
In a home defense situation and you have to shoot, the bang will impair your hearing. With a ported barrel in low light you may also be blinded by the flash.
I would not want to be deaf and blinded temporally.

That was the advice I was given regarding a ported barrel in HD situation to consider

Also take into consideration that shorter barrels barely work enough for HP ammo to expand. When u port short barrels, it makes it literally impossible for HP ammo to expand. This is due to the ported barrels causing a decrease in muzzle velocity. Expandable 9mm HP ammo is what makes a 9mm worth owning now days. Why would u want to take that advantage away from the weapon or yourself.

IMO, unless u just want a descent range weapon. The ported Shield is nothing but a gemmick. And a waste of good money.

 

[Vitoangelo]

Also take into consideration that shorter barrels barely work enough for HP ammo to expand. When u port short barrels, it makes it literally impossible for HP ammo to expand. This is due to the ported barrels causing a decrease in muzzle velocity. Expandable 9mm HP ammo is what makes a 9mm worth owning now days. Why would u want to take that advantage away from the weapon or yourself.

IMO, unless u just want a descent range weapon. The ported Shield is nothing but a gemmick. And a waste of good money.

I respectfully disagree, I too had concerns after hearing about the flash at night may impair my sight, but before my purchase of the .40 Ported Shield I consulted my CPL Teacher who is a Sheriff and in charge of the arms at the department buying and selling guns for 30 yrs. He told me the flash is so fast it will not be a factor, he does high speed camera photos and claims it is difficult to photograph the flash. So I went ahead a purchased the .40 Performance Center Ported Shield and glad I did, after 300 rounds the flash is not an issue. Actually I think it is cool looking from what I see and I have to look hard to see it let alone blinding me. It is very easy to get back on target with it being ported. As for the comment of waste of good money, it was only $470.00 I thought that was a great price. In short I love it, it looks awesome and I carry it everyday!

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

I believe that everyone here who actually has a PC Shield is happy with it. If there is someone who owns or has shot one and was not happy with it then I missed their post. As you can tell there are a number of detractors who do not own one.

I have searched for, but not found any chrono or gelatin testing of the Shield vs. PC Shield to support the assertion that the loss of velocity is significant.

 

[notaliberal]

I purchased a Shield 9mm Performance Center a couple weeks ago. I have been trying to buy this particular gun for about ten days when my local gun shop got one in. I paid $480 and was happy to do so. Backstory is I am a bit of a nubbie when it come to this sport. I bought my first gun, a Glock 19 Gen 3 outfitted with night sights and an attached flashlight about ten months ago as a home defense gun. I have been having problems with failure to eject and stove pipping with the Glock but this is another story. I am going to cc and thought after reading and watching many reviews (youtube), I concluded that the Shield would be the perfect gun for me.

I put about 1500 rounds of Magtech 115 gr. fmj through the Glock and have about 200 rounds of the same through the Shield PC.
The recoil is about the same comparing both guns. Which I think the PC has an advantage here because the Glock has the additional front weight of the light. I may have noticed more smoke coming from the Shield because of the ported barrel but it is not much more. As far as flash is concerned, the PC has a bit more because of the design, but here again it is very little. Certainly I have not been blinded by the flash or even come close to it. The only down side I have encountered owning the Shield PC is that it gets dirty quickly. But I knew this going in.

Things I like:

Fiber Optic Sights (may go with night sights in future)
Smooth Trigger
Looks (bad *** looking)


To sum up my experience, so far the Shield PC has performed flawlessly and most of the negatives that some people bring up about the gun I can say I have not experienced. If you are on the fence I'd say go buy it if you can find one. For only $80-$100 over a standard Shield you are getting a few nice upgrades which I think it is well worth the price of admission.

 

[SailorJerry]

I have a M&P 9L (5") ported with a Trijicon RMR (RM07) and Streamlight TLR4 mounted. I do not shoot competition. I've fired approximately 400 rounds and absolutely love this package. Minimal recoil and quick follow up shots. I have not fired it at night but have fired compensated 9mm's in a low-light environment. This is my favorite semi-auto at the range and my go-to home defense. I am not overly concerned about muzzle flash, the threat at the other end of the weapon will will fare much worse than I.

 

[Nevadadvx]

I have a M&P 9L (5") ported with a Trijicon RMR (RM07) and Streamlight TLR4 mounted. I do not shoot competition. I've fired approximately 400 rounds and absolutely love this package. Minimal recoil and quick follow up shots. I have not fired it at night but have fired compensated 9mm's in a low-light environment. This is my favorite semi-auto at the range and my go-to home defense. I am not overly concerned about muzzle flash, the threat at the other end of the weapon will will fare much worse than I.

I have the same setup, except with a Burris Fastfire 3 on it's way. The muzzle flash did concern me somewhat, so keep my Glock 19 as the night stand gun with the TLR4 mounted to it.

Also, I'm not sure if something ever happened where I did have to use it, if authorities would take it or not as a procedural thing. If so, I would much rather give up the G19.

 

[Smitty357]

I respectfully disagree, I too had concerns after hearing about the flash at night may impair my sight, but before my purchase of the .40 Ported Shield I consulted my CPL Teacher who is a Sheriff and in charge of the arms at the department buying and selling guns for 30 yrs. He told me the flash is so fast it will not be a factor, he does high speed camera photos and claims it is difficult to photograph the flash. So I went ahead a purchased the .40 Performance Center Ported Shield and glad I did, after 300 rounds the flash is not an issue. Actually I think it is cool looking from what I see and I have to look hard to see it let alone blinding me. It is very easy to get back on target with it being ported. As for the comment of waste of good money, it was only $470.00 I thought that was a great price. In short I love it, it looks awesome and I carry it everyday!

I said nothing about the flash. We are talking about lack of muzzle velocity due to pressure being directed out of the ports. In which causes HP ammo to less likely expand. IN this case, u may as well be shooting ball ammo through a weapon that was designed around SD. This is why u "mainly" see ported barrels on comp weapons or big bore calibers.

If it works for u, thats all that matters. But we can assure u. Its just as easy to get on target with a non ported barrel. Assuming u train with ur weapon, as most people should. And in this case, without a ported barrel. U still get a weapon that makes HP ammo expand perfectly fine.

What are u guys going to do when the release a PC Shield (non safety) version.

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

Smitty357,

Is it "literally impossible for HP ammo to expand" or is "HP ammo to less likely expand"? Do you have any concrete evidence, especially four-layer denim gelatin testing or even just side-by-side chrono testing, to support your claims that the velocity loss is significant with ALL high-quality modern self-defense ammunition?

If "we can assure u. Its just as easy to get on target with a non ported barrel" then why do you claim that the PC Shield is "a descent range weapon"? Who's "we"? My experience is contrary. Ported and compensated firearms are quicker and more accurate in rapid fire than their plain counterparts.

I plan on taking over the world and enslaving all of mankind if S&W releases an NTS PC Shield. You?

 

[Smitty357]

You guys do ur research on ported barrels and the pros and cons. Eventually u will grasp the concept of how pressure loses affect muzzle velocity. HP ammo stands a better chance of expansion out of longer ported barrels. Because it has more time to reach expanding velocities at which it was designed for. Here lets break it down.....Velocity is a consideration, but so is bullet construction. Bullets are designed for a certain expansion threshold. A bullet designed to open at 1,000 fps isn't going to open as well at 800 fps.

Heres a small write up from one of the guys on another forum. Hes been around this game longer than me. And u know the old saying. There is no substitute for experience.

Advise from a ol' gunsmith. In the past I bought into the concept of porting handguns thinking it would help greatly. Wrong! Factors to consider: Personally, with the weapons I have ported, anytime a hole or holes are created in a barrel other than the one the bullet exits through, the decimal level to the shooter increases dramatically. If you thought your gun was loud before just wait until your first trip to shoot it after it is ported. It is going to be much ……. much louder! Instead of pressure being sent down range it is basically vented at a right angle to the shooter after porting the gun. People concentrate so much on the salesmanship / marketing of porting services they don't consider what other problems are created by porting their gun. If you want to reduce muzzle flip / recoil slightly, buy a handgun with a longer barrel. Its a lot cheaper than porting. The increase in barrel length will reduce some but not eliminate muzzle flip of a handgun more than porting simply because it the gun weighs more. And at the same time increase the velocity and energy of a given bullet. I have carried a handgun for personal protection for over 40 years. And there has never been a situation in which I couldn't have produced my four inch barrel revolver just as easily as a two inch barrel. I would rather have the longer barrel anytime. I just can't buy into the porting concept. Bottom line: I haven't found that porting is going to give you the perceived muzzle flip and recoil reduction level as you may think. Porting basically, is a head game that the shooter must talk himself into. But a factor that will escape his memory after he has porting done because recoil and muzzle flip are still present.

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

I did some more searching and actually found some Shield PC chronograph results at Performance Center Pocket Rocket: Smith & Wesson's popular M&P shield gets a new ported barrel, fiber-optic sights and a great trigger for less than $500. - Free Online Library. Unfortunately they didn't test a standard Shield too.

I also had a blinding flash of the obvious. ShootingTheBull410 uses a Sig 938 for his 9mm AmmoQuest. The 938 has a 3" barrel and he found many loads that performed well. I do not believe that a ported 3.1" barrel will generate lower velocities than a 3" barrel.


This morning I was mildly concerned that the velocity loss might significantly affect JHP performance, but that is no longer the case (for 9mm.)

 

[HP11]

Just picked up one of these from my local gun shop. I am very pleased with its performance thus far. Only one range outing so far; 190 rounds downrange flawless operation using three differing ammo types. This is my first Shield but not my first M&P as I have several. I'm very happy with my purchase but my only complaint is that my grip (strong hand thumb) interferes with the slide lock so I don't I don't get slide lock when empty. Looks like I'll have to work on adjusting my grip style on future range trips. Still waiting on my G-code Eclipse holster now going on 8-weeks.

 

[Smitty357]

If u guys plan to use a ported barrel for SD. Do urselves a favor and use smaller GR ammo. This will make up for the velocity loss of the ported barrel. Thus making the weapon more capable of pushing the bullets to the point of expansion. Your chances of getting full expansion is much better going this route.

Its just a way to make up for what u lose. And in the case of short ported barrels. This is an important factor.

 

[notaliberal]

If u guys plan to use a ported barrel for SD. Do urselves a favor and use smaller GR ammo. This will make up for the velocity loss of the ported barrel. Thus making the weapon more capable of pushing the bullets to the point of expansion. Your chances of getting full expansion is much better going this route.

Its just a way to make up for what u lose. And in the case of short ported barrels. This is an important factor.

Thank you
Smitty for your suggestion. I will heed your advise and use smaller grain ammo. I recently bought box of 124 gr hollow points for my self defense ammo.