M&P Shield 9 first impression

[pjgiantsfan]

Purchased new on 5/10/14. Took it to the club today to test. Cleaned thoroughly and oiled well prior to shooting. My first thought was that it was amazingly easy to shoot in spite of its small stature. Only fired 50 rounds today. No FTE as I have been reading about in other posts. Very smooth trigger. 2" center group at 7 yards with the first 15 rounds. Second 30 rounds a little low and left still tight group. Last rounds @ 15 yards. Approx 3" group a little low and left of center. Very impressed with this first outing with a brand new gun. I did have one failure of the slide not locking to the rear on empty mag. I believe the more I shoot this little gun, I will tighten up groups at 7 and 15 at center mass.

I hope this helps someone that may be on the fence about purchasing one

Pat


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[dullh]

I, like many others, wasn't on the fence...when I saw it I had to have it - then a second...both of mine are 9mm.

I am a bit miffed over all the troubles others have said they're having with theirs, but so far mine have demonstrated the reliability one demands from something that could potentially save your life.

Not only that, these Shields are the cutest little things to come along since Selena Gomez!

 

[mustangman]

Congrats on the new Shield 9mm. Its always good to hear from a satisfied Shield owner, whether its a 9 or a 40.

 

[Roger S&W]

Congrats. Welcome to the Shielded.

 

[marathonrunner]

I recently purchased the MP Compact 9mm and I originally came to the store to buy a Glock 19. But after the sales person showed me that the shield was only a hair smaller than the MP Compact 9, and he also showed how the MP 9mmc printed less than the Glock 19, I decided to go with the MP Compact 9mm. he also said many who own the shield said it hurt their hand after 50 rounds. The only thing I didnt' like about the MC is the trigger seems too heavy .

 

[jimjc]

To some of the replies....The Shield isn`t a range gun...it isn`t meant to fire hundreds of rounds through at a session but if that`s what you want so be it.. To the person that is "miffed" at the problems reported.. remember.. this is the internet and there are things written for many reasons not the least of which is meant to mislead or outright lie...

Lastly there are tens of thousands+ of Shields sold and you hear of a handful of negative reports and all of a sudden the gun has problems hum a odd/ incorrect evaluation

 

[OldCat]

It's the internet so it must be true. Right?

Seems that I must be in the minority of Shield owners who have never had a problem, the trigger feels good and it groups within 3" at 50 feet. Must not be true.

 

[Dewy]

True, I am one of those who is having a problem with my recoil spring and that rough spot and failing to lock back. A person shouldn't have this problem but some of us do, so kudos if yours is perfect, I wish mine was, who knows it may be in the future but right now I'm a little angry at it and S&W.

 

[OldCat]

True, I am one of those who is having a problem with my recoil spring and that rough spot and failing to lock back. A person shouldn't have this problem but some of us do, so kudos if yours is perfect, I wish mine was, who knows it may be in the future but right now I'm a little angry at it and S&W.

It's a progressive spring meaning that it gets stiffer as it compresses. Mine also has that spot but hasn't failed to lock yet unless I have the mag out and forget to push up on the slide lock lever.

 

[mltndw3]

I think we all need to be mindful that this forum is read and used by people of varying degrees of experience with handguns. I am relatively new to the sport and have only been shooting with some regularity for 2 years. Like many, my first handgun was a Glock and that was the extent of my experience. After a year of shooting it, I decided it was a big too big for carry so I went with a Shield. Everything was different, and what was easy on the Glock, was not on the Shield. Not the gun's fault, just my inexperience. When I started shooting the Shield, I had most of the problems we've read about on this forum, so know they aren't made up for some nefarious reason. I now have "none" of those problems, because I have experience with this gun, took the advice from many on this forum as to how to overcome the various issues, and just practiced weekly (as did my wife). Many new Shield owners, myself included, expected it to work like the gun we are used to, out of the box. However, sometimes that doesn't happen. As a pilot, I know I can pretty much fly anything, but to fly it well and effectively, I have to know the aircraft, read the book, understand its performance characteristics, talk to other pilots to get lessons learned, and I have to practice. That was my approach to learning to use the Shield and it seems to have worked.

 

[OldCat]

I think we all need to be mindful that this forum is read and used by people of varying degrees of experience with handguns. I am relatively new to the sport and have only been shooting with some regularity for 2 years. Like many, my first handgun was a Glock and that was the extent of my experience. After a year of shooting it, I decided it was a big too big for carry so I went with a Shield. Everything was different, and what was easy on the Glock, was not on the Shield. Not the gun's fault, just my inexperience. When I started shooting the Shield, I had most of the problems we've read about on this forum, so know they aren't made up for some nefarious reason. I now have "none" of those problems, because I have experience with this gun, took the advice from many on this forum as to how to overcome the various issues, and just practiced weekly (as did my wife). Many new Shield owners, myself included, expected it to work like the gun we are used to, out of the box. However, sometimes that doesn't happen. As a pilot, I know I can pretty much fly anything, but to fly it well and effectively, I have to know the aircraft, read the book, understand its performance characteristics, talk to other pilots to get lessons learned, and I have to practice. That was my approach to learning to use the Shield and it seems to have worked.

Well said. Same is true with cars, motorcycles, etc.

 

[B0308]

mltndw3,

Well said, my S&W experience prior to my Shield's (2X9mm) was a little different. Two 9mm and one .22 S&W semi's and a dozen revolvers prior. Multiple Colt 1911's variants, lots of Glocks, some Sigs, Brownings, Walter's, a Kimber and I'm sure a few I don't recall.

However, when I bought the first Shield, I didn't expect it to be the Alpha-Omega of handguns, but a niche piece, which it does very well. My first was without fail in the first 300 check out rounds and several magazines with a range of practice and duty ammo. It's a great second piece or primary for walking the dog, getting mail or carrying when you don't want to carry <g>. The second had a few hick-ups in the first 250 rounds but now is reliable as heck.

Short summary, the Shield is a great pistol for what it is designed for, small, reliable and fills the first rule of a gun fight, Have one!

Good luck to all and stay safe

 

[alfsauve]

A look from a different angle

Let me take another angle on the Shield.

I bought it, walked out to the range. Checked that the barrel wasn't obstructed and then proceeded to put 200 rounds down range. No oiling, no cleaning, nada. Not the recommended way, but I don't have time to "baby" a gun. It fired all flawlessly, btw. which I think speaks for its construction and reliability.

I've yet to break it down, yet to clean it and have put about 500 hundred rounds through it without a hitch.

Accuracy? Given the gun is for concealed carry, 90% of my shooting with it is done at 3 to 5 yards. And most of it one-handed. Almost all shots as fast as I could fire them. All shots in center of mass. 0 and -1 zones for IDPA shooters.

I'm not saying my way of testing is better (or even good), just a different take on it. A "harsh" take on it. Same results. Great gun for a sub-compact 9mm.

 

[gofastscottb]

I bought a 40 Shield a couple of weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised how well it shot & how tight the gun was. It shot as well as my longer barrel S&W, which was much better than the SR40C, I bought a couple of months earlier. I have now installed the Apex goodies & a Crimson Trace laser. What a great package this makes.

 

[striking]

I don't know what more a person could ask for in a compact CCW. My Shield is accurate, dependable, comfortable to carry, and came at a reasonable price.

I don't feel the same affection for it that I do my high end 1911s or my beautiful old Smith revolvers, but I sure carry mine more than anything else I own and I think that pretty much says it all (for me, anyway).

 

[CobraGirl]

I now have a 9mm S&W Pro and a 9mm S&W Shield - love them both, no problems with either.

Until a year ago, all my shooting was done with revolvers - 45+ years. I have 5 S&W .38s. Started shooting Steel at the range and needed more bullets, so began learning to use semi-autos - first a .22 mag Keltec (30 rounds) and then a Ruger 22/45 Lite .22LR (11). Then I needed something that would knock down Steel targets for a different competition, so I bought a 9mm S&W Pro - works great!

When I decided to change my carry gun, I looked at the Keltec PF-9 and a Ruger 9mm. While my Ruger 22 shoots very well, it is a pain to breakdown and the small Ruger was the same design. The Keltec was lighter by about 6 ounces, but, when I picked up the 9mm S&W Shield, I knew it was the one - just a smaller version of my Pro. My husband bought the Keltec, but now he likes my S&W Shield better!!

I regularly shoot 30-50 rounds thru it when at the range on other business - just to keep myself familiar with my carry gun. No, it isn't for going to the range and shooting 500 rounds. About as fun (not) as shooting my S&W .38 AirWeight. That's not what they are made for.

The only problem I've had is when I'm not holding it firmly enough, a problem I've had to overcome shooting semi-autos. My fault, not the gun. Shot it yesterday and hit a self-healing cube target at 75 feet. Most of my bullets hit right around it - close enough that I was happy at that distance & with it being my first time shooting it that far - but I did manage to hit it a couple times! I don't expect to use this one for long range shooting - it is for close-up protection and it very accurate at 25 feet.

 

[alfsjeep]

Lot's of opinions out there. Glad you're happy with the M&P Shield. The important thing is to make sure you're comfortable with it. I can say I have not had one single issue with my M&P Shield 9mm, but with that said, I have a small collection of concealed carry pistols. Guess I'm on the quest for the perfect one for me. Now I have only put 200 rounds through mine, and it has been flawless. It is slim and light, very easy to carry concealed on me, but it does sit in the bottom of the safe now days. Guess I'm just old, it took me a while to warm up to the poly guns, and the striker fire, to me anyways, is good for the range, but not to trust my life on. But, don't let that last statement form me shadow your choice for the Shield. Like I said, I have had zero issues with mine, it is easy to carry, and I find it easy to shoot and accurate. That's the reason I bought it. It just wasn't perfect for me. I keep it just to let friends shoot it, when they are looking for options. I open the drawer, pull out all the little compacts I've bought over time, and let them try 'em out. It makes a world of difference if you can put a few rounds through these little guns before you put down your hard earned money on one.


LOL if you're wondering, depending on how I'm dressed, more often I carry a Sig P290RS, jacket weather I carry my Para Expert Carry, and at home on the farm a Colt SAA .45

 

[checkmyswag]

Ive installed Dawson Precision red fiber optic front and black right rear sight. Ive also installed the Apex sear.

From concealment I can draw and fire my first shot in 1.6 seconds and shoot 0.18 splits between shots after that. Accuracy at 5-7 yards is about 6-8" at that speed.

Its a VERY shootable gun even in the factory configuration.

 

[edslow]

Had mine for close to a year no problems an I shoot my reloads thru it. It is also a great carry gun.

 

[Roger S&W]

Part of what makes the Shield so awesome is I CAN shoot it all day. So comfortable and well designed, it doesn't hurt my hand at all.
You want hand pain? Especially right in the web of your hand?
Shoot the Walther PPS! Man, that was irritating.
I hear the Kel-Tec PF9 is just as painful.
Thank God for the Shield!!