M&P Shield 9mm 3.1 brl. 1st CC in ages

[IUPapabear]

I pick up my first CC handgun on Thursday.
I have been shopping for ages andcwas looking at the full size 9 with the 4.25 brl and the thumb safety. Then my neighborshows me his Shield and talked to me about how much easier it is to CC and I'm sold.
I am going with an Alien gear IWB holster for it.

Anyone have any tips they would like to pass along?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bob O]

This is an excellent EDC pistol!!! Congrats..... Let us know how it shoots!!!

 

[1hatchet]

Practice Dry Fire training, lots.

 

[ghoffman]

1. Don't make a judgement until you shoot it. Alot. It isn't broken, everything is tight until you break it in. You will love it about the time you get comfortable with it!
2. Its a carry gun - don't expect 2 inch groups from 50 yards out, but you will see 6 inch groups exactly where you need them.
3. The Apex trigger enhancements are a personal choice - you don't NEED to change anything, its already great at what its designed to do. Have fun - its a really nice gun, you will be glad you bought it.

 

[MyDads38]

Shoot it a lot and have fun! It's a great carry gun and both my Shield 9 and 40 have been proven very accurate at SD distances (2-7 yards). They are a stiff little gun to start, but will loosen up with use. Same with mags; you might want to invest in an Uplula loader; I haven't yet, but I'm not having as much trouble as some.

The M&P line is a great line of pistols, IMO; don't be surprised if you still end up with that FS 9, and maybe a few others!! Enjoy

 

[Bozz10mm]

Dry fire practice with it a lot. Concentrate on trigger control.

Get some Talon grips for it.

 

[miniSQ]

i agree with everyone said...shoot it as is, but add the talon grip. No need to touch the trigger, it is seriously a fine trigger, way better that the full size 9mm.

I upgraded my full size 9mm to the FFS apex, but i do not think i would want that light of a trigger pull on my EDC.

i love my Shield.

 

[Jaysq]

Welcome from North Carolina and congratulations on the new Shield. The Shield is also very easy to conceal with an OWB holster.

 

[fjweems3]

I liked mine so much, I sold my wife's Taurus 709 Slim (which is a fine CCW) and bought her a Shield 9mm with safety. My Shield does not have the manual safety. I have to qualify with my backup/CCW through the department I am chaplain for and it was a breeze even though I had not fired the gun very much prior to quals.

I think you will be pleased.

 

[PirateJim]

Welcome to the Shield Owners Club. You've got what many consider the best concealed carry gun around. (Concealed carry guns are a bundle of compromises, physical size vs. power/capacity.) Most of the good tips have been mentioned before but here are mine:

1) Unless you have very strong hands buy the Uplula, you'll thank yourself every time you load a magazine.
2) Keep your gun clean and lubricated per the instructions that come with the gun. It's not hard.
3) Put about 4-500 rounds through it asap to get it broken in right. Don't fret too much if it's a bit finicky during the first hundred or so rounds. Mine was, but it devours any sort of ammo now.
4) The Alien Gear is a nice IWB holster, but don't overlook OWB carry. In a good pancake style holster the barrel is short enough that it barely hangs below the belt. A shirt tailored to be worn un-tucked and cut a bit generous around the hips covers it well, as does a sport coat and some other jackets in cooler weather. OWB is much more comfortable to wear all day.

 

[Radco]

I pick up my first CC handgun on Thursday.
I have been shopping for ages andcwas looking at the full size 9 with the 4.25 brl and the thumb safety. Then my neighborshows me his Shield and talked to me about how much easier it is to CC and I'm sold.
I am going with an Alien gear IWB holster for it.

Anyone have any tips they would like to pass along?

Thanks in advance.

First Welcome to the forum and Congrats on your new gun!
I agree with everyone comments on practice.. I have the 9mm Shield and Love it! Alien Gear is a great holster I have the IWB and OWB. Look into their 2 fer deal! @ for a few $$$ more. If you have not taken a safety course I highly suggest it! If you want to improve the grip abit w/o adding bulk look into the Talon Grip Tape or other brand tape..
TALON Gun Grips for Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm/ .40
and to help load the mags easier and save your finger look into the UPULA loader
maglula | Tools for loading and unloading magazines

 

[alleycat7002]

Shield is a awesome gun..i picked the nine..mags tough at first.now i load with no loader...thought about forty but like nine.

 

[bcj128]

The Shield is my favorite CCW gun. I carry it on and off the job, and have been very happy with it. I did have a lockup jam that sent it to S&W for service, but I'm betting it's an ammo issue. So for now I carry a Glock 43.

I recently had a group of recruits try the Shield side by side with the 43 and all but one preferred the Shield. I have both, and will always choose the Shield at this point.

 

[Goblin]

Position the gun just behind your hip bone for starters. Don't get it too far back or it will print too much when you bend over or squat down. I buy t-shirts one size up and have no problems concealing.

 

[IUPapabear]

Thank you all for the tips and the welcome to the group.
I have been around firearms most of my life. I am scheduling some one on one and group class training. We also have a new indoor range close to me that just opened and i am getting a membership.
My first formal training was back in the 80's at Paris Island. Unfotunately on my final PT run just before graduation my knee went out after stepping on a large rock i didn't see. I had already had 3 knee surgeries prior to enlisting and subsequently I was declared unfit for duty. Still one of my largest disappointments in my now 51 years. BtW, I was second in my platoon at the range.
Thanks again.

 

[chele519]

I love my shield. I agree with the posts about getting the mag loader. It saves my hands and time at the range. I also got the Talon grips. I like the shield so much I ordered a full size as well.