M&P Shield 9mm or .40 S&W
- Thread starter Dick75
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2005
- Messages
- 8,020
- Reaction score
- 7,102
I recommend the 9mm as the .40 seems to still have "issues" as reported on here, and I am not convinced the factory has fully resolved those issues.
Der Biermeister
Member
No issues with my .40.
I would opt for the .40 (I also have an M&P 9 FS).
Someone on here once said -- he believes that for self defense, his calibers should begin with a 4. Not bad advice.
I would opt for the .40 (I also have an M&P 9 FS).
Someone on here once said -- he believes that for self defense, his calibers should begin with a 4. Not bad advice.
Ditchdigger
Member
I have the .40, test fired in October, have run 450 plus rounds through it with no problems. It handles the .40 s&w very well in my opinion. Very controllable, and fun to shoot. More power with the same ability to conceal as the 9. Also you'll soon hear no less then ten posts as to the ability to drop in a 9mm barrel for cheaper practice. I like the .40 because that's what was available, but if I had a choice, I'd still get the .40.
N4KVE
Member
My brother got the Shield 40 because he already had a 40c, & he wanted both guns to shoot the same ammo. He has never had any of the problems some people here have with the 40 Shield. We both shot the 2 guns together when he came to Florida for Christmas. While they both shot well, I was really impressed with the 40c, & convinced him to sell it to me. It's my daily carry at the gun store. GARY
Dick
I personally own the Shield 9mm
This is a discussion that will never end. Like Ford or Chev trucks you will always have support for one or the other.
I carry Gold Dot 124 gr jhp +P short barrel and I believe it would hurt a lot if on the receiving end.
One thing my dad taught me was buy firearms in the same caliber. It is the pits deer hunting to realize you grabbed the 270 rather than 30 06 shells from the safe.
Russ
P.S.
Cops miss more than they hit up close when faced with a life or death situation. You could be shooting a 500 S& W and it would be a waste if you miss.
Lets be honest if we are faced with a life or death situation do we honestly believe we are going to shoot 1 inch groups?
I want the extra round the 9 mm provides over the 40 just in case that extra round is the only round that makes it count when my life or others is on the line.
I personally own the Shield 9mm
This is a discussion that will never end. Like Ford or Chev trucks you will always have support for one or the other.
I carry Gold Dot 124 gr jhp +P short barrel and I believe it would hurt a lot if on the receiving end.
One thing my dad taught me was buy firearms in the same caliber. It is the pits deer hunting to realize you grabbed the 270 rather than 30 06 shells from the safe.
Russ
P.S.
Cops miss more than they hit up close when faced with a life or death situation. You could be shooting a 500 S& W and it would be a waste if you miss.
Lets be honest if we are faced with a life or death situation do we honestly believe we are going to shoot 1 inch groups?
I want the extra round the 9 mm provides over the 40 just in case that extra round is the only round that makes it count when my life or others is on the line.
Last edited:
Mumbleypeg1
Member
I chose the Shield in 9mm because I already had two other 9mm pistols and want the convenience of same ammo for all. But before I purchased the Shield I made a trip to a local range and rented Shield and Walther PPS in both .40 and 9mm. After shooting them all side by side my decision was the Shield9.
Deciding factors were the Shield felt better and, for me, pointed better and therefore was more accurate than the PPS. And at least for me, the .40 in both pistols was snappier and more difficult to recover the target after a shot. The Shield40 was a bit less recoil than the PPS40. I realize more practice with the .40 might change that, but the strong weight toward having same ammo for all swayed my decision.
Then all I had to do was find one available for a reasonable price, which turned out to be a 4 month search but wort the wait.
Deciding factors were the Shield felt better and, for me, pointed better and therefore was more accurate than the PPS. And at least for me, the .40 in both pistols was snappier and more difficult to recover the target after a shot. The Shield40 was a bit less recoil than the PPS40. I realize more practice with the .40 might change that, but the strong weight toward having same ammo for all swayed my decision.
Then all I had to do was find one available for a reasonable price, which turned out to be a 4 month search but wort the wait.
Last edited:
akviper
Member
I have both and prefer the 9mm. The 40 is pretty snappy and harder to get quick follow up shots. The grip on the 40 slips in my hand while the 9 does not. I'm a frequent shooter and shoot 45s and 357 all the time so it is not an amateur operator issue. I ended up carrying the 9mm shield as my main concealed carry gun.
Any hit with a handgun is a **** shoot. There are so many factors that affect the target that the difference between 9mm and 40 is not likely to be much of a factor. Another plus for the 9mm is less ammo cost = more opportunity to train.
Any hit with a handgun is a **** shoot. There are so many factors that affect the target that the difference between 9mm and 40 is not likely to be much of a factor. Another plus for the 9mm is less ammo cost = more opportunity to train.
Last edited:
USAF385
US Veteran
I'd stick with 9mm since you already have a 9mm. I went with the Shield in .40 because I'm more of a .40S&W kind of guy and had plenty of mammoth on hand.
And yet it makes a huge difference when carrying. My m&p40c and G27 have gone away thanks to the Shield.
And yet it makes a huge difference when carrying. My m&p40c and G27 have gone away thanks to the Shield.
Mumbleypeg1
Member
USAF385;137188467 And yet it makes a huge difference when carrying.[/QUOTE said:
Thanks for all your input. I'm leaning towards the 9mm but there's such a long wait for the 9mm as opposed to the .40 cal. The local gun shop here in SC has a waiting list of 30 individuals. Is there anywhere online that I can get it quicker?
Smitty357
Member
Shield .40, convert it to 9mm (Game over). 
Shield .40, convert it to 9mm (Game over).
+1. I have the .40 and have shot around 400 rounds through it with 0 issues. I will be buying a 9mm barrel as soon as I can find one.
Get what you are more comfortable with and shoot accurately with. If that is a 9mm then so be it;... better to have something that you are good with than something that has more power and not accurate...I only have 40 cal pistols but I love them, I shoot them all accurately and are comfortable with them
Mumbleypeg1
Member
There is a long-running thread on this forum titled "Smith and Wesson Shield in stock" where members share places you can find them. Keep an eye on that thread and when you see one available at a price acceptable to you, act quickly. It may take a couple of tries but persistence pays off. That's how I got mine in a week or so after several months unsuccessfully trying to find one locally.
Shielded
Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2012
- Messages
- 538
- Reaction score
- 98
Well I have a 9, & I'm very happy with it. You could get a .40 & get a 9mm barrel, but then you would need the 9mm mags, for if nothing else the extra round, so that adds up to more $ spent. Barrel at say $100 or so & mags at $40 bucks or there about. All something to consider. Good Luck!
If you don't have any experience with 40SW you probably should stick with 9mm. I have had no problems with my Shield 40. I also have a 40c, but most often carry the Shield because it just carries so well. However, one thing wrong with the "buy all your guns in the same caliber" theory is the situation most of us seem to be in right now. I've had very little luck finding any 9mm lately, but I can still manage to find 40SW or 45ACP fairly often. I like to shoot different calibers. If all I had was a 9mm, I'd be spending a lot less time at the range! IMO, the 40SW round is not all that snappy. Nowhere near as soft a shot as a 9mm, but easily controlled.
Last edited:
If you are leaning more toward the 9mm Shield, then get it. BUT, if you first get only the chance to get the .40, grab it! As has been said, you can always convert the 40 later if you still want to.
I really like my .40 Shield, and haven't had any problems getting almost instantly back on target for quick follow-up shots with my 180gr range ammo. It also points so well for me, I can practically ignore the sights, and I'm getting short-string groups as tight or tighter than with my with my FS M&P9/40 at the same ranges. That impressed the h**k out of me!
I really like my .40 Shield, and haven't had any problems getting almost instantly back on target for quick follow-up shots with my 180gr range ammo. It also points so well for me, I can practically ignore the sights, and I'm getting short-string groups as tight or tighter than with my with my FS M&P9/40 at the same ranges. That impressed the h**k out of me!
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2005
- Messages
- 8,020
- Reaction score
- 7,102
I have said that same thing. However, I am willing to make an exception with the Shield based upon 3 factors:
1. Weapon reliability trumps caliber. I still read too many reports of .40s dropping magazines.
2. There is a certain threshold at which capacity of the 9mm trumps the better stopping power of the .40 or .45 calibers. That threshold may be a different points for different people. To make an extreme example, there is no way on Earth I would choose that 2 shot Heizer/Double Tap thing in .45 (if it ever goes into full production) over a Shield in 9mm. The XDs comes closer, but it is still marginal as far as capacity goes - yes, 5 is the same as a J frame, but with the 9c, or Glock 26, for example, I can do slightly better ballistically than the J frame 38 and have the equivalent of 2 Model 642s in the same size package. Capacity is less of an issue as the weapon gets bigger. Fifteen .40s trump 17 9mms for me.
3. Finally, the snappier recoil of the .40 would make me tend toward the 9mm Shield for the same reason (although not by any stretch to the same degree) as I would choose the Airweight 642 over the .357 Magnum Airlight.
Others will decide this issue differently and I acknowledge that. I am merely explaining my reasons for choosing the Shield in 9mm over the .40.
markerbeacon
Member
I have the M&P40c as my Car gun. I carry a 709 Slim right now until my M&P Shield arrives. I ordered both 9mm and 40 S&W (currently on back order). The Wife will have the 9mm as her CCW and I will take the 40 S&W as my CCW.
Before I get hammered with comments about the 709 slim, I've had no issues with it. I've fired over 500 rounds in it and it performed 100%. I have confidence it will provide my personal protection until I get our M&P Shields.
BTW: I paid $319.95 plus $30 shipping at Atlantic Tactical. (LEO & Military Special)
BamaBrad
Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2012
- Messages
- 59
- Reaction score
- 12
I have the shield 40. I love it. I did have the magazine drop problem but with great customer service and a very quick turn around I now have had 400 flawless rounds downrange. I have also read of problems with the 9 as well so you might research that. Either one will serve you well but I really like my 40.
USAF385
US Veteran
My brother in law has a .40 that would drop the extended mag.
He took a punch to the mag catch notch in the magazine and punched it out a bit from the inside. He did this on the side where the mag catch is only.
He hasn't had any issues since.
Shawn
I like your reasoning. In a stressful life or death situation I would rather have 7+1 of 9mm. That one extra rd over 40 or 2 over the XDs 45 is huge when talking single digit capacity.
If we assume the average gun fight is 3 seconds I fear especially in the XDs 45 I may be empty before 3 seconds.
I like your argument that firepower trumps capacity when all calibers are high capacity.
I own an XD 45 with 13 rd capacity and at 7 yards my paper target looks like a shotgun shot it at point blank range after I have empties the magazine. My full size XD is my weapon i would reach for if there was a home invasion but the 40 oz weapon is a joke to conceal. Needless to say I pack her in my man purse (fanny pack) when hiking in black bear country of Utah where concealment is not an issue.
Russ
Last edited:
wingnuut
Member
all the new 40s come with the new mag release and new style mags wider. I sent my 40 and all my mags to S&W they gave me all new mags and changed the mag realease , they also promised they would not touch my apex trigger mod,the gun is now perfect.
jfwright1955
Member
I have two Shield 40's with a combined 1,000+ rounds through them with no issues whatsoever. One has standard sights the other has big dots. I went with 40 because that's my caliber of choice for all my handguns primarily so I only have to inventory one size of ammo. With the ammo frenzy going on right now 40 also seems a little easier to find at a reasonable price if you're willing to do some looking around versus 9mm.
John
"No one should make decisions for us when it comes to guns and gun carry. If we do things we're not comfortable with because someone told us it's 'right' it becomes a distraction in an event where clarity and simplicity is needed."
Smitty357
Member
Actually u dont really need the 9mm mag (IF) you just use the 9mm at the range. The .40 mag will run the 9mm rounds just fine. But I wouldnt want to put my life on the line by using it a self defense situation like that.
So technically, all u really need is a 9mm barrel. The 9mm magazine is just the little extra precaution of FTF.
2tango2
US Veteran
I have both......I have issues
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
