Maybe getting a Shield -- 9mm or 40?

[Cal44]

One of the few S&W semi autos that an ordinary person can buy here in California is a Shield.

Plus they are on sale, available everywhere and come with rebates.

I'm mainly a revolver person, but I'm thinking this might be a good time to get a semi-auto as a carry option.

Question is, 9mm or 40?

I have a 9mm revolver, but have no 40 cal guns of any kind.

But adding another caliber doesn't bother me.

Any thoughts on the trade offs?

(note, the 45 caliber isn't available here in CA, so that one's out.)

 

[Farmer17]

The .40 S&W is my favorite defensive handgun round in a full size pistol but it is pretty powerful and kicks a bit in tiny lightweight guns so I just bought the 9m/m Shield from Brownells for $219 including shipping and rebate. Ammo is also little cheaper.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I have the 9mm Shield, so you get the 9mm Shield. But seriously, get the 9mm.

 

[dan323]

I got the 9mm Shield 2 weeks ago. I'm loving it.

 

[epj]

I have both. The 9 is definitely more pleasant to shoot. There have been more reported kabooms with the .40. At least that is my perception. More rounds with the 9. You see where this is going......

 

[okiegtrider]

I'm a happy .40 Shield owner. Not at all the most popular one, but suits my needs well. YMMV

 

[Dftplan]

Recently bought the .40. Don't think it kicks any more than my full size Glock in .40. It's a more powerful defensive round, which I prefer. Love the gun.

 

[Shield9mm]

I don't like the .40 cal it is snappy and kicks like a mule specially on small frame guns, for that reason I choose the shield9 and recently just added the 45. Try to shoot a rental I do it every time before buying a gun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Flash_80]

I bought the 40 because it was all that was in stock the day that I bought it. And I didn't have a .40 at the time. Would prefer the 9mm. The 40 Shield isn't bad at all, though it is snappy and follow up shots are slower. In the end I always shoot better with a 9mm, have about 5 others so they would all share ammo instead of having to feed the b@stard .40 something else.

I'd trade my .40 for a 9 if I didn't have night sights on it already. Would take a loss and for what it is used for, I'm ok with it. Still in hindsight would have gotten a 9mm.

 

[keithdog]

I carried a S&W Tactical model 3913 I believe in .40 for a few years and then sold it and got a 9MM Shield. I'd never go back to a .40. The 9MM is just so much nicer to shoot and carry. Reasonable price on ammo as well. I know some guys prefer a .40, but not I. Shooting the .40 was a much rougher experience for me.

 

[dlombard]

Good 9MM ammo is hard to find but there are rumblings the .40cal may start to see it's last days because of recent advances in the 9x19 cartridge. 9X19 is cheaper, not has heavy, and MUCH easier to control (esp. on a light weight frame). I tried to make the 40S&W round work for me back when I carried an SD40VE and ended up selling that Entire system because I could never force myself to get comfortable with the force or muzzle flip. The 9 Luger is JUST as lethal, so why lengthen the time it takes to re-establish site picture in a defensive situation for the sake of firing a slightly more powerful round?

Just my opinion.

 

[hoc9sw]

I have tried several firearms in .40, and find it to have an ugly twist that hurts my arthritic wrist.

I have a 9mm Shield, and it is now running 100% for me. I am not unhappy with the 9mm (it is now my EDC), and would not buy the .40 because of the twist.

 

[hoc9sw]

Good 9MM ammo is hard to find ...

I would disagree, having a local outlet of GT Distributors nearby. They carry range to LE Only varieties at reasonable prices. Look up them, or SGAMMO online, for a lot of good options.

 

[rwsmith]

Mag capacity is....

Mag capacity in 7 +1 in the .40 = 8 rounds

Mag capacity is 8 + 1 in the 9mm = 9 rounds

That's one whole cartridge more. Of course an extra mag can help that.

 

[Dad_Roman]

I have the 9mm Shield, so you get the 9mm Shield. But seriously, get the 9mm.

I HAD the 9mm Shield, then I went out and shot the 9mm Shield, and then, rebates, so I bought ANOTHER 9mm Shield...

....and you should too, get the 9mm Shield


Tomorrow we tackle the 45

 

[Tyrod]

LE surplus handguns are plentiful on the interwebs. I'm guessing LE is bailing on the 40S&W. However, with the Army adopting the modular handgun, it's anybody's guess where the 40S&W is going to end up. I'm going to speculate that not many of the Army's SIGs will end up as 40 cal. I feel that most will end up either 9mm or 45ACP. There are a lot of reasons I feel this way. In my brief flirtation with 40 cal (SW40F), I really wasn't convinced the extra power was worth the loss of a round or more. A Shield in 45ACP with the OEM extended magazine, one is back to the same capacity (7+1) as an issue 1911 or 1911A1 but lighter and with way better sights.

So, for me, it wasn't a choice between 9 & 40, but between 9 & 45. I chose the 9.

 

[ScaryWoody]

I would suggest you at least hold a Shield 45. Much better feel over the 9 and 40. You give up a round or two but the holes are much bigger.

 

[Skeptic 9c]

With the CA limitations, the .40 gives you more power with limited ammo and the Shield is sized to the single stack magazine. On the other tentacle the 9mm gives you one more round per magazine.
Geoff
Who carries a single stack 9mm Kahr 9094 with low recoil Hornady 9mm because the wife can shoot it well, just in case.

 

[Mountain Walker]

I am a long time fan of the 40SW and found some very good service pistols for this caliber. The Shield 40SW would not be my choice. I have the 9mm Shield and find that the pistol has very soft recoil. Taken with recent advances in 9mm ammo, the 9mm Shield is a nice choice.

 

[DD357]

There is nothing in it between the 2 rounds. I guess if you are set up load the 40 or something along those lines it would make sense otherwise no reason not to go with the 9