new shield owner

[weslokken13]

i purchased a shield 9mm about 3 weeks ago and i go to the range about 2 -3 times a week and put down about 200 + rounds FMJ everytime i go but anyway my question is should i upgrade my shield with the APEX TACTICAL TRIGGER AND DUTY CARRY KIT i seem to be having trouble with trigger pull also i ordered talon grips today but my trigger seems awfully stiff and harder to control is it just a learning curve thing or is this an issue for others
thanks
wes

 

[coachray]

I'm sure each trigger is a little different, but I left the factory trigger in mine. I got used to it after enough rounds and I like it just the way it is.

 

[SmithNWesson]

I kept my trigger as well. I want to master the current trigger and the shield is my EDC. I am new to guns (in my second year) so i am not the most experienced. But i figured i want a heavy pull in my EDC (but also considering an apex).

You seem to go to the range a lot (i am jealous) so you seem to have a good idea of what you want. Do you have a friend with a shield and apex? If so, maybe fire his/hers and see the differences.

How good is your grouping with the shield?

 

[glwanabe]

I go to the range about 2 -3 times a week and put down about 200 + rounds FMJ everytime i go.

My question is should i upgrade my shield with the APEX TACTICAL TRIGGER AND DUTY CARRY KIT i seem to be having trouble with trigger pull.

Trigger seems awfully stiff and harder to control is it just a learning curve thing or is this an issue for others
thanks
wes

Should you Apex your Pistol, because you have a bad trigger pull? The short answer is no. You should work on your trigger pull first, and get that sorted out, then, you will have a better place to decide from, if changing parts is what will do, what you want it to do.

I will offer that, I've found all of my Shields to have very workable triggers as is, right out of the box. If you just want to change the parts, then by all means, go buy yourself something pretty.

What is your practice routine when you go to the range? You should have a definite plan of how your going to put rounds downrange. Are you shooting, or are you training? There not the same.

First thing I would train on, is,.........Trigger squeeze dry fire practice. Bring a new unused target home, and work on dry fire practice. Your trigger should break with no barrel movement. Work on that aspect since that is what you have mentioned. Evan if your trigger is pretty crappy, you should be able to shoot decent if your pull is consistent.

That's just one item, but there are more.

Are you cross eye dominant? What eye do you shoot with if you are? What is your grip? Whats your finger to trigger placement? Do you anticipate trigger break and flinch? What is your stance? How many yards away is your target? Have you switched ammo types? Has someone else shot your pistol, and what did they think?

There's a lot of variables to consider. Perhaps, hire a good instructor to work with you for a session or two, and see if it's you, instead of the pistol. Quality range time, is more important than quantity of range time. Once you have the quality, slowly increase the quantity.

You would be surprised how mistakes creep into your shooting as you start to get tired. It happens to everybody.

 

[John Robert]

8000+ rounds thru my 9MM shield and the trigger gets much much better after about the 2000/3000 point.

 

[Funflyer]

I took the advice of many Shield owners and polished the striker block part of the trigger bar before thinking about replacing any stock parts in my pistol. Doing this made a big difference in the smoothness of the trigger pull.

 

[greeenteeee]

I took the advice of many Shield owners and polished the striker block part of the trigger bar before thinking about replacing any stock parts in my pistol. Doing this made a big difference in the smoothness of the trigger pull.

I did this as well but maybe not enough-- only lightly fine emery cloth (vs 600 grit I read somewhere) and the rest was with a buffing wheel and mag polish.

lots of good points

Very good points and I've learned about all of these trying to learn to shoot the Shield better. Dry fire, but even after polishing muzzle still jumps around. Penny can stay on front sight but it jumps-- I've learned it's because of over-travel and polishing won't change it-- only a reshaped sear will or other trigger components. (APEX)

Also found myself flinching on one of the first few trips with the Shield. I think I am a fist full (3-4"?) grouping at 3 and 5 yards (pitiful I know...)

I'm cross eye dominant and starting shooting with it lately and precision didn't change.

Now given all that, esp the flinching recoil anticipation on the 9, my BASELINE is my first pistol and the one I'm most accurate with right now: 40S&W Sig Sauer SP2022. Yes the much hated 40.

The difference I have been thinking lately is that it has a 4.4lbs (as advertised, not personally measured) single action trigger vs that of the Shield which feels like there's an ambiguous wall of a trigger pull weight needed to be overcome before it breaks.

When I miss with the 40, it's because I was impatient with the trigger-- I can feel the difference between hit/miss trigger pull of the 6" plate at 10 yards. Hits feel smooth, misses feel rushed. It's HARDER with a heavy trigger.

I kind of think 2/3000 rounds is more expensive than working the trigger. I don't think every Shield needs the entire Apex kit either.

 

[Dennis]

I guess I got lucky with my shield 9. Shot it against my sig 239 and s&w 3914.
Really nice trigger on my shield 9. Short and smooth. in fact, the first round scared me a bit. Just a bit. lol.

 

[Horn]

Agree With Most

i purchased a shield 9mm about 3 weeks ago and i go to the range about 2 -3 times a week and put down about 200 + rounds FMJ everytime i go but anyway my question is should i upgrade my shield with the APEX TACTICAL TRIGGER AND DUTY CARRY KIT i seem to be having trouble with trigger pull also i ordered talon grips today but my trigger seems awfully stiff and harder to control is it just a learning curve thing or is this an issue for others
thanks
wes

I waited a while here. I'm in agreement with most of these who, like me, have kept my two Shields (9mm) stock. Understand these are designed to be self defense pistols not range pistols. I suspect the engineers intentionally understood when actually in a shooting situation (been there) you won't even notice a twenty pound trigger pull. You'll likely have inside of two seconds.
Enjoy your Shield and stay safe.
Poli Viejo

 

[rwsmith]

Shield triggers are very good.....

Shield triggers are very good, especially considering that their actions are DAO. I've venture to say that if it bother you, send it back to the factory. Apex to me would come after the pistol worked as well as it was supposed to, out of the box.

 

[martybee]

When I first got my Shield 9, I couldn't hit hit my target at 8yds. The bullseye was 8" and centered on a 23"x34" hanging paper; Strays everywhere! Now after over 2,500 rds, I can consistently place the rds. in a 3" group. Also the trigger was smoothed out very nicely! It is a joy for this 85 yr. old to shoot!

 

[fdw]

I'd run at least 500 rounds through before doing anything. Dry fire it too.

 

[walkin' trails]

While it can be said that the trigger press is the most important of the fundamentals, there may be some other fundamentals that you're overlooking. Have you formally trained under an NRA certified instructor? If not, I would consider it money well spent. In the meantime, a lot of dry fire.

I have played with lightened triggers in various pistols and revolvers and found they are not the magic pill that ensures pinpoint accuracy. In fact, with a carry gun, they really could become a liability. If you're not properly applying the other marksmanship fundamentals, or simply jerking that light trigger faster, you're not going to achieve anything more than lightest trigger or custom gun bragging rights. I couple years ago, I got to shoot a Salient Arms G17 owned by a renowned instructor currently on the national circuit. I ran it on one of his drills that incorporated a lot of speed and movement, and while the gun shot sweetly, I could miss just as fast as I could with my stock pistols if I failed to achieve a proper sight picture.

Another tale - a friend of mine with a bunch of 1911s and a stock Shield 40 and not much range time over the past several years made went out to shoot them. He described how he was very accurate with the 1911s, but his groups with the Shield were dismally spread out all over the place. After explaining that while it "might" be a bad pistol from the factory (he'd never fired it), he could not expect it to equal his 1911s. We takes further about technique, and I concluded he was relying on alignment of the 3-dots and using a tea cup hold. Armed with some remedial fundamentals refreshers, he went back to the range and found the Shield was a lot more accurate for him if he shot it correctly.

When most shooters describe wide groups at shorter distances that do not seem to indicate trigger jerks (low left for right handers), I usually conclude they're not focusing on the front sight. Focus on the front sight and the groups should improve as long as everything else is performed correctly. That is why it is important to sometimes seek out a professional instructor


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[yep380]

My opinion is carry guns should not be modified with aftermarket parts. Range guns? Have at it.

By all means, clean, polish and practice.

The trigger in my Shield has smoothed out nicely on its own. It's a very accurate gun as long as I don't jerk the trigger.

While dry firing, I do see a little shudder after the trigger pull, which I attribute to overtravel. I'm not worried about it as I don't see an affect from it at the range. I don't have that shudder with any of my other striker fired guns, so I'm pretty sure it's not me.

 

[greeenteeee]

My opinion is carry guns should not be modified with aftermarket parts. Range guns? Have at it.

By all means, clean, polish and practice.

The trigger in my Shield has smoothed out nicely on its own. It's a very accurate gun as long as I don't jerk the trigger.

While dry firing, I do see a little shudder after the trigger pull, which I attribute to overtravel. I'm not worried about it as I don't see an affect from it at the range. I don't have that shudder with any of my other striker fired guns, so I'm pretty sure it's not me.

What else is there to polish aside from the triggar bar look where it contacts the striker block and sear? I've done that, close to 500 rounds, lots of dry-fire and it's a difficult to get shots on target.

Yea that muzzle jump is overtravel but with weird break, no matter what pull weight, it's difficult not to jerk the trigger.

This graph is of the SD, but that plateau seems like a good representation of the Shield's trigger.

 

[Mal Cap]

Skip the Apex for many reasons. If after shooting the trigger is a problem check with Smith customer support.

 

[ScaryWoody]

At some point you would think the manufacturers would notice that the trigger really is improved and incorporate the geometry into the stock parts.

 

[dan323]

I did it

I finally did it. I purchase a 9mm shield today $428.00 out the door. Then there is the $75.00 rebate. Not a bad deal at all.

 

[English-Gunner]

I finally did it. I purchase a 9mm shield today $428.00 out the door. Then there is the $75.00 rebate. Not a bad deal at all.

Found one a few weeks ago for $400 out the door , then the $75 rebate , , $325 out the door including all taxes ... think the stock trigger is fine , shot it straight out the box , very accurate .

 

[Macinudo]

I shot my New Shield for the first time yesterday. I was very pleasantly surprised how well it shot. The trigger on my pistol seems pretty good out of the box.