The paradox of the M&P Shield, which is sold in the millions and aimed at the entry level market of concealed carry gun owners, is that it is not really an easy pistol to operate initially.
The Shield requires some wrangling to operate the slide and it demands some grip strength to disassemble and assemble, at least until it is broken in. It has heavy springs, including a strong recoil spring setup.
But I like this gun a lot, and think it will get easier to use as it breaks in.
Pros:
• Reliability – Good indicators it is going to be reliable. 100 rds so far with no problems (various loadings, mostly 3.9 Titegroup or 5.0 BE-86 under 124 grain plated bullets, plus some Speer GDHP 124 Grain).
• Accuracy – It hits where aimed. The trigger is smooth, relatively light (about 6 lbs), and just a tad long.
• The Safety is stiff but positive and can be reached by my thumb.
• The Pearce grip extension works and looks great on the 7 round magazine. It is great to find a small pistol that is big enough for me to get a full grip. The 8 round magazine does not, for me, with medium sized hands, need the Pearce pinky extension.
• The mag release works well and the mag falls away from the pistol as desired.
Cons:
• Re-assembly can involve some hand wrestling if the recoil spring is not exactly centered and aligned in its position between the chin of the slide and the bottom of the barrel. (I think this is why some new owners have been reporting having trouble reassembling the pistol after cleaning).
• On mine, the rearward edge of the slide stop lever, a stamping, had a burr on it and was perhaps be a little long (this made it hard to lock the slide back by hand). Two very light swipes with a small flat file made the edge that nests in the cut in the slide perfectly flat and smooth; an improvement.
Neither Pro nor Con:
• It is hard initially to get the full complement of rounds in the magazines; the solution is to load up the magazines and let them sit like that for a few days to loosen them up.
• The slide rails will require some breaking in. Some people might use very light sandpaper (2000 grit) to swipe down the rails, to remove any burrs or smooth out any bumps -- but I think they will break in by themselves.
• Perceived recoil is sharp (in 9mm) but not unbearable and not too “snappy.” This is a hugely subjective area to comment on, but I shot the Shield alongside a P239 – a wonderfully accurate, handy, and mild-recoiling pistol – and found the difference noticeable but not objectionable. The Shield weighs 20.8 ounces, the P239 (the same ammo capacity and roughly the same size, but wider) weighs 29.5 ounces.
• I’ve added some 3M floor safety tape (aka “skater tape”) to a few places on the grip to improve adhesion. Talon grips might be a good thing to look into.
Looking forward:
I think the gun will continue to get easier to operate and become smoother as it breaks-in. If it retains its reliability and its accuracy, it will be a keeper.
The Shield requires some wrangling to operate the slide and it demands some grip strength to disassemble and assemble, at least until it is broken in. It has heavy springs, including a strong recoil spring setup.
But I like this gun a lot, and think it will get easier to use as it breaks in.
Pros:
• Reliability – Good indicators it is going to be reliable. 100 rds so far with no problems (various loadings, mostly 3.9 Titegroup or 5.0 BE-86 under 124 grain plated bullets, plus some Speer GDHP 124 Grain).
• Accuracy – It hits where aimed. The trigger is smooth, relatively light (about 6 lbs), and just a tad long.
• The Safety is stiff but positive and can be reached by my thumb.
• The Pearce grip extension works and looks great on the 7 round magazine. It is great to find a small pistol that is big enough for me to get a full grip. The 8 round magazine does not, for me, with medium sized hands, need the Pearce pinky extension.
• The mag release works well and the mag falls away from the pistol as desired.
Cons:
• Re-assembly can involve some hand wrestling if the recoil spring is not exactly centered and aligned in its position between the chin of the slide and the bottom of the barrel. (I think this is why some new owners have been reporting having trouble reassembling the pistol after cleaning).
• On mine, the rearward edge of the slide stop lever, a stamping, had a burr on it and was perhaps be a little long (this made it hard to lock the slide back by hand). Two very light swipes with a small flat file made the edge that nests in the cut in the slide perfectly flat and smooth; an improvement.
Neither Pro nor Con:
• It is hard initially to get the full complement of rounds in the magazines; the solution is to load up the magazines and let them sit like that for a few days to loosen them up.
• The slide rails will require some breaking in. Some people might use very light sandpaper (2000 grit) to swipe down the rails, to remove any burrs or smooth out any bumps -- but I think they will break in by themselves.
• Perceived recoil is sharp (in 9mm) but not unbearable and not too “snappy.” This is a hugely subjective area to comment on, but I shot the Shield alongside a P239 – a wonderfully accurate, handy, and mild-recoiling pistol – and found the difference noticeable but not objectionable. The Shield weighs 20.8 ounces, the P239 (the same ammo capacity and roughly the same size, but wider) weighs 29.5 ounces.
• I’ve added some 3M floor safety tape (aka “skater tape”) to a few places on the grip to improve adhesion. Talon grips might be a good thing to look into.
Looking forward:
I think the gun will continue to get easier to operate and become smoother as it breaks-in. If it retains its reliability and its accuracy, it will be a keeper.
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