Shield 40 or 9

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Only difference I see worth considering is capacity. The 9 is +1 over the 40 and the magguts conversions are available for the 9 and not the 40.... so that makes it +2. 9mm ammo is a bit cheaper also. both the 9 and 40 are good in my opinion.
 
I prefer the 9mm because of the compact size of the gun. I rather have a .40 in a full size gun. The recoil impulse is more manageable for me with a full size gun in .40 cal. If you have a range where you can rent both calibers. That could help make your decision easier. To make it even easier get both. There's always room for one more gun.
 
Both-I bought the 40 first and then the 9 a few weeks later. Both are awesome! You won't be disappointed with either one :-)
 
I prefer the 9mm for the simple reason that I can shoot it a bit faster than the .40, but I have friends that shoot the .40 more accurately than the 9mm, so it really is what you shoot better or prefer.
 
ckcc said:
Only difference I see worth considering is capacity. The 9 is +1 over the 40 and the magguts conversions are available for the 9 and not the 40.... so that makes it +2. 9mm ammo is a bit cheaper also. both the 9 and 40 are good in my opinion.
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I have the .40. I was looking for a 9mm when they first came on the market, but a .40 was all I could score. The .40 runs perfectly and the recoil is not a problem with me. It is very accurate and reliable. Having said that I still would rather have the 9mm for the extra capacity. In a low capacity gun, 1 or 2 extra rounds are significant and I have this nagging feeling that I will eventually switch over.
 
The 9mm is a sweet shooter. Never shot a .40 tho. I do like the extra ammo capacity, especially with the Magguts kit.
 
I carry a Shield 9 'cause they don't make a Shield 8...

I have fired a Shield .40 and it had significantly more felt recoil. With two hands the decrease in speed and accuracy was difficult to discern, but was quite stark weak-hand only.
 
Which ever you shoot the best. That said, I had the shield in 40 and traded for the 9.
 
I voted for the .40 with my wallet. As a civilian, I don't anticipate being in a protracted gun fight, so I want to hit as hard as possible with the first shot and there isn't a .45 in a form factor similar to the Shield. I carried a J-frame for years and felt well protected. The .40 Shield with the short magazine pocket carries almost as well (better in cargo shorts) and has two extra rounds of a much more potent caliber.

Try them both. Follow your gut and don't let people on the internet influence your decision unduly. (But discussions like this are what keep forums for interesting.)
 
I went through the same debate and ended up with the 9mm. My thought process was that ballistics between good quality 9 and 40 SD ammo are really, really close.

With that in mind the higher capacity is what won me over. I'm a pretty decent shot with most any handgun but have no idea how that would transition into a real SD situation and hopefully will never find out. Who knows, I could be cool hand Luke and land every shot perfectly ending the situation in 2 shots or could completely freak out and need that extra round and them some.
 
No one mentioned that if the 9mm barrels ever become available again, you can pull the 40 barrel and drop in a 9mm barrel and it will work perfectly. That is another reason to buy the 40. Doesn't work the other way around, 9mm to 40. My 40 Shield works great for target/plinking with the stock Shield 9mm barrel, no other changes. Accuracy is as good or better with the 9mm barrel. I carry as a 40 and do practice with 40 ammo. My 40 magazines feed the 9mm cartridges fine. Many other Forum members have both barrels and all works good, but some have had issues feeding 9mm with the 40 mag, so they bought the 9mm mag and all works great. 9mm is a little less expensive and slightly easier to control than 40.

Problem is that for the last two years S&W has not released any barrels. So until that happens or an aftermarket barrel manufacturer starts making Shield barrels, it is a moot point.

Bob
 
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9mm all the way. The world standard auto pistol cartridge. 9mm ammo
is avaiable in variety and abundance and prices are currently trending
downward. Buy it cheap and stack it deep while you can.
 
Bishop99 said:
I prefer the 9mm because of the compact size of the gun. I rather have a .40 in a full size gun.
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Yep. :) For as many .40's as I own and enjoy shooting, I'd still go with a 9mm in the small plastic Shield.
 
Ballistic147 said:
I went through the same debate and ended up with the 9mm. My thought process was that ballistics between good quality 9 and 40 SD ammo are really, really close.

With that in mind the higher capacity is what won me over. ......
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I guess I'm doomed to be the contrarian here, but I see some pretty significant ballistic differences between 9mm and 40 S&W self defense ammo. Example:

Hornady Critical Defense:
- 9mm 115 grain Flex Tip eXpanding
- Muzzle Velocity: 1140 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 335 ft. lbs.

Hornady Critical Defense:
- 40 S&W 165 grain Flex Tip eXpanding
- Muzzle Velocity: 1175 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 506 ft. lbs.

Winchester PDX1 Defender
- 9mm 147 grain JHP
- Muzzle Velocity: 1000 fps.
- Muzzle Energy: 326 ft. lbs.

Winchester PDX1 Defender
- 9mm +P 124 grain JHP
- Muzzle Energy: 1200 fps.
- Muzzle Velocity: 396 ft. lbs.

Winchester PDX1 Defender
- 40 S&W 165 grain JHP
- Muzzle Velocity: 1140 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 476 ft. lbs.

Source: Midway USA

I certainly won't argue that an extra shot might not be nice in some scenarios. I also can't argue that 9mm is less expensive, I'm just not of the mind set that a critical personal defense decision should be based on what's cheapest.
 
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Got a 40 because I already had/have a 40 cal pistol. The 40 defenatly is pretty snappy but manageable. I would also say whatever you shoot better.
 
I have the Shield 40 and love it. I've shot other 40's and to me the Shield handles the 40 very well. I'm amazed at my speed and accuracy with this gun. I reload both 9 and 40, so ammo cost isn't an issue. I agree the 9mm is a good round these days and with the MagGuts upgrade, the extra 2 rounds is significant. The Shield isn't rated for +P or +P+ which is one of the reasons I went with the 40. Plus the 40 just makes me feel better inside for some reason :)
 
PirateJim said:
I'm just not of the mind set that a critical personal defense decision should be based on what's cheapest.
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Pilot172P said:
Plus the 40 just makes me feel better inside for some reason :)
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This is the other side of the coin. :o As much as the 9mm is the more sensible, practical and popular choice for a small plastic pistol; if/when, God forbid, the time ever comes that you have to use it in a critical defense situation, there is no denying the advantage of the .40.
 
I have a full size M&P 40 and it's recoil is allot snapper
than my 9mm shield. I can get back on target quicker
with the 9 shield. I would go with the 9mm.
There is a wide variety of great personal defense ammo
available in 9mm...;)
 
There are several ballistic gel tests out there that show the 9mm is really close to 40 and even 45 handguns with todays SD ammo. Do a Google search and they will pop up. Not saying the 9 is better but really not that far off.

My Shield 9 is my primary carry during warmer weather but I just bought a 40c for cooler weather. The Shield is slightly easier to conceal, especially under a t shirt but I do like the idea of having 11 rounds of 40 cal with the compact. In slow fire it's a tie between the two however in rapid fire and SD type drills I'm a little more accurate with the compact. I don't think it's the size difference because I'm very comfortable shooting both. I would like to shoot the Shield in 40 sometime just to have a comparison.
 
I have the .40 Shield and love it. Can't go wrong with either!!
 
As you can see there are lots of opinions.

The advice I like best is to choose the gun/caliber that works best for you. I have also seen it stated by numerous handgun authorities to shoot the largest caliber that you can handle accurately with reasonable speed.

So my advice would be to go to a range where you can rent both, and put at least a box of rounds through each until it is obvious to you which one works best for you.

Take your time in making this decision. First and foremost you want the model that you will be very comfortable with in a real-life defense of your life. Whichever model you choose, if you are like many of us, you will be putting lots of $ into the gun after you buy it.

Good luck! Whichever model you choose, I'm sure you will love the Shield.
 
My 2 cents! I love the 9mm for cost, and easy shooting! Plenty of knock down power if well placed,, Plus you can get 9mm ammo just about anywhere, .40 is a bit harder to get! 9mm is cheaper to shoot so you can shoot more! for less $$$ ! Do you have a .40 now? or 9mm now? I have 2 9mm and will be adding a 3rd so just one type ammo for me :) But all in all what do you feel you will shoot well with and practice with more? Both good choices!
 
I chose the 9mm based on several criteria

1. I wasn't going to be able to fire one before I purchased it. I didn't want to get a .40 and find out the recoil. really sucked.

2. I wanted something my wife could handle at need. That pretty much removed the .40 from consideration.

3. I decided I wanted to consolidate down to one or at most 2 calibers.
 
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