Shield 9 or 40?

[Dtoshield]

I'm currently in the market for an M&P shield. Are there any opinions on whether to get the 9mm or 40? Pros and cons? There seems to be a lot more 40 ammo out there and even as cheap if bought in bulk.

I'm going from an XDS 45 to the shield because I didn't like the 45 and the gun didn't fit my hand as nice as the shield. A little too much punch to have clean 2nd and 3rd shots. How is the 40 on multiple shots?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[NCooper]

I prefer the 40 but I also have years of firearms training with the 40.
Im able to double tap 40 all afternoon long.

Both rounds are equally good so it really comes down to what you are able to find available. Do you own any other 9 or 40? If so I'd go with the same caliber you already own.

My personal opinion is to buy multiple guns in the same caliber, it allows you to spend your resources buying lots of one ammo and stocking up over having a few boxes of everything.

If you buy a 40 and find it snappy try a heavier bullet. Its been my experience that the lighter bullets are snappier. I could explain why but then we are getting into ballistics which I'm no expert in.

 

[PlumberMike]

I chose the .40 due to the fact I can always get a 9mm barrel & clips. In essence, having two guns.
I traded my XDSC .40 for the Shield and I am more than pleased with it. The gun feels better in my hand, I'm more accurate with it than I was with the XD and it feels to be less snappy than the XD.
The most appealing thing about this gun over the XD is how easily it disappears when carrying in my SuperTuck.

 

[S&W45Colt]

I'm currently in the market for an M&P shield. Are there any opinions on whether to get the 9mm or 40? Pros and cons? There seems to be a lot more 40 ammo out there and even as cheap if bought in bulk.

I'm going from an XDS 45 to the shield because I didn't like the 45 and the gun didn't fit my hand as nice as the shield. A little too much punch to have clean 2nd and 3rd shots. How is the 40 on multiple shots?

Any help would be appreciated.

I don't think a majority of shooters would argue the .40 S&W has less recoil than the .45 ACP, at least in my experience. I would think if you feel the 45 ACP recoil is a little much, you would feel the same about the .40.

Recoil foot pounds on a .45 ACP is typically measured at 13-15 pounds, 40 is usually 19-21 foot pounds.

Here's an example chart.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_recoil_table.htm

YMMV.

As NCooper said though, experience is the best way to factor recoil out of the caliber equation.

 

[JSR III]

I went with the 9 as my other CC gun is the model 59. I carry the shield as a backup and felt that having one ammunition was a bonus.

 

[Boomer...]

I chose 9mm when I bought my Shield last week, 'cus I shoot same caliber in my Beretta 92 pistols and have none in 40. The Shield will be for primary carry (aside from smaller Beretta Tomcat and Bobcat) plus I plan to order an M&P45c as companion - likewise with thumb safety, which I'm used to on my Berettas and a couple of Ruger MkII pistols. My thinking is that familiarity in caliber and platform is generally a good thing.

 

[NCooper]

I get more muzzle flip in my full size m&p 40 than I do out of my compact and shield.
Now, I'm not sure why that is. I'm thinking its the shooter as I also score better when I qual with my compact too. I haven't had the shield Long enough to qualify with it. So right now its my off duty carry.

 

[timn8er]

I can see where some people feel that having all the same caliber is a bonus, but I don't really agree with it. Variety is the spice of life! I have a few in 9mm, 40SW, .45ACP & one solitary wheel gun in .357MAG. I would have a 10mm also If I could find a Model 1066 I could afford. One advantage to shooting more than one caliber is that it makes it easier to find ammo. As the OP mentioned seeing a lot more 40SW than anything else, such has been my case. If I've learned anything from this last ammo "shortage", it is stock up & diversify.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I was faced with the same decision. I went with the 9mm. The 9mm is a powerful enough round, plus it has a larger mag capacity. Recoil was not really a consideration as I shoot full power 10mm and the XDm 45 3.8 compact is no problem for me either. If you don't mind buying a firearm online, Sportsman's Outdoor Super Store has the Shield for $379 w/ free shipping. Even cheaper if you qualify for the LE discount. I ordered mine Monday night, and picked it up at an LGS this morning. Pretty quick, considering the Christmas holiday on Wednesday.

 

[robkarrob]

What about the factor that you can buy a 40, buy a factory 9mm barrel, and you now have two guns in one?? You can just drop in the 9mm barrel and start shooting. You can't do that with a 9mm going to a 40. You have to do some grinding on the 40 barrel tang, to get the 40 barrel to fit into the 9mm slide.

I did that with the Shield 40, and am very satisfied with being able to shoot 9mm at the range, but carry as a 40, a more powerful cartridge. I do shoot some 40 hi-power ammo, just to keep me familiar with the higher felt recoil and flip.


Bob

 

[BLuRRnAWAY]

I have the 9mm and love it. Though I have never shot the 40 I cannot direct you to which one to get. I personally would stick with what I have had in the past/what ammo you may already own. But whichever you may get you will love!

 

[BigCityChief]

I own and enjoy both. I prefer the 9.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Arndog123]

I bought the 40 first and planned on buying a 9mm barrel. Got my wife the 9mm and she absolutely loves shooting it. Actually been thinking about getting another 40 for a backup but want to get a 45c first. These things are addicting.

 

[AGoyette]

I have had both .40's and 9mm's. I have also shot a 45 acp. For me, I don't like the recoil of the .40. My husband's 1911 45 acp does not bother me, but it is a steel gun with a 5" barrel. I disliked the recoil of the 40 so much I traded it for the 9c. I already knew that I liked the recoil of the 9 a lot more than the 40. So getting rid of the 40 was a no brainer for me. I have not regretted it since.

 

[Lockback]

Statistically, there is literally no stopping power difference between the 9mm and 40 S&W.
Therefore, I'd take the 9mm. Less recoil, extra capacity, cheaper ammo and faster followup shots.

 

[robkarrob]

The 40's have about 15-20% more energy, than the 9mm. That may not sound like much. but that will allow more expansion and cavity damage. As the bullet diameter and weight goes up, as long as the speed doesn't fall substantially, the larger/heavier bullet will do more damage. Stopping power has so many variables, it would be next to impossible to determine, other than examining bullet tests results in gelatin, and the resulting penetration depth and cavity damage. Bigger is usually better, as long as there is sufficient speed.


Bob

 

[Smitty357]

Neither is as good as the other if u dont practice shooting ur weapon defensively. If u dont have proper shot placement. Then u really dont have much hope, except to spray and pray.

 

[RETSMSGT]

I got both.

I traded a Taurus 740 for a Shield 9 about a month ago. I have shot 40 in a Beretta PX-4 for several years and don't feel that I am recoil sensitive, but I believe 40 is too much punch in a small frame gun. Follow up shots were difficult to due to excessive muzzle flip. On a side note: I loved the Shield so much, I traded the Beretta in on a FS M&P 40 today!! 9MM for CC, 40 S&W for HD.

 

[WeebleWoble]

I went with 9mm because it is an internationally used round, granted the 40 is becomming more popular I have had no issues finding rounds in 9mm for friends and family, the m&p 9mm i bought this week is actually my first, Imported steel cased surplus... Some people say not to use steel case but I personally know people with 10k + rounds of it threw their Glocks 1911's and M&P with no issues.

That is why i chose what i chose.

 

[chad.colton1]

I was having the same dilemma. I already own a g19, so the thought was to buy the caliber I already have. 9mm shield also holds more rounds and .40 has been falling out if favor, if that matters to you. But the ammo crisis last year made me think perhaps I should diversify. I rented both and shot them back to back. The 9mm is definitely easier to control, but the .40 wasn't that bad. The Shield platform really handles the .40 well, unlike other sub compact .40's I've tried in the past (I owned a g26, but disliked the g27, and really hated the kahr pm40). Shield 40 was in stock, 9mm was on back order, so I went with the .40 and haven't looked back.

In my unscientific testing (shooting a variety of objects such as cinder blocks and Quaker oat tubes filled with sand) the .40 does significantly more damage, especially with readily available bulk ammo (115gr vs 180gr). Not exactly apples to apples, but it's what I had on hand.