Shield 9mm for SD and CCW? or Glock 43 - Newbie and 1st Gun

[exdetsgt]

What JWM said: A snubby. Some hold 6 rounds. Also, some will shoot .357. I carried one for years as a detective in Ca. With practice you can even qualify with it. When I moved to Az and became a Ranger we were restricted to Glocks by the PD we were attached to. I've had the G17, G19, G26, G21, G21SF, and G27. Although I learned to shoot them reasonably well they never felt like right in my hand. When the Shield 9 came out I bought one after handling one in the lgs just because it felt more comfortable and I was able to acquire the sight picture quicker. My EDC alternates between the Shield and an SP101.

 

[CBStuard]

Either gun will do the job. I prefer my M&P9c to my wife's Glock 19 and I slightly prefer my SILs Shield to my nephews Glock 43. I have had a keltec PF9 (very similar size gun) for about 5 yrs and I pocket carry it in a several different holsters depending, so consider that for which ever gun you buy. I find that cargo shorts and jeans make any of these guns disappear as the extra flap on the cargo pocket hides the gun in the normal pocket very well. These small pistols will also fit into an inner pocket in most coats and jackets including some suit and sport coat jackets. When you shoot them again try to figure if the different grip angles affect you. Hold the pistol at low ready, pull it up quickly and see if you then need to to adjust the aim up or down. Many people need to adjust the Glock downward because the grip angle has the gun barrel pointing high. Good luck.

 

[Mahalo_.32]

You really can't go wrong with either. The way i would make my choice would be to go to the range 25 rounds each to see which one you shoot best.

 

[Mister X]

Such things are individual preferences, but based on what you are saying, I would say go with the Glock.

And you state you're looking at a separate home defense handgun and I think there are no better home defense weapons than the Glock 19/17. Staying with the same platform seems prudent.

Maybe consider taking a look at the Glock 26. Same overall footprint as the G43, but just a little thicker. With the G26 you get 10+1 rounds plus the ability to use the higher capacity magazines and it would have a closer feel and overall commonality with the larger models.

There's nothing wrong with going with the M&P's, I just think Glock is the better, more proven weapon.

 

[DW6395]

Both are good pistols. I am considering the Shield. I have Glock, XD, Beretta, others; will buy Shield when I get around to it. Have shot my friend's several times. With the Shield 9mm, I especially like the feel in my hand, pointability, reliability, the trigger. The Glock is nice to however, I prefer the Shield trigger. Even though I consider myself to be above average in experience, I prefer the thumb safety when carrying with a loaded chamber. Compact pistols will generally conceal as well as the holster facilitates the pistol and your body. The holster is very important. My experience with holsters is that they are trial and error until you get the one best for you. You have several decisions to make.

 

[Hunter991]

Both are good pistols, but the Glock has NO safety. And for a new shooter i always recommend a safety. That's just me. I own the shield and have looked at the glock and many glocks actually and just don't like the way the feel in my hand. That's subjective however, some love it. Being that they are about the same size, make sure you take "weight" into consideration. I for some reason can't really carry my shield well. Don't know why.. just doesn't feel comfortable. I can carry my XDs, my CW9 etc... without an issue. Something about the shield isn't right. So make sure

 

[kmanick]

depending on what state you are in you have several other good choices as well.
Springfield XDS , Walther M2 come to mind. Plenty of good small Semi -automatic choices out there. Glock and S&W are just 2 of them.
Rent as many as possible and try as many as possible.

 

[RobzGuns]

try them both pick whatever your feel more comfortable with.

^^^ This.
It doesn't matter which WE prefer. What DOES matter, is which one YOU shoot better.

Many feel nice to fondle at the counter, but that won't tell you how they will feel to shoot. Find a way to try them both (Rentals, a Friend's, Find someone at the range that has one and ask if you can try it, etc) and see which is more comfortable for YOU to shoot.

As far as concealment, Google 'Dressing To Conceal'. There are a few very good sites covering the topic (without needing to go tactical). Heck do a Forum Search of Dressing to Conceal and my name and you'll see my tips.

 

[RobzGuns]

Concealed carry is not about finding a pistol that fits your style of dress... It's about SLIGHTLY modifying your style of dress to conceal your pistol and it doesn't mean one needs to wear fatigues or camo to carry concealed. My Concealed Carry Instructor was able to conceal at LEAST 5 different pistols within his 'Business Casual' attire.
There are multiple articles on the web dealing with dressing to conceal.
Here are a few Bullet Points:

* If you end up carrying IWB, you'll probably need to increase your pants by one waist size (Form Fit pants are out).
** If it's a "Tuckable" IWB holster, you need to learn to 'blouse' your shirt a bit. *If it's not a Tuckable, you may need to start wearing untucked Polos/T-shirts made of thicker/heavier (non form fitting/tailored/clingy) material.
* Heavier material doesn't print like light/clingy/form fit shirt material
* Dark Color shirts hide printing better than light colors.
** Prints hide better than solids (like camouflage distorts hard lines).
** Untucked shirt tails need to be long enough to still cover when you reach for something up on the top shelf, or bend over to grab something from the bottom shelf.

Wherever on your body you decide to carry, you need to NOT be self-conscious about it.
* People acting self-conscious gets them 'Made' more than printing.
* People don't actually LOOK for printing, but they DO notice people who act self-conscious.

Find the pistol that you shoot the best, then slightly modify your attire to accommodate that pistol.

 

[Ytcoinshooter]

Lots of solid advice here. It can be tough sorting through the fine points. That said I was in your same situation, choosing between the G43 and SW Shield 9mm. I went with the shield in part for the added magazine capacity and the stainless steel build. The only thing I needed to do was install the Apex duty/carry kit to make the gun "right" for me. Beautiful trigger pull IMHO. I am a slimmer build at 150 lbs and I can conceal it well with my shirt out but it is more comfortable (to me) with an iwb holster that has a tuck option allowing me to have an undershirt in cooler weather against my skin and a nice shirt tucked. I then bought an S&W .380 bodyguard for warmer weather and pocket carry. That bodyguard with an iwb holster just becomes part of me and I never have an excuse why I can't EDC. Lastly I purchased a G42 (I like Glocks) because it's slightly smaller than the G43 and is s 6+1 capacity...but I did install a magguts kit in one mag allowing me to have 7+1. I carry one spare magazine in a cordura knife pouch on my belt. Lastly I got a proper gun belt (Hanks) that does not twist or sag! Nothing gives CC away like pulling up my pants every few steps - LOL!
Whatever you go with consider mixing up your holster and clothing options
for flexibilty.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[Bonephish]

-I'm a smaller build guy and wear normal to slim fitting clothes, especially in summer so concealability is #1
-I get that the Glock is more expensive, budget is not as important in my choice since I can afford either even if I need to do some upgrades..

Glocks are ugly and Shields need an Apex trigger to shoot straight, or a lot of range time. Buy a Sig P938 because it's smaller, more concealable, needs no upgrades. And it's not plastic. Shoot one before you buy a carry pistol.

I have the Shield 9mm the .45 and a M&P 9C. I mostly carry my Sig P938 - IWB or in my pocket. I don't want to own a Glock.

 

[Joe7]

Glocks are ugly and Shields need an Apex trigger to shoot straight, or a lot of range time. Buy a Sig P938 because it's smaller, more concealable, needs no upgrades. And it's not plastic. Shoot one before you buy a carry pistol.

I have the Shield 9mm the .45 and a M&P 9C. I mostly carry my Sig P938 - IWB or in my pocket. I don't want to own a Glock.

Lots of valid points being made in the whole thread.
I have a Shield 9mm and a Sig P238. I like both. I can carry both well. I shoot the P238 better so far however.
So my suggestion as well, would be to try the P938 at least.
I'm comfortable with the .380 round as SD since I shoot it so well however. Like most people say it's for 0-7 yards or so. Honestly I wouldn't want to be hit by any of them!
I hate to complicate matters but you should give the Sigs a try anyway.

 

[exdetsgt]

I have no trouble concealing my Shield 9 in a wright leather works predator OWB holster. I just make sure whatever I'm wearing as an upper garment comes down far enough. I'm skinny (5'9", 150 lbs) and IWB holsters aren't comfortable.



I

 

[Speedo2]

Some minor issues with my Shield9: sensitive mag release button sometimes releases its magazine at inappropriate times, also its front sight paint dot fell out. No such issues with my M&P9c or 9FC-pro, or the couple of Glocks that I own. Although the Shield is a comfortable and accurate shooter within the confines of its intended function, it is not my EDC. For that I've gone to a Glock 42 or 26; mostly the G26 (depending upon attire). I think that you get what you pay for. -S2

 

[JohnRoc65]

Surprised no one has mentioned the Ruger LC9S pro. It's just as small as the Glock 43 and shoots better than the stock Shield or Glock due to it's fantastic out of the box trigger.
They can also be had for 350-400 dollars.

 

[alwslate]

I'm always surprised at the responses when I read threads on questions
like this although by now I shouldn't be. The fact that many buyers
make their decision on which gun has the smoothest trigger in their
opinion or holds one more round or some other highly subjective opinion
about handling leaves me shaking my head in wonder. If you're buying
the one thing that you are counting on to save you from oblivion if your
life is on the line then rugged reliability trumps all other features. The
tough simple Glock has been proven the world over to be extremely
reliable and durable. The Shield? Read about the legion of problems
owners have complained about in many threads here. The best choice
if your life is at stake is obvious, buy the Glock 43.

 

[photoman]

The best choice
if your life is at stake is obvious, buy the Glock 43.

I've been a Glock owner/shooter/fan since '98 and I can honestly say that Glocks have their fair share of troubles. Frankly, I don't trust any of them. That's why I practice failure drills and often carry two guns.

 

[kramden]

I've had my pistol permit for a few years now and am just finally researching to buy my first handgun. I've read tons of articles and opinions and I've narrowed my search down to either a S&W Shield 9mm, or a Glock 43. I'm hoping to get some feedback on what may be best for my situation and scenario.

I'm guessing this has been asked LOTS, so i'm including a lot of specifics about "me" so you can all chime in and give opinions on what may be right for me personally.

I shot both the S&W Shield 9mm and the Glock 43 last week, about 25+/- rounds out of each. I'm planning on going back to shoot them both again so any tips for me to consider while holding and shooting both will be helpful.

I'll share some info on me to help give guidance:
-I'm a smaller build guy and wear normal to slim fitting clothes, especially in summer so concealability is #1
-I'm totally new to shooting, I've shot many guns over the years but never enough to be comfortable with one so I don't totally know what to be looking for in terms of how it shoots, feels, etc.
-From shooting both guns, I leaned towards the Glock based on how it felt in my hand, but I was decently accurate with both guns considering I haven't shot much before, and was able to pull off some decent groupings at around 5-10-15 yards
-I totally get the whole 6+1 Glock capacity vs 7+1/8+1 with the Shield, but I'm not totally against 6+1, any gun and bullets is better than none. I like the idea of more though, but I'd rather have the right gun in my hand with less bullets than more bullets with the wrong gun if that makes sense.
-I know the Glock's have crappy sights, and the Shield sights are better from many people's perspective. I had no problem shooting with the Glock's sights, and would consider maybe upgrading them.
-I get that the Glock is more expensive, budget is not as important in my choice since I can afford either even if I need to do some upgrades.
-Carrying a gun to me is very foreign. My dad never carried (Although he owned), not many of my friends carried (But more and more are every day now). So my thoughts are that something small is better than nothing at all, which would normally be the case. I considered a .380 first, but the 2 guns i'm comparing here seem reasonably small enough to conceal so they are what i'm considering with a 9mm having better stopping power, etc.
-Seems like both guns have their pro's and con's, but either is a great choice from so many happy people on both sides of the fence.

Since concealability is #1 for me with this gun, the Glock felt slightly smaller and I liked the way it shot, so i'm slightly in favor of the Glock, but from reading reviews and all, I've come to really like the Shield 9MM so i'm trying to figure out if the Shield is a better choice. I also don't feel like I shot either gun enough to get a true sense of which was better.

I'd consider buying both, but I want to buy gun #2 and #3 for other purposes (Home Defense Handgun/Shotgun/Etc) so I don't want overlap, at least not this early in my gun venture.

How to choose?
Is the best way to decide to rent both guns and send a bunch of bullets down range and let the gun in my hand make the final decision? Any specific things to consider while i'm going through those motions? I know some say to be aware of things like:
-How the gun feels in your hand, natural, vs un-nattural
-Recoil and getting back on target
-How accurate shots are considering all things

Seems like both of these guns are winners in many ways. All tips on helping me get over the hump and deciding will be appreciated.

They are both excellent choices. Kind of a horse a piece. I bought both of them. I like the 43 for CC as its abit smaller. But I like the feel of the Shield in my hand better than the 43. If I had to pick one I think I'd pick the Shield. My wife also liked the Shield better than the 43 so she got one as well.

 

[LD-Ordie]

I was at this same crossroad some time back, and ended up with the Shield. I personally thought they were both fine weapons, I felt comfortable with both, and was equally accurate, so really made the choice for the cost. I also did not care for either trigger, but that is such an easy fix, I choose not to include it in my decision. So I also carry a G27 for extra fire power and bought the 9mm conversion for cheap range plinking. My wife carries a G42 and loves it. I also find it to be a fine shooting hand gun like all Glocks. More choices! So now I'm thinking about adding a Sig P238, just because l can. So all I can suggest, they're all fine choices, run as many rounds as you can through all of them, then also realize, it's OK to have more than one

 

[Squaregrouper]

My 2 cents...
Fondle multiple pistols and highly consider the one that aims like you're pointing your finger. Make sure your FFL is OK with it before trying this... Take a pistol in your hand, look at an object, close your eyes and point it at said object. When you open your eyes, how close are you to where you thought you were?
God forbid you need to use your pistol in a SD situation. You want to be able to draw, point and shoot in an instant. For me, the point of aim trophy goes to full size M&P's and H&K USP's. This is the reason I don't own any Glocks. They're great guns, but the grip angle doesn't work for my hands.