Shield 9mm vs .40 for women

[Bionica]

Hi, I am new to this forum and a new S&W owner. I have had my conceal carry permit for 2 years and originally went with a Ruger LCR .38 Special. After my latest trip to the range, I became frustrated with my accuracy. Then, my husband had me try his Kimber .45 and HK .40, both of which I had never shot before. I tried both at 3m, 9m, and 15m from target and extremely good precision and consistency.

On Saturday we visited our local gun shop, but they didn't have any Shields in stock (they had one available for me to look at and handle that had been ordered by someone else). I really liked the feel of the Shield. That said, there were no 9mm available from his 50 vendors (so who knows how long they are out of stock), but he will have a .40 in today. Is there much differences in the recoil? (Especially from a woman's standpoint..... I know our hands are smaller and not as strong).

Thanks for any advice!

 

[RobzGuns]

I would definitely try to shoot a Shield in .40 before buying.
If there's a range nearby that has rentals, if they don't have a Shield40, a Glock 27 will give you a very close perception of recoil. If you can handle a G27's recoil (ability to get back on target for a quick follow-up shot), you'll definitely be able to handle a Shield40.

My Wife can handle a Shield40/G27 okay, but she has better control (speed with accuracy) with her G26 and Shield9.
I actually prefer the Shield9 over the Shield40 too.

Try before you buy (and possibly not be happy with your choice).

 

[Smoke]

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.

 

[timn8er]

I shoot a lot of 40SW, so when the Shield became available again it was a forgone conclusion that mine would be in 40SW. I have no problems with the caliber but a lot of people don't seem to be able to handle it. In a Shield sized pistol, there is some muzzle flip, but nothing that can't be handled. I agree with previous posters; if there's anyway you can rent or try one before you buy you would be in a lot better position to make a decision. Good luck with your choice!

 

[Rpg]

The FBI just got rid of the 40 in favor of the 9 largely because the 40 was difficult for many agents to use. Remember that FBI uses full size pistols, not the much smaller Shield.

I suspect most folks would do best with the 9 in the Shield.

 

[fbcmrjrtykr]

I bought my Shield 9 online and had it shipped to an LGS. If you can find one that doesn't kill you with FFL fees, that may be an option.

I also have an SD40VE. Two different size guns but I do find that the shield is easier to shoot.

 

[shakyshoot]

I love my .45 and .357 magnum, but after shooting the Shield in 9mm and .40, I went with the 9mm. The .40 isn't painful or obnoxious, but it is more of a challenge to control than the 9mm. And I'm a 250 lb man with pretty big hands. You might like the .40, but I wouldn't advise buying one without trying it first.

 

[uechikid]

First of all, welcome to this great forum.
My wife has a Shield 9mm and really likes it. She also has a 40c that she shoots well but prefers shooting 9mm over the 40.

 

[Florida J Frame]

I'm surprised you can't find a Shield 9. Plenty of them here in South Fla. Where are you located?

 

[marine6680]

My fiance finds the 9mm shield comfortable to shoot for a box of ammo, then it starts to tire her, and she is done by the end of box two.

I would imagine the 40 version to be a good bit more stout under recoil. She would not like it most likely. She has shot other small light 9mm and hated the recoil.

Every person is different though.

I say get the 9mm, as the easier to shoot nature is a big deal when you are running on less rounds compared to other larger pistols.

 

[Bishop99]

My wife has a shield in 9mm. She didn't like the recoil of the .40 in such a small frame gun and I as well. I later purchase one in 9mm for myself.

 

[Jakpro]

It depends on the woman shooting just like it depends on the man shooting.

Some people can handle the .40 S&W, no problem, while others cannot.

My wife, who continually surprises me, has no problem shooting .40 S&W in any pistol. She shoots it well. She also shoots .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .45 with no issues. She keeps trying to steal my .40 S&W Shield!

 

[shawn mccarver]

My vote goes to the 9mm Shield over the .40 Shield for anyone - man or woman.

 

[NCW Ray]

The FBI just got rid of the 40 in favor of the 9 largely because the 40 was difficult for many agents to use. Remember that FBI uses full size pistols, not the much smaller Shield.

I suspect most folks would do best with the 9 in the Shield.

And remember...the FBI hires accountants and I think now they're looking for computer geeks, so most of them probably have a hard time squeezing a tube of toothpaste let alone griping a pistol properly and they quite possibly have to be told which end of a gun to hang onto!

 

[crankyoldlady]

Having had the opportunity to test fire numerous pistols chambered in .40 caliber, I can tell you the round has a "snap" that I do not enjoy.

There is a good reason every gun shop on the planet is well stocked with .40 caliber pistols while more desirable choices are in short supply.

You can do better.

 

[Saudade]

Ultimately, it's up to you. The LCR is a double action so it can be harder to control follow-up shots.

Mine is a 9mm. I'm too deep into 9 to bother with .40. I don't personally believe it offers enough to justify adding it.

So do you have other 9mm pistols? Other .40s?

Buds Gun has 9mm in stock.

This is model with safety. Mine is without the manual safety.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_39_1807/products_id/82836/S%26W+M%26P9+Shield+7%2B18%2B1+9mm+3.1"

 

[guidedfishing]

Shoot them both, I stopped trying to determine what would work best for a lady. I've seen tiny gals easily handle a 45, and seen some what appeared to be solid gals that could not handle a 380 auto. Any guy that suggest a particular pistol or round for woman, has not spent much time working with them to know there is no right answer. They need to handle the firearm and determine if it will work for them.

good luck

 

[ageingstudent]

Hi, I am new to this forum and a new S&W owner. I have had my conceal carry permit for 2 years and originally went with a Ruger LCR .38 Special. After my latest trip to the range, I became frustrated with my accuracy. Then, my husband had me try his Kimber .45 and HK .40, both of which I had never shot before. I tried both at 3m, 9m, and 15m from target and extremely good precision and consistency.

On Saturday we visited our local gun shop, but they didn't have any Shields in stock (they had one available for me to look at and handle that had been ordered by someone else). I really liked the feel of the Shield. That said, there were no 9mm available from his 50 vendors (so who knows how long they are out of stock), but he will have a .40 in today. Is there much differences in the recoil? (Especially from a woman's standpoint..... I know our hands are smaller and not as strong).

Thanks for any advice!

I love my .40 but if I had it to do over again I would get the 9. I've shot a friends 9 since and it was a lot easier for me to get control of the weapon. I've got the .40 down pretty good now, but it took lots of practice. The doggone slide was super stiff. It has improved with lots of shooting.

The shield has a low bore axis so it doesn't flip much, but it does buck pretty good with 180 grain SD ammo. I plink with some powder puff 165 gr. Loads that are fun but the hotter loads aren't as much fun IMOP.

I am a smaller framed guy at 145lbs I am sure that affects my opinion.

 

[speedyquad]

i purchased a 9mm shield fro my wife. i liked it so much, two weeks later i got my self a 40s&w shield. we went to the range that day with both. she now carries the 40 as her follow up shots were grouped tighter.

 

[dullh]

My wife prefers the 9mm. Says the .40 is too "snappy".

My girlfriend likes the .40...