The average Shield has average accuracy potential. It’s a mass manufactured gun with a range of acceptable manufacturing tolerances. What’s average? S&W knows, but they aren’t telling.
So we share our experiences about our perception of our gun and how we shoot it, and what we have done to improve the overall accuracy of the gun and our shooting of it. With all the variables present and accounted for, our comparisons are not themselves really accurate.
Nonetheless, such anecdotal tales of holes in paper are fun to read and do produce a nugget or two—like slugging the bore to handload the perfect bullet (Wow! Wonderful!) over the most accurate charge of powder.
So, my contribution is that I have sunk a lot of money into my Shield to make it more accurate. I didn’t need to, I wanted to. It’s a hobby with a goal: have the most reliable fast and accurate shooting CCW I can. It’s gives me a little extra confidence in the gun, knowing it is about maximized for its potential, and that puts the pressure on me to perform better with it.
Shield 1.0 with a milled Shield RMS Red Dot, Apex flat faced trigger and other fire control components, True Precision extended barrel (tight fit), Heine Straight Eight nite sites co-witnessed, and a grip enhancement of dribbled epoxy (Cerakoted).
At five yards two-handed, slow fire, I can hit the eye socket of a human photo target every time when I do my part. At this range, the gun is at least 1” accurate. Out to 15 yards I can hit the eye-nose box of the same target (3”). At 20 yards I can keep all shots centered—slow fire—in the upper chest with a sub 4” group. That gives me the confidence I want to carry this gun once in a while when I don’t carry my larger, more accurate and easier to shoot full size M&P.
Target photos to follow soon. Thanks gwmac for the Photobucket update.