Shield beat out by XDs

[RussC]

I sell guns for a living. A magazine article can only go so far. The thing I ask my customers is "which gun feels better in YOUR hand". No magazine article can answer that for you. Personally, while I love the Shield, & XDs, both are too slim for MY hand, while the 40c fits my hand perfectly, & that's what I carry. GARY

Gary:

I held an XDs 45 in my hand today. The LGS was asking $599.

As a gun dealer do you have an idea what the XDs 9mm will retail?

I have no plans to trade my Shield but as I held the XDs 45 today I kept thinking about my south paw wife and the upside the 9 mm may offer for lefties with a grip safety and ambidextrous magazine release.

Russ

 

[Armanius]

Has the XDS 9 hit the shops yet?

 

[RussC]

Has the XDS 9 hit the shops yet?

Armanius

There are YouTube videos of a select few testing the weapon and from my research XDs 9 mm will be released in May.

I have not been able to find a retail price.

I have my concerns about weight for pocket carry but for my southpaw wife it may be the best option in 9mm assuming price is inline with the Shield retail.

It would be helpful when female shooters get to tryout the 9 mm version to report their opinion on the weapon.

Russ

 

[Armanius]

Thanks Russ. I saw one of the videos yesterday by a female shooter - Fate of Destinee (or something along those lines). She seemed to like it.

 

[N4KVE]

Gary:

I held an XDs 45 in my hand today. The LGS was asking $599.

As a gun dealer do you have an idea what the XDs 9mm will retail?

I have no plans to trade my Shield but as I held the XDs 45 today I kept thinking about my south paw wife and the upside the 9 mm may offer for lefties with a grip safety and ambidextrous magazine release.

Russ

I don't know what the XDs9 will be going for, but $599 is high for the XDs 45. The prices here are about $550, as the store pays $445 for the gun. If you like the Shield, you should like the XDs, as they both felt similar to me. [too slim for me] GARY

 

[Armanius]

I put on a Hogue Handell Jr. grip on my Shield. Helps to make the grip a little bigger. Good investment for $7.50

 

[Cokeman]

I'm guessing that the XDS will be about $100 more than the Shield.

 

[packinaglock]

I'm guessing that the XDS will be about $100 more than the Shield.

Never been an XD fan but just maybe you could get your hands on one of these, unlike a shield.

 

[Nevadadvx]

I'm guessing that the XDS will be about $100 more than the Shield.

All that extra "gear" that comes with XD's is not free, that's for sure. Since I'm a lefty, the holster does me no good, and a fancy case that sits in the closet is worthless. I'll take the Shield without the extra plastic stuff in a cardboard box and save over $100, thank you very much.

 

[JNewell]

I put on a Hogue Handell Jr. grip on my Shield. Helps to make the grip a little bigger. Good investment for $7.50

When pistols first came out with finger groove grips I thought it was a terrible idea. I've come to appreciate it and I put the Handall Jr. on both of my 9x19 Shields but for a slightly different reason: I like the way it reinforces the index of my right hand on the pistol grip. I agree that it's a great improvement for $7.50.

 

[Cokeman]

Never been an XD fan but just maybe you could get your hands on one of these, unlike a shield.

I got a Shield.

 

[Spartan 2]

Made by Walther, yes? Still, like the Springfield a quality gun. I just PREFER to buy American Made. Prefer, but I DO own a Glock.

My Glock 19 Gen 4 is made here in the USA. Even has a State of Georgia proofmark on the barrel.

 

[Smitty357]

I love it when people buy weapons that are assembled in the United States, but have parts that are made in other countries. Yet they still think they bought an American made product, LMAO

Yes of course, that includes S&W.

 

[teesF-15]

I own both. Each has its utility. Both shoot accurately and comfortably.
XDS has an advantage with minimal printing.

 

[Shielded]

Or just the year of introduction? The Shield technically debuted in 2011, I think? - so it wouldn't have been eligible this year as a 2012 introduction?

The Shield was introduced on 04/12/12 at the NRA annual meeting from what I remember & found.

 

[RussC]

Gentlemen

I along with others predicted early on the Shield would be gun of the year.

Losing sucks but we (including myself ) need to be gracious in defeat.

Congratulations XDs owners you must have one heck of a weapon to beat out the Shield.

Russ

 

[geraldo]

forget the plastic !

I have been reading all the rants about those plastic guns, glock this , shield that, xd this, I buy hand guns for two reasons #1 for personal protection # 2 for a good investment, you spend good money for a plastic gun and spend money for a steel gun, wait ten years and see which will make you money !!, GLAD YOU GUYS ARE GIDDIE about plastic guns, leaves more real guns for me to find, just my opinion , you spend your hard earned money the way you want, and I will spend mine the way I want.:

 

[Shielded]

Gentlemen

I along with others predicted early on the Shield would be gun of the year.

Losing sucks but we (including myself ) need to be gracious in defeat.

Congratulations XDs owners you must have one heck of a weapon to beat out the Shield.

Russ

Quite true Russ. The XDs is a nice gun to be sure. I may own one someday, but for right now my smallish 45acp carry is covered by my Glock 36. Hats off to Springfield, for giving us another I want one!

 

[Cokeman]

I love it when people buy weapons that are assembled in the United States, but have parts that are made in other countries. Yet they still think they bought an American made product, LMAO

Yes of course, that includes S&W.

I have a Henry rifle.

 

[N4KVE]

I look at it this way. I buy used guns that are practically new. So I recently got a M&P40c with less than 100 rds down the pipe. I paid $325, & I could sell it in 10 years, & it will never be worth less than what I paid. Yeah, they're plastic, but they work. Some people don't like change. Should we still be driving a horse & buggy? GARY

 

[TMAXXII]

I have the XDs and a Shield 9. Personally, I like the Springfield better and the more I shoot it, the more I like it.

My wife, on the other hand, does not like the XDs at all. Too much snap and recoil for her. Although she finds the recoil spring on the Shield to be a *****! It is way too hard to rack for a 9 that size. Then there's that mag drop thing.

I would rather carry a 9 and I would rather carry a larger cap mag (although in NY that point is somewhat moot). However I carry a few different in both caliber often.

Without getting into the whats and whys of my preference, both have merit and shortcomings and I would trust either with my life. Truthfully at the end of the day, I prefer to carry my M&P 9c or FN P9 for performance, feel, accuracy and capacity better than either the Shield or XDs.

YMMV.

Sorry you live in NY, I lived in Buffalo, NY, I am glad I moved. I like the Shield 40 better than the XDS 45, that's my two cents. I almost bought the XDS and at the last minute I walked away. A good friend ask me go to range and he just purchased the XDS 45, he let me fire about fifty rounds through it, my thoughts, the trigger does not have a clean break and grip is terrible. I had red marks on my had after firing the 50 rounds. He shot my Shield 40 and wanted to trade, to me that says it all. I told him no, but I will probably go back and get the XDS 45, I see more ammo for 45s than the 40s or 9s.

Honestly, I moving away from 9mms and I love the 40 S&W rounds. I have a lot of 9mms and I have been thinking about selling off my 9mms, but I purchased over 7,000 SD rounds and about 5,000 practice rounds in 9mm prior to the shortage, I might wait and see what happens on this ammo shortage before selling them off or sell them on Gunbroker and buy a new house.

I would rate the Glocks with best trigger pull (3.5 lbs) and feel, Kahr PM9 and Shields 2nd, Rugers 3rd and the Walther 4th. I not sure where the XDS will fall yet.

 

[Nevadadvx]

I have been reading all the rants about those plastic guns, glock this , shield that, xd this, I buy hand guns for two reasons #1 for personal protection # 2 for a good investment, you spend good money for a plastic gun and spend money for a steel gun, wait ten years and see which will make you money !!, GLAD YOU GUYS ARE GIDDIE about plastic guns, leaves more real guns for me to find, just my opinion , you spend your hard earned money the way you want, and I will spend mine the way I want.:

Spoken like a true gun snob. Why bother visiting the M&P section of this site if you don't like "plastic" guns???

 

[Cokeman]

If you sold all that 9mm, you could flood the market and bring the prices back down with that much.

 

[ShortStroke]

hs 2000 my arse. I like my Shield!

 

[Armanius]

Spoken like a true gun snob. Why bother visiting the M&P section of this site if you don't like "plastic" guns???

Could not agree more.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

I have been reading all the rants about those plastic guns, glock this , shield that, xd this, I buy hand guns for two reasons #1 for personal protection # 2 for a good investment, you spend good money for a plastic gun and spend money for a steel gun, wait ten years and see which will make you money !!, GLAD YOU GUYS ARE GIDDIE about plastic guns, leaves more real guns for me to find, just my opinion , you spend your hard earned money the way you want, and I will spend mine the way I want.:

Many like myself like both poly and aluminum/steel framed guns, collect one and use one or both for SD. Some poly guns have and will retain or gain value and not all steel/aluminum framed guns will increase in value either. It all depends on what it is.

The biggest advantages in a poly gun is the fact you can have a grippy surface without adding width. Steel/aluminum framed guns need grips added on which adds width. There's also the corrosion factor from different types of moisture including sweat when carrying.

If you're all about the metal framed guns, why are you in the M&P section replying in a poly gun thread?

 

[Roger S&W]

The current edition of American Rifleman has the Springfield XDs as the winner of the handgun of the year. So much for the Shield, which many here thought might win. Some of the mag drop & other here & there issue's didn't help I'm sure, but the XDs hasn't been without it's probs either. Oh well

Not in my book. All the reports of FTRTB and magazine insertion/mag release button failures as well as recoil induced FTFs with the XDs.
I choose the Shield as the Gun of the Decade.
(Well, actually, I'd have to go back and check when the M&P40c was released)
No malfunctions. Accurate, comfortable....etc..etc...

 

[Shoo2tr]

I just want those who consider the XDs to be riddled with problems to consider one thing. I would venture to guess that 90% of the FTRTB issues are in fact caused by shooter error. As in inconsistent grip/technique. I have watched on this forum how many of the same people caution new Shield owners about not doing those very things too so as not to create the same issues. Folks, these are micro compact pistols we are talking about. Not everyone should own either of these models because inconsistent or poor technique will not net good results. I can induce an FTF, or FTRB in my XDs by using improper technique. As I stated earlier, these awards are subjective and either gun could have won but the XDs was chosen by this particular publication. Those who are true ambassadors of shooting sports do get beyond some of the emotions involved and understand this. Others make themselves feel better by bashing other brands instead of showing some class and at least making some informed observations about the positives and negatives of various platforms. Rant off.

The Shield and XDs are not for everyone, but in the hands of proficient shooters will provide great CCW service for a long time.

 

[snakeye]

Tell you what there would be no argument on my point. If SA makes a 40 cal in the XDS and it is any where close to as good as the shield there will be one in my stable....magazine article or not

 

[2tango2]

My guess is the xDs in 9 should be priced along the lines of the .45 xDs......which means any where from 499 to 649 lol....Shooters Outpost sells the .45 for 499 so hoping they stay with that pricing for the 9

As I said I have both...the SA just feels more refined in the slide action and the trigger pull to me. That being said I still carry the Shield more times than not over the xDs