What advantages does a full size auto offer?

[otis24]

I own an M&P Shield 9mm pistol. It is a great concealed carry weapon, and in my estimation, a sufficient home defense weapon. It's always great to get another gun, but what practical advantages does a full size pistol like a full size M&P or Beretta 9mm offer over a compact auto like the Shield? Why do I NEED one?

 

[BlackTalonJHP]

More magazine capacity
Longer barrel for more velocity/energy
Longer sight radius
Rail for attaching lights, etc
Less recoil
Full hand grip with backstrap size options i.e.
better recoil control
M&P full size is left hand friendly vs Shield

 

[oldiegoldie]

i like the 17+1 capacity and TLR-4G light/laser on my FNX 9 nightstand pistol.

 

[Univibe]

I carry my M&P9 whenever I can. I carry my Shield only when i can't carry the full size gun.

 

[Protected One]

I own an M&P Shield 9mm pistol. It is a great concealed carry weapon, and in my estimation, a sufficient home defense weapon. It's always great to get another gun, but what practical advantages does a full size pistol like a full size M&P or Beretta 9mm offer over a compact auto like the Shield? Why do I NEED one?

Practical advantages for carry? None.
Preferences it might satisfy? Several.

You don't NEED one, but who says WANTING one is not enough?

Like you, I own an M&P Shield 9mm which serves as my edc. Yet in addition I also own a Browning High Power 9mm...just because I like it. Yes, it does occasionally get carried, but very rarely. Your money, your choice, but don't think need has anything to do with it

 

[mike campbell]

..... It's always great to get another gun, ...... I NEED one

It's always great to get another gun....It's always great to get another gun....It's always great to get another gun...

 

[epj]

For a small gun, the Shield is relatively easy to shoot. Note that I said “relatively”. That’s just in comparison to other little guns. A full size M&P or Beretta 92 is easier for most to shoot well. The magazine capacity is more than double, though having more ammunition should not be a substitute for marksmanship. The sights are similar on the Shield to the larger guns, but the greater sight radius is more conducive to hitting your target.

 

[Targets Guy]

One is for my pocket the other is for my night stand.

 

[jim lock]

What you feel comfortable with and how well you shoot it==Confidence
Jim

 

[Goldstar225]

More magazine capacity
Longer barrel for more velocity/energy
Longer sight radius
Rail for attaching lights, etc
Less recoil
Full hand grip with backstrap size options i.e.
better recoil control
M&P full size is left hand friendly vs Shield

BlackTalonJHP covered it. Compact guns are great for carry but do give up some capability vs. a full size. I alternate between a 1911 and a 642 for carry and keep a full size P320 in the night stand. I'm about to get a Shield for carry that will probably become my primary carry gun.

 

[Ribwizzard]

I favor glock in 9mm, with that said, a g19 is a nice handy pistol and has good accuracy, but when you step up to the full size 17, it's so much easier to hit what your aiming at.

 

[FifthWheel]

Usually get longer recoil spring life on a full size.

 

[hardluk1]

Otis If you have to ask you need to try your shield on a target using a shot timer and placing rounds in a minimum group size at say 10 years . Then do it again with a 4" class double stack after your get some trigger time . Then you will understand the difference . Smaller pistol like your shield have there place but so do full size . Small for me today be a 25 26oz defender or Kimber ultra 1911 9mm or an old s&w 669 da/sa 9mm I still carry on occasion . Both are 25 ounce empty pistols with great single action triggers .

My EDC is a 4" full size mainly a double stack 40sw any more by have a lw commander too .

 

[Rastoff]

You don't "need" one. The M&P Shield is a fine little gun. In fact, it's my opinion that it's the best of the small guns.

However, there are some advantages to a larger gun. The main advantage to the larger gun is ease of manipulation. Because the Shield is small, some have trouble with things like operating the slide lock or inserting a mag. More than one of us has pinched the meat of their shooting hand while inserting a mag.

Another advantage is higher reliability. The Shield is a very reliable gun. Still, if you put a full size and a Shield through a test, the Shield will likely fail first.

Now, were going to get a lot of people who will call me names and claim that their Shield has always been 100% functional. Of this I have no doubt, but that's not what I'm talking about. What I'm getting at is that over a large sample size, the full size guns will always be more reliable than the small ones. That's just the simple physics.

 

[peterGun]

my “biggest” semiauto is a 4” compact, That plus subcompact and pocket gun fill my needs.

My Shield9 get the bulk of my attention.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fredj338]

I see no advantage to a subcompact as a house gun, unless it is all you have.

 

[imcrazy]

I have a 4.25" Fullsize that IMO is too big to carry and conceal easily especially OWB, I find the 4" M2.0 compact to be very easy to conceal carry and it still has a 15 round magazine... Both are pretty darn good shooters and you can get quite a few rounds on target quickly... The Shield shoots way above it's size class but, you'll never get hits as quickly on target as you will with a service or fullsize handgun... Also 8 or 9 rounds on tap in the shield isn't bad but, 16 or 18 rounds in a compact or fullsize gun is a heck of a lot more rounds to work with...

For HD we keep the Fullsize 9mm in a fast access safe with a CT laser grip, for daily carry I leave the house with either the M2.0 Compact or the shield on my hip either IWB or OWB and my .380 Bodyguard sometimes comes along if I think I may have to leave the larger gun in the vehicle because it would be socially unacceptable to have someone notice that I am carrying.. I rarely chose the Shield unless it's summer time and quite hot where I am only wearing a t-shirt, I just have more piece of mind with the 16 rounds on tap in the compact..

 

[Chino74]

Glock 27 .40 for carry is 9 rounds, I usually do just 8 plus one in the pipe....9 rounds is plenty for the remote possibility I might need it. For the night stand I can insert a 14 round or a 22 round Glock mag in the same pistol....

 

[Smoke]

Another advantage is higher reliability. The Shield is a very reliable gun. Still, if you put a full size and a Shield through a test, the Shield will likely fail first.

Now, were going to get a lot of people who will call me names and claim that their Shield has always been 100% functional. Of this I have no doubt, but that's not what I'm talking about. What I'm getting at is that over a large sample size, the full size guns will always be more reliable than the small ones. That's just the simple physics.

How would you even quantify such a statement?

 

[Ziggy2525]

...
What I'm getting at is that over a large sample size, the full size guns will always be more reliable than the small ones. That's just the simple physics.

No name calling from me, but which aspect of “simple physics” would that be?