Which to purchase for defense... Shield or performance??

[tom turner]

I think it is wise going for the standard version from the start. Ported barrels come at a cost of slower bullet speed, and shorter barrels do the same vs. longer barrels. The Shield if pretty soft-shooting already. I don't care at all for ported barrels . . .

Thus, in a 9mm, I bought the standard Shield.

The money you save can be spent on an Apex trigger, which will really make the pistol shoot sweeter. A great trigger is almost everything to me. No, my stock one doesn't have an Apex YET, but will.

Also, both fiber optic sights (aka FO) and tritium night sights are also available to help the Shield reach its full potential. FO is great in the sunshine, Tritium is incredible at night (and excellent too during the day).

I'll be going the Tritium night sight route on mine. I love night sights, and in virtually total darkness you can put the night sights on a very faint target and shoot great groups . . . without tipping off an invader you are even there!

The Shield is a winner, and with the Apex trigger it can hit its full potential without costing you and arm and a leg. Good Luck!

 

[jkasch]

I think it is wise going for the standard version from the start. Ported barrels come at a cost of slower bullet speed, and shorter barrels do the same vs. longer barrel.

About 10 to 50 fps, according to this PC Shield test that compares velocity of the Shield to an LC9 with the same length barrel.

Smith & Wesson M&P9 Performance Center Ported Sheild Review: Part 1 -
Introduction, Specifications and Summary

 

[JJEH]

It's amazing how often this myth gets repeated by otherwise knowledgeable gun folks.

I can only speak for myself and based on my experience I'd not want to shoot a ported pistol from position 3.

 

[rwsmith]

The Shield is....

I think my main concern is that I may not like the ported barrel. So that's mainly why I'm concerned about paying the extra money for the performance 9mm shield.

The Shield is a very comfortable gun to shoot. So much that it is even a 'fun gun' in addition to an SD weapon. I don't see any advantage to ports at all. The Shield is very slim, which I normally wouldn't like, but it doesn't bother my medium sized male hands at all. My Shield has an excellent trigger, that is very near to a Single Action. If you want to enhance it even more an Apex trigger may help.

 

[HandgunMan]

My wife carried a Sig P238 and after we had issues with it jamming we sent it back to the Sig for a service. Even after a feed ramp polish and an inspection the gun still would jam occasionally. Reliability is a must in self defense. After speaking with an NRA instructor who often would teach all women's classes told us he often had multiple jams with the P238 during class we decided to sell the Sig. After much thought and consideration to my wife's wellbeing (her life really) we purchased a S&W Bodyguard 38+P revolver with a Crimson Trace laser. Practically no chance for a jam, no hammer to catch on anything, always ready, lighter than a shield, no limp wrist issue, and it hits harder than a 9mm especially with a +P round. I know you were only asking to compare the regular shield with the PC but I thought you might like a different perspective. Good luck in whatever you choose. One more thing, the handle on the Bodyguard has a squared edge and it hurts to shoot the gun. This is a common opinion and caused us to buy a Hogue Tamer grip. They are not expensive but a must if you intend to shoot more than a few bullets at the range.

 

[mhmx233]

I bought the Performance Center Shield when it first came out and have carried it every day since. I can't tell a difference in muzzle flash between a regular Shield and a PC Shield. I wouldn't worry about carrying with a ported barrel on the Shield. People say ported guns have crazy flash and shoot gasses in your face but that is simply not the case with my PC Shield. The porting does help a little bit with recoil management but hardly noticeable. IMO the biggest benefit the PC has over the ported is the trigger. The PC trigger is much smoother and a cleaner break. Shield does get dirtier faster than the normal Shield. I would get the night sight version if you plan on carrying it though. The biggest thing I would consider is do you want the gun to have a safety? As far as I know the PC Shield only comes with a safety. Where the regular Shield Can be bought without a safety. Around here you can find regular Shields on sale for pretty cheap. If you don't really care about the PC version upgrades, then save the money and spend it on ammo and training. I also highly recommend Apex triggers for any M&P pistol. I can't stand that hinged trigger that S&W uses!!

 

[Hotshot9]

I see a lot of discussion on ported barrels. I have one on my PC 9 W/5" barrel have shot thousands of round thru it and with a 5 " barrel there is a big difference in muzzle flip. But I don't think there would be that much difference on a shield. And also I had a friend with me watching the muzzle flash with my PC compared to his standard full size M&P and he could see a difference between the two using the same ammo.

 

[Emalone5]

I did purchase my new shield yesterday. Finally after asking a lot of questions and reading and watching videos I finally decided. I purchased the 9mm shield with tritium night sights and with NO safety. Haven't shot it yet but we already have an orginal shield and absolutely love it. My eyes are getting older and we checked out the nights sights last night in the dark and my husband agreed I chose the right gun for me/us. Thank you all for your input bc it helped me to decide on which gun to purchase.

 

[Hotshot9]

Congrats on your new shield!! Sound like you made the right choice for yourself. Enjoy and as always be safe!