Your Thoughts on the S&W Shield .40 Cal?

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, All,

It's been a long while since I have posted here, mainly due to work demands. But, I am seeking your guidance on a possible upcoming purchase.

I have a Shield 9 V1, and love it! It shoots great, is easy to control, and is quite accurate. As I have several other pistols in .40 S&W, including two Glocks, M27 and M23, and two Springfield XD's, Compact and Subcompact, I have been considering purchasing another SW, this time the Shield .40 Cal. When a LGS sent their Fall sales flyer, I immediately noted that they are offering the Shield .40 Cal for $329.98! This seems like the time to go for it! As an aside, I have been shooting and enjoying firearms since the mid-1960's, and have more than my share of hard kicking pistols. So, some recoil does not bother me.

So, my question is mainly aimed at those of you who already own, and shoot the Shield .40 Cal. How has your pistol held up over time? Do you find it as accurate as it's 9mm little brother? Have you had any problems, inherent with the pistol, from your .40 Cal Shield? I would very much appreciate hearing your thoughts on this little powerhouse!

Also, I live in Commiefornia, and so am limited to the "CA compliant" version of this pistol. My Shield 9 is of this breed, and I will be quite happy to add the .40 Cal to my stable, though, depending on how the required LCI is on that version, I might change that out for the much better Apex offering.

Thank you for any thoughts, suggestions, of comments that you can share with me regarding the S&W Shield .40 Cal. Looks like a great addition, to me! Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[KSDrifter]

I just ordered one myself, so i don't have experience with it, but i can tell you thats a great price! Just so you know, the 3.1" shields are getting truly hard to come by. GL!

 

[Echo40]

I don't have a 9mm Shield to compare it to, but I've been carrying an M&P40 Shield 1.0 Performance Center since 2021 and it's a fantastic pistol.

I've upgraded it with a Lone Wolf Threaded Barrel because I wanted a fan of the factory ported barrel. Fortunately, only the Performance Center models come with ported barrels.

Durability isn't a concern as the M&P Series was designed for the .40 S&W cartridge, so it will most likely outlast you, if not in years than certain in hours spent at the range. Fair warning, being such a lightweight, slimline pistol chambered in a powerful cartridge, it is going to have more felt recoil than the 9mm Shield, and depending on the ammo you load it with, might surprise you the first time you shoot it. It's not painful to shoot, but it definitely packs a punch when you shoot it. Suffice to say, this isn't going to be your favorite range gun which you take out for the afternoon of plinking. So even if you could wear it out, you most likely won't ever shoot it enough to do so, your hands are more likely to wear out long before the pistol will.