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Why I Chose the S&W M&P Shield

4K views 36 replies 18 participants last post by  Captain Jack 
#1 ·
I've been wanting a single-stack 9mm for over a year now, and finally I bought one. My criteria is to have either a manual safety or grip safety to go along with the trigger safety. Personal preference and I'm used to it. I wanted small but also fairly pleasant to shoot (ie won't beat me up after every trigger pull). And obviously of good quality, accurate, and reliable. It came down to the Ruger LC9s, S&W M&P Shield 9, and the Springfield XDs 9.

Shooting and Feel: The Ruger shot well, as did the other 2. I liked the heft of the XDs the most of the three. The grip thickness of the XDs filled my hand the best as well. I liked them all with the slight edge to the XDs due to the felt helft. Only an ounce more than the Shield I think, but it felt like it was more, which I liked. Despite this, I can't really give you a clear winner.

Appearance: The Ruger loses this fight. I find it kind of ugly. Sorry, but that's how it is for me. The Shield is pretty cool looking. I like it a lot. If I had to choose, I'd have to give the nod to the XDs. Cool as hell in the looks department.

Ergonomics: All 3 win here. But in different ways. I liked the ambi mag release of the XDs, along with the grip overall. The controls seem to be right for me. The only issue of concern I had was the aggressive texturing on the XDs. Not bad for a coupld times shooting, but it was kind of "sharp" for me in some places. not a deal breaker, but it did bug me. Backstraps was kind of useless for me for a gun this size. The LC9s was great. I prefer the less offensive, smoother feether of the LC9 over the XDs, but it was not a dramatic difference for me. I can feel it, but eh. It's just different. The Shield felt thinner at the grip compared to the XDs. Couldn't quite tell on the LC9 as I really didn't pay much attention since I was already losing interest on the little Ruger. The Shield's grip is so thin that I was at first concerned about handling it. But it's good. Not perfect, but I like it. It felt more natural in hand compared to the XDs, which felt more "blocky" in comparison. Winner is the Shield. Close second, XDs.

Trigger: I'm not a trigger expert by any means. But I liked all three. Didn't have a preference from one to another. This may not be case for others. For me, the XDs felt the best. Followed by the Shield and LC9.

Features: I liked the featurs on the XDs the most. The loaded chamber indicator, ambi mag release, and even the grip safety and rail are all what drove me to the XDs. I love it for all it has to offer the most out of the three. Right down to the plastic box it comes it. Springfield knows how to package and present their semi-auto handguns. The XDs is no exception. Something that both the Shield and LC9 lack with their cheap-ish cardboard boxes. Come on, I mean really?! Epic fail in the packaging department. The Shields whitness hole for the loaded chamber does nothing for me either way, but it works even though I'd prefer a more tactile thing like on the XDs. Not too big, not too small. Just right. That's what she said. Springfield XDs wins in features and packaging. Shield comes in second and Ruger third as they were too cheap to throw in a second mag. You know, like Sprinfield and S&W do with their competing pocket pistols?

The mag release on the XDs was stiff. So stiff, it took real effort in depressing either side button release. The Shield was smooth, easy to activate when intended to do so, and workes smoothly. The manual safety on the Shield was very clicky and did not feel like it could be accidentally positioned either way by accident. Felt good, and it was easy for me to remove from safe with a smooth sweep of my thumb. I liked that. The grip safety on the XDs was not intrusive to me at all. Functioed great.

Price: At this point, the Ruger was out of the picture, but I think it was the least expensive IIRC. The XDs is the most expensive.

XDs: $440
Shield: $380
LC9: Can't recall what it was as I was more focused on the the XDs and Shield.

I can go on and on, and from reading the above, I guess you'd think the XDs is the clear winner here? But it didn't turn out that way. I was very impressed with the XDs and I might still get one in the future. But it felt "off" to me. In hand, it felt that I was still close to a compact SR9c or M&P9. That heft that I liked was what gave me that impresion. It was a weird sensation. I didn't notice it much until going back and forth with the M&P Shield. The Shield felt "right" to me. Kind of on the thin side, but still a pleasing pistol to hold for me. All three are great choices, and are of very good quality I think. But in the end, I kept gravitating toward the Smith. The XDs felt bulky compared to the Shield. And for a potential CCW, you don't want bulky. The Smith felt sleeker, smoother, stealthier, and is thinner iby comparison.

Choosing between the Shield and the XDs was no easy task for me, And I hope I made the right choice. But I feel good with my decision. It was the little things that added up that I can't put into words. That said, one factor that did change the tide was value. Bang for the buck. They had an M&P shield with Crimson trace green laser attachment package deal for the SHield for about $500. Grean dot death-ray laser beats fiber-optic front sight.

If I were to grade these three guns, I'd give the XDs and "A-", the Shield an "A-", and the LC9 a "A-/B+" repsectively when it comes to overall score. But the Shield felt more natural in hand. Kind of like it was built for me in more ways than the XDs felt. Even though it lacks some of the things I like on the XDs, it more than makes up for it in ergonomics, quality, and value (to name a few). If the XDs was a tiny bit thinner and had something like the Grip Zone grips found on the XD Mod.2, I would probably have the XDs instead.

So that's my long-winded thesis about the adventure I had. Sorry for any typos. I'm very tired from a long work day of, well, typing.
 
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#2 ·
I have an XDs 3.3 9mm and my dad has a Shield 9mm. I like both of them, bit prefer my XDs a little more. Glad you are happy with your choice. It sounds like you spent a good deal of time researching your choice.
 
#4 ·
Nice write up. I am considering a shield 9 as a slim carry. They are actually as cheap at $320 online and $360 out the door at my LGS. Pretty good price for a proven gun.
 
#8 ·
I love my shield 9mm I have not regretted the purchase once and I still do not have my CCW.
 
#7 ·
Love my Shield, shoots and carries great!
I put Talon grips on, improves the grip feel a lot. Only other change was Pearce pinky grip extension for the 7 round magazine. I did try an XDS and liked it too but the Shield felt better to me.
 
#10 ·
Nice write up. I've owned 2 Shield's and an XDs and they're all excellent. I went with the XDs only because I shot it better than the Shield. You can't go wrong with either.
 
#11 ·
If I were to get a mini-9 that wasn't an EMP, it would be the Shield.

And a few things in your screed that kept out at me...

While you say you like the packaging of the XDs...is it worth the extra $60 over a shield? I can get a damn nice pistol rug or hard case and still have enough for a couple hundred rounds of ammo for that...

And, on the loaded chamber indicator...I find them useless. Always confirm with a press-check...the XD's LCI are known to stick up, giving a false loaded signal...or, occasionally, break and give a false empty.
 
#14 ·
I love my Shield. I swapped the front sight out for a tritium one. I used to carry a Taurus PT709 Slim (wish I'd kept it). It was a great pistol, but the trigger was horrendous. At the time, it was the only "slim 9" on the market. I upgraded to the Shield at the recommendation of the local patrol sgt because of the superior ergonomics and sights. The extended mag is a huge plus too.

Here's a tip for the extended mag. I, like many American men, have a Buck 110 folder. It came with the nylon sheath that has horizontal belt loops. The extended mag fits in there perfectly, and the plastic grip extension makes it easy to grab. I superglued the grip extension to the baseplate to stop it from shifting.

The Shield in a Crossbreed Supertuck (mtcraigco, may God watch over your soul), and the extended mag in the knife holster is my EDC setup. For deep concealment, I pocket carry my LCP.
 
#15 ·
Here's a tip for the extended mag. I, like many American men, have a Buck 110 folder. It came with the nylon sheath that has horizontal belt loops. The extended mag fits in there perfectly, and the plastic grip extension makes it easy to grab.
I did exactly the same thing but with a NiteIze flashlight holster from WM for $7. Very stealthy and cheap.
 
#19 ·
I chose the Shield over the XDS as well. I really liked the XDS but I couldn't manipulate the mag release at all. Not just on the XDS either. I wanted the XD Mod 2 3.8 (I think) but had the same issue.
 
#25 ·
Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I made a mistake. From what I was told today, the M&P Shield has a plastic guide rod. I don't like plastic guide rods. The thing is on layaway, so I don't have it yet either. Too tired to go down there to look at it either. It just completely slipped my mind despite asking a thousand questions. The full-size M&P's have steel guide rods, so it just didn't register in my mind I guess to ask. I can get an aftermarket one, but that's another $30+ I shouldn't have to spend. This Shield better live up to its reputation at this point. Does the XDs have a steel guide rod? I thought it does? The SR9c I have had a plastic guide rod and I didn't much care for it. It worked, but I like the Galloway steel guide rod I put it it. $40+shipping though. That's money that could have gone towards ammo. Not a big deal but it does annoy me.
 
#33 ·
#32 ·
Mines steel as well. Also there is a peep hole to check for loaded or empty chamber. Its not that hard to verify still though. I am anal about knowing the condition of a firearm. I consistantly pull the slide back to visually inspect.
 
#37 ·
Took her to the range today, and man, this particular M&P Shield has a very nice trigger. No grittyness, nice break, and audible and easy to feel reset. I am very happy with this one! I hope S&W has this kind of trigger on their newer full-size M&P's at this point. They really should if not.
 
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