Posted: 8/4/2012 11:49:40 AM EDT
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Cross-post from handgun discussion -
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson Model: M&P9 Shield Caliber: 9mm Capacity: 7 or 8 Rounds Barrel Length: 3.1" / 7.874 cm Weight: 19.0 oz / 538.7 g Trigger Pull: 6.5 lbs. +/- My friend recently just bought a Shield, and I had a full day to play around with it and see what I liked and didn't like. What I like: Build Quality - You would think for only paying $400 dollars for a polymer, striker fired pistol, you might be reaching if you thought it would be every bit as nice as your full-sized duty pistol, but the Shield surprised me. It's very solidly put together, and looks absolutely amazing. You really get a sense that this gun is incredibly sturdy when holding it. Ergonomics - The Shield feels fantastic in the hand, even with the flush 7 round magazine. I was able to get a very solid grip on the gun. It does not feel too thin, either. It has the feeling of being 'just right' from the moment I picked it up. It does feel a tiny bit top heavy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Recoil & Accuracy - I was very surprised by how well the Shield managed recoil. Using a mix of 115, 124 and even 127gr +p+ loads, it handled everything extremely well, even better than some of the larger pistols that I have had the chance to shoot. Every shot was dead on right where I wanted it to go, and follow up shots / double taps were quick and easy. Features - The trigger does take a bit to get used to, but it is very nice. Take-up is short, and the break is very crisp and clean. There is none of the typical mush or grittiness that seems to plague the larger line of M&P Pistols. The reset is very positive and audible, which seems to be another break in tradition from the M&P series. The safety is very unobtrusive. I thought I was going to be bothered by it, but I'm really not. It's very solid, and has very distinctive on / off clicks. I completely understand why S&W included it with the gun. A lot of their target audience with this will be women carrying it in their purses, and they want the assurance that the gun will not accidentally discharge. I don't have any more worries that it would be accidentally engaged, but I would still practice to throw it into the off position when carrying just in case. The mag release is ambidextrous, in the way that it can be flipped from either right or left, depending on where you want it. Unfortunately this is the only thing on the gun that is ambi. Carry - This is a bit good and bad. For those of us who wear jeans on a daily basis, pocket carry might be a bit too much to ask of this pistol. If you have cargo shorts, you will definitely be able to pocket carry in a big pocket, but the jeans crowd might have to stick to IWB or OWB. Either way, carrying is incredibly comfortable. What I don't like: The Sights - Don't get me wrong, the 3-Dot metal sights are very visible and very durable, but the paint or plastic white dot insert is not. When shooting the 127g Winchester Ranger-T +P+ the white insert for the front sight popped off, never to be found again. It's easily fixable, but it's still a bit of a pain. The Mag Release - While the mag release does not stick out or snag as much like on a full sized gun, the placement is a bit awkward for left handed people. When shooting the gun, my middle finger engaged the release twice, causing the mag to become unseated. Lefties will definitely want to switch the release to the right side, even if, like me, you prefer to use the index finger of your left hand to depress the release. That about sums up my thoughts on the pistol. I like it VERY much, and will be getting one as soon as I am able to. Not quite sure if I will go for 9, or .40 yet, as I have a bunch of .40 ammunition for my primary carry gun (Glock 22) so I will have to wait and see on that. Hoped this helped anyone who was on the fence at all. I'm not a professional reviewer by any means, but I still wanted to get my thoughts out on it. |
| Thanks for the informative range report. I want to get the Shield in 9mm, but they're not CA compliant yet, so not many around in my area to see or handle. does anyone know if there is a "blue label" type program for the M&P line similar to Glock's blue label program offering discounted pricing for LEO's? |