M&P Shield Review

In today's world, everyone wants a gun that is reliable and easy to use. The Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9 pistol meets both of those needs while still delivering high-performance. 

The new S&W Shield is powerful, small and lightweight. As an everyday carry (EDC) handgun, it has a smaller frame than most traditional pistols its size. It’s also very comfortable to shoot. 

The Shield comes with three standard dot-style sights that are easy to see and quick to get on target, plus an optional green-dot sight for fast target acquisition. 

This article will look at the M&P Shield 9 pistol in detail so you can decide if it is right for you or not.

History & Origins

The M&P Shield is a sub-compact, striker-fired 9mm handgun with a polymer frame. And the Shield has maintained a couple advantages over rival products because of an inventive, semi-staggered magazine.

It has ruled as one of the most well-liked handguns on the market for years. I, too, fell for the M&P Shield because I am not immune to the factors that affect everyone else.

I bought one of these weapons and used it as my EDC weapon for a while.

The M&P Shield 9 is the carry weapon that I have used the least frequently, although this is not the Shield's fault. It just so happened to be a bridge between my 1911 and my back-to-basics double-action revolver for me.

I still have my Shield even though I don't carry it anymore, and I still see it as my first backup carry gun.

The 2.0 edition of this firearm is the focus of this review.

The earlier Shield was somewhat updated with the 2.0 version. The improvements to the trigger are the most notable of the adjustments, which are actually rather minor.

The newer Shield also has a little bit more stippling and what appears to be merely decorative texturing at the muzzle-end of the slide.

The Shield has been extremely well-liked for a number of good reasons. Let's examine them.

Key Features

Slide

Given the time this rifle was designed, the lack of front serrations is not at all unusual.

The gun's rear serrations are excellent and forceful; they have a wavy appearance that, in my opinion, puts it a little bit ahead of its time considering it was first launched in 2012 and continues to look fresh now.

The serrations are positive and effective, and you can utilize them to great use, but if your hands are moist, they can be a problem for shooters with weaker hands. As for the trigger itself, as we've already discussed, I don't like the hinge.

Trigger

The hinged trigger is one consideration right now.

Personally, I don't like it at all.

Because of the way the grip is made, when I attempt to hold the Smith Wesson M&P Shield firmly, my finger ends up extremely high on the trigger, which is not ideal.

I can't safely disable the hinge below that deactivates the safety since my finger is pulling the upper area of the trigger.

Having said that, there are after-market triggers that employ a Glock style trigger safety, and it will depend a lot on the sort of hand that a particular person has. There are several alternatives available, making changing the trigger simple.

Despite the fact that this rifle often sells for just around $300, at that price range, would you really want to invest in a $100 trigger for a $300 gun?

Since the thumb safety is only functional for right-handed shooters because it is not ambidextrous,

Since I believe appropriate gun handling makes the version without a safety just as safe, I would advise purchasing it. And if you have to shoot the gun with your support hand, you won't have to worry about being unable to release the safety.

Sights

Only regular metal three-dot sights are included with this firearm.

They aren't night sights, but they function and are still built with a sturdy design, which is a positive thing.

On both the front and the back, it may be adjusted for windage. And a set screw is on the back sight.

All things considered, if you intend to carry this pistol seriously, you should probably consider replacing them with an aftermarket alternative.

The Smith Wesson M&P Shield has a ton of aftermarket options.

You won't likely have any trouble locating a set of sights that fit your needs.

How Does The M&P Shield Perform?

Accuracy

I place a high value on accuracy in a pistol for concealed carry. Any handgun has the potential to be accurate enough, but not all pistols can really achieve that precision. The M&P Shield is the exception. The Shield is undoubtedly one of my favorite little weapons that can match the might of larger ones. 

With the Shield, I can pretty easily maintain a full magazine on an 8" circle at 25 yards. The trigger on the Shield is, at least in the 2.0 version, better than its sisters in the M&P line. You find the wall after some initial take up, and it breaks with hardly any audible movement. I still value the trigger on the Shield even after dry exercising with a custom 1911 every day for over two years. If only S&W could make the other M&P pistols have the same feature.

Reliability

The most crucial quality a defensive handgun may have is dependability. It should come as no surprise that I'm going to label the M&P Shield 9 trustworthy given how well-known this gun is for reliability. I made sure that my Shield was trustworthy before I started carrying it. 

I've shot more than 600 rounds through mine with no problems. The only ammunition I’ve used has been FMJ, but even so, that's a fairly impressive record.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics on the Shield are adequate but not outstanding. My hand fits the gun quite nicely. Even though I am aware that I could be an exception, I can grip the handgun with all four fingers without using the magazine extension. I even have larger hands than most. The user can utilize the 8-round magazine if the grip is too short, however doing so reduces concealability.

An extremely good grip is provided by the strong stippling on the grip. Being able to grasp onto this little, light weapon that fires 9mm is crucial. Recoil is quick and crisp. If you’re a new gun owner, you might want to think twice. However, if you’re more experienced I could recommend this as your everyday carry gun.

Like I mentioned earlier, the slide's back has useful wavy serrations used for racking. The magazine release of the Shield, while well-designed, is not reversible, making it a right-handed pistol. Additionally, there is no ambidextrous slide release or any other left-handed attractions, which S&W arguably should have considered given the firearm's recent vintage.

Speaking of the slide "release," it is actually just a slide "stop" because it is so hard to use with the slide locked to the rear. The challenge of using the slide stop/release lever to release the slide on my Shield cannot be overstated.

Pros

-Very accurate

-True to form reliability

-Good for concealed carry

Cons

-Low magazine capacity compared to other models

-Strong recoil for a CCW

-Only meant for right-handed shooters