New S&W M&P "Shield"

[BarryinIN]

Looks like a single stack compact. I'm on the iPhone outside in the bright sun and can't see it well, but here is a bunch of info:

Link to M&P Shield

If it's like I think (what the Glock 26 and 27 should have been- skinnier) I might like it.

[wwillson]

You beat me to it Barry... I agreed that it's very interesting..

Wayne

[BarryinIN]

I've always liked the single stack 9mm medium size guns of around 8 rounds capacity. They make great "in between" guns when you cant quite conceal a full size gun well, but hate going to a little bitty gun. The width is what matters most to me in those times, and a skinny single stack helps a lot.

I am not a DA auto fan, but always liked the now discontinued S&W 3913 for this (until I got an HK P7 that I liked better). I look at these new guns as the new 3913/4013 and I'm glad S&W is doing it. They might turn out to be junk fur all I know, but I still applaud the effort.

[BarryinIN]

I was going to run over to the NRA Annual Meetings (StL) then had just about ruled it out. Now I'm thinking about going, to see the new stuff like this being announced (and I heard there were protesters I'd like to counter protest).

Tomorrow is out. Saturday is mostly out. Sunday I was going to shoot a USPSA match...but it is on the way to St Louis so if I'm headed that direction anyway...

[Pablo]

Thoroughly underwhelmed.

M&P OK Maybe. New S&W? Meh, no thanks.

[BarryinIN]

You don't like it because you don't like the premise or because you don't like S&W? Or something else.

[Pablo]

You don't like it because you don't like the premise or because you don't like S&W? Or something else.

The concept is fine. I think my Kahr CM9 is smaller but I could be wrong. I'll do my homework on new S&W products, which means waiting a few years to see the feedback. That Bodyguard 380 left a very bitter taste.

[BarryinIN]

I know what I'm thinking, and I have a hunch it's similar to what you mean:

That if it's supposed to be a small/pocket size gun, they look big; and if they are meant to be a belt gun, they should be able to get another round or two into them for that size.

They don't look very close to Kahr size, unless it's the Khar T9 an it's no pocket gun. Unless looks are really deceiving, I'm going to rule them out as pocket guns.

They do look like handy little belt guns. I like the slim single stack nines, and have no problem trading a few rounds to get a flat gun when that is needed. Such guns are bigger than Kahrs and usually only hold one or two more rounds, but are a lot easier to shoot.

But these hold seven 9mms in the standard mag (8 in the pinky rest one). That 7+1 is one less than the P225/P239/P7M8 and S&W's own 3913. I would have to see what they would do that a good 3913 would not do. If the Shields are thinner, or feel better contoured for carry, then maybe. It's something (or things) that will have to wait until seeing one for real to know.

Personally speaking, not bring a DA fan, getting an M&P type trigger instead of the DA trigger most of the competition has is worth one round to me. But that's just my own feeling.

The HK P7 takes care of that handily, and I doubt the Shields will match their triggers. But, if I didn't have mine and had to (a) find one, and ( pay for it, I might happily take the Shield that should be in every gun shop soon for half the cost of a used P7. The difference can buy a lot of Apex trigger parts.

I don't usually say "yeah, but it's cheaper" when talking about life saving tools like carry guns, but at $449 retail for these it's hard not to talk about.

[BarryinIN]

I just saw one in the flesh for the first time. I was at the range when I saw one of the regulars for the first time in a while. We had to see what each other had got since last seeing each other, and among other things, he brought out a 9mm M&P Shield.

I liked the Shield. At first, it looked bigger than I expected, but it wasnt so big after all. I immediately whipped out my Kahr for comparison and found them almost identical in most dimensions. The S&W has an ever so slightly longer grip frame, but my Kahr has the shortened MK9 length grip. I would guess the Shield be very, very, close to the regular Kahr P9.

Had I seen the Shield lying in a gun shop case, I might have dismissed it as being too big for what it is. It took actually looking at it and comparing it to a gun in the same class to really tell.

Slide width was a lot thinner than an M&P 9/40. I would need calipers to tell any difference in slide width from a Kahr or Walther PPS. I'd say it was thinner than the old S&W 3913 or HK P7.

The slide is about the same height as a regular M&P 9/40, so it makes it look tall and skinny from the rear. I thought it looked even taller than an M&P 9/40 but it wasn't.

The trigger was typical M&P. Some people may find the trigger pull a little light and short for pocket carry.

The magazine looked odd, being a little wider than a single stack but not near a wide as a double stack. It has a somewhat abrupt taper at the top, making it look like a skinny Glock 36 mag. It was easy to do a quick mag change with the taper.

Seven rounds in the mag. He had a mag with a finger extension, but I forget to ask if it held one more. I wouldn't be surprised either way, since it wasn't much longer.

Seven rounds is one less than the 3913/P225/P239/P7 single stack nines, but it is clearly a smaller gun when you handle one.

The magazine shape had me speculating about a later .45 version. I would think the grip frame could hold a .45 magazine. I bet it's coming. I don't see how it could more than five rounds, maybe six, in .45.

I like it. I think it may be just enough longer than my Kahr to not work as a pocket gun for me, but I'd like to try one as an off-side BUG or for an under-the-Tshirt gun.