I got to shoot a Shield Plus yesterday. It's a nice gun. Better than the 1.0 and 2.0 versions, at least for me.

I was never a fan of the original M&P articulating trigger but I could put up with it.

I much prefer this new trigger.

The original grip was great for concealment but felt like a karate chop when shooting it.

This new, slightly fuller grip mutes that sensation.

Lol, I like that. It felt like a karate chop when shooting. The new trigger will save a lot of people money. I hated the hinged trigger. And the tiny as fuck manual safety.

A problem with this gun as I'm concerned is that they started with the Shield platform. I would rather they took the M2.0 3.6" Subcompact, and shaved off a quarter of an inch in width from that, and has a thin subcompact that was based on the regular M&P 2.0 rather than the Shield. I like the idea of the manual safety (yes, I know), but the one on the regular M8P is much more useful than the one on the Shield.

Of course I know why they did it this way. It's much more the path of least resistance, and the existing Shield has been insanely popular. So what do I know?

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Lol, I like that. It felt like a karate chop when shooting. The new trigger will save a lot of people money. I hated the hinged trigger. And the tiny as fuck manual safety.

I'm not one of those that reflexively say a manual safety will get you killed.

It's a training issue in my opinion.

That being said, I find the manual safety on the Shield too small and oddly placed to be practical. I am not a fan of the implementation.

I think the safety is more of an admin handling aid on the shield then a carry/sweep affair. Safe it, holster unsafe. Etc.

The slide lock is just really a lock as well vs a release. That’s my take.

I don’t mind a manual safety. I chuckle every time I hear the “safeties will kill you nonsense”. I mind the Shield’s manual safety. It was/is TINY. I bought my 365 with a manual safety. It’s about perfect. Big enough to utilize it without getting in the way for concealment. After purchase of 365 I learned that even better you could add or remove it simply. Sig kinda nailed that one.

This new Shield is way better in my mind. Unfortunately it is too late for me. 365 is still better and I kinda like my G43. As a new buyer though this would interest me I suppose.

quote:

Originally posted by mhughes:

quote:

Originally posted by Gunit:
I wonder how this will stack up against the Hellcat with SMSC. I currently have a P365 but am looking at the Hellcat because of the factory red dot. Had a Shield but wanted a little smaller with more capacity. For me, it has to be factory optics to carry and there are not many choices.

I think sig announced a P365x small slide with optic cut and xl size grip frame, I would think the small slide with optic cut from factory has to be available soon

They're Available Now! I was at the SIG Academy Pro Shop on Friday PM (3/19) and the had them IN STOCK....Get'em while they're Hot!

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Lol, I like that. It felt like a karate chop when shooting. The new trigger will save a lot of people money. I hated the hinged trigger. And the tiny as fuck manual safety.

I've been carrying the original Shield I got for my wife (gotta break it in right ) and agreed with your points.
I have upgraded the sights, put in Apex trigger and HATE the small safety and I do prefer a safety.
It does shoot well however it is a little hard to rack which is annoying to me and problematic to my wife hence her not carrying it yet.
I think I will take a look at the PLUS, thanks for the info.

Today was my first day back at work in a week; both the Shield+ and the Max-9 were in inventory. Handled both, liked both. The new trigger in the S&W is a very nice upgrade, and the contoured and widened grip does feel a lot better than the single stack Shield in either generation. Everything else felt very familiar. Swapped a 2.0 slide on the +frame, and vice versa. Worked like a charm. Did notice that the inner spring in the RSA was color coded differently between the two guns; one was a burgundy color, the other was blue. Don't remember which went to which gun, however. Didn't like the price point; it seems high compared to the competition. BUT it is sympathetic to us dealers who have A LOT of 1.0 and/or 2.0 9mm Shields still in inventory...like us...

The Ruger's trigger action is very double-action like; no real stacking wall, just a smooth continuous pull until break, like a DA revolver's only lighter. Reminds me of previous Ruger pistols like the LC9 and Ruger American...and the SIG P250. Reset is LONG and not very clean, with a pronounced 'bump' in mid-travel. First time around I thought it was the reset point...WRONG. Just like the original LC9, false feedback. The texture is nothing to write home about; similar to the LCP II, and not really all that satisfying to me. Nice that it includes the optic cut as standard; ALL pistol makers should do this without a second thought given how often this "option" is asked for by customers. Didn't have a chance to take the gun down to view its innards; maybe tomorrow.

Neither gun would convince me to switch from my P365 or my G43X. They left me with a good initial impression, but not that level of good. But for someone entrenched in the Shield ecosystem, the Shield+ would make for a very compelling upgrade. Not sure WHO would be the likely customer for the Max-9; maybe someone who's still running a LC9 perhaps. Or a somebody who has been using a 9mm LCR as their carry piece.

I did get to handle one. My first impression was that I liked it better than original single stack, but did not like what I perceived as a thinning of the grip at the top near frame and trigger. Didn't seem even, and I'm not a convert but that's just me.

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
I think it's interesting how the mags are made by Mec-Gar and look like reverse-engineered P365 mags.

I think it’s interesting both of those mags remind me of the old HK P7M13 magazines.

quote:

Originally posted by dcowboyscr:

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
I think it's interesting how the mags are made by Mec-Gar and look like reverse-engineered P365 mags.

I think it’s interesting both of those mags remind me of the old HK P7M13 magazines.

THAT’S WHAT’S BEEN IN MY HEAD!!!! Thank you. Every time I see those mags I kept having a thought in the back of my head that they looked like something and I couldn’t place it but yes they do look like P7M13 mags.

I guess I should start by saying, that I am a Shield fan, as evidenced by the fact, that, so far, I have bought six of them, including a new Shield Plus Performance Center. Of the six, two were gifts, one to my brother and one to my son. Currently, I have the original 9mm Shield as well as Performance Center versions of the 40S&W and the .45ACP and now, the Plus. I have small hands and the Shield grip fits my hand like a glove. When the P365 entered the scene, I thought it would be nice to have the increased firepower and the grip felt good in my hand, so I bought one. The curved trigger pinched my finger after a magazine or two so I replaced it with the straight trigger, which didn't help, so I sold it.

Recently with Sleepy Joe and cohorts making noises about assault weapons, high capacity magazines and executive orders, I decided that pinched finger or no, maybe I should look again at the P365. Neither the Hellcat or the Glock 43 feel right in my hand so about four weeks ago, I bought a P365XL. Shot it once, feels good in the hand, accurate but still pinches my finger not unlike a Glock. So, after having it for a week or two, I find out about the Shield Plus...bad timing. Had I known about the Plus, I would have never bought the P365XL.

I have not had a chance to shoot the Plus but so far am very impressed. When I first shot the original 9mm Shield, I thought S&W had made some pact with the devil, to reverse the laws of physics. How else could they make a small 9mm pistol with so little recoil? I was even more impressed by the relative lack of recoil in the .45. Apparently they still are on good terms with the man from down below, because how else can they cram 5-6 more shells in that magazine with no appreciable change in grip size. When I lay the original Shield with an 8 round magazine beside the new Plus with a thirteen round magazine, you are hard pressed to tell them apart. There is hardly any difference at all to how they feel in the hand. Simply amazing ! I got the Performance Center version because for $100 more, you get the fibreoptic sights and an improved trigger. If you replaced the standard sights with aftermarket and had trigger work done or replaced with Apex, etc., you would be way over $100. The trigger, by the way, feels great. Usually, when I see that Glock-style trigger blade in a trigger, that is a deal breaker for me but not so with the Plus. The inner trigger is wide enough, that it feels pretty comfortable. My only criticism so far is the grip texture. It borders on painful. Not sure why they changed it. Mine is getting either a sleeve or Talon grip panels.

Honest Outlaw really likes it and how it shoots for him. Stated that it definitely is a step up from P365/Hellcat as far as how well he can shoot it yet still very concealable. Shield Plus looks to be a huge winner for Smith and Wesson.

I have a P365XL, a Hellcat, and just picked up the Shield Plus.

I really like the Shield Plus. Accurate, not much snappiness, and it’s a S&W from a line that has bulletproof reliability. I’m not a fan of the Hellcat after putting a couple of hundred rounds through it. It was a mistake but I’d heard good things.

I like my P365XL which was my EDC, especially the night sights, and I have an option to add a Romeo Zero. The Shield Plus seems to be more accurate overall and easier to control, even at longer distances 25 yards and further out. My guess is the larger fuller grip is the key.

Biggest issue now is the lack of magazines for purchase for the Shield Plus. Can’t find them anywhere. With 13+1, I am definitely going to at least carry it and compare.

365x edc here, until I got the shield plus. I can shred a paper target with the shield plus, I am only “decent” with the 365x. Not sure if it’s the grip angle or the slightly fatter grip, but hands down I shot the shield plus better. Plus 1 on comments though about not being able to get extra mags yet.

I'm kinda pissed at S&W about the Shield. I bought the old version for about 190 bucks and got a rebate, IIRC. I'm really wondering how what I consider to be modest improvements doubles the price of the gun. I'm not talking so much about this version as the 2.0, the plain Jane one went up to nearly 500 bucks. I realize the 365 cost that much initially, but.....

They saw what people were paying for the SIG, and figured they were too cheap. Also, we've been in an environment for something like a year and a half, where any guns selling at any price will get bought, if not by you, then by someone else. Why sell cheap? If guns start sitting on gun store shelves for extended periods, prices will come down.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
I'm kinda pissed at S&W about the Shield. I bought the old version for about 190 bucks and got a rebate, IIRC. I'm really wondering how what I consider to be modest improvements doubles the price of the gun. I'm not talking so much about this version as the 2.0, the plain Jane one went up to nearly 500 bucks. I realize the 365 cost that much initially, but.....

I'll try to make this short, but first let me add that I'm a firearm collector not a hoarder. It seems I'm compelled to always get the new gun on the block. I have the original Shield in all calibers but, like others, went to the P365 for more firepower. I shot it fairly well but it always felt like I was holding a toy pistol in my hind. I always liked the ergonomics of the original Shields. Fast forward, I bought the base Shield Plus when it showed up in a LGS. Loved the feel of it right away. I've had two range sessions with the pistol right out of the box, no cleaning. Fired a total of 500 rounds consisting of a wide assortment of FMJ and defensive loads including +P and +P+. The pistol has run everything with zero, I mean nada, malfunctions. It is soft shooting, sights were dead on at 7 yards and groups have been remarkably tight - nothing more than fist size, lots of ragged holes. Love the new trigger. Yes, it's plastic but damn if it doesn't shoot well and is very concealable IWB.

Sold my P365, my Hellcat, and my MC1sc. End of story.

I had held on to a Sig P225 for years because I wanted to use it for a carry gun whenever Illinois became A2 compliant. By the time that happened, the P225 no longer made sense for that purpose because the new subcompacts on the market made the too-fat-for-8rd-P225 obsolete. In trying to pick a carry gun (early 2016) I could not decide between the S&W PC Shield and the Springfield XDS, so I bought both. The PC trigger was so superior to the standard Shield that the small price difference made that decision a no-brainer. I loved how the XDS fit my hand and pointed so naturally but the gun proved to be very unreliable. I also found I could shoot the Shield more accurately (the hinged trigger did not bother me), plus the Shield concealed better so that has been my carry gun most of the time (My H&K USP-9 is occasionally carried). I have no plans to spend money for the Shield-Plus model just to have a few more rounds in the mag. If anything, I will add a compact size double stack with an optic and light (P320 or S&W M&P) as my other carry gun instead of the USP.