S&W Shield 9mm Review
A Comprehensive Guide
The S&W Shield 9mm is a handgun that weighs 19 ounces without the magazine, making it suitable for concealed carry purposes. The length of 6 inches makes it easy to conceal even in oversized clothing or in the pocket of your coat. It’s also very lightweight for its size, making it easy to carry around all day without getting tired. This is a brief article on the S&W Shield 9mm review.
Table of Contents
S&W, Smith & Wesson, is an American company that manufactures firearms for both law enforcement and civilian use. The company has been in business since 1852 and was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson who had developed their first revolver in 1857 which used metal cartridges with self-contained primers. They didn’t invent the revolver but perfected it to make it easier to reload during combat or hunting game! Read further to learn more about this firearm.
It features a 3-inch barrel made from stainless steel; polymer frame with textured grip; high-profile, adjustable white-dot dovetail sights; includes one magazine with extended capacity for a full grip. It’s ultra concealable, lightweight and easily carried. The gun comes with one magazine which can hold up to 8 rounds. It uses 9mm ammunition meaning you can get anywhere from 12-33 ft-lbs of energy depending on what ammo you use.
Features of S&W Shield 9mm
Grip
There are many different types of handguns out there, and they all have their pros and cons. The Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm is an excellent choice for someone who wants a gun that’s lightweight, easy to carry around, has decent stopping power (12-33 ft-lbs) with the right ammunition, and doesn’t cost too much money. The grip of the Shield is in no way modular. In 2012 when it was introduced modularity had not quite become as common as it is today. And on this size gun, it’s still not common to this day. The grip itself feels pretty good in the hand but it doesn’t feel quite as good in the hand as some other guns because of how thin it is; if you’ve held the full-size S&W M&P, then you know that that gun feels very nice in the hand. The Shield doesn’t feel as good but at least it’s thin enough to be able to conceal if necessary.
Sights
There are some other guns on the market where you can change out the sights with different optics such as red dots or scopes, but the S&W Shield 9mm comes with factory sights. The sights of this gun are adjustable which is a very nice feature and they’re made out of metal but the front sight isn’t fiber optic, it just has a white dot on it. Some other manufacturers make guns with adjustable sights but they can be a little bit more expensive as well as harder to find sometimes.
Safety
There’s no manual safety on this gun, but it does have an internal safety system. It has a better trigger pull so you don’t accidentally fire the gun, and it also has a drop safety so if you’re carrying a round in the chamber, even if something goes wrong where the pistol is fired at the ground or whatever, it won’t discharge. The Shield also has a hinged trigger guard safety, which means that when it’s in your holster with the safety applied, you can be sure that if it wasn’t on the gun won’t have any chance of going off until you disengage it. Safeties such as these are designed to prevent accidental discharges when someone accidentally trips over your gun and makes it go off. It’s a nice safety feature to have but at the same time, you need to make sure that you engage it every single time.
Trigger
Another place where someone may notice a difference between the Shield and another gun is with the trigger. The initial trigger pull on this gun feels pretty good, but you have to pull it back or it won’t fire. There are some guns where you can carry them without having to pull the trigger all of the way back, but for whatever reason on this one you have to pull it back or you won’t have a round in the chamber when you go to shoot it.
The trigger on this gun is double-action-only meaning that when you pull the trigger it’s going to be either firing or not firing, there’s no middle ground. There are other types of triggers on some other handguns but you can carry this gun with the safety engaged and it won’t fire. The trigger pull for this gun is very long which, fair enough, helps to prevent accidental discharges. But the trade-off of that is that there’s no chance of accidentally pulling the trigger because it requires so much pressure.
Magazine Release
On some other guns, you can have the magazine release on either the left or right-hand side of the gun but on this one, it’s more of a traditional style where you push from underneath and it will eject the magazine. The Shield 9mm does not come with a replacement magazine so it’s always going to be factory standard. In terms of the magazine, one of the things about this gun is that it fits very well in your hand. Keeping a firm grip on the gun helps to make sure you have a good amount of control over it and be able to aim it properly.
One thing I noticed is that there’s a groove built into the side where you can pull back the slide and that’s a nice feature. Some other guns have it where you have to pull back the slide from underneath, but this one makes it a little bit easier because you’re pulling back on the groove instead of directly on the slide. Another thing I noticed is that if you get dirt or debris in between the grooves while trying to pull back the slide, that’s going to affect your ability to pull it back. It might take a few times but you’ll get it eventually.
Ergonomics
The factory sights are adjustable, which is a nice feature to have. If you’re going to take a concealed carry course or something, it could be a nice feature to have because the sights are one of the first things people will tell you to need to be upgraded. The gun has a polymer frame and metal slide which will make it more lightweight compared to other guns on the market today. However, some people have speculated that since there’s metal on the inside of the gun, it might make more of a difference in how it performs. This is one of those guns where you’re going to want to get some trigger time done with it before you decide if you like it or not. People will be able to talk about what they like or dislike about this gun once they shoot it.
Aesthetics
The slide is alloy and the rest of the gun is a polymer. It’s a black matte, so if you’re going for a more tactical look there might be something else available to you. However, if you don’t care too much about looks, this would prove to be a good choice because it comes with a lot of features that will prove as a great asset to any shooter. Overall, I think that this gun is worth the investment for those who are looking for something with a lot of hidden features and value for their money.
Aftermarket
You can swap out the factory grips for something else, but you’re limited to just a few options. There’s not a lot of aftermarket accessories that you can use with this gun and it also doesn’t come with any extras. It is compatible with magazines from different manufacturers so that might help some people decide if they want to buy another one or not.
S&W Shield 9mm Review Shooting
This gun is reliable and the trigger pull isn’t bad. I have heard that this gun has a long break-in period so if you decide to get it, be prepared to put some time in with it before you decide if it’s right for you or not. It’s also very lightweight so some people might see this as a disadvantage, but I think it’s a good thing considering the other features that are available with this gun.
Recommendation of S&W Shield 9mm Review
Overall, this firearm is a great option for people who are serious about what they’re buying and how it’s going to benefit them. If you like the concept of the gun then it might be worth investing in because you can customize everything that comes with it. You should also take note of the trigger pull, which will take some getting used to, but it’s worth it when you consider all of the positive features that the gun has to offer.
Advantages of S&W Shield 9mm
Reliable
One of the reasons why people are drawn to this gun is that it’s reliable. It has a lot of features built into the firearm, so you have to do some research into what other people think about these different components to make your decision. Keep in mind that this is a double-action-only trigger, which means it won’t have a long pull and this might not be the right gun for you if that’s something that you’re looking for.
Lightweight
You’re going to be able to move this gun around a lot easier and it’s not going to weigh you down. That might mean that after a long period it could start hurting your arms because of the pressure from holding up something heavier, but sometimes it’s worth putting in the extra effort if the features are worth it.
Disadvantages of S&W Shield 9mm
Limited Magazines
There aren’t too many aftermarket accessories available so it restricts what people can do with their guns. If you already have some accessories, then you should be able to use them with this gun, but if you haven’t bought anything yet you’ll be limited to just a few options.
Trigger Pull
The trigger pull is double action only, so it’s longer than most people are used to. If that’s something that you’re not expecting then it could lead to some problems when shooting the gun for the first time. Overall, this gun is built for people who are serious about firearms and know what they’re looking for in a firearm when it comes to features. A lot of people might not see the value in this gun because they don’t understand how each feature works with the others to make something beneficial.
FAQs
Important Note:
Any activity using a firearm has the potential to be harmful and can lead to death, serious injury, permanent disability, or property damage. Only general educational and informational purposes are served by the advice, graphics, photographs, videos, and information found on Ballachy firearm reviews. The knowledge provided about guns, gun handling, tactics, training, legal issues, and marksmanship skills on this page is the author’s opinion based on his experience and education. This knowledge, which includes advice and training methods, is applicable only in a given set of conditions that the reader cannot precisely recreate. The author disclaims any liability for improper use or incorrect interpretation of the information on this website. Use of this website as a replacement for training or any information found on this website is not legal advice of any kind.
You don’t have to worry about sending your gun off somewhere and not having it for an extended period. If you buy this gun then the warranty is with the manufacturer, but you do have to register your firearm when you purchase it. Keep in mind that if one part breaks or malfunctions then all components are covered under warranty as long as you’ve registered the firearm.
Important Note:
Any activity using a firearm has the potential to be harmful and can lead to death, serious injury, permanent disability, or property damage. Only general educational and informational purposes are served by the advice, graphics, photographs, videos, and information found on Ballachy firearm reviews. The knowledge provided about guns, gun handling, tactics, training, legal issues, and marksmanship skills on this page is the author’s opinion based on his experience and education. This knowledge, which includes advice and training methods, is applicable only in a given set of conditions that the reader cannot precisely recreate. The author disclaims any liability for improper use or incorrect interpretation of the information on this website. Use of this website as a replacement for training or any information found on this website is not legal advice of any kind.
This is a smaller firearm so it’s not going to be as easy as carrying around a full-size pistol or revolver. You can make it work and there are some accessories available on the market that you might need to buy if you want it to be easier to conceal.
Important Note:
Any activity using a firearm has the potential to be harmful and can lead to death, serious injury, permanent disability, or property damage. Only general educational and informational purposes are served by the advice, graphics, photographs, videos, and information found on Ballachy firearm reviews. The knowledge provided about guns, gun handling, tactics, training, legal issues, and marksmanship skills on this page is the author’s opinion based on his experience and education. This knowledge, which includes advice and training methods, is applicable only in a given set of conditions that the reader cannot precisely recreate. The author disclaims any liability for improper use or incorrect interpretation of the information on this website. Use of this website as a replacement for training or any information found on this website is not legal advice of any kind.
Yes, this firearm is reliable and has a great warranty with the manufacturer if something should happen. Keep in mind that it will take some time for the gun to break in though so you might have some malfunctions initially where the gun doesn’t want to shoot. This is common with a lot of firearms because they’re not used to being shot yet, so it takes them a while to get adjusted to what’s going on.
Important Note:
Any activity using a firearm has the potential to be harmful and can lead to death, serious injury, permanent disability, or property damage. Only general educational and informational purposes are served by the advice, graphics, photographs, videos, and information found on Ballachy firearm reviews. The knowledge provided about guns, gun handling, tactics, training, legal issues, and marksmanship skills on this page is the author’s opinion based on his experience and education. This knowledge, which includes advice and training methods, is applicable only in a given set of conditions that the reader cannot precisely recreate. The author disclaims any liability for improper use or incorrect interpretation of the information on this website. Use of this website as a replacement for training or any information found on this website is not legal advice of any kind.
It’s double-action-only, which means that it will take a long time for it to fully engage and shoot. As you’re taking up the slack in the trigger it will eventually go off and send around. If you put pressure on something with your finger and let it go it’s going to come right back at you so you don’t want to be around something that’s firing when the gun goes off.
Conclusion
This is a great gun for people who are looking to get into competitive shooting or something that’s made for home defense. It has the features that most people look for when getting a new firearm and it doesn’t come with any unwanted components. However, if you’re not experienced with firearms then this might be too much of an investment because you won’t know how to use certain features properly. It’s up to you to decide what this gun has to offer and if it’s going to fit your style while using it.
Author Profile
- Gabriel Tackett is an experienced shooter and hunter for over 15 years with a degree in Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is also a certified National Rifle Association (NRA) officer for 10 years And his passion lies in teaching others how to safely enjoy the hobby by recommending the best practices & products in the gun industry.
