Smith has been playing with the idea of a single-stack “subcompact” cousin to its M&P line for years. One particularly loud but easily fooled “industry insider” was telling everyone that they’d be on display at the SHOT Show… in 2011. Nor was the gun released (or discussed much) at SHOT 2012. But now the baby Smith has arrived.
Dubbed the Shield — though buckler may have been more apt given its size — the gun is less than six inches long and less than an inch wide. It comes with both a flush fitting 7rd magazine and an extended 8rd mag. For more details and an in-depth review from someone who’s already put 500 rounds through a Shield, check out Caleb’s write up at Gun Nuts.
While I personally have no interest in the recent crop of small flat 9mm pistols, kudos to Smith for listening to the demands of the market and creating something with a lot of promise.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
(image courtesy of Smith & Wesson)
Interestingly this gun has a new trigger with a more distinct reset, as a result of criticism/lessons learned from the M&P.
This trigger is apparently going to find its way to the ‘grown up’ M&p line eventually.
I handled one today, but didn’t get to shoot it. While I am not interested in one for myself, I had a good first impression. It was like a Walther PPS that felt good in the hand and had a good trigger. At it’s price point I think it will be very popular.
Lasergrips?
If they shoot as well as the one Caleb tested, may be my first accurate M&P9!
…because S&W noticed how many people were buying Kahrs, and so they made one a little bigger, heavier, and wider. 🙂
That being said, if the thing really _is_ reliable, I’m thinking tons of people are going to buy one, because many people DO really want something in this size for carry. (And its price is good, too.)
love the idea, but its almost the same weight as the glock 26 only slightly thinner. I’m not sure what niche this fulfills being so big, but I have a glock 26 and I don’t think this will really feel lighter/thinner, no matter how much I want it too….I’ve had a keltec pm9 (horrible experience) and thing something more that size is a better option for this market…very much contemplating a kahr cm9…wish this was the same size and weight.
A few years ago I bought a Kahr PM9 and it was the answer to the back-up pistol I was looking for. I knew I would never buy another gun for that purpose; and I’ve been right. IMO the Kahr is “the” pistol for ankle and vest holsters; cargo pockets, etc… Maybe some folks with buy this M&P because the Kahr is a few hundred more and they think this is close enough – but I think they’ll be dissapointed.
jthhapkido,
It is supposedly thinner then the Kahr PM9. The published Kahr width is just the slide width, with the slide catch lever (or whatever large lever that is) the total width is just over an inch.
With the M&P they designed it to have a maximum total width of 0.98″ so the M&P is ever so slightly thinner then the Kahr. Though I agree it baffles he that they didn’t make it pocket carry sized.
WTF is with these dumb safeties? I mean, hey, if you’re going to put a manual safety on the damn thing, then make it usable with a one handed firing grip under stress. The safety on this and the Ruger LC9 are so counterproductive….it’s a loss to both people who want a safety, and those that don’t.
I think this is an excellent idea. Different people have different dress requirements and this provides another concealed carry option that will be useful for those who want more than a pocket pistol but have a hard time concealing the bulk of a double-stack pistol. To this end, Todd’s comment is on point. He personally wouldn’t find the Shield very useful, but he recognizes that people have lots of different needs, those needs are reflected in the market, and Smith has listened and responded to the market.
We will now see about quality. Ruger hit a sweet spot with the LC9, but the widespread quality problems have left a sour taste in the mouths of too many LC9 purchasers. If Smith avoids that and the early production runs of the Shield perform well, my guess is that this is going to become one of the most popular carry pistols in the US.
Does it take standard M&P sights?
Yes, but they may be a little too wide and need some filing for cosmetic purposes.
I have a Shield and can assure you it’s not a G26 just a little thinner. You would need two of these to equal the thickness of a G26, or an M&P9C for that matter. And the trigger really is nice. Not Apex DCAEK nice, but factory nice.
I took note at the NRA show that S&W obviously got with the various accessory makers well beforehand since there was holsters, lasers, aftermarket sights and a plethora or other stuff for the Shield on display.
I got to play with a 9mm shield this weekend. Just dry fire for me. But the guns owner put @200 rounds through it with no issues. The trigger is way better than the standard M&P. You could actually feel and hear the trigger reset. For those who like the M&P but wanted a more “Glock like” trigger, this is it. It is not a target trigger, but for a factory defensive pistol, it is what you need. It is roughly the same height as my G26 with a +2 mag in it. But the grip is much thinner. This will be very popular with women or folks with smaller hands. Was going to get a Kahr, think I changed my mind and now want a Shield…
I don’t think enough people would recognize the word buckler—but you’re right! It would be a better term.