New purchase; Smith and Wesson Shield Plus. I checked out the CSX, but I don't think right now is the time to buy it. Later this year after they fix the trigger, which right now doesn't stage very well in my opinion, and maybe install a hammer release, I'll go for it. But I got this instead. I have several first generation shields which are by far the best pistols I've ever owned.
@Londy3 I haven't shot it yet, obviously, but I have shot a friends (last month) and it was spot on, with slightly better grouping at 8 paces than the first generation Shield of which I own several. The trigger seems quite a bit crisper, stages better, and the grip is far more aggressive. I did notice driving home with it in my truck that the more aggressive grip rubs on my fat folds on that side unlike my other Shields, but I imagine I'll get used to that or get used to making sure my shirt is between me and butt.
I bought an extra 13 round mag, so I have two 13's and one 10. I'll rotate out the 13's and keep the 10 as a second carry backup mag when I need it (for Walmart, Sam's Club, the ghetto, traveling, etc.). I didn't really need the gun but my old Shields are 8+1 and this is 13+1 and with the 10 round backup mag, when I need it I'll have 24 rounds on me, so with 5 more rounds on the primary mag and a better trigger, it was hard to pass up. My full size double-stack M&P is an 18+1, but is nowhere near as accurate, too large to conceal carry, and weighs a half pound more. @mapletop Shields are excellent carry pistols for everyone. Extremely dependable (although no pistol is ever as dependable as a revolver) and less than 20 oz. This new one, though, is slightly wider in the grip (instead of a single stack mag its a one-and-a-half stack mag) which my wife didn't like, so she will stick with her gen-one Shield. My neighbor is buying one of my other Shields for his daughter in fact.
Overall, I paid $476 for it and in my opinion, completely worth the price. Back before all this covid crap, I was picking up gen-one Shields for around $350 plus transfer fee ($25), so given inflation and shit, and the fact that I bought my last Shield about four years ago, I think $476 was a good price.
@vtgrad2003 Nice review. Everyone is a little different with different needs. I am a big revolver fan. For concealed carry, I'm not trying to find massive capacity. Think of it, if I need more than five or six shots, I am definitely in the wrong place. Most situations one or two shots and it's over. With that said, that doesn't mean I don't carry more. I have two speed loaders for both of my revolvers.
@Londy3 I agree to a great extent. My primary carry in the summer when I'm wearing shorts is one of my 38 snubs, although I use speed strips instead of speed loaders.
I don't know why that posted and the other half of my message didn't, anyway, let me finish:
I carry according to what I'm wearing mostly. In the summer it's usually a snub (usually my 637 although I will carry my 638 occasionally), in the fall and spring I usually change off between my snub and one of the Shields if I'm in jeans, and then in the winter it's almost entirely my Shields. With dress clothes it's either my snub or my Bodyguard 380.
I carry every time I leave the house and mostly IWB, so comfort and weight is a big issue to me, but also the ability to pull it out quickly, that's a big reason why when I'm wearing pants I usually prefer a pistol to a revolver. Most revolvers large enough to easily pull out when wearing jeans are well over 30oz, while my Shield is only 20.
Revolvers can jam too. I had a Ruger Blackhawk. single action .30 Carbine lock the cylinder tight. However, it was the result of a badly reloaded box of remanufactured rounds from HSM. They had not trimmed the brass back to spec when it was remanufactured. The cartridge has a known penchant for stretching brass. The cases were too long and would not chamber fully. The .30 Carbine is a rimless case designed for the M1 Carbine, it head-spaces on the case mouth rather than a case rim or shoulder. It was easy enough to pull the cylinder pin on the pistol and remove the cartridges, but trimming ~50 of the cases by hand with a sharp knife to where they chambered fully took a long time😖 The other revolver jam that I know of happened to a friend of mine with a S&W Bodyguard .38. He had it lock tighter than a drum during it’s initial sight-in. He had to send it back for repair. I did not find out exactly what had happened though. He was using factory new rounds.
@RockyMountainBriar What's up with the factory rounds? I'd be pushing back in that. Regarding jams, nothing is perfect and everything eventually fails at some point even if just wear and tear. For me, I like the look and feel of an all steel revolver. Just sayin 😁
@Londy3 Yea, that “plastic” frame Bodyguard seems sketchy to me. It was a brand new gun, I think it locked up on the first few rounds, maybe even the first cylinder? He was able to open the cylinder and make it safe, but it had locked the trigger/action solid somehow. I would have loved to have taken a look at it to figure it out, but he sent it back to S&W for warranty right away. As far as I know, when he got it, or a different one? back, it was fine.
@RockyMountainBriar The only time in my life I've ever had a revolver jam is when I had a squib load--i.e., an ammo issue. I did have something go wrong with the doohickey that rotates the cylinder in my 42 year old Chief's Special, but that's the only gun failure I've ever had in a revolver (all Smith & Wesson).
I have been using firearms since I was 6. Naturally my preteen years were under the supervision of either my dad, my grand dad, or one of my uncles, and consisted of rifles and shotguns... I wasn't introduced to pistols until I was 13, starting with a .22 revolver, eventually moving up to a .38. My pistol shooting was sporadic, sometimes going months without shooting. I wasn't introduced to a .45 until the Corps. That was when I first starting feeling real recoil in my wrist. No problems, it's just that I became more conscious of the "kick". Starting around 40, I continued to do range work about every 2 weeks with law enforcement friends of mine using one of my 9mm. I've said all that to say this: Several years ago, I had to back off my range work. At 71 (I'm 73 now) arthritis finally started setting in my right wrist. Here's a pic. I have to put heat on it every morning, hence the redness. Notice the small swelling knot... Anyway, for you young ones out there, extensive range work might warrant a wrist band or some form of support to help prevent my problem from becoming your problem... IMHO...
@KA9FFJ WOW! Ouch. Sorry you are going through that. You do pose a good idea about protecting your wrist. Do you think gloves or what are your thoughts?
@KA9FFJ I'll keep that in mind, that's good advice. Before the outrageous prices for ammo the last couple of years, my wife and I trained heavily; it wasn't unusual to put 3 or 4 thousand rounds downrange every year. Since prices are now more affordable, we've been going to the range quite a bit. I have a very strong right hand wrist because of my days hanging sheetrock, myself hanging about 60 sheets per day (not including what my crew did), so that's banging in about 2000 nails a day. That said, as I get older and this stamina goes away, I'll take notice of any wrist issues for sure. Thanks.
@Londy3 Wrist band or wrap. Remember, I did EXTENSIVE range work for years. For those casual shooters, probably no problems. There were some sessions I would put 250+ rounds through a couple of my 9mm. And remember, that was an average of every 2 weeks. So my advice, for what it's worth, if you shoot often, wear some type of wrist support...
When I'm at the range I'll blow though 500 rounds easy. I was going once per month but than ammo was too expensive. I'd like to go consistently again a few times per month. Wonder if there are gloves that wrap the wrist. I'll search around.
@KA9FFJ My only problem with using one now (since my wrist is currently in good shape) is that it would affect the feel of the gun had I ever needed to use it for protection--i.e., if I train with one on, I'll shoot differently in actual combat because I won't have one on at that time, if that makes any sense. I do a ton of draw-and-fire and rapid fire shooting to try to mimic a real life situation, and it's unlikely in real life that I'll be wearing a wrist band if that happens. That said, if my wrist ever does start to exhibit issues such as yours, I certainly keep that in mind and try to catch it early.
@vtgrad2003 Agreed and thought of that already. Remember, I'm talking about shooters firing extreme amounts of rounds during one session with a repetitive pattern (at least 2 to 3 times a month). I remember one session, my personal record, I fired 320 rounds. One way a person might work around that "feel" issue, is to limit wrist protection to the first 1/2 of there session. That way, it would give the wrist time to loosen up and, when removed for the last 1/2 of the session, would leave the shooter with the "feel" he/she would want for daily use. Here again, just advice, for what it's worth...
@KA9FFJ; I am well acquainted with the worst of them Ritis boys, Arthur. He visits my neck, back, both shoulders and both knees one at a time or several at once on a daily basis. A few weeks ago I met with an orthopedic surgeon. He advised me to get a shoulder replacement. I told him about all the joints that I had that would benefit from replacements. With all the surgeries and rehabs, I would be in my nineties before the rebuild would be completed. He consented to a Steroid Injection(I've had several in both shoulders over the years). I'd had one in my back a couple of months ago, with minor success. I was surprised they would do another that soon. The back is made tolerable by taking two 5mg Oxycodone Tablets a day, but it doesn't help the shoulders or the knees. I feel like arthritis is the dues I have to pay for all the stuff I did when I was young and thought I was invincible. Sorry to unload on you Brothers.
@KA9FFJ, @vtgrad2003; I appreciate you kindness. No one ever told me that getting old would be so painful. I guess I'll do what they apparently did, suck it up and move on.
Okay, just went and put a quick 150 rounds through the Shield Plus I just bought (picture of it somewhere above). The gun performed flawlessly, however, I do need to adjust my stance. I normally shoot with one foot forward but when I tried that stance with this gun, I was way off target (8 paces or about 25'). However, when I squared up, I was within an 8" grouping, even with rapid fire, with nearly every round.
Overall, great gun and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
No, to the left in fact. This happens sometimes with guns I have that have what I call "aggressive" grips. The Shield Plus has a very tactile grip unlike most of my other handguns. It's not a big deal though, I'm pretty good with either stance although I've traditionally trained mostly with the foot-forward stance to provide a slimmer target to the adversary. And yes, I am right-handed.
Comments
Yay! 😊
Tell us about your new shield 🛡️
I haven't shot it yet, obviously, but I have shot a friends (last month) and it was spot on, with slightly better grouping at 8 paces than the first generation Shield of which I own several. The trigger seems quite a bit crisper, stages better, and the grip is far more aggressive. I did notice driving home with it in my truck that the more aggressive grip rubs on my fat folds on that side unlike my other Shields, but I imagine I'll get used to that or get used to making sure my shirt is between me and butt.
I bought an extra 13 round mag, so I have two 13's and one 10. I'll rotate out the 13's and keep the 10 as a second carry backup mag when I need it (for Walmart, Sam's Club, the ghetto, traveling, etc.). I didn't really need the gun but my old Shields are 8+1 and this is 13+1 and with the 10 round backup mag, when I need it I'll have 24 rounds on me, so with 5 more rounds on the primary mag and a better trigger, it was hard to pass up. My full size double-stack M&P is an 18+1, but is nowhere near as accurate, too large to conceal carry, and weighs a half pound more.
@mapletop
Shields are excellent carry pistols for everyone. Extremely dependable (although no pistol is ever as dependable as a revolver) and less than 20 oz. This new one, though, is slightly wider in the grip (instead of a single stack mag its a one-and-a-half stack mag) which my wife didn't like, so she will stick with her gen-one Shield. My neighbor is buying one of my other Shields for his daughter in fact.
Overall, I paid $476 for it and in my opinion, completely worth the price. Back before all this covid crap, I was picking up gen-one Shields for around $350 plus transfer fee ($25), so given inflation and shit, and the fact that I bought my last Shield about four years ago, I think $476 was a good price.
Nice review. Everyone is a little different with different needs. I am a big revolver fan. For concealed carry, I'm not trying to find massive capacity. Think of it, if I need more than five or six shots, I am definitely in the wrong place. Most situations one or two shots and it's over. With that said, that doesn't mean I don't carry more. I have two speed loaders for both of my revolvers.
686 carry 21
Glock carry 30
I agree to a great extent. My primary carry in the summer when I'm wearing shorts is one of my 38 snubs, although I use speed strips instead of speed loaders.
I carry according to what I'm wearing mostly. In the summer it's usually a snub (usually my 637 although I will carry my 638 occasionally), in the fall and spring I usually change off between my snub and one of the Shields if I'm in jeans, and then in the winter it's almost entirely my Shields. With dress clothes it's either my snub or my Bodyguard 380.
I carry every time I leave the house and mostly IWB, so comfort and weight is a big issue to me, but also the ability to pull it out quickly, that's a big reason why when I'm wearing pants I usually prefer a pistol to a revolver. Most revolvers large enough to easily pull out when wearing jeans are well over 30oz, while my Shield is only 20.
The other revolver jam that I know of happened to a friend of mine with a S&W Bodyguard .38. He had it lock tighter than a drum during it’s initial sight-in. He had to send it back for repair. I did not find out exactly what had happened though. He was using factory new rounds.
What's up with the factory rounds? I'd be pushing back in that. Regarding jams, nothing is perfect and everything eventually fails at some point even if just wear and tear. For me, I like the look and feel of an all steel revolver. Just sayin 😁
Yea, that “plastic” frame Bodyguard seems sketchy to me. It was a brand new gun, I think it locked up on the first few rounds, maybe even the first cylinder? He was able to open the cylinder and make it safe, but it had locked the trigger/action solid somehow. I would have loved to have taken a look at it to figure it out, but he sent it back to S&W for warranty right away. As far as I know, when he got it, or a different one? back, it was fine.
The only time in my life I've ever had a revolver jam is when I had a squib load--i.e., an ammo issue. I did have something go wrong with the doohickey
that rotates the cylinder in my 42 year old Chief's Special, but that's the only gun failure I've ever had in a revolver (all Smith & Wesson).
I wasn't introduced to pistols until I was 13, starting with a .22 revolver, eventually moving up to a .38.
My pistol shooting was sporadic, sometimes going months without shooting.
I wasn't introduced to a .45 until the Corps. That was when I first starting feeling real recoil in my wrist. No problems, it's just that I became more conscious of the "kick".
Starting around 40, I continued to do range work about every 2 weeks with law enforcement friends of mine using one of my 9mm.
I've said all that to say this:
Several years ago, I had to back off my range work. At 71 (I'm 73 now) arthritis finally started setting in my right wrist.
Here's a pic. I have to put heat on it every morning, hence the redness. Notice the small swelling knot...
Anyway, for you young ones out there, extensive range work might warrant a wrist band or some form of support to help prevent my problem from becoming your problem... IMHO...
WOW! Ouch. Sorry you are going through that. You do pose a good idea about protecting your wrist. Do you think gloves or what are your thoughts?
I'll keep that in mind, that's good advice. Before the outrageous prices for ammo the last couple of years, my wife and I trained heavily; it wasn't unusual to put 3 or 4 thousand rounds downrange every year. Since prices are now more affordable, we've been going to the range quite a bit. I have a very strong right hand wrist because of my days hanging sheetrock, myself hanging about 60 sheets per day (not including what my crew did), so that's banging in about 2000 nails a day. That said, as I get older and this stamina goes away, I'll take notice of any wrist issues for sure. Thanks.
Wrist band or wrap.
Remember, I did EXTENSIVE range work for years. For those casual shooters, probably no problems.
There were some sessions I would put 250+ rounds through a couple of my 9mm. And remember, that was an average of every 2 weeks.
So my advice, for what it's worth, if you shoot often, wear some type of wrist support...
My only problem with using one now (since my wrist is currently in good shape) is that it would affect the feel of the gun had I ever needed to use it for protection--i.e., if I train with one on, I'll shoot differently in actual combat because I won't have one on at that time, if that makes any sense. I do a ton of draw-and-fire and rapid fire shooting to try to mimic a real life situation, and it's unlikely in real life that I'll be wearing a wrist band if that happens. That said, if my wrist ever does start to exhibit issues such as yours, I certainly keep that in mind and try to catch it early.
Agreed and thought of that already. Remember, I'm talking about shooters firing extreme amounts of rounds during one session with a repetitive pattern (at least 2 to 3 times a month).
I remember one session, my personal record, I fired 320 rounds.
One way a person might work around that "feel" issue, is to limit wrist protection to the first 1/2 of there session.
That way, it would give the wrist time to loosen up and, when removed for the last 1/2 of the session, would leave the shooter with the "feel" he/she would want for daily use.
Here again, just advice, for what it's worth...
I am well acquainted with the worst of them Ritis boys, Arthur. He visits my neck, back, both shoulders and both knees one at a time or several at once on a daily basis. A few weeks ago I met with an orthopedic surgeon. He advised me to get a shoulder replacement. I told him about all the joints that I had that would benefit from replacements. With all the surgeries and rehabs, I would be in my nineties before the rebuild would be completed. He consented to a Steroid Injection(I've had several in both shoulders over the years). I'd had one in my back a couple of months ago, with minor success. I was surprised they would do another that soon. The back is made tolerable by taking two 5mg Oxycodone Tablets a day, but it doesn't help the shoulders or the knees. I feel like arthritis is the dues I have to pay for all the stuff I did when I was young and thought I was invincible. Sorry to unload on you Brothers.
Yea, getting old is not for sissies...😏
That's what we're here for, and if it's too depressing, we can always just ignore it 🤣
I appreciate you kindness. No one ever told me that getting old would be so painful. I guess I'll do what they apparently did, suck it up and move on.
That's what I do, I just suck it up and deal with it...nothing else you can do.
Overall, great gun and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
So, stance? You are right handed? If so, were you shooting to the right of the target with foot forward? Just curious.
No, to the left in fact. This happens sometimes with guns I have that have what I call "aggressive" grips. The Shield Plus has a very tactile grip unlike most of my other handguns. It's not a big deal though, I'm pretty good with either stance although I've traditionally trained mostly with the foot-forward stance to provide a slimmer target to the adversary. And yes, I am right-handed.