Back and forth with the off duty carry, it came down to the Glock 43X -v- S&W Shield Plus.

I love the G43X and its simplicity in takedown. It's comfortable to carry IWB or strong side OWB. My usual carry.

G43 ------- 10 round mag (Decent)

Shield + -- 13 round mag. Prefer the extra 3 rounds

Thickness: Both are very slim. I love them.

Length: Shield is smaller. That's a perk.

I don't have NOC sights for either. I know, I should.  I'll get some after I sell the losing gun.

What am I carrying now? The shield. It's just more comfortable a weapon to carry off duty.

Who's owned and carried both? What was your winner and why?

I prefer a Milt Sparks “Nexus”. It takes 6-9 months to get.

I like Glock (lots of mags). Glock23


Anything I would involve myself in at this point in life would have to be really bad - an immediate threat to life and I would anticipate multiple armed hostile perps. If you’re not prepared to drop 3 to 5 heavily armed perps you better bring your rape whistle.

This is a big tag. Deciding whether I want buy a shield plus before the rebate is up.

I had a 43x and while nice, I wasn't impressed

I tried out a G43X, P365X and Shield Plus at the range a few months ago, so my experience is limited with the G43X and Shield Plus, but I'll tell you my take.

There was nothing about the G43X that impressed me. Other than the shorter barrel, it felt like the Glock 19's skinny brother. The capacity sucks for the size, though I'll concede that this point is largely moot since the Shield Arms S15 came out and will be even more moot when PSA comes out with their mag. The trigger felt okay to me. Some people are fine with stock Glock ergonomics, but I can't stand the ergonomics. That being said, it's a Glock: it's simple and reliable. Some people just long for more.

The S&W Shield Plus, on the other hand, was very impressive. The grip was hearty and helped provide good ergonomics. Pointed well when I brought the gun up and I got a good sight picture pretty quickly. It made a strong impression. The trigger was great for me. The gun overall lent itself well to getting precise but fast hits. The only drawback for me was that it doesn't have a rail.

Me personally, I run a P365X with the Magguts 14+1 kit and it's a phenomenal carry gun. If S&W just made the Shield Plus with a rail, I might have picked that instead, because I like having a light on my carry gun.

I've owned non-plus Shields in the past and I currently own 43X's. I prefer 3 finger grips without a mag extension so the Glock would win for me. I also prefer being able to drop the slide with the slide stop lever which I could never do with the Shield.

I’m a fan of the Shield+.
It will probably relegate my 365sas to my wife’s purse. It’s more accurate than my 365, the stippling on the grip is the best I’ve ever experienced and it has a 1 round advantage.

Glock 43X with Talon Grips, Night Sights, Shield Arms mag release, SA 15rd mags, & + 5 Taran Tactical mag extensions.  

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Going through this dilemma right now myself. I just bought a G43X and added the light and optic. Took it to the range and it was “meh”. I’ve had a couple in the past but wanted the MOS version.

I’ve had a Shield Plus in the past and sold it. Shouldn’t have done that. Bought one for my dad as well for Father’s Day.

I much prefer the Shield Plus which is what I’m going to be buying tomorrow.

IMO, the 43X/48 with S15 mags is hard to beat. I do own a Shield Plus, which will likely get sold, though it's a nice gun. I prefer it over the Hellcat, CR920 and P365X which I own as well. First, I have zero need for a 2 finger grip. I AIWB and the 3 finger grip works better for drawing. Second, I'm a Glock guy. They just work and are simple to detail strip, replace parts, aftermarket support, holster availability, etc. The 48 length actually works a little better for AIWB in my experience. If the S15's didn't work for me, I'd be perfectly happy with 10+1 and a spare. My 48's are actually still setup for OEM mags. There's really no wrong answer. The Shield Plus seems to be the one you prefer, so roll with it.

Shield all day long. I have several first and second gen, and bought the plus several months ago.

Wouldn't carry anything else if given the choice.

I haven't shot a G43, but held one, and it felt cheaply made to me. YMMV.

The Shield has 10, 13 and 15 round factory mags available.  They shoot and handle like a full size yet are easier to conceal.
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Shield Plus.  

Uses the same TLR6 that works on my old Shield.  Tried a Lasermax light/laser and that worked fine, too.

3.1" OR slide or the 4" OR slide.  10, 13 or 15 round magazines.

Shoots darn nice groups for a small pistol and better than the regular full sized M&Ps (at least it shoots better than the 4 1. and 2.0 (9s and .40's I have).

With the 4" barrel/slide.  The original 3" barrel/slide/optic is in the bag and quickly changed if I though I needed it.  IWB on the right side is no issue with the 4" so it stays on the frame these days.



This is the Plus with the light/laser with the touch activation under the trigger guard off the older Shield you see next to the Plus.  Perfect fit.  Whether the light/laser makers say it fits or not.  Several people on the M&P Pistol forum have bought the TLR6 and put them on their new Plus pistols.



I'm using the same holster for the Plus I used for my old Shield.

I have a Shield Plus optic ready and a 43X MOS. The Shield Plus is a noticeably better shooter for me, but I rarely carry it because the grip texture snags on my shirt all the time.

The 43x is one of the few Glocks I don't like.

My Shield plus is a tack driver, and much smoother.

I've never warmed to the number of small parts S&W engineers design into their pistols... I shot a G17 and G34 for a competition pistol for USPSA and 3 gun for 10 years without an incident... I carry a G43 ( with a TT 2 round extension, and 43x... both with Dawson Precision fixed sights (tritium front only)

Went to the fun store with every intention of getting a shield plus. I’m one of the few who would prefer an external safety for appendix carry.

The feels, sights, capacity, trigger break are all good but I just couldn’t get comfortable with the reset feel.

I was hoping to escape the overwhelming gravity of Glock, but I guess I’m going 43x MOS.

43X MOS is a solid choice.