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Posted: 3/29/2017 11:23:00 PM EDT
[#1]
I am quite smitten with my PC Shield 45. I did rent the non-ported version just to see how it shot. The non-ported Shield 45 does handle the .45 ACP cartridge well. However, if you are willing to spend more money I would suggest the performance center version. The trigger and sights for me are not that important but the porting reduced recoil and muzzel flip by about 15-20%. For me, the flush 6 round mag. provides me a full three finger grip. Something the 9mm Shield does not provide. I do wish S&W made the PC Shield 9mm without the thumb safety. Maybe if they update the 9mm Shield they will carry over some of the 45 appointments.
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Posted: 3/30/2017 6:55:47 AM EDT
[#2]
The reviews for the 45 Shield seem to be pretty favorable, but, for me, it came down to how they each felt in the hand. Side by side, I prefer the 9.
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Posted: 4/2/2017 4:25:18 PM EDT
[#3]
In ARFcom fashion I have both.
Prefer the 45 over the 9 but the 9 is slightly smaller for CCW. YMMV |
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Posted: 4/2/2017 4:31:41 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In ARFcom fashion I have both. Prefer the 45 over the 9 but the 9 is slightly smaller for CCW. YMMV If I was buying again with this rebate deal, I would probably have still went 45. The grip and better trigger are worth it. |
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Posted: 4/3/2017 10:39:21 AM EDT
[#5]
Bought a Shield in 9mm last summer, bought on in 45acp this Jan. Sold the 9.
I really like the Shield in 45- shoots great, carries well. |
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Posted: 4/4/2017 8:55:33 AM EDT
[#6]
I like my Shield .45 more than the Shield 9. For me, I could never get used to the 9. Installed the full Apex kit. Awesome trigger, but still always hit low and left. New sights, same thing. Got rid of it. Got the 45 for a great deal. Hit center all the time. Trigger is great, no Apex needed. It is a real B%$%# to load the mags though. Left them loaded for a few days, then unloaded, then loaded again. Did that for 2 weeks. Now they work fine. Both are great. Just got to get used to the thin profile of the gun.
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Posted: 4/9/2017 10:22:28 PM EDT
[#7]
Very impressive gun.
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Posted: 4/14/2017 6:23:59 AM EDT
[#8]
I had a Shield 9 and own the Shield 45. I find the 45 to be a lot more accurate and just as easy to conceal as the 9.
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Posted: 4/14/2017 10:22:50 AM EDT
[#9]
It seems as though it's just a matter of what caliber you want. I own 2 9mm shields one for me and the other for the GF, we both have trijicon HD sights, 4lbs trigger job, and stippling done. They shoot very very well.
I saw the .45 come out and was impressed with the factory stipple they had on there I thought that was awesome and wish the 9mm came that way out of the box, however, having an 8 +1 with hornady critical defense 9mm is wayyy better than having 6 +1 with .45. It's the on going war between what's better, 9mm or .45. I rented the .45 and it didn't shoot as well as the 9mm, but if you train with it and put a solid 800-1000rds thru it, you'll get used to the extra recoil. In defensive situations a 9mm is gonna work just fine. As for the thumb safety? Just leave it off if you don't want it, or TRAIN to turn the safety off while drawing. It's a small pistol so it isn't hard. Get whatever your heart desires, would rather have 9mm then a .45 carry gun any day. |
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Posted: 4/30/2017 9:37:32 AM EDT
[#10]
I just picked up a shield 45. Just shot it for the first time last Friday. Very easy shooting 45. I have shot the shield 9 and shield PC 9. The 45 trigger might be a bit better than the standard 9 but no where as nice as the PC 9.
I did buy a Apex seat from midwayusa yesterday to improve the trigger. Mine is very heavy and I find it hard to feel the break point. I think with enough ammo the stock trigger would improve but for 40 bucks I would like to feel the difference with the apex sear. I don't plan on any other mods to the internal. Maybe some nice night sights down the road. After rebate mine will cost a little over 300 buck plus 40 for the apex sear. So $340 for a nice shooting 45 is a sweet deal any day. This seems like the salad days for gun ownership. Not sure how long it will last. Eat it up. |
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Posted: 5/5/2017 5:52:15 PM EDT
[#11]
With prices dropping on Shields across the board I am seriously thinking about finally picking one up.
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Posted: 5/18/2017 1:55:20 AM EDT
[#12]
I bought a Shield 9mm about 3 years ago and it's great. I've got around 1200 rounds thru it with NO failures of any type. I bought the Shield 45 about 6 months ago and just love it. (I'm a 1911 45ACP guy at heart!!) The recoil is a little more than the 9mm but not as bad as my Colt LW 45ACP Commander. It's a very soft shooting 45. Accuracy is excellent and the trigger is pretty good out of the box. I've got about 600 rounds of FMJ and HST thru it with NO failures of any type. My granddaughter just got her CPL and loves my Colt LW 45ACP Commander. I'm trying to get her to take a serious look at the Shield 45. Less weight to carry, soft shooting, and absolutely reliable. But she likes the 1911 platform so I am also trying to get her to look at a Ruger 9mm LW Commander. I have over 700 rounds of FMJ and 124gr Gold Dots thru mine with no failures either.
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Posted: 5/18/2017 12:39:24 PM EDT
[#13]
No 9mm shield here.
After shooting my fullsized M&P 9mm and .45, it took some getting used to racking the slide on the shield because it was so much shorter and the springs were so much tighter. It was mostly an issue because it took a little bit to retrain my hand to grab the slide in such a way that my palm didn't end up in front of the muzzle. And those springs sure are tight. Another issue is that I can't swap the mag release button to the opposite side. The holster I have right now doesn't come in contact with the mag release, but settling into a sitting position causes the holster/weapon to move just enough that the mag ejects. Loading the mags is a snap with a MagLula. I wouldn't be without one, anymore. Mags have been a little tough to locate at less than full MSRP. A threaded barrel is a comparatively sizable percentage of the inexpensive price of the weapon itself. So is a Crimson Trace add-on. Taking all of the above into consideration, the weapon is a peach to shoot, and I serious like it a lot. I'm going to get one for my sister, so she doesn't have to lug her Python around all the time. |
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Posted: 5/21/2017 7:48:17 PM EDT
[#14]
I sat on the bench during the rebate frenzy for a good while, and finally decided on the .45 for pretty much most of the reasons stated above. Just got it today, and it's still a small gun - so small I plan to pocket carry it as much as I can. In dry firing, IMO, the trigger is excellent.
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Posted: 5/22/2017 12:29:53 AM EDT
[#15]
Mine arrived Friday. Slightly larger than the 9mm. Going to be shooting it this week, with the 9 right next to it. I have always shot full-size 45 acp very well, it remains to be seen if it translates to a compact 45. It it turns out I shoot the 45 Shield like my other 45's, bye-bye 9mm.
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Posted: 5/24/2017 6:15:28 PM EDT
[#16]
Has anyone got their rebate yet? Bought my shield 45 end of April. Still waiting. P
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Posted: 5/26/2017 2:41:22 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Has anyone got their rebate yet? Bought my shield 45 end of April. Still waiting. P |
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Posted: 5/26/2017 3:26:32 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
No 9mm shield here. After shooting my fullsized M&P 9mm and .45, it took some getting used to racking the slide on the shield because it was so much shorter and the springs were so much tighter. It was mostly an issue because it took a little bit to retrain my hand to grab the slide in such a way that my palm didn't end up in front of the muzzle. And those springs sure are tight. Another issue is that I can't swap the mag release button to the opposite side. The holster I have right now doesn't come in contact with the mag release, but settling into a sitting position causes the holster/weapon to move just enough that the mag ejects. Loading the mags is a snap with a MagLula. I wouldn't be without one, anymore. Mags have been a little tough to locate at less than full MSRP. A threaded barrel is a comparatively sizable percentage of the inexpensive price of the weapon itself. So is a Crimson Trace add-on. Taking all of the above into consideration, the weapon is a peach to shoot, and I serious like it a lot. I'm going to get one for my sister, so she doesn't have to lug her Python around all the time. |
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Posted: 5/26/2017 3:50:48 PM EDT
[#19]
I shoot my 45 Shield better than my 9 for sure. The grip texture and size play a role in that, which also make it slightly harder to conceal.
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Posted: 5/27/2017 3:17:41 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In ARFcom fashion I have both. Prefer the 45 over the 9 but the 9 is slightly smaller for CCW. YMMV |
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Posted: 5/28/2017 10:52:16 AM EDT
[#21]
I have two 9mm and a 45, all recent purchases. 45: trigger feels slightly better to me. What surprised me is the slides on the two 9 mm are much harder to rack than the 45. They've all been cleaned and lubed. I haven't been to the range with them yet. It's a noticeable difference in the force to rack the slides.
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Posted: 6/4/2017 8:42:12 PM EDT
[#22]
I prefer my 45 Shield to my 9 Shield. I am able to shoot it more accurately and with quicker follow up shots. The 9 is a bit smaller and I like it just fine. I just prefer the 45.
Crazy thing is how clean these guns are after shooting. Is it just me or has anyone else notice this? |
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Posted: 6/5/2017 5:23:00 PM EDT
[#23]
I have no experience with the 9mm, but I'm so smitten with the .45 after having shot it that I just ordered a "spare".
For the very few like me that want a manual safety, I called S&W the other day to see if they plan to make a Performance Center .45 Shield with a manual safety, and they said currently there are no plans either way. I guess we shall see. |
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Posted: 6/5/2017 8:37:25 PM EDT
[#24]
Nevermind
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Posted: 6/7/2017 1:51:48 PM EDT
[#25]
I just ordered me a 45 shield about an hour ago. Got a great deal and looking forward to getting it to the range.
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Posted: 6/8/2017 8:53:02 AM EDT
[#26]
I have both Shields. The 9 mm recoil is noticeably lighter than the .45 but to be honest I don't consider it an issue. I like the .45 and will be carrying that once I get more rounds through it and am certain there are no issues. I ran 200 rounds of mixed ammo through the .45 and had no issues.
The texture on the .45 is like sandpaper and when you carry it concealed in a IWB holster, it will rub like sandpaper. I hit the grip where it comes in contact with my skin with 150 grit sandpaper and knocked down the roughness a bit. Now no scouring on my skin. I plan on carrying my .45 more than my 9mm. I bought the CYA IWB holster and the gun just disappears under a t-shirt. Me likey... I grouped it at 50 yards and had a 10 inch group with my older eyes. Respectable for me with the short sight radius. The trigger is way better in the .45 than the 9mm and that helped a lot in the groups. |
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Posted: 6/8/2017 8:15:32 PM EDT
[#27]
Quoted:
Going to buy one or the other this weekend. Wondering if the 45 is about as concealable as the 9mm? Read a little about it on here. Looking for some current reviews and input. Read the specs and what not but that doesn't always tell the whole story concealability wise. Did you receive it yet. |
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Posted: 6/9/2017 3:20:08 PM EDT
[#28]
I had been searching for a good choice for CC and came across the Shield in .45.
S&W had the $75.00 rebate and with a sale price of $299 before the rebate I couldn't resist. I put a Talon rubber grip cover on it because the grip texture is abrasive on the back, carry with an Alien Gear Cloak and Tuck and I hardly know it's there. The recoil actually seems milder than my 1911, I love the feel, it's very accurate and seems to feed anything flawlessly. Read that Federal HST's get full expansion out of the short 3.3" barrel, so that's what I carry. I doubt you can go wrong with either a Shield 9 or 45. |
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Posted: 6/12/2017 1:39:00 PM EDT
[#29]
my buddy got the .45, its amazingly small for a 45 with a 6 rounds magazine. The end of the slide is basically a barrel opening when you look at it head on.
Recoil is there, but not that bad considering the caliber. However, it is freaking loud. And american riflemen chrono'd the non ported gun and it was around 760fps with 230 grain so you are approaching Old West velocities. I would love to see the 45 shield with a .5" or 1" longer barrel and slide. I am sure it would make the ported gun PC version even better and offset some of the velocity loss when ported. You wouldn't lose any concealability when IWB either. |
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