By R.K. Campbell
Contributing Editor
Not too long ago when you went to a compact gun for personal protection, certain sacrifices were made.
The handgun might have small sights, limited magazine capacity, and small caliber. Five-shot .38-caliber revolvers and .380 automatic pistols were common. The introduction of the Kahr 9 changed this. Then came the Kel Tec PF 9 and, after a long wait, the Smith & Wesson Shield.
The Shield is a polymer frame striker fired pistol of the type known generically as the ‘slim line 9’. Smith and Wesson has ridden the wave of the future and introduced a competitor to the Springfield Hellcat.
The Shield Plus is a high capacity “slim line 9” I suppose. The total extra girth of the grip frame is less than .15-inch but the new Shield accommodates a flush fit ten round magazine or a 13-round extended magazine. That is a lot of 9mm Luger compared to the six and seven shot magazines of the original pistol.
While the pistol is very similar to the original Shield there are differences worth noting. The grip frame is almost unnoticeably larger. The slide features an Armonite finish to protect against corrosion in a pistol worn close to the body. Also, the Shield Plus grip treatment is different and the pistol features the new 2.0 slide treatment with modest forward cocking serrations. These improvements enhance handling.
The three dot sights are well designed and offer a good sight picture and they are large enough for good shooting but small enough for concealed carry and not likely to snag.
There is a visual loaded chamber indicator in the form of a cut out in the rear of the chamber.
S&W designed the Shield with a 3.1-inch barrel, cut with 1:10-inch rifling with five lands and grooves on a right hand twist. It hits the scale at 20.2 ounces, empty.
The pistol accepts any trigger guard mounted light designed for the Shield and it also slips into any Shield holster. A considerable improvement lies in the new flat face trigger. Rather than the trademark bifurcated trigger that began with the Sigma, the Shield Plus features a modern flat face trigger with a safety lever set in the face. The trigger is tighter and crisper than the original pistol.
These improvements are important to the handling and overall efficiency of the Shield Plus. There is a small bonus in that the pistol seems easier to shoot well due to the wider grip frame, small as the difference is.
I have fired the pistol extensively despite the present panic situation. The Shield Plus 9mm is a good shooter. If you like the original, you will like this one better! Smith & Wesson figures the same as they are discontinuing the older models.
As noted earlier, the Shield Plus is surprisingly comfortable to fire, for such a compact handgun. Control is good. The pistol invites firing rapidly at 5, 7 and 10 yards.
Most of the ammunition fired during the last session was the Black Hills 115-grain full metal jacketed load. This is a clean burning, accurate, and reasonably priced ammunition choice. I also fired a handful of Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain EXP. (Extra Power) This round is designed and developed to offer the greatest velocity possible in a standard pressure loading without resorting to a +P level.
I like the premise of the Shield Plus. The pistol is light, compact, and fast handling. It represents an upgrade over a popular pistol without any drawback save for increased price, which is a sign of the times.
Note: A manual safety version should be available soon. There is also a Performance Center version with a longer barrel and fiber optic sights.
SPECS:
Smith & Wesson Shield Plus
Caliber: 9mm
OAL 6.1 in.
Barrel: 3.1 in.
Rifling: 1:10, 5 grooves, RH
Sights: 3-Dot
Magazines One 10 and one 13 round
Weight: 20.2 ounces
Grip: Polymer
Slide: Stainless with Armorite finish
Website: Smith-Wesson.com
