The updated M&P Shield 2.0 pistols now have optional integral laser sights by Crimson Trace. (Photo: S&W/Facebook)
Smith & Wesson is giving their Shield series of M&P handguns a major update. The company is adding five new 2.0 versions in 9mm Luger and .40 S&W for a total of 10 new Shield pistols.
The biggest addition to the Shield series is a run of guns with integral Crimson Trace laser sights built into the frame. Like previous Shield pistols, these guns are available with and without manual thumb safeties.
The other new Shields have smooth frames with and without thumb safeties. Smith & Wesson is also offering a no-safety Shield 2.0 with factory night sights instead of the standard 3-dot steel sights.
All of the new Shields incorporate the rest of the improved M&P 2.0 features including a new grip texture and enhanced trigger with an audible and tactile reset.
The red-light lasers use Crimson Trace’s Instinctive Activation switches. (Photo: S&W)
Otherwise these new guns stay true to the originals. They’re all thin, lightweight, polymer-framed, striker-fired single-stack pistols for everyday concealed-carry. While the standard frames don’t have rails, they are contoured for Shield-specific accessories including lights and laser sights.
All M&P Shield 2.0 pistols can be disassembled without pulling the trigger for added safety. They come with flush and extended magazines and weigh less than 19 ounces unloaded, including the laser sight models.
The M&P Shield 2.0 series is offered with black frames and stainless steel slides with a black Armornite finish. We expect to see other colors and configurations down the line. Original Shield pistols are available in a wide variety of chamberings and patterns.
Standard capacity for the 9mm pistols is 7+1 with flush magazines and 8+1 with the extended mags. In .40 S&W they hold 6+1 with flush mags and 7+1 with the extended magazines.
The 3-dot and laser sight models ship with one flush and one extended magazine while the night sight models ship with three magazines, one flush and two extended.
See Also: The Latest Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0, More Like Glock 19 2.0
All are priced to move with MSRPs starting at $479. The laser sight models only cost $20 more at $499. The night sight versions run $579 but that includes the extra magazine on top of the tritium sights — easily worth more than $100 by themselves.
For now, it looks like Smith & Wesson will offer both the M&P 2.0 series alongside the original Shield pistols. It will take some time for the 2.0 series to develop before Smith & Wesson can even think about phasing out any of the earlier models.
The classic Shield series is also a little more affordable with lower MSRPs starting at $449. Still, for just $30 more, the 2.0 series has a lot of appeal.
With the one-two combination of original Shield and Shield 2.0 pistols Smith & Wesson is aggressively going after the concealed-carry market. If you’re looking for a light, polymer single-stack, Smith & Wesson has a Shield for you.
I love my shield 9 and am looking forward to owning a 2.0 shield 9. I am left handed, and have adapted very well to the right handed controls, I guess my upbringing had something to do with that, shooting right handed guns. the more I fire and practice with my shield 9, the more I like it, and the trigger is easier to pull. so I am really looking forward to shooting the new 2.0 and comparing it.
I love my Shield 9 but if they were really going to copy the Honor Guard they would have made it fully ambidextrous like the Honor Guard with ambidextrous slide stop, thumb safeties and mag release with reversible or ambi mag release being the least important of the 3. Obviously I’m a lefty. A better trigger is a good idea.
Why don’t any of the single stack 9’s have an accessory rail for a light? I’ve got a bodyguard 380 with a laser that is a waste of time. I would much rather have a light for nighttime vs a laser.
honor guard has a rail! 😁
Seems everyone was co.planning that Honor Defense was copying the Shield. Even though the Honor Guard was a much superior weapon with all of it’s upgrades over the Shield. That said, who’s copying whom now? S&W took the HG and copied it across the board with its 2.0 version. Now let’s see how much the Shield fanboys complain about their weapon that is now a “Honor Guard knockoff!”
I still prefer the original, with Apex trigger and Trijicon tritiums.Might even try the new “GripSense” Lasermax green LED/light combo.
9mm is dead, and sooo 2015ish. Why doesn’t S&W just focus on the .40S&W and jump ahead of everyone else? That’s where they want us (civi market) to go anyway. With US militaryia wanting an “improved round” over the 9 NATO, (as well as 5.56 & 7.62) the righting is on the wall. Once our Gubmint officially announces the Improved Ammo RFP the ammo-dudes will be quick to incorporate the “improvements” made to self defense 9mm but, “Now available in .40S&W!” Once Uncle Sam finally tests & accepts the improved .40S&W ammo we will all be migrating away from the 9mm to .40. – except for those with the SIG P320 who can just swap out a few parts. SIG will make a bundle and no one will be screaming collusion. The media will be screaming how genius our military & SIG were in 2016. I love it when a plan comes together.
Come on the 9mm is dead. 40 cal is the one that is dead and gone. Why did PD’s drop the 40’s?
your so right, 9mil will never go away, it is an excellent round…my friend in Canada killed a black bear with hardcast 9mill. the 40 for me is useless…either get a 45acp or go bigger or smaller. my EDC, is an M&P 45 13 rounds all hardcast…I live in bear country.
Did you make a point? You seem so impressed with yourself.
Im hoping tou are a 12 year old girl. If not, did you really just say “so 2015ish” lmmfao what the fuck dude. Grow a pair
I’m a bit disappointed that they still couldn’t add a reversible mag release. It really can’t possibly have been all that hard to incorporate, especially if they went through the effort of giving it a better trigger.
9mm Shield 1st gens can be had for under $300. The stippling doesn’t matter to me because i’d be putting on a rubberized grip wrap anyway. So really it’s just an extra $200 for a slightly nicer trigger job.
Sorry, but I’ll probably look to a different company for a subcompact single stack 9mm. And if I still end up going with the Shield, I’ll DEFINITELY be going 1.0 and not 2.0.