{"id":10754,"date":"2013-02-24T18:25:01","date_gmt":"2013-02-24T23:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=10754"},"modified":"2026-01-13T06:33:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T12:33:36","slug":"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield &#8211; Range Report &#8211; New Gun Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/administration\/user\/GunsAmericaRegistration.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/subscribe+long+banner_001.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a>\n<div id=\"attachment_10765\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-small.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10765\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10765\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-small-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp;Wesson M&amp;P9\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-small-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-small-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-small-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-small.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10765\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Shield closely resembles a scaled-down M&amp;P pistol with the same external controls and the same manual of arms.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>By Duane A. Daiker<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smith-wesson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\">Smith &amp; Wesson<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Smith &amp; Wesson\u2019s 2012 arrival to the micro-sized 9 mm-pistol market was fashionably late, about a year after just about every pistol company in the gun industry put out a pocketable 9mm. But while most of the competitors pared down their 9mm pocket gun, Smith &amp; Wesson managed to keep most of the features of the full sized M&amp;P, and this proved to be an instant hit with the army of M&amp;P enthusiasts out there. It made perfect sense to retain as much of the M&amp;P design as a micro-sized pistol would permit, but that took more time, and it was a tough judgement call for Smith &amp; Wesson to debut the Shield at SHOT Show 2012 instead of 2011 when so many pocket 9mm pistols were released. A year even later now, just coming out of SHOT Show 2013, it seems to have paid off for Smith &amp; Wesson. The Shield has been for the most part sold out since its introduction a year ago, and now with some serious range time on the guns, the Shield has shown to be very accurate and reliable. It is also one of the few striker pistols on the market with a manual thumb safety, which almost puts the gun in a category by itself.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10767\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shooting-small.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10767\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10767\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shooting-small-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P9\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shooting-small-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shooting-small-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shooting-small-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/shooting-small.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10767\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The M&amp;P9 Shield&#8217;s accuracy and reliability is exceptional, especially for a micro-sized 9 mm pistol.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Small Gun, Big Features<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The M&amp;P9 Shield is a single-stack pistol that weighs about 19 ounces empty, and 24 ounces fully loaded with 7+1 rounds. It has a 3.1-inch barrel with five-groove rifling and a 1-in-18.75-inch rate of twist. The test pistol was chambered in 9 mm, although a .40 S&amp;W model is also available.<\/p>\n<p>It has roughly the same dimensions as the <a href=\"\/blog\/ruger-lc9\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\">Ruger LC9<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/search?keyword=KelTec%20PF9\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\">Kel-Tec PF-9<\/a>, about 6 inches long and 4.5 inches high. This is larger than most .380 ACP pistols, but still small for a handgun in a serious self-defense caliber. Put simply, the Shield is not quite small enough to be a true pocket gun for most people, but it is well suited for deep concealment just about anywhere else.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10760\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/desantis-nemesis-small.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10760\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10760\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/desantis-nemesis-small-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Desantis Nemesis, Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P9\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/desantis-nemesis-small-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/desantis-nemesis-small-112x150.jpg 112w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/desantis-nemesis-small-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/desantis-nemesis-small-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/desantis-nemesis-small.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10760\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The DeSantis Nemesis was used to test the M&amp;P9 for pocket carry. Although this gun might be too large for most to carry in this manner, the affordable pocket holster has features that made it ideal for testing, including its anti-print panel for discrete carry.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This little M&amp;P pistol is a striker-fired double-action like its full-size counterparts. Despite its shrunken state, the Shield retains all the standard pistol controls. Unlike the full-size M&amp;P, however, the magazine release is not reversible and the thumb safety is not ambidextrous. The external levers are flattened and reduced in size to keep the gun thin and streamlined. In fact, the Shield is very slim, measuring slightly less than 1 inch wide.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, Smith &amp; Wesson opted to equip all the Shield pistols with a manual thumb safety. The larger M&amp;P pistols have an optional ambidextrous thumb safety, but the vast majority are sold without safety levers.<\/p>\n<p>There is some debate about the wisdom of manual safeties on striker-fired self-defense pistols like this one. With a 7-pound trigger pull and a trigger safety, the Shield probably doesn\u2019t need an additional manual safety. You could just not use the safety lever at all, but that leads to concerns that it could accidentally be activated. The thumb safety is the one feature the Shield could probably do without.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10764\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-extended-mag-small.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10764\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10764\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-extended-mag-small-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P9 Shield\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-extended-mag-small-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-extended-mag-small-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-extended-mag-small-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-extended-mag-small.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10764\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The extended magazine adds significant useful length to the Shield&#8217;s grip and one extra round for a total capacity of 8+1.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Smith &amp; Wesson wisely opted to stick with high-end materials for the Shield, with a stainless steel slide and barrel finished in black Melonite for maximum corrosion resistance. Even the three-white-dot fixed sights are crafted from stainless steel, not polymer like some of the Shield\u2019s competitors.<\/p>\n<p>Each pistol is shipped with two magazines. One is a flush-fit, seven-round magazine, and the other is an extended eight-round magazine. The shorter version works very well for concealment, but the eight-round magazine provides just enough extra grip length for most shooters to really wrap their hands around the pistol. Getting two magazines with the purchase of the gun is a nice touch. The smaller magazine is great for carry, with the extended magazine hidden somewhere for a reload, if necessary.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10762\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/iwb-carry-small.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10762\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10762\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/iwb-carry-small-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"DeSantis Cozy Partner, M&amp;P9\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/iwb-carry-small-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/iwb-carry-small-112x150.jpg 112w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/iwb-carry-small-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/iwb-carry-small-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/iwb-carry-small.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10762\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The DeSantis Cozy Partner is easily concealed under just about any cover garment, and in testing with the M&amp;P9 it made a good combination.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Disassembly of the Shield is easy, and follows the same procedure as the full-size guns. Smith &amp; Wesson\u2019s takedown procedure requires manipulation of a sear-release lever in the mag well prior to rotating the takedown lever and removing the slide. No tools are required. While it involves an extra step when compared to most polymer pistols, it would be almost impossible to accidentally disassemble a loaded pistol, so the safety factor is improved.<\/p>\n<p><b>Carrying the Shield<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Although somewhat large for pocket carry, there are those who will be comfortable in doing so. During the course of testing, a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster worked fine when the right attire was selected. Smaller people, however, may have problems stuffing the Shield into a typical front pants pocket.<\/p>\n<p>Most people will prefer some type of belt carry for the Shield. The small size of the pistol makes belt carry as easy as it gets. It was tested outside the waistband in a Galco Stinger belt holster, and inside the waistband in a DeSantis Cozy Partner holster. Supporting the diminutive Shield isn\u2019t much of a challenge for either rig, and both worked exceptionally well for concealed carry. However, there is no shortage of excellent holsters for this popular pistol.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10758\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/controls-close-up-small.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10758\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10758\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/controls-close-up-small-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P9\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/controls-close-up-small-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/controls-close-up-small-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/controls-close-up-small-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/controls-close-up-small.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10758\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">All the external levers are minimized and flattened to aid in deep concealment and to minimize the chances of getting hung up during presentation.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The real test of a small pistol, of course, is at the range. Micro-sized guns are often difficult to handle, but the Shield\u2019s performance defies its small size. Excellent ergonomics make this pistol very comfortable to shoot, even with hot defensive loads. The Shield has noticeable muzzle flip while shooting hot 9 mm self-defense ammo, but the perceived recoil is very mild. It was actually pleasant to shoot.<\/p>\n<p>The accuracy of the Shield was even more impressive. At 7 to 10 yards, The X-ring of a standard NRA pistol target was drilled at will. Part of this accuracy can largely be attributed to the excellent trigger. While it is relatively heavy, the length of pull with resistance is quite short. Once you get past the initial take-up, the remaining trigger pull has a definite \u201cglass rod\u201d break, which most shooters prefer. The feel is a bit unusual, and it takes some familiarization, but it definitely contributes to the pistol\u2019s excellent practical accuracy.<\/p>\n<p>There were no problems with the Shield in the course of testing. The gun digested several hundred rounds of assorted brands of premium ammunition without a single stoppage. Only time will tell, but this pistol\u2019s well established design and strong family history bodes well for its long-term performance.<\/p>\n<p><b>Big Future<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10757\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/close-up-in-hand-small.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10757\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10757\" title=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/close-up-in-hand-small-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P9\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/close-up-in-hand-small-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/close-up-in-hand-small-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/close-up-in-hand-small-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/close-up-in-hand-small.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10757\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Shield&#8217;s excellent ergonomics, retained from the larger M&amp;P pistol line, make this gun comfortable and pleasant to shoot, even with hot defensive loads.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Shield rounds out the M&amp;P line with a true micro-sized 9 mm that shares the same look, feel and manual of arms as the full-size pistols. The availability of the Shield may actually help sell full-size M&amp;P pistols by \u201cclosing the gap\u201d on a well-rounded pistol platform that now has full-size, sub-compact and micro-sized options.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you don\u2019t love the entire line of M&amp;P pistols, the Shield promises to be a great gun on its own merits. Smith &amp; Wesson is offering a high-quality single-stack 9 mm that performs as well or better than any pistol in its class for an MSRP of only $449. Street prices will be somewhat lower, and that translates to a real bargain for concealed carry. Of course, the company stands behind every pistol with its lifetime repair policy and its famed customer service.<\/p>\n<p>The Shield is an excellent pistol, with the kind of performance that promises to make it a long-term success for Smith &amp; Wesson. However, we\u2019re hoping the company decides to offer a version without the thumb safety. The safety could certainly be ignored, but if the manual safety simply wasn\u2019t there it would be the unqualified micro-sized 9 mm choice for many who carry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smith &amp; Wesson\u2019s 2012 arrival to the micro-sized 9 mm-pistol market was fashionably late, about a year after just about every pistol company in the gun industry put out a pocketable 9mm. But while most of the competitors pared down their 9mm pocket gun, Smith &amp; Wesson managed to keep most of the features of the full sized M&amp;P, and this proved to be an instant hit with the army of M&amp;P enthusiasts out there. It made perfect sense to retain as much of the M&amp;P design as a micro-sized pistol would permit, but that took more time, and it was a tough judgement call for Smith &amp; Wesson to debut the Shield at SHOT Show 2012 instead of 2011 when so many pocket 9mm pistols were released. A year later, just coming out of SHOT Show 2013, it seems to have paid off for Smith &amp; Wesson. The Shield has been for the most part sold out since its introduction a year ago, and now with some serious range time on the guns, the Shield has shown to be very accurate and reliable. It is one of the few striker pistols on the market with a manual thumb safety, which almost puts the gun in a category by itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":10765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,79,36],"tags":[],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10754","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-daiker","9":"category-reviews-pistols"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review -\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P-9 Shield - Range Report - New Gun Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Smith &amp; Wesson\u2019s 2012 arrival to the micro-sized 9 mm-pistol market was fashionably late, about a year after just about every pistol company in the gun industry put out a pocketable 9mm. But while most of the competitors pared down their 9mm pocket gun, Smith &amp; Wesson managed to keep most of the features of the full sized M&amp;P, and this proved to be an instant hit with the army of M&amp;P enthusiasts out there. It made perfect sense to retain as much of the M&amp;P design as a micro-sized pistol would permit, but that took more time, and it was a tough judgement call for Smith &amp; Wesson to debut the Shield at SHOT Show 2012 instead of 2011 when so many pocket 9mm pistols were released. A year later, just coming out of SHOT Show 2013, it seems to have paid off for Smith &amp; Wesson. The Shield has been for the most part sold out since its introduction a year ago, and now with some serious range time on the guns, the Shield has shown to be very accurate and reliable. It is one of the few striker pistols on the market with a manual thumb safety, which almost puts the gun in a category by itself.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-02-24T23:25:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-13T12:33:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/left-side-small.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Duane A. Daiker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Duane A. Daiker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-range-report-new-gun-review\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Duane A. 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But while most of the competitors pared down their 9mm pocket gun, Smith &amp; Wesson managed to keep most of the features of the full sized M&amp;P, and this proved to be an instant hit with the army of M&amp;P enthusiasts out there. It made perfect sense to retain as much of the M&amp;P design as a micro-sized pistol would permit, but that took more time, and it was a tough judgement call for Smith &amp; Wesson to debut the Shield at SHOT Show 2012 instead of 2011 when so many pocket 9mm pistols were released. A year later, just coming out of SHOT Show 2013, it seems to have paid off for Smith &amp; Wesson. The Shield has been for the most part sold out since its introduction a year ago, and now with some serious range time on the guns, the Shield has shown to be very accurate and reliable. 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