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Experience with 9mm Shield Plus Performance Center ?

Trebor657

Trebor657

Operator
My EDC is normally an M&P 9c with CT laser sight....Been thinking lately I would like something different with similar capacity and maybe a little smaller for concealment. I jumped on the micro 9 bandwagon for a bit and purchased a Hellcat...nice for concealment but I am 6'4' and have larger hands and just don't shoot it well so I'll be selling or trading it...Shot a friends P365 with the same result, grips are too small for me, I just don't shoot them well. One I have been looking at is the Shield Plus Performance Center 9mm with ported 3.1" barrel and fiber optic sights....Watched a few videos of reviews and the Shield Plus got pretty good comments...We only have 2 ranges here that rent handguns and neither of them have one in their lineup and I don't know anyone who owns one...

Just wondering if anyone has real world experience with this particular Shield? I think sometimes, the guys online that do reviews tend to say what they think people or even makers want to hear...I would much prefer opinions good or bad from real world users....Thanks for asny comments...
 
Greetings. I have the Performance Center Shield Plus non-ported w the 4 inch barrel. Absolutely LOVE it. I currently off-duty carry a Hellcat. Considering adding the Plus to my EDC rotation but need to shoot it some more. So far so good about 300 rounds through without issue and the fiber optics are awesome. Average sized hands here and it fits good. I did shoot a few of the 3.1 inch barrels and they are great as well. I grabbed the four inch because I got a great deal on it and they didn't have any of the 3.1 inch barrels in stock at the time. Just my two cents worth.
 
I would say if you didn't like the Hellcat or P365 you're probably not going to like the shield plus. They are all in the same size range. Just my 2 cents.
 
I had a similar problem as the original poster. I liked the P365, but I'm 6'05 and weight 285 lbs. The Hellcat and the P365 were too small for my hands. The Shield Plus has a wide, flat grip that is still under 1-inch thick and is very similar in size to the XDS series grips. Not only did the Shield Plus fit my hand much better, the grip was much easier to conceal IWB because the shape blended with my torso much better than the other micro 9s.

I went with the Optics-ready Shield Plus with night sights. It's not a Performance Center model, but all of the Shield Plus models have the new trigger design that is a significant improvement over the hinged triggers on the original and 2.0 Shields. The best part is that S&W is selling it as part of a "Bug-Out" package that comes with 5 magazines (four 13-round, one 11-round). Palmetto State and Brownells both have the Bug-Out packages for $449 right now. At that price, you can throw on almost any optic you want on it and still save money.

If you like the ported barrel on the Performance Center models, then that's probably still the way to go. I've found that the texturing on the Shield Plus makes the gun incredibly easy to hold on to, and recoil is very mild. It might be worth looking into the OSP/Night Sight package if you don't need the ported barrel.

palmettostatearmory.com

S&W M&P Shield Plus Night Sights Optics Ready NTS 9mm Pistol With Bug Out Bag Bundle, Black - 13593

Manufacturer: Smith and WessonProduct Line: M&P Shield Plus Bug Out Bag BundleAction: Semi AutomaticCaliber: 9mmBarrel Length: 3.1"Overall Length: 6.1"Manual Safety: NoCapacity: 13+1, 10+1Magazines Included: 5Slide: Optics ReadySights: Night SightsFinish: Black
palmettostatearmory.com palmettostatearmory.com
 
I had the 3.1 PC Shield+. Compared to the Hellcat and P365 it is softer and flatter shooting. It IS larger than both of those pistols and feels more like a compact. Pocket carry was out of the question for me. Trigger is the best I've felt on a striker fired gun. Smooth take up and clean break right around 4#. Reset was OK, but more muted than the other two. Easy to shoot well (tighter groups) and only one malfunction (stovepipe while shooting rapid fire) in over 500 rounds. I attribute that to the trigger and larger overall size. The sights work fine in sufficient daylight. Not so good in dim light and useless at dusk. Hard to tell if the ported barrel added anything, but it was a PITA to clean the build up around the ports on outside surface of the barrel as well as the build up inside the slide. That stuff doesn't just go neatly out of the cuts in the slide. The grip texture bordered on being too aggressive for me. Instant calluses behind my strong hand knuckles and not great on the love handles & t-shirts. That combined with the narrow long grip (front to backstrap) made it uncomfortable enough to trade in on the Hellcat which fits my smaller hands better. YMMV.
Good luck with your decision.
 
Sarvershooter said:
The grip texture bordered on being too aggressive for me. Instant calluses behind my strong hand knuckles and not great on the love handles & t-shirts.
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I love my Shield Plus, but I have to agree with you on the texture being rough on IWB carriers. I would not be surprised if S&W included the First Aid Kit in the Bug-Out bundle simply because they knew that people who choose to carry a Shield Plus IWB without an undershirt would need it.
 
Between the wife and I we have total of 6 Shields (9mm/.45 and 3 are PC). The grip does feel fuller on all models, and they are more accurate for me. They have basically run trouble free, with many total rounds ran thru them. The earlier PCs were noticeably smoother but not as much as the newer 2.0's but that is user observation. The 4" models shoot very well, and both are the PC models 9mm/.45. The only problem with the .45acp 4"is a slight difficulty in finding holsters. The 4"+ is issue free when it comes to holsters and occasionally you will find a holster to accommodate both (typically leather). For me a Shield plus is a great purchase.
 
southtex said:
Between the wife and I we have total of 6 Shields (9mm/.45 and 3 are PC). The grip does feel fuller on all models, and they are more accurate for me. They have basically run trouble free, with many total rounds ran thru them. The earlier PCs were noticeably smoother but not as much as the newer 2.0's but that is user observation. The 4" models shoot very well, and both are the PC models 9mm/.45. The only problem with the .45acp 4"is a slight difficulty in finding holsters. The 4"+ is issue free when it comes to holsters and occasionally you will find a holster to accommodate both (typically leather). For me a Shield plus is a great purchase.
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Meant to say earlier PCs were noticeably smoother but while they are still smoother today it's not as noticeable with the 2.0s. My observation
 
wmg1299 said:
I love my Shield Plus, but I have to agree with you on the texture being rough on IWB carriers. I would not be surprised if S&W included the First Aid Kit in the Bug-Out bundle simply because they knew that people who choose to carry a Shield Plus IWB without an undershirt would need it.
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You can sand the grip a little. Knock the edges down. And wear a wife beater under your T shirt.
 
Bassbob said:
You can sand the grip a little. Knock the edges down. And wear a wife beater under your T shirt.
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Yes on the wife beater or an A Shirt Undershirt for the correct crowd. I recently have been putting my shirt between the gun and my side. Before exiting my truck dependent on where I am going I will then drop it over the gun then move it back on exit.
 
Trebor657 said:
My EDC is normally an M&P 9c with CT laser sight....Been thinking lately I would like something different with similar capacity and maybe a little smaller for concealment. I jumped on the micro 9 bandwagon for a bit and purchased a Hellcat...nice for concealment but I am 6'4' and have larger hands and just don't shoot it well so I'll be selling or trading it...Shot a friends P365 with the same result, grips are too small for me, I just don't shoot them well. One I have been looking at is the Shield Plus Performance Center 9mm with ported 3.1" barrel and fiber optic sights....Watched a few videos of reviews and the Shield Plus got pretty good comments...We only have 2 ranges here that rent handguns and neither of them have one in their lineup and I don't know anyone who owns one...

Just wondering if anyone has real world experience with this particular Shield? I think sometimes, the guys online that do reviews tend to say what they think people or even makers want to hear...I would much prefer opinions good or bad from real world users....Thanks for asny comments...
Click to expand...
I bought the Shield Plus optics ready. It is a great pistol. I have large hands and the grip is very comfortable for me, much better than the previous Shields. I owned 3 other Shields and this is the best by far. It is very easy to handle recoil, much more than the Hellcat. The grip on the Hellcat and the Sig P365 are much smaller. I owned the Hellcat and found it uncomfortable and my accuracy suffered. I have not shot the Sig, it is just too small for my hands. I have shot and carried a Glock 43 since they came out, so I am used to small pistols. My favorite slimline is the Glock 48, but the Shield Plus is running a very close second, and may actually push the G43 and G48 aside as my carry pistol.
 
RE grips being a bit rough.... this is what I ended up with to help with that issue. I grabbed 2 from I believe Midway at the time when they had some crazy half price sale. 4 things about these. Takes care of the rough texture. Fits and feels more comfortable in my hand, Helps a bit with recoil, You get a free workout trying to wrestle these things on. (Even when following the directions.)

S&W M&P Shield 9mm & 40 / Ruger LC9, EC9 - Beavertail Grip Sleeves - HandALL Grip Sleeves - Handgun Grips - Hogue Products

www.hogueinc.com www.hogueinc.com
 
UPDATE....Called around and found a range about 20 miles away that had a Shield Plus in their rental lineup....Went there this morning and shot it...it was the Shield Plus with 3.1" barrel....had no similar trouble I have had with the Hellcat and P365 shooting low and left....Fired about 20 rounds with all in the center 3" circle from 25 feet....I went out and asked the rangemaster if I could take a break and go look in the store and he said that was fine...Got in there and they had a Shield Plus Performance Center in 4" barrel as well as a Plus 3.1 (not Performance Center)...I figured if I shot the 3.1" that well, the Performance Center 4" with the fiber optic sights and longer barrel couldn't be any worse...I took and chance and bought it for only $30 more than the Plus with 3.1" barrel and back to the range I went...

I could not be happier...shot it some better than the rental Shield....Little less recoil and more accurate...performed perfectly....it's only 3/8" longer than the EDC I had (M&P 9c) but about 1/4" thinner as well as 3 oz. lighter...conceals great and has a great trigger with a short reset to boot....Thanks everyone for the comments, very much appreciated....
 

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Trebor657 said:
UPDATE....Called around and found a range about 20 miles away that had a Shield Plus in their rental lineup....Went there this morning and shot it...it was the Shield Plus with 3.1" barrel....had no similar trouble I have had with the Hellcat and P365 shooting low and left....Fired about 20 rounds with all in the center 3" circle from 25 feet....I went out and asked the rangemaster if I could take a break and go look in the store and he said that was fine...Got in there and they had a Shield Plus Performance Center in 4" barrel as well as a Plus 3.1 (not Performance Center)...I figured if I shot the 3.1" that well, the Performance Center 4" with the fiber optic sights and longer barrel couldn't be any worse...I took and chance and bought it for only $30 more than the Plus with 3.1" barrel and back to the range I went...

I could not be happier...shot it some better than the rental Shield....Little less recoil and more accurate...performed perfectly....it's only 3/8" longer than the EDC I had (M&P 9c) but about 1/4" thinner as well as 3 oz. lighter...conceals great and has a great trigger with a short reset to boot....Thanks everyone for the comments, very much appreciated....
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Nice shooting!
 
Months ago I visited my LGS looking for the Hellcat Pro. No stock. I was introduced to the Shield + but without the extra bells & whistles. I loved the sights, grip, weight and balance and purchased it. I have 400 + rounds thru it without a hiccup. Weeks ago I purchased a Hellcat Pro (during the Gear up program). I have several hundred rounds thru it, however the "new" ball in the bucket sights don't work for me. I have a set of Ameriglo "Trooper" sights on order and can't wait to swap them out. I hope I will like my pro as much as my + as I'm a big fan of SA.
Just my .02
 
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