Jeff Quinn Reviews The S&W M&P Shield .45
BY Herschel Smith
7 years, 9 months ago
First of all, Jeff’s grip is odd since there is no thumb on the slide for his opposing hand. I wonder if this “revolver-style” grip is normal for him (it is for some people), or if it is a function of the smallness of the gun frame? I don’t do nearly as well shooting small frame guns as with large frame guns for this very reason.
Second, for all of my M&P-owning readers, take a simple test. First of all, unload your M&P. Do it. Including the chamber. Make sure. Now. Look at the end of the slide and the gap between the slide and the frame. Take two fingers and put them on the top of the slide and the bottom of the frame near the end of the barrel. Press together. Why does this gap (and play) exist? What possible engineering justification can there be for that kind of tolerance? This is true of every M&P I have ever touched. Every one. There is rattling at the end of the frame because of the play between the barrel and frame.
Third, in the comments section of YouTube, Jeff remarks that S&W is made in the USA, while Springfield Armory XD/XDm is not. Whatever. If you consider Massachusetts the USA.
Fourth, my son Joseph has an M&P Shield and likes it very much. Granted I don’t shoot 9mm so I cannot make a good comparison, but Joseph is very discerning and critical.
I still think I’m in the market for another concealed carry gun, a compact 1911, probably a SA Range Officer Compact (RO Compact). But I don’t have one yet. So there’s that.
On August 4, 2016 at 8:21 am, Fred said:
Never noticed the play between frame and slide before. Huh. Hickok45 reviews as well. I was just watching some of it last night. Both Mr. Quinn and Hickok45 like the grip and trigger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV3HvFpYBX8
On August 4, 2016 at 9:39 am, Douglas Mortimer said:
I have the 9mm Shield and M&P 9c. Both have been %100 reliable. I do like the new texturing on the 45 Shield as well.
On August 4, 2016 at 11:23 am, Fred said:
I’ve had one failure to eject. I was using reload rounds. I don’t count it against the weapon, just the ammo. Zero other issues. I found a good reload company, that is local. So for target practice I stick with them now. So, 100% reliable when using reliable ammo.
On August 4, 2016 at 1:46 pm, Jack said:
“S&W is made in the USA, while Springfield Armory XD/XDm is not. Whatever. If you consider Massachusetts the USA.”
Got it in one!
On August 4, 2016 at 2:32 pm, George said:
the man’s grip is backwards probably because of his big hands and the small size of the frame. He has his shooting hand thumb underneath. It should be on top of the support hand thumb.
On August 5, 2016 at 12:48 pm, Josh said:
There’s not a single correct grip for shooting handguns. Some people just fall into something natural that works for them. As we all know, the entire body is the shooting platform that must be put into balance. People achieve this balance in different ways.
My grip is exactly like Quinn’s, where my supporting hand wraps or cups my shooting hand and covers the thumb, pulling it downward. I also shoot in a modified weaver stance, so I achieve balance through opposing forces, from my hands through to my upper and lower body. I find that achieving balance this way is more natural (for me), and less tiring over time, as I’m locking in to a balanced position through isometric muscle contraction. It also allows me to set and forget my body and focus only on my sight picture and hands.
Covering the shooting thumb is a part of all this. It provides an opposing, isometric means of balancing the grip from trigger pull through recoil and re-sighting.
On August 4, 2016 at 4:45 pm, Pat Hines said:
I’m a SIG aficionado, I admit that right up front. Yes, they carry a premium price tag, but The ones I have perform flawlessly from first shot to the last time I pulled the trigger. I’ve never had a jam in them.
Yet, I recently decided I needed a “backup” handgun. So over the last six months, I’ve done some research and could not come up with a better choice that one of Smith & Wesson’s Scandium alloy J-frame revolvers. Featherlight at 11.4 ounces empty, yet chambered for .357 Magnum pressures (I’ll probably never fire a magnum round in it) it fit the bill precisely. It will arrive next week.
Now I need to acquire some .38 Special +P ammo for it, and a suitable holster.
It’s a 360PD model, with a real hammer for single action shooting.
On August 5, 2016 at 3:45 pm, Horatio Bunce said:
I may get an S&W down the road when my XD45 [ original first run} finally gives up the ghost . But 5000+ rounds and no issues , I am thinking it will be a long time in the future .