Ranger Firearms & Mercantile

Quick Review of the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield vs the Ruger LC9 and M&P 9C

Ranger — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:23:36 +0000

Smith & Wesson announced the M&P Shield 9mm at last week’s NRA convention in St Louis. It is a single-stack 9mm similar in size to the Ruger LC9. It ships with a flush (7) and 1 round extended (8) mag. It has a small manual safety.

We were fortunate to get a chance to test shoot the M&P Shield and what follows is a quick range report based on shooting it against the Ruger LC9 and M&P 9 Compact for comparison. Shooting was done by two shooters (Virgil & Sarah) and limited to a few magazines from each at ~15 feet distance offhand.

Shared impressions:

The Shield is made to similar fit and finish to it’s bigger M&P brethren which is to say very well
While the Palm Swell isn’t adjustable, it feels great in the hand and makes the grip feel much larger than the LC9, even though they’re about the same
The Shield trigger pull is very similar to the M&P 9C and much better than the LC9
The Shield is a bit heavier than the LC9, but not enough worry about
At a $449.00 MSRP Price Point, these are a great buy

Both shooters shot 1 mag from each pistol on a practice target to ‘warm up’ and get a basic sense of trigger pull, recoil, and sights. They then shot 5 shot ‘groups’ for each.

Virgil's Target

Virgil’s Review:

The M&P Shield shot like an M&P - which is outstanding in such a small package. As you can see in the target above, group size for the Shield and 9C were quite comparable compact. The trigger difference really shows vs the LC9 which takes much more practice to master (as shown in the vertical stringing). The Shield reminded me a lot of the Glock 36, about my favorite and best shooting compact 45, and if Glock made a single stack 9, I would expect it to shoot like the Shield. Felt recoil was a bit higher than the M&P 9C but not appreciable. The LC9, being lighter, had more recoil and ‘flip’ than either S&W.

Sarah's Target

Sarah’s Review:

If you look at the red circle between the center and right target, you can see why I’m not a huge LC9 fan. Somewhere below those two holes is a 3rd shot. These were aimed at the center target. The combination of long, heavy trigger and small sights make the LC9 hard to shoot without a lot of practice.

The Shield shot very well. The 1st magazine for ‘score’ was 5 shots from the extended mag on the left target. All of these grouped just under the centerline. I then shot 3 shots from the flush mag into the same target – the 3 holes above the centerline. I then switched to the right target with the M&P 9C and finished with a final 5 shots into the center target with the Shield and the extended mag. I really liked the larger sights on the Shield vs the LC9 and the palm swell grip.

Shooter “Bios”:

Virgil & Sarah are the driving force behind Ranger Firearms & Mercantile, LLC – striving to make it Northwest Florida’s best & friendliest gun store.

Virgil has been shooting recreationally since his youth. A Jack of All Trades but Master of None, he has shot a wide range of firearms over the years and dabbled in NRA High Power, IDPA, Steel Challenge, USPSA, Cowboy Action, and Muzzle Loader competition shooting when time permits. Most at home behind the sights of a modern “Black” and traditional “Black Powder” rifles, he’s been working hard on improving his pistol skills.

Sarah is ever the good sport in trying new things. She did her 1st competition (a Steel Challenge match) last year and has gravitated towards the Springfield XD-9 as her go-to semi-auto, although she’s started to hear the siren song of match-grade 1911′s. No slouch in the rifle world, Sarah shoots them all from 22′s to AR-15′s and up and is the proud owner of a new flintlock rifle for the rendezvous circuit.

CZ-452 Military Trainer 22LR

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:33:26 +0000

The CZ-452 Military Trainer is a precision 22LR bolt action on the famous CZ-452 action with adjustable trigger. Stocked in European Walnut with adjustable iron sights, the CZ-452 is a beautiful example of Czech workmanship.

Remington 700 AAC Blackout Model in 308 Winchester

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:10:58 +0000

This is a special run Remington 700. It has a factory threaded barrel with Blackout flash suppressor in a Hogue over-molded stock for a great price.

PTR 91 H&K G3 Rifle 7.62 NATO

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:08:24 +0000

The PTR 91 is built from German H&K G3 parts on a precision made US receiver. The G3 uses a roller-delayed blow-back action and fluted chamber – making it one of the most reliable, large caliber battle rifles ever made. It and the Belgian designed FAL comprised the bulk of Western 7.62 NATO (308 Win) rifles during the cold war.

Century Arms R1A1 Inch Pattern FAL Rifle 7.62 Nato

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:06:22 +0000

This is an early Century FAL "inch" pattern rifle build. The FN FAL was one of the most used 7.62 Nato Battle Rifles in use in the West during the cold war. It has an adjustable gas pistol action which makes it very adaptable to different ammo types.

Bushmaster MOE M4 Carbine 5.56mm / 223

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:04:56 +0000

Pictured is the new Bushmaster MOE M4 AR-15 style carbine. A standard M4 profile barrel and receiver is coupled with the Magpul MOE handguard, pistol grip, and telescoping stock.

Mossberg Trek Rifle Packages

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:03:41 +0000

Mossberg's Trek rifle packages can get you into the woods or onto the range for a great price. These come with factory installed 3-9X scopes, black synthetic stocks, and blued barrels. Available in many calibers from 243 to 30-06.

Weatherby Vanguard 300 Win Mag

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:03:32 +0000

Weatherby's Vangaurd bolt-action rifle series provides a quality rifle at an affordable price. This Vangaurd is chambered in 300 Winchester Magnum.

Baikal Coach Guns 12ga & 20ga

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:02:27 +0000

Russian arms maker Baikal offers a lineup of traditional, hammerless coach guns in 12ga and 20ga. With 18.5" barrels, these are idea for cowboy action or home defense and have dual triggers. The 20ga version features screw-in chokes for increased versatility.

Mossberg Maverick Home Defense 12ga

Ranger — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:59:20 +0000

This Mosserg Maverick 12ga is based on the popular Mossberg 500 platform. It features a 18.5" barrel for tight spaces and comes with both the shoulder stock pictured and a pistol grip stock.