Thoughts on a Shield .40

CUJOHUNTER · Jul 24, 2018

Just picked up a like new S&W Shield in .40S&W the other day but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. I've owned the a Shield 9mm in the past and liked it.... but now I have the .40S&W Shield.

Any Shield 40 owners out there? What are your thoughts on it? Is it your EDC? Pros and cons?

rcm192 · Jul 24, 2018

I bet you will go back to the 9mm. Its seems like a pretty common trend in my experiences with selling them. 40 in that platform has a noticable amount of zip to the recoil. Shoot it and let us know what you think!

MetalVendor · Jul 25, 2018

A Shield .40 was my EDC pistol for a while. Loved it. Carried for a couple of years before I switched back to a hammer fired carry gun (which as you may remember is a 908 that I got from some cool musician). I'm one of those weirdos who absolutely love the .40 caliber cartridge. So for me, the Shield in .40 was a no-brainer. Had a 9mm and sold it. Like RCM192 said, go shoot it and see how you like it. If you don't like it, I may have a little bit of room left in my family to reintroduce a Shield .40 back into the family/carry rotation... I honestly regret letting her go, but for some reason I got re-hooked on carrying hammer fired.

EightySix · Jul 25, 2018

Shield 40 for me too, but I find the recoil a little snappy after 20 or so rounds. My advice is to get the Talon grip tape for it, like night and day.

MetalVendor · Jul 25, 2018

+1 for the Talon grip tape. Works wonders on small pistols.

Leadfoot · Jul 25, 2018

.40 has snappy snappy snappy recoil. Did I mention its snappy?

The smaller the gun, the snappier it is. I personally don't think you'll like the Shield 40 as much as the 9.

40 is a dying caliber.

John_ · Jul 25, 2018

Leadfoot said:
.40 has snappy snappy snappy recoil. Did I mention its snappy?

The smaller the gun, the snappier it is. I personally don't think you'll like the Shield 40 as much as the 9.

40 is a dying caliber.

People and departments jumped ship like over night on 40. And i picked up a couple 40 pistols really cheap. 40 s&w will be around for another 50 years. Its not like night and day between 9mm and 40 recoil, geez. Shoot some 115 gr 9mm +P ammo. If its recoil is too much for ya, maybe a .25acp or .22LR might suit ur sensitive needs better.

Robbie · Jul 25, 2018

Keep it, shoot it and enjoy.
Da .40 guy!

KDerekT83 · Jul 25, 2018

John_ said:
People and departments jumped ship like over night on 40. And i picked up a couple 40 pistols really cheap. 40 s&w will be around for another 50 years. Its not like night and day between 9mm and 40 recoil, geez. Shoot some 115 gr 9mm +P ammo. If its recoil is too much for ya, maybe a .25acp or .22LR might suit ur sensitive needs better.

Adding to this...go shoot it. If it's to much recoil I've got a Sig Sauer Pistol in .22LR I'll trade ya for the shield. Lol

Magdump · Jul 26, 2018

I laugh at the anti 40 hype. Mostly because it’s just hype but largely because it’s bringing ammo prices down and I have benefitted from it with some good handgun deals thrown in my lap. I’ve been avidly shooting .40 S&W since Beretta and HK built their first .40 cal handgun offerings. I still own and shoot plenty of 9mm weapons as well. I do understand the 9mm cartridge has come a long way, but it has not surpassed the performance of a bigger faster bullet and it never will. Cuz physics...
Most full size .40 cal handguns have a 13-16 round capacity with a flush fitting mag so the *twice as many rounds* argument is about as weak as all those tender wrist shooters out there complaining about recoil.
I would agree that for small, deep concealed carry weapons, 9mm is most likely a better choice for obvious reasons, but I’d also recommend going with a lighter load in those guns since most folks cannot get a full solid grip on them and any reduction in recoil would be gratuitous.
That is not to say that I would rule out a single stack .40 for carry, likely one less round...
If a person can’t manage recoil, decides not to work to overcome recoil, or counts on spray and pray technique for armed
defenses situations, a 9mm handgun might be the best they can do. And the hype is the same thing as always, an attempt to deal with other ways of thinking.
Btw, my Glock 23 and 22 both have felt recoil that’s heavier than my Beretta 96 pistols. My 96’s and 92’s feel the same to me. I honestly can’t tell the difference in recoil. My HK P7M10 has a pretty good snap to it but my USP 40 shoots like a 9mm.
I enjoy shooting Desert Eagle in 44mag and when I take it out I generally shoot a couple boxes. I’d say the recoil is greater than any of my .40 cal handguns, but not too snappy.
In essence, a 9mm is not a better man stopper. It is the answer to the inability to proficiently shoot the .40

oleheat · Jul 26, 2018

.40 S&W: The Round that can't catch a break. :dogkeke:

The charges against it truly go full circle: From jokes about "short & weak" to "it's too snappy"....But as someone said above- it's not going away, anytime soon. If past history is any indicator, the FBI may wake up one day and decide the 9mm is insufficient- again. :doh:

FWIW, my niece carries a Shield in .40....She is around 5 foot-nothing and 105 lbs- and she shoots that pistol very well. The added recoil doesn't seem to bother her. Yes, it's recoil is a bit more noticeable compared to 9mm- but a wrist breaker it's not.

John_ · Jul 26, 2018

Lotta good commentary there, Mag. But in defense, ur Beretta weighs 8 ozs heavier than my G22, unloaded. And its a very simple equation really, specific round muzzle energy versus handgun weight and frame design factors. Mostly the handgun weight tho versus the potential round muzzle energy (velocity x projectile weight).

ur suggestion for a lighter 40 load is good, I thought of that after my somewhat sarcastic response above. For training purposes, a lower velocity FMC load, where u might shoot 30+ rounds in a session, with the smaller Shield models. And the grip tape has got to help.

CUJOHUNTER · Jul 26, 2018

The G27 was my go to for a minute until it started feeling like a brick on my hip all day. Previously, I carried a 642 with +P loads but have since moved on from that. True, the Sheld .40 is lighter but definitely not a wrist breaker. Follow up shots are on point if you do what you're supposed to do on the initial shot.

Newbie21 · Jul 26, 2018

ive owned the .40 and didnt quite like it. traded it for a 9mm and loved it. i think it just all comes down to how much recoil you would like to put up with. follow up shots were easier with the 9mm for me. but if you do your part and train with either then its fine.

Magdump · Jul 26, 2018

oleheat said:
.40 S&W: The Round that can't catch a break.

.

Awesome! We need to do a meme! LMAO

John_ · Jul 26, 2018

Magdump said:
Awesome! We need to do a meme! LMAO

Ask and you shall receive

(my first ever meme)

Leadfoot · Jul 26, 2018

John_ said:
People and departments jumped ship like over night on 40. And i picked up a couple 40 pistols really cheap. 40 s&w will be around for another 50 years. Its not like night and day between 9mm and 40 recoil, geez. Shoot some 115 gr 9mm +P ammo. If its recoil is too much for ya, maybe a .25acp or .22LR might suit ur sensitive needs better.

Nice bait.

I shoot .357, .44 & .45 almost exclusively, however, I recognize .40's recoil over 9.

The .40 was a compromise to begin with and an answer to a question nobody asked.

Magdump · Jul 26, 2018

John_ said:
People and departments jumped ship like over night on 40. And i picked up a couple 40 pistols really cheap. 40 s&w will be around for another 50 years. Its not like night and day between 9mm and 40 recoil, geez. Shoot some 115 gr 9mm +P ammo. If its recoil is too much for ya, maybe a .25acp or .22LR might suit ur sensitive needs better.

I don’t think .40 S&W is going anywhere either. When you look at the ammo shelf in any gun shop or sporting goods section, the 2 pistol calibers you see the most are 9mm and 40. To say it’s a dying caliber is about as far fetched as Hillary Clinton winning the presidential election...

John_ · Jul 26, 2018

Leadfoot said:
Nice bait.

I shoot .357, .44 & .45 almost exclusively, however, I recognize .40's recoil over 9.

The .40 was a compromise to begin with and an answer to a question nobody asked.

I never said the recoil of 9mm was equal to 40 anywhere in this thread. If you can find that, show me. 40 s&w recoil at worst might be 15% greater than 9mm, and it entirely depends on the loads selected. There is some 9mm 115 gr +p+ out there that has some serious steam. That one guy was talking like shooting 40 was shooting a 357 magnum. I find 40 to be very manageable myself.

JBP55 · Jul 27, 2018

ft lbs energy from Gold Dot 9mm, .40 and .45 which is the most commonly used LEA ammunition.

180gr. is 31% higher than 147gr. and 4% higher than 230gr.
165gr. is 18% higher than 124+P

No Cherry picking!

Thoughts on a Shield .40

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