Performance Center S&W Shield Plus in 9mm

Figured I would give this a try since many of you on KZbin and Instragram had mentioned it. I had planned to get one this summer, but here it is now! Do you think it is worth the extra money? Should I have gone all in and bought the ported barrel and red dot version? Should Smith & Wesson make this their standard model M&P instead of PC (Performance Center)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
P.S. In the outro shooting footage at the range, the one where the holes go almost straight across, that is Hammer shooting. He then filmed that SHORT of me with Springfield XDm 4.5 inch 9mm. Who shot better? LOL! He had to buy me lunch. So, he treated me to one burger at Burger King, LOL!
Regular Shield Plus Review: • New M&P Shield Plus fr...
XDm 9mm Short video: • Don't Bet Striker That...
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[@elsullo2]

What a wonderful CALM and detailed review! No stupid head-banging background music, no silly teenaged video jargon, no POSING in profile and shooting, no pseudo patriotic raving. Just information and perspective---VERY REFRESHING..............................elsullo

[@charlesj.6563]

After a career of carrying Glocks on duty, in retirement I have increasingly become a fan of the S&W Shields for EDC. The 4” barrel Performance Center models are by far my favorites. The extra weight and sight radius on the 4” models allow me to shoot more accurately at distances of 15-25 yards when compared to my results with a 3.1” barrel model. I have a 4” PC Shield Plus in 9mm as well as the 4” 2.0 PC models in 40 S&W and in 45 Auto. All are great pistols to carry and to shoot at the range. While the factory fiber optic sights work well outdoors in daylight, at night they are far less useful. I eventually removed the fiber optic sights and installed Night Fision night sights. These 4” Shields can easily compete with the Sig 365XL and new Hellcat Pro. I highly recommend these Shield pistols as well as the Night Fision night sights.

[@BAdventures]

Extra velocity and sight radius from the 4" barrel. But very slick and compact. Good review 👍

[@sentinel7122]

I've carried the Shield Plus PC 4" for about 6-7 months now after trading in my 3.1", absolutely love it. Wasn't a fan of the fiber sights, so I did swap mine out for some Trijicon tritiums with the orange ring... They're fantastic. Great visibility in all light conditions. It'll likely be my daily for a long time to come.

[@sentinel7122]

Oh, and got mine non-ported, no-safety, and red dot ready for $700 with one 10- and one 13-round mag. Pretty expensive for a micro compact, especially with the cost of trading the sights at around $80, but I have no regrets.

[@RPG_Bliss]

I’m actually making this decision, the 3 inch vs 4 inch barrel. It would be my first EDC. In your opinion does it conceal any differently?

[@RPG_Bliss]

@@sentinel7122thanks in advance

[@michaelmcmillan2776]

I've had my shield Plus for a little bit over a year now. It is the performance center. I eventually sent it out to have the slide milled red dot. happy with the results. I did notice however, if you go outside into a sunny day those sites jump alive. Previously I had only shot that weapon indoors or outside under canopy. Has been a great addition to my EDC. I would definitely recommend it to anybody. Thank you for the video very informative.

[@AJ-gk7bn]

Personally I prefer blacked out rears so I replaced those red fiber optic sights with black ones. The red was especially distracting on these ones. The green is much easier to spot now and I’ll also add that natural sunlight seems to really make it pop. Much more than being inside a range for some reason.

[@Sirgromulus]

I also prefer a green front sight (tritium or fiber optic) to red. Much easier to pick up in all conditions, especially outside daylight. My Holosun optics are all green dot as well. I do wish S&W offered this 4" Performance model with regular tritium night sights (as on the 3.1" standard optics ready model) as an option vs. these very "busy" fiber optics.

[@theanimefamily2542]

Question, Where did you get the black fiber optic strands ? I’m looking to replace my two red fibers for those.

[@RuBearUSA]

Exactly the video I wanted to see! Thank you!

[@AaronMTZ.]

Im a Glock fanboy but these videos have been making me want to get one of these for a while now great videos like always Mr Striker

[@gunsoverthetopfirearms9476]

I like that Smith&wesson Plus 9mm i also like the Smith&Wesson 9.0 9mm to

[@truthseeking3818]

Have to correct you. S&W does not sell an extended ported barrel version of this gun. Only a ported barrel and slide combo with the ports set about an inch inward from the tip of the muzzle. Remsport DOES sell an extended ported barrel solution for this firearm - which is in every way superior to the OEM porting done by S&W. The extended ported barrel gives you more velocity and more downward leverage compared to the OEM ported variant.

[@gophucyorselph5179]

15 round S&W Equalizer mags works in this

[@kenhoward3512]

As a happy standard Shield Plus owner, I feel like I'm the only one who looks at the 4" version and wonders how S&W could think making the muzzle-end of the slide look as if it were a cheap, welded-on, misaligned extension, would be a good idea? Offering a longer-barrel version is smart, but the way they did it... ?

[@cin426]

They did that on purpose they said. Its tapered for holsters or something I read a while back

[@ShockerTopper]

I have the same sights but opposite, my rear sight is two green fiber optics and the front is a single green fiber optic. Mine are truglo high viz, and they are like night and day compared to the crappy “high viz day sights” that are just three painted white dots on a piece of metal (at least it wasn’t plastic). This is my conceal carry though, which is why I don’t have a red dot sight like on my Glock 19 that started as my CC until adding my strike industries Mass Driver comp., tac. Light, Magwell, and sight mark Red Dot. But ya the comp makes for flat shooting but it makes the length of the slide+comp equal to the Glock 17 haha. Thats my home defense firearm now.

[@bosse641]

Very nice.

[@3wheelmannc860]

I have the regular Shield Plus. Very nice sub imo. The rear night sights are solid, but on mine, the front sight is very poor with illumination.

[@paulparadis66]

Lol! Here's a fact. The regular shield plus weighs slightly less than the shield. 20.2oz vs 20.8oz. The Shield Plus performance center is 22.8 because of the extra .9" in length. The discontinued special length reg performance center weighed more as well.

[@cliffbernsen438]

Your specifications are probably for the ported version.

[@paulparadis66]

@@cliffbernsen438 Try again. It's funny when people argue with actual technical data.

[@andrewtanczyk4009]

@@paulparadis66 thought it was more that it was thinner to conceal carry being the issue than the weight?

[@paulparadis66]

@@andrewtanczyk4009 The hardest part to conceal is usually the grip. The longer the grip the more it tends to print. The shield plus is just as easy to carry as the shield.

[@billl1451]

Good video

[@bradvincet1848]

Is there a noticeable difference in discomfort for IWB carry over the 3.1" barrel?

[@cin426]

The difference is only noticed wearing shorts to me.

[@marctrundle8737]

To answer your question..NO..not at all. The slightly longer barrel gives you less muzzle climb, longer sight radius, better ballistics and the gun shoots like a full size service pistol. Love mine!

[@3Pillers]

👍

[@rickeybullington6314]

I would love to have one just like it.

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Thank you. Good review. We are looking at a # of these higher capacity "micro" 9s to replace my wife's Shield 45. One of my daughters had the same Shield 45 and got the Ruger Max 9 over all the others including the Plus. The price of the Ruger with all that it offered is mighty attractive. I have almost exclusively bought Smith and Wesson & Ruger for almost 4 decades of carry & hunting handguns. But I am looking at the P365XL pretty hard. Any thoughts on price for price & option for option comparison between this Shield & the P365XL. I do like a bit longer barrel. Thank you.

[@charlesj.6563]

Probably the four similar pistols to look at are the Hellcat Pro, Glock 48, Sig P365XL and this 4” Performance Center Shield Plus with or w/o the optic cut. I don’t have experience with the Hellcat Pro but I own and have shot hundreds of rounds through each of the other three pistols. All three are great choices. With iron sights on all three pistols, I definitely shoot the 4” Shield Plus more accurately at 15-25 yards. At 10 yards or less, there is no significant difference in performance between the three pistols for me. The slight extra weight of the 4” Shield Plus is a benefit for me at the range, especially compared to the 365XL. I still own all three pistols but I choose to carry the 4” Shield Plus 90% of the time.

[@guardianminifarm8005]

@@charlesj.6563 Appreciate the testimony & experience. A working knowledge of function & performance is very valuable. Thank you. We don't have to " replace" the Shield 45. It is as viable as it has ever been. She had the 1.0 9mm before the 2.0 Shield 45 and was more than happy with it. But all things considered she & I are liking more rounds and less expensive, as well as availability of ammo. Have a good one.

[@ShepherdMinistry]

@@charlesj.6563 do you still carry that shield 4”?

[@charlesj.6563]

@@ShepherdMinistry Yes, I do still carry one of my 4” Shield/Shield Plus in either 9mm, 40 S&W or 45 Auto most of the time. I really like these slimline pistols with 4” (give or take) barrels such as the 4” Shields, Glock 48, Sig 365XL or the new Hellcat Pro. For me, they seem to be the perfect balance of being easy to carry yet also easy to shoot well. Lately I have been shooting and carrying pistols with red dot optics most of the time so one of the Performance Center 4” Shields with optic cut along with the Sig 365XL have been carried the most.

[@ShepherdMinistry]

@@charlesj.6563If you had to pick a shield 4” or sig 365 xl which would you? And which would you say is more accurate/ less recoil?

[@2014-IPO-World-Champ]

I guess I got the lemon. Just got it home today and trigger won’t reset anymore after about 10 dry fires 😢

[@kusherysouljas4867]

First

[@elliottpeabody1287]

Eighteenth

[@andrewtanczyk4009]

Thirty first! 31