Shield Archives - Walt in PA

Photo Courtesy of When The Balloon Goes Up Back in April, the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield took the world by storm. Perhaps that is a little dramatic, but there is no denying that this particular gun was a common topic of discussion on many of the gun blogs across the world wide web. I took a step back, considered my situation, and decided that the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield was very interesting, but I would pass. It has been roughly four months since the initial launch and my desire to own one is at an all time high. You may be wondering, what has changed since my initial decision that the gun wasn't for me? The most critical is that I have decided to change up what and how I carry a gun, on a day to day basis. Small and Mighty: When I got serious about carrying a gun for personal protection, I had this crazy idea that I needed something small that packed a punch. When I say a small gun, I mean sub compact because, after all, a full size gun on my hip would be like wearing a flashing neon sigh that read "Who's Got a Gun? This Guy!". I drove over an hour away to an over-priced sporting goods store and purchased a Springfield XD Sub Compact in .40 S&W. The gun met all of my criteria. It was very small and was chambered in a caliber that started in 4. Don't get me wrong, it is a great gun that has never failed me (outside of using it at the range, I've never had to defend myself with it) but its size makes it more difficult to shoot than a larger pistol. Over time I finally came to the realization that if I could carry a double stack .40 with an extended magazine, without anyone noticing, then I could carry a larger gun overall. Carrying a Gun When I Can't Carry a Gun Despite the Springfield XD Sub Compact being small, there were times when I wasn't comfortable carrying it. I'm sure you can imagine a place where carrying a gun is perfectly legal, but not worth the hassle it would bring if accidentally discovered. For those situations, I decided that a Pocket Pistol of some sort was in order. After some research, I settled on a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard. This little pocket pistol is a pleasure to shoot (we are talking about physically shooting it, not the cost of ammunition. Sometimes I wonder if it she bullets are filled with gold instead of lead due to the cost of .380 Auto). I take it with me practically everywhere since it is as simple as tossing it into a pocket (complete with a pocket holster, of course). Couldn't Leave Well Enough Alone So, you know what I carry but you still arean't clear on why I might want a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield? That is because I just couldn't leave well enough alone. As I mentioned already, if I can easily carry a Springfield XD Sub Compact, I can carry something larger without issue. In an effort to sort-of consolidate calibers, I ordered a Glock 19 to be used for concealed carry as well as double as an IDPA Gun. The Glock 19 is larger than the XD but still small enough to carry under most circumstances and it provides me with several more rounds in the event that things turn deadly. It also allows me to practice with the more affordable 9mm cartridge. I Don't Want to Want the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Truth be told, I don't want to want an M&P Shield. After all, I have concealed carry covered with the Springfield XD, Smith & Wesson Bodyguard, and the soon to be picked-up Glock 19. There is absolutely no reason why I need the Shield. Even so, I want one.... I want one oh-so-bad... A Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm was my first range gun and it served me well throughout my first season of USPSA. Despite the slide rusting and needing replacement, the magazines developing surface rust, and the white dots falling out of the sights, I love that gun. It doesn't get used much since I've switched to a Glock 17 for USPSA, but I have no intention of getting rid of it (Actually, I may drop in an Apex Trigger Kit and add a set of Warren tactical Sights). If I can't shake the desire to own a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, it may make a liar out of me. I haven't got a clue as to how Test and Evaluation guns are provided to gun bloggers, but if I were one of them Smith & Wesson would have to pry the Shield out of my hands in order to get it back. Ask The Readers Are there any guns that you don't want to want but just can't help it?