Smith & Wesson Introduces M&P Shield Pistol

Smith & Wesson Corp. today introduced the M&P Shield pistol, a slim and lightweight compact pistol for off-duty concealment or plainclothes assignments. The M&P Shield is a striker-fired polymer pistol that's available in 9mm and .40 S&W with a 3.1-inch barrel.

Photo: Smith & WessonPhoto: Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson Corp. today introduced the M&P Shield pistol, a slim and lightweight compact pistol for off-duty concealment or plainclothes assignments.

The M&P Shield is a striker-fired polymer pistol that's available in 9mm and .40 S&W with a 3.1-inch barrel. The pistol enhances concealment with its one-inch profile and 18-degree grip angle.

The pistol's polymer frame arrives with a black, Melonite coated stainless steel slide and barrel. The pistol has an overall length of 6.1 inches and an unloaded weight of 19 ounces. A short, 6.5-pound trigger pull enhances the M&P Shield's 5.3-inch sight radius, according to the company.

Front and rear sights are white dot stainless steel. The M&P Shield retains familiar operating features on the left side of the frame, including a simple takedown lever, flat profile slide stop, magazine release, and flush-mounted thumb safety. For improved firearm control, the M&P Shield is standard with a fixed, textured back strap and additional texturing at the forward portion of the grip. An extended trigger guard has also been added for operation of the pistol with or without gloves.

The M&P Shield is shipped with both an extended and flat magazine. The 9mm M&P Shield offers an 8+1 or 7+1 magazine capacity while the .40 S&W M&P Shield is standard with either a 7+1 or 6+1 magazine capacity. The slimmer magazines aren't compatible with M&P series duty pistols. The M&P Shield will also be introduced in a California-compliant model.

BlackHawk, Fobus, DeSantis, and Galco are developing dedicated holsters for the pistol, which is currently available for $449. The gun will fit into several existing BlackHawk holsters, including the nylon Belt Slide holster.

Related:

S&W's M&P Shield Pistol (video)

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