Shield vs SR9c

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Ok guys I really need some advice.... I recently received my LTC and we all know the next step! I have narrowed it down to two guns:

1. S&W Shield
2. Ruger SR9c

I plan to cc and also want to use it at the range. I really like the idea of smaller ccw, but have read great things about the SR9c. I am unable to buy both ..... thanks, Jerry
 
I am unable to buy both ..... thanks, Jerry

He said it right off the bat, which is funny cuz lotsa the boys on here including myself say alot "get em both!"

In all seriousness the shield is on the new side, but many are enjoying them already and the SR9's in my opinion are a stellar arm...it all comes down to trying them both and getting a genuine feel for them.

i personally own an SR9C and only recently traded in a fullsize and really enjoyed them both with zero failures of any kind.

Dom
 
Ok guys I really need some advice.... I recently received my LTC and we all know the next step! I have narrowed it down to two guns:

1. S&W Shield
2. Ruger SR9c

I plan to cc and also want to use it at the range. I really like the idea of smaller ccw, but have read great things about the SR9c. I am unable to buy both ..... thanks, Jerry

Congrats on the LTC,

I have a full-size SR9, but have fired the C, and I love it. Seriously considering trading my full-size for the compact. The Ruger is going to have a much better trigger out of the box for about the same price. The trigger kit for the Shiled will cost you another $100. The Shield being very new isn't going to have a lot of "over time" reviews, only NIB reviews and first or second range trips. I've got probably about 2k rounds through my Ruger and it's phenominal, I can't say it's better, but I highly recommend it.
 
i haven't tried shield but sr9c is a great gun with awesome trigger. but as people said above - try both before deciding. besides shooting it, try and see which one you are more comfortable with, including carrying - try it against your body.
 
Go coon-finger them both at the gun store. I was looking at one yesterday - I'd been thinking of putting it on my list - but I won't be adding one to the arsenal now. For me, the grip is just too large. From back to front it is much wider than is comfortable for me to hold.

This sort of thing is why you need to look at both yourself. From every review I've read, the Shield is supposed to be the cat's pajamas and "teh awesome". However I'd guess that every reviewer I've read must have hands larger than mine. Oh, well. I'll make do with my SR9c - which is, to me, an awesome little gun.

If you happen to be a member at Harvard Sportsman's, or just live nearby, you're welcome to meet up with me at HSC and give my SR9c a try.
 
Congrats on your LTC!

Both guns are great and either would be a great choice!

The only thing I can recommend is for you to "try" to shoot both before you decide...
 
I get the feeling by your nic you may be located on Cape Cod. If you are and you want to shoot my SR9c at Cape Cod Fish and Game pm me and I'll try to make that happen.
 
Yup you can shoot my SR9c anytime at Mass Rifle. It is one of my favorites and I carry it with a suit etc and it is my flashy CCW [laugh]. My G19 is for the Fall and Winter. But the Shield is just the new fad and needs a big trigger job so you don't sprain a finger or two trying to pull it. The SR9c holds more rounds and is a little heavier. I'd say try both and make your decision based on feel. The SR9c out of box trigger is incredibly crisp, trust me.
 
WOW... thanks for the all the replys and advice. I am located in western Mass and might take up some of you guys up on your offer to try your SR9c. Thanks! I'm trying to research and make an educated / informed purchase. Thanks again guys! Jerry
 
Congrats on the LTC. I had an SR9c, and it was a great gun. I sold it to buy something else I would shoot more. None the less, still a great gun with a great trigger.
 
But the Shield is just the new fad and needs a big trigger job so you don't sprain a finger or two trying to pull it.

The non-Marxachusetts-approved Shield at Northeast [strike=""]Ratting[/strike] Trading has a pretty decent trigger. Which is why they can't sell it here. It's for the children, ya know.
 
My first is the sr9c. Great first gun. Conceals great, great trigger, very accurate, great price. No comment on the shield, I liked my NH version better.
 
I find the main cause of discomfort when carrying IWB is thickness of the gun. The Shield being amongst the thinnest would be where I'd lean between the two you mentioned. I have shot the SR9c and found the trigger very Glock like,if you like that (i do).
 
i haven't tried shield but sr9c is a great gun with awesome trigger. but as people said above - try both before deciding. besides shooting it, try and see which one you are more comfortable with, including carrying - try it against your body.

I thought I read somewhere that the Shield and the new M&P's have a new trigger system that removes the grittiness and crapy reset.
 
I'm surprised nobody has asked it yet but why those two?

The S&W equivalent of the ruger would be the M&P Compact, so why a single stack and a double stack?

If you are going to carry it, I'd suggest a single stack simply because you will carry it more.

A lot of us have made the mistake of buying too large a gun for carry only to have to buy something else.

Like bmass pointed out, the single stack guns are significantly thinner. (Kahr P,PM, C, CM 9, Beretta Nano, Shield, even 1911s)
If you are going to carry IWB then the thickness is really relevant.

Don

thickness comparison. Sorry about the size of the pic, I'm linking to another page, so I ca't resize.
Smith__Wesson_SW_MP_SHIELD_9mm_Sub-Compact_Pistol_MP9_NDIA_Joint_Armaments_2012_DefenseReview.com_DR_8.jpg
 
I went to Bobs in Salisbury and shot sr9c and Shield one after the other. Shield did not need a trigger job, although it was a tiny bit scratchy. (Dry fired a Shield 40 and it was clean) Neither of them were as accurate as glock 23 which has a longer barrel. SR9c has longer barrel than shield so should be more accurate in theory but my technique wasn't good enough to notice a difference. My conclusion? Either one OK but I think I'll go back to Bob's and put another 100 rds through each. I really don't want to buy both.
 
Get the sr9c but all comes to what you feel comfortable with. But no matter what you want a pistol straight out of the box,accurate, dependable with no trigger job. That is the Sr9c. good luck
 
Again, if you're looking for a CCW and want a thinner grip and frame, go with the Shield. If you want to carry more rounds and buy a proven gun get the SR9c. I have about 2000 rounds through my SR9c and I haven't had a single issue with it yet. I have purposely fed it garbage ammunition to test the reliability and it ran better than an illegal trying to get across our border. [laugh]
 
Here's another thought.

If you are going to go double stack (SR9C), why not get a glock so you have the option of standard cap magazines.

Even a 26 can take a larger G17 or G19 mag with a grip extension.
Also, the non-drop free mags are cheap and plentiful, and superior for defensive use for most of us.

Comparison of a G26 to a SR9C.
Don

p.s. I'm not a Glock fanboy by any means. They work flawlessly, as do the SR9s. My point is based ONLY on the fact that you can get more than 10 rounds into a Glock.

G26SR9c-1.jpg
 
The shield is a far superior gun, and much better for CCW. The shield is a smaller version of the M&P's which make much more ideal firearms than the rugers.
 
Here's another thought.

If you are going to go double stack (SR9C), why not get a glock so you have the option of standard cap magazines.

A better reason is that the G26 is way more space/capacity efficient than the SR9c is. The SR9C is a good gun, but for what it's supposed to be, it's kind of ****ing gigantic. [laugh] This is the reason why Glock can cell a gun design that is like 10+ years old and still be successful at it, nobody has matched their size/capacity metrics in several different classes of guns.

-Mike
 
The shield is a far superior gun, and much better for CCW. The shield is a smaller version of the M&P's which make much more ideal firearms than the rugers.

Have any proof, or is this just personal opinion? I ask because of everyone I have ever spoken to that has familiarity with both the M&P and Ruger always recommends the Ruger as being much better out of the box, and I have never read a single review ANYWHERE that says anything bad with regard to reliability either, but have with Smith products. I have products from both makers, so I'm not a fanboy of either. The M&P starts out at a higher price, then you have to spend an additional c-note (at least in MA) to get it to have a half decent trigger. Just wondering what, besides the single stack size difference makes the Shield a "superior gun for CCW"?
 
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A better reason is that the G26 is way more space/capacity efficient than the SR9c is. The SR9C is a good gun, but for what it's supposed to be, it's kind of ****ing gigantic. [laugh] This is the reason why Glock can cell a gun design that is like 10+ years old and still be successful at it, nobody has matched their size/capacity metrics in several different classes of guns.

-Mike

This I can agree with wrt to comparing the G26, but of course in MA, you are also at twice the price for a used G26 vs. a brand new SR9c. If you have a good holster like the supertuck, or even a Remora, the SR9c conceals very easily. That said, I am always on the lookout for a well priced G26 just because.[wink]
 
uhh what ^^^^ said? if you got an opinion thats fine, everyone has one like an arse. But outright saying to someone that one is definately more "ideal" is assinine.

dr grant, ever throw a caliper on diff parts of the G26 and SR9c? seem awful similar to me. I have owned, and loved both guns.
 
Shield would theoretically be easier to carry due to it's diminutive size, but the SR9c is going to be a much better all-purpose gun (i.e. carry, range, fun, HD, etc.). I had an SR9c and loved it. That being said, I'm with Mike and would suggest taking a look at a G19 or G26, at least for comparison.
 
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